Becoming a distributor?

[smokum]

jacksid,

So far, most my dealings have been through US distributors and have not investigated (for financial reasons mostly) into importing direct from manufacturers.

I also find it strange the refusal due to Canadian Customs. The only reason Canadian Customs would blacklist anyone would be because of improper labeling, declarations, improper documents or packaging requirements. It certainly (at this time so far anyway), wouldn't be because of the product itself as their is no current governance related to it.

VapeOn,
Greg

 

[Nayetopps]

Ok folks, so I've got the skeleton of my site set up, now i"m looking for a distributor.. anyone have any inside information?? I know from experience how secretive you suppliers are about that kind of stuff, but I'm drowning here! LOL

Help a girl out. I promise I'll remember you when I'm up and running.

looking forward to those PM's!

((I know.. it's a chance in h*ll, but hey.. worth a try right?))

 

[karyts]

I am using zen cart for my website Karyts | The eco-friendly choice.

It's a 100% open source e-commerce software. No price to pay!

There are TONS of user created modules and add-ons you can use.

It's a quite a bit of learning curve, but it's highly customizable.

If you are looking for a distributor, look for the following in Alibaba.com:

DSE Series: Sailebao,
RN Series: First Union
KR Series: Kangertech,
M Series: Smoore

Hope this helps.

 

[Fedor]

My research tells me that Alibaba is crawled with middlemen and agents pretending to be manufacturers. This has also been confirmed by some of the members here who reports the same findings.

Hope this helps.

 

[stpeters]

I will vouche for SMOORE, they responded quickly to my emails and their prices, even for small orders, are quite reasonable. They only use EMS, which is good. HK Post can be iffy sometimes with stateside orders. AFAIK puresmoker and abettersmoke uses them, and for good reason.

My test order flew right through customs, so they must be doing something right.

The official direct sales branch of Shenzhen Smoore Technology Co., Ltd (a manufacturer) is absolutelyecigs.com BTW

 

[lordmage]

i wish you luck in you indevor i am only a middle man for close friends without internet acess at the moment so i dont really need to worry like you do

 

[Dalfitz]

Not to jump in but one of you mentioned using PayPal as your Internet Payment Gateway. I warn you be very careful, very careful. They don't fly by the same rules as everyone else. They fly by their own. They can jump in a seize "litterly" your account at the drop of a hat. Holding up THOUSANDS of your dollars for months for no reason and you have no recourse. Several years ago they did this to me and put me out of business. There is a Blog in General that goes into alot of detail and I could REALLY tell you stories. If you choose to use them be careful. If anyone would like more detailed information I am more than happy to share.

 

[Lithium1330]

Not to jump in but one of you mentioned using PayPal as your Internet Payment Gateway. I warn you be very careful, very careful. They don't fly by the same rules as everyone else. They fly by their own. They can jump in a seize "litterly" your account at the drop of a hat. Holding up THOUSANDS of your dollars for months for no reason and you have no recourse. Several years ago they did this to me and put me out of business. There is a Blog in General that goes into alot of detail and I could REALLY tell you stories. If you choose to use them be careful. If anyone would like more detailed information I am more than happy to share.

So, what alternatives to PayPal can we use?

 

[Dalfitz]

One you can look at is authorize dot net secure on-line payment processing, they are pretty good I used them. One you also might look at is Google Checkout. There are many others out there and it is best to look at several programs to find the one that works best for your situation. Just to give you a little (alot) more information with regards to Paypal go to paypalwarning dot com, paypalsucks dot com and there are several more. Prior to their "games" I had a very large sporting goods internet business. They killed it. Their TOS says they have the right to "limit" a persons/business account for ANY reason.

Be very careful if you use them.

Several things if you use them that may be helpful for you is...

1. Open a separate bank account just for Paypal and use it only to get payments not make payments
2. NEVER keep alot of money in it and do not associate it with other accounts you own another bank is probably the best idea

I hope this helps a little I just want to help others and try to prevent problems like I had from happening to others.

Sorry don't have enough posts to do real URL's

 

[Lithium1330]

Thank you Dalfitz it's good to know about all this, nobody likes to lost money.

Payment Gateway to Accept Online Payments

Paypal Problems, Information, Issues, Class Action Lawsuits - PayPal

Welcome to PayPalSucks.com, PayPal Lawsuit, PayPal Alternative, PayPal Complaints, Fraud & Evil behind the PayPal system!

 

[Blue Knight Max]

Let's not forget other things like ATF !! Alcohol, tobacco and Firearms.

Steve from Pure Smoker had mentioned one time that he had to deal with ATF after they raided his supply and was out of $40,000 bucks !!! OUCH!!

Starting a business is good. Just expect the unexpected.

I thought about at one time too but after careful thought, changed my mind.

Be mindful of the one thing that many people do not know about that puts alot of business out of business and that is.....uncontrolable rapid growth. Many businesses bust because they can't keep up with their rapid growth, then everything just explodes, falls apart and goes downhill from there. Take it one step at a time.

Also have a backup plan if in the event the Government gets involved and this e-cig life that we have all grown to love and decides to shut it down for years to come (do I hear insurance??)

Liability insurance is a must. LLC for protection (your personal assests), an accountant for book keeping (in the meantime use Quickbooks pro) have a lawyer on standby, a business plan (essential for bank loans) etc etc.

Oh, did I mention a partner? You can't do it alone. You'll need help.

In the business I run currently, (I provide training and development services) I spend alot of time book keeping, keeping track of invoices, accounts payable, recievable etc. I'm at the point where I'm going to have my wife quit her job and come work for me as my own adminstrative assistant.

It is exciting to have your own biz and yes, here at this site, there are many that can point you in the right direction to the resources you need.

I wish you the best.
Good Luck!!

Max

 

[Fedor]

My opinion on paypal is this. They are possibly the most convenient tool for any e-seller. This is possibly the only tool for sellers who do not have a merchant account with banks and are located outside the US and some other Paypal covered countries.

The security flaw works both ways. Sellers only need an email and bank account/ credit or debit card to start selling. So they are bit more dodgy. Paypal therefore takes extra steps to ensure security and thats when legit sellers cry foul.

Other gateways would probably require a merchant account and thereby proving the existence of a legit business entity. Money goes directly to the seller accounts and the gateway provider's role is more limited.

IMO, any online payment gateway is subjected to the same risks. This is not limited to Paypal only. If you receive a credit card chargeback or dispute, you are in the same situation no matter which gateway provider you use. That is, you will most likely lose unless you are VERY prepared.

However, i do agree that Paypal is rather unfair to sellers at times as they get to dictate the rules and there is nothing much anyone can do. I don't even think anyone outside of a few selected countries can threaten them with any legal action. Asians are probably screwed. This sucks even more since they earn a lot from transaction, withdrawal and conversion fees.

On the other hand, if there are no protection such as these for buyers, would anyone of us feel safe using our credit cards for online purchases?

Paypal do suck for sellers. But there is a reason why it is still the most popular and most used payment gateway in the world. Until anyone comes out with something better, sellers will continue to go for paypal for its convenience.

Anyone please correct me if i'm wrong as my knowledge with this is only limited to what i read and we all know the internet is not always accurate.

 

[web-success101]

I've heard several of you saying that you are not web savvy and are frustrated because you don't know how to build a landing page or a place to drive traffic to.
Some of you don't know how to drive the traffic either...

Look...I'm not some super huge company but I've been building niche websites and doing freelance copy and sales writing, landing pages, etc. for several years now.

I joined this site originally because I wanted to sell these products. After reading about all of your likes and dislikes, I realize that I'd have to become thoroughly knowledgeable with the different options before making the decision to become an affiliate or distributor. In the mean time, while I'm learning...I can offer web content, blog creation, and help to all you newbies who know the product but not the marketing end. My prices are very low. (I can make you a kick ... blog just like mine: web-success101.com) for under $100.
Let me know if you need help with your marketing and I'll be glad to either give you some pointers, or do some work for you....

All the best ~ Robin

 

[Joben]

I too am looking to becomming a supplier of this great product. I have countless numbers of questions however. I'm looking for suppliers willing to share thier insight with me. I know this may be difficult to find because I will then become one of thier competitors.

So please, any current suppliers out there willing to share thier experience and answer my questions, please PM me.

thanks in advance.

 

[Elendil]

Closing thread as it was almost a year since last post prior to today.