Questions
Frequently asked questions.
If yours is not here, ask it — the answer may well end up on this page.
For buyers
- What does it cost to get a quotation?
- Nothing, and there is no obligation attached to it. Our margin is inside the quotation we eventually issue, so the quoting itself is not billed separately.
- What do you need from me to start?
- The product and its specification, the quantity with its unit, and where it has to be delivered. A required date helps. If something is not settled yet, say so in the notes rather than guessing — a stated unknown is useful, a wrong assumption is not.
- Do you have a price list?
- No, and a trading desk that published one would be misleading you. Price depends on specification, quantity, origin, delivery term and the day, so the only honest number is one quoted against your actual requirement.
- Is there a minimum order?
- It depends entirely on the product and the supplier, not on a policy of ours. Tell us the quantity you want and we will tell you whether it is workable before approaching anybody.
- Will my details be sent to suppliers?
- No. Suppliers receive the specification, not your identity. If you would rather be named — occasionally it helps, particularly on a repeat programme — you tell us and we will.
- What is actually on the quotation?
- The specification as we understood it, the unit price and the currency, the delivery term and what it includes, the lead time we were given, a validity date, and what accepting it commits you to.
- Why do two suppliers' prices look so different?
- Usually because they are quoting different delivery terms, different units or different grades. Normalising that is most of what we do — an EXW price and a DAP price for the same goods are not comparable numbers.
- Which countries do you work with?
- We welcome enquiries from North America, Asia and the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania. Availability is confirmed per transaction rather than promised per region, because it depends on the product and the suppliers in it.
- Can you handle shipping and customs?
- We quote on an agreed delivery term, which is what decides who arranges and pays for each leg. Tell us how far you want the price to reach — to the port, or to your door — and we will quote it that way and say what is excluded.
- Do you source gold or precious metals?
- Not yet. It is a division we are building supplier relationships for and we are not quoting on it today. Send the requirement if you like and we will tell you plainly where it stands.
For suppliers
- How do I become a supplier?
- Apply through the supplier page. The application asks for your categories, the countries you ship to, your capabilities, minimums and lead times — and it creates your supplier login at the same time, so you can sign in and see your status.
- Does having a login mean I am approved?
- No, and the distinction matters. The login is created on submission; approval to receive enquiries is a separate review by a person. You can sign in and see which state you are in.
- What do you send an approved supplier?
- A written specification with a response deadline, matched to the categories you told us you cover. The buyer is not identified to you, just as you are not identified to them until a transaction makes it necessary.
- Is approval exclusive, or a commitment to volume?
- Neither. It means we are willing to send you enquiries. We will not imply more than that to a buyer, and we would ask you not to imply more to yours.
- What gets an application turned down?
- Most often a list of categories so broad that it cannot all be true, minimums or lead times that do not survive the first real enquiry, or certifications named without a standard, issuing body and expiry.
Occasional notes from the desk
What we are sourcing, which categories we are buying in, and the trade conditions that are moving prices. Sent when there is something worth sending — not on a schedule. Unsubscribe in one click.