Outsourced Work and Retained Responsibility Record

Outsourced Work and Retained Responsibility Record

Shopify's current dropshipping documentation describes a model in which a supplier ships to the customer. Its longer explainer identifies the merchant as the seller of record and notes reduced control over quality, consistency, and the customer experience.

ASQ describes supplier quality management through selection, monitoring, audits, process controls, and corrective work. CPSC guidance adds a stronger product boundary: manufacturers and importers should specify materials, guard against substitutions, understand applicable requirements, and take affirmative supply-chain steps.

Together, the sources support a narrow conclusion. A supplier can perform production or fulfillment, but the customer-facing seller still needs a system that connects promises to specifications, evidence, exceptions, and recovery.

The record does not determine legal responsibility for every business model or product. Contracts, product category, jurisdiction, importing role, representations, and conduct matter.