How ordering, payment and returns work
Cover Solid is a new online store for automotive covers. We do not ask for exclusivity. Below are our starting positions on each step. If yours differ, tell us on the form and we will talk it through.
The path of one order
-
Order
A customer orders on our store.
-
Purchase order
We send you a purchase order automatically, by email, CSV file or API.
-
Ship and track
You ship to the customer and send us the tracking number.
-
Customer updated
We pass the tracking on and answer the customer by email.
Who do you sign with?
Cover Solid LLC is a US company. There is no order history or volume forecast to show yet. We pay for each order when we place it, so we ask for no credit.
How do orders reach you?
Each customer order becomes a purchase order that our system sends you automatically, by email, CSV file or API. Orders are never entered by hand, so we need one of those three. Each purchase order lists the SKU, the quantity and the ship-to address. Please confirm it within one business day. If we hear nothing, we chase once by email, then cancel the order and refund the customer. Tell us your same-day cut-off time along with your handling time. If you can ship only part of an order, or an item is backordered, tell us before you ship so we can ask the customer. Orders should ship blind: the packing slip carries no supplier invoice or pricing.
What about address problems and changes?
We validate the address before the purchase order goes out. If it still fails, or the customer asks for a change or cancellation, we email you. Until you confirm shipment, you hold the order and tell us if it is too late to stop. We correct a bad address with the customer and send you the fix. A parcel returned to you because we passed on a wrong address is ours to pay for; one returned because of a packing or carrier error is yours.
How do prices and stock work?
Quote your price for a single unit of each SKU, with no minimum order quantity. We dropship one customer order at a time, so most purchase orders will be for one unit. Tell us in writing before a price changes, and how much notice you give. For stock, send a feed, a CSV file or an email whenever a SKU goes out of stock or is discontinued. If an order arrives for something you cannot ship, tell us and we will cancel or refund it with the customer.
Who pays for shipping?
Our starting position: you ship on your own carrier account and choose the carrier, and the freight is either built into the unit price or shown as its own line on the invoice. Tell us which. For oversized or multi-box items, give the number of boxes, their dimensions and the weight for each SKU, so we can set the customer's expectations.
How do you get tracking to us?
Send a tracking number and carrier for each order by email, CSV file or API. If none arrives by the end of the business day after your stated handling time, we email your order contact. If that goes unanswered for another business day, we update the customer and may cancel the order.
How do you get paid?
Per order, in US dollars, at the moment we place the purchase order. We pay for each order when we send the purchase order, so you carry no credit risk on us. Your invoice covers that one order. We absorb chargebacks on orders you shipped correctly and on time. If the cause is a wrong item or a missed handling time, we will ask you to credit that order.
How do returns, defects and warranties work?
Your written return policy and warranty set the limits, and we handle the customer conversation. Send us the return address, who pays return shipping, whether you issue an RMA number, any restocking fee, and how you want damaged or wrong-item claims documented, such as photos and a time window. We collect the photos for defect and warranty claims and send them to you. Our starting position on money: we refund the customer once you confirm the return arrived, and you credit us at the same time. You own the claim for a parcel lost or damaged in transit, because you chose the carrier and packed the box.
What do you need from a supplier?
We ask each supplier for the items below before we list anything.
- US shipping
Orders go to US addresses.
- Single-unit pricing
A price per unit for each SKU, with no minimum order quantity.
- Automated orders and tracking
Purchase orders and tracking by email, CSV file or API. Orders are sent automatically.
- A handling time in writing
The time from purchase order to shipment. We quote only what you commit to.
- Lead times for restocks and backorders
How long a SKU takes to come back in stock, so we can tell customers the truth.
- A written return policy
A link or a document works.
- Your warranty terms
What is covered, for how long, and how a claim works. We offer customers only the warranty you back.
- Size charts or fit data for each SKU
From the maker. We do not estimate sizes ourselves.
- Photos we may use
With permission to show them on our store.
- A contact for order issues
A person or an inbox we can email.
- Documents for any material or safety claim
For example, test reports. Without them we make no such claim.
- Liability insurance details
Product liability coverage, and who handles a claim after a customer injury.
- Your tax form
For example a W-9, at application.
- Resale and tax paperwork
Tell us what you need from us to sell at wholesale, such as a resale certificate.
Questions we expect
Do you hold inventory?
No. Each order ships from your warehouse straight to the customer.
Is there a minimum order?
No. Most purchase orders will be for a single unit going to one customer, so we ask for single-unit pricing.
Do you need exclusive SKUs?
No. You can sell the same products anywhere else.
What return rate should we expect?
We have no figure to quote. Returns follow your written policy, and we list sizes from your charts.
Does the package carry our invoice?
It should not. We ask for blind dropship, meaning the customer sees no supplier invoice or pricing in the box. If your system cannot do this, tell us and we will talk it through.
What if a customer asks for something your policy does not cover?
We decline or send the question to you. Our customer terms stay inside your written return policy and warranty.
How do I start?
Fill in the supplier form or write to vendors@coversolid.com.
If these starting positions work for you, tell us about your products.