OptiFuse Drop-Ship Program
With the TCG Drop-Ship Program, OptiFuse and Switch Components distributors can leverage our extensive inventory of over $4 million, along with our warehouse space and shipping resources. Your customers place orders on your website as usual, and we handle the delivery to them.
This guide includes instructions for distributors to successfully onboard in this low-effort, high-impact opportunity for your company, as well as tips and recommendations to ensure success. If you still have an unanswered question, please contact our sales representatives at (619) 593-5050 or email [email protected].
At TCG we’re committed to earning the trust of our distributors by providing the highest quality. We work to create enduring partnerships. With this aim, our Drop-Ship program guarantees:
- 1. 98% of orders must be accepted.
- 2. Average order acceptance time must be less than 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays).
- 3. 98% of orders must be shipped within 5 days or less.
- 4. The incident rate should be less than 1%.
- 5. Average response time to customer inquiries must be less than 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). While resolution may take longer, the initial response should occur within 24 hours.
Steps for onboarding
How does the TCG Drop-Ship Program work?
1. We provide you with the necessary information to add our products to your system. This includes photographs, datasheets, competitors’ cross references, and more to help market our products.
2. You receive a price guide that includes our costs for the products, so you always know how much you’ll pay. You have the flexibility to set your own prices on your e-commerce platform, allowing you to determine your profit margins.
3. We will send you inventory updates so that you always know how much of each product we have in stock.
4. Customer views our product on your website. You handle the website transaction and collect the customer’s payment through your e-commerce platform.
5. You send us an email notification of the order placement with the customer’s shipping information. We then provide a Sales Acknowledgement PO with your billing information and the customer’s shipping information.
6. Products ship from our warehouse directly to the customer.
7. We invoice you, and you remit the payment to us.
Adding our products into your system
We want to make this process as easy for you as possible. To do so, we have created a documentation pack in .xlsx format that provides you with the necessary tools and information to conveniently and efficiently begin selling our products. The pack contains a list of the SKUs we hope to offer through your marketplace. We have more than 2,000 OptiFuse and over 500 Switch Components products in stock, ready for listing on your site.
This file includes:
1. Product Details: Names, categories, descriptions, and attributes to help customers easily find our products.
2. Logistics Information: Including HTS code, COO, RoHS status, REACH, and CA Proposition 65.
3. Competitor Cross References
4. Product Pictures: In .jpg format, sized at 72dpi and 640px x 640px to enhance listing quality.
5. Product Datasheets: In .pdf format, including technical drawings and descriptive information.
6. CAD Drawings: Available in .stp format.
7. 360 Videos: Available in .html format upon request.
Additionally, we have conducted a comprehensive study of our product prices in the market. Based on this analysis, we have established our MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) to align with our competitive positioning. We utilize tiered pricing structures to offer discounts at set quantities, providing customers with clear visibility into higher quantity costs. Our MSRP will be provided in a separate .xlsx file.
We have several options to share our inventory updates with you and integrate our product stock level information into your system:
1. We can send you a daily email with the information.
2. You can pull real-time data from a provided URL.
3. We can use secure FTP or SFTP protocols upon request.
4. We can automate updates directly to you from our system using APIs.
5. We can employ Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) protocols upon request.
Please contact our sales representatives at (619) 593-5050 or email [email protected] with your preference so we can help with the process.
FAQs
Sure – just let us know what you need. We are here to assist you.
The MSRP we will provide you serves as a recommendation for the price we think at which online distributor should sell the product to end customers. However, you ultimately have the flexibility to set your own prices, which may differ from the MSRP. This allows you to adjust prices based on factors such as market demand, competition, and their own business strategies.
Yes – we offer APIs and EDI protocols that can be used to update our offer details from our system.
We recommend at least a daily refresh of stock quantities.
Yes – we have a General liability Insurance if liability coverage is required.
Order processing
Here are some important things to keep in mind as you process your Drop-Ship orders:
- When notifying us of the customer’s order placement, please include the following information: Part Number, price and quantity, Shipping instructions and courier account (where appropriate), Full ship to address information.
- We will acknowledge each order in writing at the earliest practical date. This acknowledgment will include your billing information and the shipping information of the customer.
- Once the order has been submitted, approved, and shipped, we will invoice you. The invoice amount references your cost for the order, calculated based on the order total, including shipping charges (if applicable).
- TCG standard payment terms to its authorized distributors are “Net 30 Days” from the time of shipment.
FAQs
Your company receives payment from your customers when they purchase products through your e-commerce platform. Once the customer places an order and completes the payment process, you handle the transaction and collect the payment directly.
No – Because the products sold in the Drop-Ship program are for resale, tax should not be charged. We will ask you to provide the tax exemption certificate (resale certification) to show that you are exempt from being taxed on the purchase of the parts.
No – you will invoice the customer, TCG will only be responsible for a packing list to the customer.
You will handle all aspects of the transaction to include customer vetting, credit and payment review and extending credit to customers that qualify.
If for some reason the payment fails, TCG will still be paid in full for the order if we’ve already shipped it to the customer.
TCG’s standard payment terms to its authorized distributors are “Net 30 Days” from the time of shipment upon approved credit. They payment should be processed within the agreed upon terms of Net 30 regardless of the terms the customer has with you.
Shipping
As part of the TCG Drop-Ship program, we will be responsible for fulfilling the orders placed by customers. All shipments are FOB – shipping point TCG 1675 Pioneer Way, Suite C El Cajon, CA 92020. All duties are the responsibility of the Customer. Delivery and shipment dates on TCG acknowledgements of orders are estimates only and are not guaranteed.
Regarding how shipping costs are charged:
- We can arrange shipments of our products using our UPS or FedEx courier accounts. With this option, actual freight charges will be added to your invoice (no service charges will be added).
- If you prefer to use your own shipping account, or the customer’s one, please indicate it in the order notification.
Once the order is shipped, we will provide you tracking information so you can share it with your customer.
We will be shipping directly from our warehouse using our own packing lists and materials. If required, we can ship it blind (without a packing list) or include your own packing list. If you prefer to include your packing list, please provide it when you send over the order.
Additionally, upon request, there is an option to include a ‘Thank You for your order’ card branded with both our logo and yours.
Communicating with customers
Please share any customer service inquiries with our Inside Sales Manager, Duane MacNeilan at [email protected].
When an incident request is received, please provide:
1. Order number
2. Individual SKU of the order
3. Incident reason (please include images of the potential error)
4. Customer contact information (if you want us to contact them directly to resolve the issue)
If an RMA (Return for Material Authorization) is requested by the customer, follow these instructions to process that request.
1. Provide order information and a description of the issue.
2. Once the RMA request has been received, you will be contacted with a Return Materials Authorization Number. Returned items without an RMA Number will not be accepted and will be returned to sender.
3. If the return is due to a supplier error (e.g., Defective product received, Incorrect product received, Wrong quantity received, Missing product from shipment), we’ll cover the return shipping cost and provide return instructions. If it’s due to a customer request, change of mind, or order error, the customer is responsible for return shipping. Please communicate the return instructions to the customer.
4. Once parts are received and inspected by QC, we’ll issue a credit to your account. You’ll be responsible for issuing the customer refund.
We are committed to provide you with the best service possible. Triad Components Group offers a 7-day (from the date of receipt) refund, replacement or credit policy on all new, unused and undamaged products. Returns due to confirmed product defects, workmanship or shipping errors may be returned up to 30-days from the date of receipt.