If you do not purchase mattresses directly from the manufacturer but through a wholesaler or distributor, you typically need four documents: a copy of or reference to the digital product passport that the manufacturer or importer has already had drawn up, proof of who qualifies as the supplier in the chain, your own receipt and inspection records, and contractual arrangements with your wholesaler about what happens if data changes later.
The difference from direct import or operating your own brand is that as a buyer through a wholesaler, you usually do not need to draw up new documentation. You purchase a product that already has a passport and a QR code. Your task then shifts from drawing up to checking and keeping records.
Why this is different than with manufacturer or importer
With direct imports from outside the EU or when selling under your own brand, you bear responsibility for drawing up the passport. When purchasing through a Dutch or European wholesaler, that responsibility usually already lies with a party earlier in the chain. That saves work, but it does not mean you have nothing to do. The regulation distinguishes different roles in the chain, and who is responsible for what exactly depends on the arrangements you make with your supplier and on how the chain actually works. If you first want to clarify which role applies to your company, you can work through a brief scan that maps your situation.
The documents you need
The first document is the reference to the passport itself: the QR code or the link that belongs with the product, and the passport behind it. Without that, you cannot demonstrate that the product is already provided with a valid passport. The second document is information about who acts as the supplier within the meaning of the regulation: the name and contact details of the manufacturer or importer who had the passport drawn up. The third document is your own receipt records: purchase invoices, delivery dates and a note that you checked upon receipt that the passport was present and accessible. The fourth document is the contractual arrangements with your wholesaler: what happens if a product model is modified, who reports that, and who you can contact if the QR code no longer works.
The detail that matters most here: verification versus documentation
The point where things most often go wrong when purchasing through a wholesaler is the difference between documenting yourself and verifying what someone else has done. Anyone who resells mattresses without being the manufacturer or importer does not usually need to create a new passport, but is expected to check whether the product has one and whether that passport belongs to the right model. That is a different effort than collecting data yourself, but it is not an optional step. Supervisory authorities look at whether the party placing the product on the market could reasonably have known that the documentation was in order. A note that you checked upon receipt whether the QR code works and refers to the right model is therefore more than a formality.
Documenting in your contract with your wholesaler
Because responsibility for the passport itself usually rests with another party in the chain, it is advisable for your own records to stipulate in the purchasing agreement who will inform you of changes, how long that party will continue to host the passport, and what will happen if the cooperation with that wholesaler ends. These are not legal obligations in themselves, but rather the practical implementation of the due diligence obligation that rests on you as a purchaser. An overview of what is customary in this regard can be found in the knowledge base with topics per situation.
Whether you purchase from a wholesaler, directly from a manufacturer, or as a hotel buyer procure mattresses, the question of which documents you precisely need can be answered with a few targeted questions. See how we arrive at this on the page on our working method, or read the shortest answers to frequently asked questions via the overview with frequently asked questions. If you have doubts about your own situation, consult the official text or a lawyer; this page describes the general approach, not your specific case.