This resource contains answers to the 10 most crucial Dropshipping FAQ that dropshipping retailers need to see or know before launching a dropshipping enterprise.
Does A Dropshipper Provide Customer Service Or/And Engage With Your Customers?
Certainly No! you’re solely responsible for interacting with your customers, providing support to them. You’ll need to do jobs like website building, marketing; customers support, render solution to problems and deal with any challenge that may arise. Also, you will act as the intermediary between your supplier and your customer.
How Do I Submit An Order To A Supplier?
Every supplier is different. A large number of suppliers accept orders through mail. Some will take orders over the phone; additionally, few advanced dropshippers will take order online. Whereas a few high-tech suppliers will even accept orders in bulk through a specially formatted CSV or XML file.
What Is The Turnaround Time For Fulfilling A Drop Shipped Order?
This varies according to the quality of your supplier, and their location. Most perfect suppliers should be capable of processing, packing and shipping out your order the same day if it’s received by noon their local time.
How Do I Receive Tracking Info For An Order?
This could also vary by the dropshippers. Celebrity dropshippers support tracking information by email in plain text, CSV or XML file. Tracking info should be received as soon as the shipment is processed or by the end of the day the order was shipped. Once you have the tracking number, you’ll have to give it to your customer typically through your shopping cart interface.
A sign of bad dropshippers is the delay in forwarding you order verification and its tracking info or/and require you log in to their website so as to have your tracking numbers.
How Can I Pay My Supplier?
Most dropshippers request that you get to have credit card on file to pay for your orders. We advise that you get Visa or Mastercard as large number of suppliers won’t accept American Express or Discover.
Once you have great reputation and great relationship with the dropshipper, you will properly be given the option of ‘Net 15′ or ‘Net 30′ terms, which implies that the supplier will extend you credit, and just record what you owe. Then, you will have to pay what you owe by check within 15 or 30 days according to the net term you go for.
Who Pays For The Shipping Costs On Orders? Me Or The Dropshipper!
When dropshippers charge you for an order they will take into consideration the shipping cost. Therefore, it is your responsibility to pay shipment fee. For surety, you will eventually charge your end customer for the shipping cost you paid.
Do Orders Appear Like They Sent Directly From My Store?
Certainly yes! And this is one of the exciting facts about dropshipping business model. Your company’s name, logo and your return address will be displayed on the packing slips as well as on all invoices. Therefore, it’s 100 percent as if the order was forwarded directly from your own store.
How Do Returns From Clients Work?
Certain dropshippers will put restrictions on what is allowed to be returned. Thus you are advised to engage with the dropshipping company to discuss return from customer rules.
A lot of suppliers will offer you a unique number called RA (Return Authorization) which will find the returns in their system. Once received, simply pass along this return authorization number side by side with the address of the warehouse to your client.
When the supplier confirms the return, they’ll forward you a notification along with a credit invoice indicating that they have credited you for the return product. Then, you will then refund the client who bought from you.
Who Will Take Care Of The Shipping Cost Of Returned Item?
This differs from one retailer to another, however, the policies suggested by Andrew Youderian, a professional retailer, an eCommerce expert and founder of trollingmotors.net. Andrew outlined two (2) cases of return as below:
For Defective products —Andrew stated that If a customer received a defective item, he feels it is his responsibility to pay all the associated costs to get them a new proper item.
Whereas some store owners will say that they didn’t manufacture product and therefore it’s beyond their responsibility. Andrew thinks that will be a poor way to do business, and offers a very poor experience for your customer.
The good news is, if a product is really defective, majority of the wholesalers will pay for the shipping cost of forwarding new one. This implies that you’ll only need to cover the cost of shipping from the customer to the warehouse.
For Non-Defective Products —If the customer settles to return an item because of wrong choice or due to a change of mind, then they will often be responsible for paying the return shipping cost. But, if the product was improperly advertised or presented on the store website, the business should pay return cost if this was the cause of the problem.
Do Dropshippers Ship Internationally?
This is different based on the dropshipper, however, approximately half of the dropshippers support international shipping. You’ve got to talk this out with the brand you intend to work with. Also note that if an international customer receives a defective product, offering them a replacement will be significantly more expensive. In addition, the possibility of fraud and abuse increase with international shipments.