Anyone who has tried to buy a lot of returns or overstock as a private individual knows this market works differently from an online shop. Wholesale transactions happen strictly between businesses, and the first step before any offer is made is verifying the buyer's VAT registration - for cross-border EU trade, the EU VAT number.
Why this market is B2B only
Wholesale stock typically ships without retail packaging optimised for shelf display, without individual consumer warranties and without full retail sales documentation - it is prepared for onward resale by a business that will handle distribution to end customers itself. Then there is scale: lots are counted in pallets or full truckloads, not single units, which only makes sense for a registered business.
What EU VAT verification actually is
A national VAT number confirms that the buyer runs a registered business in their home country. An EU VAT number additionally confirms registration for intra-EU transactions - essential when the buyer operates in another EU country or plans to resell the goods across a border. Both are checked against official registers, including the EU's VIES system, so the process is fast and needs nothing beyond the company's own details.
How verification works in practice
- You share the company's basic details: full legal name, VAT number, registered address
- The number is checked in the relevant register (national, or the EU's VIES system for intra-EU trade)
- Once confirmed, you get access to the available wholesale lots
What to prepare to speed things up
The process moves fastest for companies that have their full legal name and VAT number ready - plus an active EU VAT number if they plan cross-border purchases. The rest, matching available lots to your categories and expected volume, is handled by a dedicated account contact.
After a positive verification, a buyer gets ongoing access to available lots - with no need to repeat the process for every new enquiry.