Dropshipping FAQ
Drop Shipping FAQ
Please choose from one of the topics below:
#1 Q: What is dropshipping?
Drop-shipping refers to the process of selling products on a website without keeping them in stock. Once an order is received, it is forwarded to another company to directly ship the goods to the buyer.
#2 Q: Why do I need to dropship?
A: For retail businesses that do not intend to hold inventory or establish warehouses, drop shipping can be a vital aspect. Through drop shipping, there is no need for inventory, packaging, trips to the Post Office, or paperwork. It does not make sense to pay for shipping a product to yourself only to repackage it and ship it again to your customer while incurring double shipping costs.#3 Q: Do you drop-ship?
A: Certainly. We can arrange for direct shipment of your purchased items to your customer's address. SMITH DISTRIBUTORS offers Blind Drop Shipping services for Name Brand Products and more. If you opt to deliver to an address other than your registered address, your shipment will automatically be processed as a blind delivery. This means that there will be no paperwork indicating the purchase price, and our company name will not be included on or with the package. The packing slip will not include any pricing information. There are no additional fees for dropshipping, and you will only need to pay the regular shipping charges.#4 Q: What's the minimum order for Dropshipping?
A: There is no minimum order with your membership. You can order as little as one product at a time with NO MINIMUM ORDER requirements.#5 Q: Is there a charge for dropshipping?
No. We don't charge any fee for the dropshipping program. There is no extra charge for dropshipping. You just pay the wholesale price of the merchandise plus the regular shipping charge.#6 Q: How do I place a Dropshipping order on your website?
Add to Cart -- Choose an item on our website and add the item to your shopping cart
#1 Checkout -- Please click "Change Address" or "Add New Address" under your account button on the checkout page and provide your customer shipping address either use "Guest" for your customer's shipping address too.
#2 Choose shipping methods
#3 Write down the note "Dropshipping" in the order comments.
#4 Choose to pay methods
#5 Confirm your order information page -- Please confirm your order information on this page
#6 Paying your order and completing the order
After completing your registration and receiving approval, you may start placing orders. To begin, select a category from the horizontal line of categories located at the top of every page on our site, which includes Electronics, Apparel, Sports, and others. You can browse the entire category or choose a sub-category from the dropdown menu. Additionally, you can opt to display up to 100 items per page and add desired products to your cart by clicking "Add to Cart" at the bottom of the page.
After adding all necessary items to your cart, proceed to pay for your order and we will ship it to your customer while emailing you the tracking number. However, keep in mind that merchandise in your cart is not reserved until you submit your order, approve the freight rate, and make payment arrangements with us.
Once you approve your order and freight, it will be sent to dropship, and you can add more items until 5 pm on the day your order is sent out. However, removing items is not possible after the order is sent for picking.
We have created a Wishlist feature for our customers, allowing you to add items you frequently order without actually placing an order. To use this feature, click "Add to Wishlist" at the bottom of the product page. You can access your wish list while building an order and add/remove items as needed.#7 Q: Do you offer free shipping on my drop shipping orders?
A: We offer products that come with free shipping. Unless otherwise stated, the prices listed by a dropshipping supplier only cover the cost of the product itself. You will be responsible for paying the shipping fees. As a general rule, you should pass the shipping costs on to your customers. Most online shoppers expect to pay for shipping when ordering products online, and they are usually willing to pay reasonable shipping fees in addition to the product cost.
You can also offer occasional promotions for free shipping or reduced shipping fees for orders that exceed a certain minimum dollar amount. Regardless of your approach, it's best to compare shipping providers and choose the most affordable option. Your shipping fees should be proportional to the speed of delivery. Customers who want faster delivery will usually be willing to pay more for it.#8 Q: How much does membership cost after the 7-day free trial?
A: For only $14.95 per month or $90.00 a year (best value!), you can enjoy membership benefits which include our drop-ship service. You have the freedom to cancel anytime from our website without the need for contracts or calling us.
We are offering a 50% OFF discount on the monthly membership fee, originally priced at $29.95 per month, so you only pay $14.95 per month and save $15.00 monthly. On the other hand, a yearly membership fee of $359.00 ($29.95 x 12 months) is now available with a 75% OFF discount, totaling $90.00 yearly and saving you $269.00 annually. This means you only pay $7.50 per month, which is quite affordable. Click here to subscribe.
We believe that our offer is unmatched by other drop shippers in terms of affordability. Our goal is to provide you with an affordable budget plan rather than a hardship.
It may surprise you, but more and more wholesale suppliers and manufacturers are charging monthly or annual fees for access to their product lines and drop-ship service. These fees can range from $19.95 to $59.95 or more per month. Some companies even offer discounts on annual fees compared to monthly access prices.#9 Q: How do I know that I get a 30% OFF Discount Or 40% OFF with an EXTRA 10% OFF DISCOUNT?
A: To get a free wholesale account with a 30% discount, simply sign up. Once signed up, log in to your account and browse our products to see the difference in prices before and after the "DISCOUNT" price.
You'll be able to compare prices at 30% off or 40% off with an additional 10% discount.
Upgrade to a 40%-member discount and receive a free trial for 7-DAY. After signing up and subscribing, you'll receive an extra 10% discount in your wholesale account. Please allow 24 hours for us to approve your account before viewing the different wholesale prices.#10 Q: How much profit can I make?
A: Determining profits for your products relies on your pricing strategy and the market you are selling in. Our platform provides suggested retail prices for all items.
To maximize your profits, we offer a 30% discount for free sign-ups or a 40% discount for paid subscription members on wholesale prices. You simply subtract the discount percentage from the wholesale price to determine your profit margin.
After the customer has paid you, you can easily log in to your Smith Distributors wholesale account to pay for the product at the discounted wholesale price. Any money you receive beyond that cost is your profit. Plus, managing orders from various suppliers is streamlined since you can do it all in one place.
To purchase the item your customer ordered, simply search for it on our website, add it to your cart, enter their shipping address, and pay for the order. You get to keep the remaining money. If you place your order by 4 pm EST (1 pm PST), it will be shipped on the same day with tracking.#11 Q: Do you provide an inventory feed or INTEGRATIONS?
A: Yes, we do have these Inventory files included in your membership. Inventory files are available in CSV formats and are updated several times daily. You can get our full inventory file or create your custom file. We also have pre-formatted templates for Shopify, Bigcommerce, Volusion, 3Dcart, Amazon and CSV Inventory Lists EXCEL (Purchase Order System).
We do have those UPCs for our products. You can import this file into your website store. You only need to do this once for start-up and all future updates by e-mail to you to replace the new CSV file. There will have Pictures, Retail Prices, Wholesale Costs, Inventory (In-Stock), Descriptions, Titles, Fixed Shipping or FREE SHIPPING, etc.
Your feed will be updated daily however you will be responsible for using it to keep your website up to date. Each data feed is updated daily. This includes adding new products, updating the inventory status and quantity in stock for each product as well as removing discontinued items.
Wholesale Price with 30% OFF Discount / Profit Margins (SIGN UP FREE):
- The Original Fee was $60.00. We offer you a 50% OFF SPECIAL DISCOUNT on the fee is $30.00. You save $30.00 a fee.
- After you sign up for your free wholesale account.
- There will be $2.00 fees (1 time) for EACH CATEGORY for CSV file processing.
- There will be $30.00 fees (1 time) and 30 FULL CATEGORIES for CSV file processing.
- CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW "SMITH DISTRIBUTORS Data Feed CSV File"
- If you want to have an UPDATE on the same CSV File, then Recurring feeds will automatically update on a daily schedule.
- After 30 days the feed will expire, and you must create a new file if you need continued access.
- It's FREE to provide for your UPDATE needs.
- Just come to Contact Us to have a Live Chat or E-mail us either. We can e-mail you an Update for FREE
- There will be $29.99 fees (monthly) and 30 FULL CATEGORIES (INTEGRATIONS) for Product data and inventory sync with no file uploads.
- Please note: All fees are non-refundable.
Wholesale Price with 40% OFF Discount / Profit Margins (PAID SUBSCRIBE MEMBER):
- After you sign up for your free wholesale account and SUBSCRIBE.
- Included Package with $14.95 per month or $90.00 per year membership -
- You will get a form of FREE CSV File processing with no fee at all.
- If you want to have an UPDATE on the same CSV File, then Recurring feeds will automatically update on a daily schedule.
- After 30 days the feed will expire, and you must create a new file if you need continued access.
- It's FREE to provide for your needs.
- Just come to Contact Us to have a Live Chat or E-mail us either. We give you a private FREE CSV File Link.
- You will get FREE INTEGRATIONS with no fee at all for Product data and inventory sync with no file uploads.
There will be CSV "Retail Price" Lists, all you have to do is subtract by calculation 30% OFF or 40% OFF will be your profit margin. The rest of it will be paying a wholesale price to our online store. Is it easy to do that right?
So, we can know what you want to see or import into your e-commerce. We will e-mail you with Data Feed CSV File.
Inventory files are available in CSV formats and are updated several times daily. You can get our full inventory file or create your custom file. We also have pre-formatted templates for Shopify, Bigcommerce, Volusion, 3Dcart, Amazon, and more...
Click on the link to fill out the form: SMITH DISTRIBUTORS Data Feed CSV File#12 Q: How are products shipped?
A: We strive to ship most orders within 1-2 working days of the order being placed. Occasionally, larger packages may be delayed by 1-2 days due to our commitment to testing each item prior to shipment. However, our experienced and dedicated shipping department ensures that delays are typically no longer than 3 days. Depending on the weight and product line, shipments are made via UPS Ground, FedEx, or USPS. If you place your order before 10:00 am Eastern Time, it will likely ship the same day. Orders usually arrive within 5-7 days of the order being placed.
#13 Q: How much does shipping cost?
A: FIXED SHIPPING - The cost of shipping varies depending on the product line, and orders are shipped through UPS, FedEx, or USPS. Some product lines have a flat rate shipping fee of $1.49 or $6.99 for UPS, $6.05 for USPS Priority Mail, and carrier rates for FedEx. Some items offer free shipping.
The flat rate shipping fee is based on the weight of your order. You can choose from UPS Mail Innovations (up to 1 lb), FedEx SmartPost (up to 9 lbs), and FedEx Standard (FedEx Home or Ground, up to 50 lbs).
To determine the shipping cost of an item, you need to add it to your shopping cart. The lowest cost option for shipping will be displayed on the item details page and inventory feeds. However, you can view all shipping prices and options by adding the item to your shopping cart.
Please note that there is no shipping to Canada, and FedEx SmartPost and UPS Mail Innovations are not insured. FedEx Standard shipments are insured up to $100.
If you order more than one item, you can receive a FREE SHIPPING. To apply this discount, please contact Live Chat or Email Us for a Special-Order Invoice with FREE SHIPPING. This is a great opportunity for Amazon FBA Businesses or customers who order more than one item.#14 Q: How do I know how much to charge my customers for shipping?
A: We show you the shipping charge for each item on the item details page or you can add it to your cart to calculate it. You may need the recipient's zip code.#15 Q: Can I use your product information including images and descriptions?
A: Yes, you are free to use our product images and product descriptions for your re-selling business. You can save the images from our website.
eBay STORE, AMAZON SELLER, AND ONLINE STORE:
Regardless of if you're a niche store or sell anything and everything store you will find plenty of products in our catalog that will sell and make you money. You can use our Copy & Paste Titles, Descriptions, Images, etc to create your listings for FREE.
BEST ADVICE - You can use Retail Price + Fixed Shipping = Combined Cost. You put FREE SHIPPING on your eBay Store / Auction or Amazon Seller.#16 Q: Do you provide online tracking numbers?
A: Yes, all of your orders can be tracked online from our website, and we email you the tracking number as soon as your order ships.
#17 Q: Can I seller on Amazon? EDUCATION: SELLING ON EBAY AND AMAZON - CLICK HERE
A: You can seller on Amazon, though you must first apply for an Amazon seller account and be approved as a seller.
Amazon restricts drop shippers to selling through their Fulfillment By Amazon program (FBA) and prohibits shipping products with packing slips or information other than your own. Drop Shipping Policy - CLICK HERE
SMITH DISTRIBUTORS will Blind Drop Ship Name Brand Products and more directly to your customers. If you ship an item to an address other than your registration address it will automatically ship in the blind, which means no paperwork showing what you paid, and our company name will not be included on/with the package.
Some important notes:
1. Only items that already exist in the Amazon catalog can be added to your listings using the Amazon Inventory Loader. So some very new items may not be added until a user manually creates those listings at Amazon. Be aware! Occasionally a seller creates a new item on Amazon using the WRONG UPC. When this happens, you may get latched onto the wrong item. We are not responsible for these errors as they are out of our control. Please notify us right away and we will remove that item from all Amazon stores. This happens very rarely but it is possible.
2. Only items with UPCs can be added to Amazon. Items without UPCs are not included in the Amazon Inventory Loader.
3. Amazon restricts new sellers in some categories, such as Jewelry. Contact Amazon for information and permission on selling in restricted categories. Sellers may be required to obtain additional approval to list certain products in certain Amazon categories View the Amazon category restrictions. Sellers can contact Amazon to obtain approval for these categories.
4. Our system only works with Amazon.com. It does not work the Amazon for Canada, Mexico, etc. It does not work with Amazon.ca or any of the other Amazon platforms.
5. Be sure your account for Amazon fees! Amazon generally charges 15% of your TOTAL sale. Your total sale includes your shipping charge to the customer. We include the shipping charge in your selling price automatically. So make sure your markup is more than 15%. But you still need to create a Shipping Template on Amazon that gives free shipping to your customers.
6. Most of our items do not ship internationally. Do not post them on Amazon's platforms for other countries, and do not make international shipping an option for our items.#18 Q: Can I seller on eBay? EDUCATION: SELLING ON EBAY AND AMAZON - CLICK HERE
A: You are welcome to sell our products on eBay
However, on this platform, you’re often competing with sellers who mark down their products to unreachable depths, such as direct manufacturers or sellers from international regions.
Because eBay is focused on the product with the cheapest price, it’s hard to make much of a profit margin dropshipping items here.#19 Q: Can I seller on Etsy?
A: In the past, Etsy has restricted its marketplace to items that are handmade or unique.
However, they recently loosened their regulations to allow “production partners,” which includes manufacturers or drop shippers that help produce your product.
You must disclose this information on your product listing.
#20 Q: How do you handle returns/refunds/exchanges?
A: In general, if an item is broken or defective, we will send out a replacement or issue the credit to your account. Non-defective/non-damaged returns must be shipped back to us within 30 days, and we will credit your account minus a 20% restocking fee.#21 Q: Do your products have any guarantees or warranties?
A: We guarantee that every product we sell will be as pictured and described and will be free from defects. If you or your customer receives an item that does meet not this guarantee, we will issue you a full refund or provide a replacement.#22 Q: Is it safe to shop with smithdistributors.com? Are SMITH DISTRIBUTORS reliable?
A: Sure. We use PayPal to handle payment thus we do not know, nor do we need your credit card or bank account info. We've served more than various retailers (including eBay Power Sellers, online store retailers) and thousands of individual users in the past 20 years, they buy items from us and choose our DropShipping service to ship items to their customers/friends/family directly. We've got a lot of positive feedback from our customers.#23 Q: How do you process and store my customer information, is it secure? Will you contact my customer directly?
A: Your customer information is kept strictly confidential. We do not sell or use your customer info for personal gain. We guarantee none of the following will happen when we drop ship. 1) We do NOT include our company name, logo anywhere on or in the package. 2) We do NOT include the prices paid for the merchandise. 3) We do NOT contact your customers; your customers will be still loyal to you.#24 Q: Do I have to be a business to purchase products from you?
A: No, you do not have to be a retail business to purchase products from our company. However, we do recommend you check with your local offices if you feel you may need to acquire a business license or Sales Tax.
Rules of Sales Tax - As a seller, you are required to calculate and charge the state, county, city, and other local sales tax rates where your buyer is located. ALWAYS follow sales tax rules and laws in the state where your buyer is located. NEVER charge a customer another state's sales tax.
Typically, you are required to collect sales tax on orders that you have shipped to anyone who lives in the same state as you. Please check with your state tax board to see if you are required to collect sales tax for the type of selling you plan to do. Our Michigan sales tax is 6.00%. MORE INFO: SALES TAX ID FAQ - CLICK HERE#25 Q: How do I know when my merchandise has been shipped and when my customer has received it?
A: Once your order is shipped, you should receive an email notification from SMITH DISTRIBUTORS, you can also check your order status in your wholesale account. Also, you can always email our customer service if you need further assistance or have any additional questions.#26 Q: How can I check my order history?
A: You can check your order history in your wholesale account.#27 Q: Do you ship internationally?
A: *IMPORTANT*: Although SMITH DISTRIBUTORS does not ship international orders directly to customers, we would like to propose an alternative for our international customers. You can still place an order with SMITH DISTRIBUTORS by signing up with a third-party mail forwarding service*.
This gives you a domestic address, in the United States, that SMITH DISTRIBUTORS will ship to at our same low (or free) domestic shipping rates. The mail forwarding service takes care of getting your mail to you in your country. This is a simpler and more cost-effective way of servicing our international customers. Please see below for how this works and how to get started.
