How to register as a Supplier

[Misty]

Updated Information as of 2012-08-26

ALL sellers of ecigarettes, eliquids or ecigarette-related items MUST be registered as a supplier at ECF before they can promote/advertise their business or site on ECF. Any business related posts will be deleted and suspensions issued until you have contacted to resolve and register yourselves.
Note usernames, avatars or profile info that are business related are considered a form of advertising.



ALL APPLICATION REQUESTS are to be sent via :
supplier[AT]e-cigarette-forum[DOT]com
[please rebuild the email address into the normal format with @ and .com]


We have several supplier usergroups available for application: -

ECF Supplier usergroups:

Registered Supplier
- Defined as Standard online suppliers of ecigarettes hardware [PVs & atomizer, kits] and/or eliquid. Website must be own URL domain (no sub domains allowed), 100% ecigarette related, active online trading site with a secure, encrypted shopping cart. (direct Paypal site checkout is acceptable)


Registered Supplier - Offline
defined as a supplier with an ecigarette business selling hardware and/or eliquid but with no website, web promotion, or online presence of any kind.

Accessories Supplier
- Defined as selling any ecigarette related items but do not sell the 2 main components of ecigs : hardware [mod & atomizer] or eliquid. They can be either registered with active online trading websites or Offline with no website

Supplier Services Provider
- Defined as selling or offering a service for suppliers ie. merchant accounts

Wholesaler/Manufacturer
-defined as wholesalers B2B sales only

Brand Manufacturer
- Defined as manufacturers of a Brand with their own dedicated forum .selling primarily wholesale to distributors.

They have access to the Brands Connect System to showcase their products along with their own Brand Pages featured. There is a monthly fee for the forum facility and Brands Connect system. They are listed here: Vaping Brands | E-Cigarette Forum


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ALL APPLICATION REQUESTS are to be done via email to:

supplier[AT]e-cigarette-forum[DOT]com
[please rebuild the email address into the normal format with @ and .com]

You will receive by email a complete information package dependent on the usergroup you are eligible for, including a mandatory Suppliers Details Form to be completed. Pls note the information on the Supplier Form will remain confidential, for internal records only and will not be listed on the Forum. We do not publish lists of suppliers on ECF on the open forum.


You will remain in the unregistered supplier usergroup during the application process with view only permissions until the process of registration is completed and the annual registration fee $50 paid.

Those applying for Registered Supplier usergroup - those with online active trading websites, will undergo a site review for compliance to ECF Business Site Criteria to ensure no health, quit smoking, smoke anywhere claims, etc. are made and there is a secure encrypted checkouts in place.

Applicant Rules :

• You are cordially asked not to post ANY reference to your products or services UNTIL YOUR REGISTRATION IS ACCEPTED. This includes preference polls or ideas of products such as proposed concepts or asking for feedback from members on products you carry or wish to carry.

• No signature text or links are allowed or avatars that are business-related until application/registration process is completed.

• Only ONE username is permitted per company to be registered on ECF and represent the business. Please do not create any multiple account. Suppliers cannot have personal accounts.
  No associates/employees of same business allowed to be registered as members.

 

[rolygate]

You might ask: why all the rules?

The answer is simple: this website is large and complex, with high traffic and several diverse usergroups. In particular, we have to balance the requirements of members and suppliers. If free-for-all adverts were allowed, the site would rapidly become a toilet - of no use to visitors, avoided by members, of no interest to genuine suppliers and advertisers, and banned by search engines.

Therefore we have an absolutely rigid rule, which is very, very simple; no adverts / promotion anywhere on the site except where permitted, by those who are permitted to do so. Any contravention of this rule and you will be banned.

Registered Suppliers
Of course, we work together with registered suppliers and advertisers. Once registered, you will be afforded the facilities you need, though you must respect our rules. We will assist in any way we can, to help you provide a service and trade successfully - but please remember the facilities we provide to you are a privilege, and if you contravene our rules, will be withdrawn.

There is an associated matter: the increasing pressure on this site. It is one of the oldest, largest, and above all most-respected ecigarette websites. As such it is a central point of reference for many in the industry. That makes it attractive for both genuine advertisers and spammers alike. We have several hundred Registered Suppliers and eighty Forum Suppliers (this number is capped and there is a waiting list). The volume of applicants to become registered suppliers is increasing, along with the spam.

Please remember that we are under pressure and anything that looks like a spam attempt will be deleted, and you will be instantly banned - this applies to all, including suppliers.

Registration as a supplier here is a privilege that we can and will withdraw without the slightest hesitation -READ THE RULES.

Legal situation
Please also note that the regulatory situation is 'interesting'. It differs from country to country and we may have to take account of that. We also need to consider the legal issues and the effect of site content or links to partner sites, on our community and registered suppliers. For these reasons things are not necessarily as simple as you may think.

Questions
For questions surrounding these issues, please contact:

Misty (ECF Suppliers Manager)
directly at:
supplier[AT]e-cigarette-forum[DOT]com
[please rebuild the email address into the normal format with @ and .com]

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