How to choose an Hong Kong honest agency

Are you looking for a Hong Kong agency to help you incorporate a business in Hong Kong? Many entrepreneurs discover the benefits of Hong Kong’s economy and business environment and decide to establish a presence right away. Hong Kong offers an excellent base for business incorporation and bank account opening, thanks to its simple frameworks, straightforward tax laws (including low rates and no corporation tax on offshore profits), ease of using multiple currencies, and strong connections to other Asian markets.

However, the online landscape includes many dishonest agencies focused solely on quick profits, which will not provide the quality service you deserve. In this article, we will discuss how to choose an honest and reliable agency in Hong Kong, guiding you through 3 essential steps to avoid scams and ensure a smooth company formation process.

Step 1. Check the Hong Kong agency’s website

Suppose you did proper research and found three to five agencies that could offer you the company incorporation service in Hong Kong. Ask these questions and if you get positive answers, you should considering using them to help you start your company:

Do they have a professional looking website and is their English good?

This is something very obvious, since a company that is honest and a real one would spend enough to get a highly professional look on their website. Along with this, the website that has everything clear and everything explained properly for the audience to refer from, is actually the right agency for you.

Other than this, would you be able to communicate if a company doesn’t know English and you do not know Chinese? Good, nor would any sensible person! Moreover, a company with English as the main language with no errors on their website would give you enough hints that they are genuine ones. Choose this Hong Kong agency as they would be able to communicate with you easily.

Moreover, you would not have to miss out on anything or get confused since the communication gap would not exist. Professionalism is the main key in the agency that is genuine and honest.

Are you able to comprehend what they are offering to you?

This answers comes after you have checked if the website is a professional one. Where you can check an agency’s honesty by going through the website and figuring out if all the information that is needed to open a company in Hong Kong has been shared on it.

The agency that has got nothing to hide would share all the information and even break down each process and its costs, so that you know exactly what you are paying for and how much you are paying for it. Isn’t this what you want?

Well, sorry to say that many agencies lack in this point where all you get to see on the services page is the complete package and the total amount you need to pay. Some even do not offer any prices or explanation, and want you to message them with all your questions. This is the type of agency that you have to maintain a distance from.

How old exactly is the website?

You can’t always tell how long you’ve been an agency, by looking at the footer of their website. Companies frequently change the layout of their websites. There’s also reasons to change the content of a website to advise you about the latest laws. Look for a Hong Kong agency which does this – they are being honest and they will give you good service. There are a couple of ways to check the age of the website.

You can search age checker on google, or simply use Who.is. Ideally, you don’t want to hire a company that only started a month ago. New companies can be trustworthy, but have less dependability. The amount of time a company has existed is very important to check before hiring them. Don’t just look at the design your website and choose an agency, look at the agencies website age.

Do they have a physical address in Hong Kong mentioned on the website, a phone number and an email address?

An honest agency provides a working phone number, and an email address where they will respond, and have their actual registered address for clients to visit if they wanted. If there is no contact information this should concern you. Be cautious of agencies that only have contact forms and email. They might be registered Hong Kong agents but be located elsewhere, such as Mainland China. An honest agency is going to divulge every detail including a valid registered address, phone number, and email ID. Then call them and email them and see if you get a response. If so what is their English like, do your emails bounce back. An honest agency will likely get back to you right away and in a professional manner.

What payment options do they offer?

Does the Company have any software or application for their clients?

This is a valuable bonus. Software demonstrates their legitimacy and their investment in client experience. Major companies like Apple, Amazon, PayPal, and eBay all offer client software. An agency with software or an application allows smooth contact and easy processing. A valid agency shares all service details, both good and bad. They aim to reach their audience through every possible medium. If you find an agency like this, choose them. This bonus point offers a better guarantee for your investment in registering a company in Hong Kong.

Step 2. Research about the agency

Suppose that the name of the company that you are searching is “ABC Incorp Limited,” then go to Google and search for the ABC Incorp Limited scam, or ABC Incorp Limited problems, etc. This would help you find if there has ever been any scam about the company cheating other customers as well.

Another option you can try is, ABC Incorp Limited fraud. With this, many options would come up right in front of you related to the company and if the company is a fraud. Moreover, if there isn’t anything about the company online, you can then be sure that it is an honest agency. You can then choose this Hong Kong agency for your requirements to open a company in Hong Kong. But before you get hasty to choose that agency, there is one last step that is equally important to determine the genuinity of the agency, which has been mentioned below.

Step 3. Get in contact with the agency

Suppose you have done the check on the agency as per the steps above and it came out clean. The next step is to contact them and find out everything they offer and their price. While doing so, keep the following points in mind:

When you call them during business hours, do they answer you?

An agency that is a genuine one would always be ready to answer any customer’s queries through the phone calls and even through emails. If an agency is taking too much time to pick up your call each time you call them, that is if you need to keep calling them again and again before they answer your call, move to the next option.

Do they speak English fluently?

Clear communication is essential. The right company knows proper English. You need an agency that communicates effectively to avoid misunderstandings and financial losses. If their English or communication technique is poor, you might be dealing with an intermediary or a less competent company. It could also be a scammer. Stay clear in these cases.

Do they allow you to pay through PayPal or are they using the Western Union?

Many companies now use PayPal because it offers a clear and secure payment process. PayPal also retains transaction history for a long time, helping in case of misunderstandings. If an agency only asks for Western Union payments, avoid them. They likely lack an official bank account, indicating a fake operation. Also, you cannot track Western Union transactions, leaving you with no proof. Transaction records allow you to provide payment proof for any issues. You can also use them against the company if they fail to deliver promised services.

If you email the agency with an inquiry, do you get a response in proper English within 24 to 48 hours and without them urging you to pay as soon as possible?

As mentioned above, proper English is a must since it not only lets you know about the genuinity of the agency, but is also a good point for you since there wouldn’t be any miscommunications in the future.

Also, check the agency’s genuinity by the language they use and the way of communication. The right agency would be clear to you about the services, and all the decisions are completely up to you. Some might not follow up on your questions, and they may not try to make you their customer. This is since they have enough clients already! Make your choice keeping this in mind as well.

When you request for quotations, is the answer clear with a proper break down of the services?

Agencies should give you a proper break down of all the services that are offered by them, along with the costs at each point. With this, you know how much you are going to spend and where you would be spending it.

If the agency just has a package that doesn’t show you a break down to let you know about the services and the costs, ask them for it! In case, they are not clear about the services, it is better to move on to another agency.

Choosing Your Hong Kong Agency Wisely

When choosing an agency in Hong Kong to assist you with incorporating a company, it is not only about identifying scammers, but it is also equally important to evaluate whether that company is efficient for you, now and in the future. Communication is a key component. They also need to be transparent about the entire process, and tell you about the good and bad points of the service. With all of the above information, you should now have a much clearer idea of what to look for in an agency when choosing to assist you with starting your business in Hong Kong, and to avoid scammers. Be careful and choose wisely!

Last update: July 2025