posted on September 2, 2003 01:43:51 PM new
Well... I'm having a rough day. I sell on eBay in two primary areas. In one of those areas, I use a single Vendor to provide me with over 90% of my auction items. Well... today, out of nowhere, I get an e-mail from their Sales Manager stating "In our best efforts to serve you in the past, we have been unsuccessful. I am sorry that we will not process further orders from you."
I've had ONE problem with this vendor back in October 2002. I was sold merchandise that was not as represented, and when I tried for a refund or return I was told "tough-luck". Their customer service people were down-right nasty to me... and actually shut-down my customer account without notifying me. Once I contacted the Sales Manager (same one who sent the e-mail today), however, everything was straightened out and my account was re-activated. Since that one problem, I've placed over six orders from them totaling over $4000.00 my cost. I have not had any problems with those orders, nor have I even contacted them with any questions concerning them. I pay instantly with credit-card and place my order directly on their web-site (so they have no time involved in taking the order).
I just don't understand why they would cancel my account. I've tried phoning the Sales Manager... but have not been able to get through to him. It's very disturbing. There are other vendors available... some even with better products at better prices... but none have as good a website for ease-of-ordering. Anybody have any suggestions? If not.. thanks at least for listening to me vent a little. If nothing else, that helps!
posted on September 2, 2003 01:52:34 PM new
eauction: sorry to hear of your frustrations.
sux, i know!
Only thing I can think of is maybe they are planning or doing some ebay reselling of that particular product themselves? Cutting you off as competitor? Or maybe they are going under, and dont want to let that out so make it look as if just closing your account?
posted on September 2, 2003 02:01:01 PM new
neroter,
Could be.... they do have an eBay account (although an incompetant person running it... in fact that's where the problem in October came from). But, currently they sell high-end products on their eBay account... while I'm selling the accessories. Rather than being competition, we really complement each others auctions. They'd never be successful selling the $5-10 accessories like I do, because their lowest shipping charge is $9.95.
I've been dealing with them since about 1997... so it really is a shame that they want to throw away a consistent repeat customer. I figure I pay for at least one persons salary every year.
I like your second theory of them closing better. That would at least make me feel better!
posted on September 2, 2003 02:09:35 PM new
it is also possible if they were mispresenting their products,say for example what is pewter is not pewter and what is ss 925 is not 92.5% silver.
while they are under investigation,it would not be a good idea to do business with existing customers,as if they lose,they may have to pay you punitive damage etc/
what exactly do they sell/make??
-sig file -------The thrill is gone!!
posted on September 2, 2003 02:21:58 PM new
That sort of letter (which makes no sense) would lead me to believe they are planning to sell on ebay, and want to get rid of competition. I guess you will find out soon. Maybe you will find a better deal with one of the other companies, I know that when I have gotten fed up with a company, I have often found a better deal with another company.
posted on September 2, 2003 03:26:19 PM new
As usual I agree with ahc3. I also believe that is a trend that will increase as companies seeks new ways to earn more income in these lean economic times.
-------------- sig file ----------- He who angers you controls you
posted on September 2, 2003 03:47:45 PM new
Look at it this way, sometimes things happen for a reason. Perhaps you'll do better with a different vendor. You may even have a better selection of items to purchase. Although this particular company was easier to order from, "the ease of use" will get better once you get use to ordering from a different company. Don't sell yourself short by relying on just one vendor. It's always nice to have a backup plan. You also mentioned that other vendors sell similar merchandise for better prices. If this is the case, I'd jump on the bandwagon with the other vendor(s). Remember Ben Franklins adage, A penny saved is a penny earned. Don't be so hard on yourself, life is entirely too short. Best of luck on your future sales.
posted on September 2, 2003 03:52:44 PM new
I don't understand.
You're buying wholesale and paying for it with a credit card?
Methinks they've figured out they can sell direct to someone else and save themselves the card processing fees, not to mention the hassles of potential chargebacks. They might be eliminating all small-potatoes sellers like you so that they can concentrate on the big accounts, if that's where the real money is.
None of my suppliers accept credit cards nor would I ever expect them to.
I disagree with those who say their message makes no sense. It makes perfect sense: they're doing what they're doing because it's in their best interest.
You won't often go wrong assuming that a company does something because it believes it will be beneficial to that company.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Sep 2, 2003 03:55 PM ]
posted on September 2, 2003 04:29:42 PM new
fluffy, many vendors offer CC as payment and if one wishes to take advantage, why not? If the vendors have any business savvy they have the CC fees built in to the product cost. I would think if there was a problem and someone did a chargeback, then they may not want to do business with them again.
eauctionmgnt, hope you get in touch with them and get to the bottom of the problem. Looking for other sources may actually turn out to be fun!
posted on September 2, 2003 04:38:49 PM new
just becasue they plan to sell on ebay is no reason not to sell to you.the more the better,what do they care if you sell on ebay and they sell on ebay,their cost will always be lower than yours.
posted on September 2, 2003 04:40:10 PM newfluffy, many vendors offer CC as payment and if one wishes to take advantage, why not? If the vendors have any business savvy they have the CC fees built in to the product cost.
I think you've made my point. You want to pay for the convenience of using a credit card?
Serious wholesalers don't take credit cards. Letters of credit, wire transfers, cashier's checks, yes. Me, I pay in cash when possible to get the maximum leverage.
If you're using a credit card, you're not dealing with the lowest position on the distribution chain, which means you're probably paying more than you should.
OTOH, if you're buying in small quantities, dabbling in the eBay waters, serious wholesalers won't sell to you anyway. They sell in serious volume.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 2, 2003 04:53:30 PM new
EAM - I'm curious about who you think is working there for $4000 a year? You start you have place four orders since October of 2002 for a total of $4000 but you fell that you have probably covered at least one persons yearly salary?
To offer up a different theory - maybe someone doing higher volume has offered a premium for an exlusive.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Fluffy - There are a lot of supplers these days accepting credit cards. I've found manufacturers/suppliers in India, Bangkok, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and more that all accept credit cards. (comanies with items that sell in the $30-50, cost in the $2-5 range and require $1000 minimum orders - not just the penny ante ones) It's part of doing business in the electronic age.
None of your suppliers accept credit cards?
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Men Are Like Grapes. If You Stomp on Them and Keep Them in the Dark Long Enough, They Might Turn Into Something That You Would Take to Dinner
[ edited by Fenix03 on Sep 2, 2003 04:54 PM ]
posted on September 2, 2003 05:07:41 PM new
Fluffy's absolutely correct. True wholesalers either do not accept credit cards or charge extra for the priviledge.
Most want to you go through an entire credit application and verification process before they will even take your check.
Not to say you can't buy your merchandise through some middleman who accepts all forms of payment, but that's not the way the big guys usually work.
-------------------
Replay Media
Games of all kinds!
posted on September 2, 2003 05:33:42 PM new
"In our best efforts to serve you in the past, we have been unsuccessful. I am sorry that we will not process further orders from you."
From that statement it sounds like you didn't meet their expectations as a reseller/buyer. How do you interpret their response?
As for paying with a credit card I would think if that were an issue then they would explain to you that they no longer accept credit cards for wholesale purchases.
Good luck...you are probably better off looking elsewhere.
posted on September 2, 2003 05:53:57 PM new
Fluffy And replaymedia I Think you are both
Very wrong. I am a major wholesaler. and I encourage my vendors to use a credit card rather then Net 30. I don't know what kind of fly by night wholesalers you are buying from Do they come to the alley behind your house with a dark van.
posted on September 2, 2003 05:57:17 PM new
The companys I deal with all take credit cards and charge the same no matter how you pay.I use my bank card as a credit card. The companys I deal with will not sell to you unless you have a tax number.
posted on September 2, 2003 06:03:54 PM new
Try to get Ingram or Baker & Taylor to take a credit card. It ain't gonna happen.
I'm talking about serious wholesalers with multiple warehouses across the country (or multiple countries) and thousands of employees. These are the big boys that I am talking about.
Now obviously you can sell at wholesale and be a smaller operation, but that's not really what the original discussion was about. In fact, the original poster didn't even use the world wholesaler, he/she said vendor.
The bottom line is that the original poster's supplier was very unprofessional and amateurish. When dealing with people like that, it's a good idea to have secondary suppliers. in advance. It's a bad situation to be sure, but what can you do but move on and get a new supplier?
-------------------
Replay Media
Games of all kinds!
posted on September 2, 2003 06:26:01 PM new
Replay - you are correct that there aremany companies that do not allow for credit card ordering. I used to order direct from Warner they definately did not take credit cards... but then their invoicing system was a disaster and about twice a year we would recieve huge envelopes with all of our invoices for the past six months... They should probably consider taking credit cards : )
I do believe however that in coming years you will begin to see many more specialty manufacturers and suppilies becoming web enabled and accepting credit cards in order to expand their market base. If I were a manufacturer I would do that, then do something along the lines of assisgning account numbers to larger accounts that with pre approved lines of credit that would allow them to use their internal credit line for web orders. It's a smart move, world wide order taking without the need for 24 hourr staff. No time more time zone concerns and a huge reduction in toll free line charges. I know Apple does it on personal credit lines, no idea about corporate.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Men Are Like Grapes. If You Stomp on Them and Keep Them in the Dark Long Enough, They Might Turn Into Something That You Would Take to Dinner
posted on September 3, 2003 06:46:36 AM new
Thank you all for your kind words and support. I was never able to get ahold of them yesterday... so I'm going to try again today. First, though... let me respond to a few posts.
1) If it is a credit card issue... they should have told me that. I have no problem establishing a line of credit, being invoiced and paying by check (I do that with other vendors). I only use the credit card option because they make it available. I'd be foolish not to, since my card gives me 2% back toward any car purchase (Citibank Drivers Edge)
2) As to my paying their salary refrence... I probably do come close to paying for at least one of their positions each year (albeit a low-pay one!). The $4000+ I spent was since Jan 03... and I am likely to spend another $6000+ by the end of the year. I am very confident that over the next 10 years I would have spent over $100,000 with them... and truly can not understand why they would want to throw away that kind of money!
3) To make a clarification.... they are not a wholesaler per-say. They are a company that deals in new and used widgets / & widget accessories in addition to having an extensive widget repair center. I believe a majority of their used accessories come in from trades and repairs that are junked. Their actual prices on their widgets are quite high. The widget accessories (which I buy) are reasonably priced... but likely to be mostly profit for them. (as they're making the majority of their profit on the actual widget that the accessories originally came from). Although they are not a wholesaler, they do cater to dealers and even have a dealer/bulk merchandise section on their website.
Anyhow... enough explaining... I do really thank you all for helping to put this in perspective. I actually slept much better last night than I anticipated! The world certainly isn't lost... but this is an obstacle that I really didn't need to deal with in this economy. The way I figure it... is I have two choices now:
a) Like I said... this was one of my two product lines. I could just discontinue this line and put all my resources into developing my second product line. (which actually has a MUCH higher profit margin... but lower sell-through rate).
or
b) I can go searching for other vendors. I actually already know of two that sell similar items on the web... plus there are a ton on individual companies I could contact that don't have websites set up for on-line ordering... but could probably still provide the products.
I'll probably go ahead and try option b first, and be glad that I have option a to fall back on. I definately agree with all the posters that say don't put all your eggs in one basket. (that's why I developed the second product line!) Who knows.. like some of you said... maybe this will turn out to be a good thing and I'll start making more money with other vendors! Thanks again for all your responses!
posted on September 3, 2003 08:18:44 AM new
eauctionmgmt: If you succeed in getting through to the sales manager, you might consider offering to pay for future shipments with a form of payment that costs them nothing. Also, you might offer to place a minimum size order. It seems to you like you're spending plenty with them, but it may not seem that way to them.
It's WAY easier to put some work into retaining a vendor than it is to find a replacement.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 4, 2003 10:10:12 AM new
Well.. just thought I'd give you all an update.... I was able to get ahold of the Sales Manager, but I was not able to make any progress. They stood firm on their decesion, and yet would provide me with no reason for it. I've decided to draft a lengthy letter expressing my disapointment / confusion to their company president. If he's involved in this decision, I want him to know of my dissatisfaction.... if he wasn't informed of the decision... I want him to know what choices the people he has hired are making (such as turning away a sure $100,000 over a ten year period!)
I've just finished placing an order with their number 1 competitor... and found it to be almost as easy to place an order with. As I get used to their site, I'm sure it will be just as fast. PLUS they offer on-line tracking of my order, which is nice! While they didn't have as big a selection... the items they did have were mostly 10-20% lower priced.
I've also started contacting some of my smaller suppliers (that I made the remaining 10% of my purchases in this field from) and have notified them of my situation. I've told them that I will gladly give them more of my business if they can provide me with more extensive product offerings. I've already gotten a good response from some!
Plus... I've found countless other sources through searches on the web. They aren't set up for on-line ordering... but I can take advantage of my unlimited long-distance plan and call them up to see if I can make some deals. I'm really starting to feel pretty optimistic about this situation. I've taken the lemons and am now enjoying a cold glass of lemonade. If my old suppliers don't want my money... well... I certainly don't need them! Thanks again for all your support!
posted on September 4, 2003 02:24:37 PM new
Would you consider a polite "Thank You" to the president of your former vendor?
I would channel that anger you had in the beginning and sincerly thank them for forcing you out of your comfort zone that they had lulled you into.
As you're finding, sometimes we resist change, but change can turn out to be the best thing that has happened in awhile.
I'm serious about sending that "Thank You" - because a long complaint letter probably won't get to the company president, but a well worded and sincere thank you will! And, it will probably provoke some sort of response - Someone will probably wonder why you're so happy now that you're not their customer... Just don't have it reflect any animosity or flippant language and you'll be surprised at what might happen.
Also, write it then put it away for a full 24 hours then read it again. You'll make very good edits to it with a fresh look.
Hope this helps.
Wayne
Trying to Make a Difference - One Satisfied Customer at a Time....
posted on September 4, 2003 02:42:36 PM new
I am in agreement with you Wayne, a nicely written thank you letter, telling them that because of their actions, that you have found better sources (and less expensive) to deal with, and thus being more profitable to you will get a LOT more attention than a nasty complaint letter. I should do that with a company I was dealing with for supplies. They didn't stop dealing with me, but I had a couple of issues that they did not deal with, so I took my business elsewhere. I now deal with three other companies instead of one, but I am saving a LOT of money. It is sometimes easy to stay where you are because it is familiar, but it does pay to shake things up. I calculate that I am saving about $100 a month.
posted on September 4, 2003 02:44:56 PM new
You are probably better off without them. Who needs this kind of treatment? I'm sure your other suppliers will be more than happy to get the business you would have otherwise given to the old supplier. What comes around, goes around and maybe someday they'll regret what they've done.
Cheryl
The next time you think you're so perfect, try walking on water.
posted on September 4, 2003 03:12:22 PM new
there must be reason why they refuse your business.
either there is something which has happened you are not telling us or you are selling them too cheaply.and the other retailers complain.
i know a cyber shop which sells a line of leather cases at a pitiful markup over factory price,the manufacturer closed his account.
-sig file -------The thrill is gone!!
The world certainly isn't lost... but this is an obstacle that I really didn't need to deal with in this economy. The way I figure it... is I have two choices now: