20 replies to this topic

[headutter]

I do business with Apollo Embroidery. Their product is good, service is excellent , but their payment policy is crazy, or so it would appear to me. Most suppliers have online ordering, they don't. Others you email a P.O. to a particular email address. On it you put all the information about product, color, quantity, etc. Then you put your credit card information. This authorizes them to use this credit card for this particular P.O.
Not with Apollo. After doing all that, when the order is ready to ship, they now send you an email to fill out a credit card authorization form that you already supplied them with and authorized when the order was placed. This is done on each and every order.

I would like to know. Is this common practice that anyone else has experienced with other vendors? They are the only ones I know of that do this.

Dave

[twistededge]

I have noticed that a suppliers will
a) ignore credit card information given to them and bill
b) charge the card after the order has shipped.

You would think that they would charge the card first to make sure there is enough credit left!

I've had suppliers fax credit card authorization forms, even though I submit cc info, but normally it's before the order takes place and not when ready to ship.

[headutter]

Michelle,
What seems odd to me is that once you fill out the form, (even if you have given it to them already) they now have it on their format with your signature. Isn't once enough. Could they not keep it on file. I can name dozens that do. I expect they don't have a clue how much business they have lost over this. We all, suppliers and distributors alike, want to make it easy for our customers to do business with. This would not be "customer friendly"

[epicemb]

David - They may not keep that form on file - when we do online or phone orders we will get the approval on the invoice and then get the credit card info on another sheet - once billed the credit card info goes into the shredder - that way we do not need to worry about having to secure the credit card info.

I have had a few customers ask and once that I explain that it is to ensure the security of their info I have never had anyone squawk about it.

headutter said:

Michelle,
What seems odd to me is that once you fill out the form, (even if you have given it to them already) they now have it on their format with your signature. Isn't once enough. Could they not keep it on file. I can name dozens that do. I expect they don't have a clue how much business they have lost over this. We all, suppliers and distributors alike, want to make it easy for our customers to do business with. This would not be "customer friendly"

[royster13]

I deal with Evans Mfg.....On each PO I say use Mastercard ending in ****.....But they do not keep info so I have to remember to phone and give them info as soon as invoice comes in...I wish suppliers would use something like Paypal or another secure payment system so rather than faxing an authorization in, I could just pay online and not have to leave my CC info anywhere....

[jimknecht]

Ok, so what is the advantage or disadvantage in using Paypal? Do they charge a higher rate than the credit card services?

[royster13]

They are a touch higher than typical processor's however, I really like the idea of paying online versus faxing and/or giving my info over the phone....And I think it is a more effient use of my time because it only takes me about 30 seconds to make the transaction and i can do it at anytime of the day i want.....And I know the transaction has gone through.....If I make a mistake with inputting the card number, I can fix it immediately...

[jimknecht]

Question that has to be asked, is how many distributors are set up for Paypal... especially in the dollar amounts of many of these orders?

[twistededge]

With paypal it depends on your volume as with all others.

[royster13]

Jim Paypal is just another CC processor......The payer does not have to be setup....Just the payee......I enter the amount and CC# and away it goes.....But because I have a PayPal account the it comes out of my bank account versus going on my CC....

As far as me receiving payments....I have done several hundred payments (largest was close to U$8,000) via PayPal.....So far, no problems...It is the only CC processor I use and I like the fact the I never get my client's CC #s....

[cmroma]

Banners in 48 Hours also sends a credit card authorization form at the time you place the order (they send it with the proof).
This happens on every order.
When I inquired about it, they told me exactly what Steve said above.
They do not keep credit card info on file for everyones protection.

Their form is pretty simple to fill out...only takes me a minute or so.
And it also has the exact amount to be charged to my credit card.

I actually like this. Never seemed to be that much of a pain to me, and it protects my information.

Craig

[bigimpression]

jimknecht said:

Question that has to be asked, is how many distributors are set up for Paypal... especially in the dollar amounts of many of these orders?

You can use your CC or have the money drawn from your bank account, so having enough fund shouldn't be an issue unless your cc is maxed or your bank account is empty.

[bigimpression]

The only caveat I could see as far as being a supplier, is to be covered under PayPal "Protection Policy" , goods need to be shipped to the confirmed address associated with the cc or the buyers PayPal account. In most cases that wouldn't be happening as you'd be shipping to the end user.

If the distributor decided not to pay for some reason you'd pretty much be SOL, and your typical merchant account may have better protection in that aspect.

[jimknecht]

That would be a biggie!

[Schlep]

Royce if you do a search on Paypal problems on the net you will see why suppliers do not use it. Paypal is great as long as nothing goes wrong and if it does go wrong it becomes a total nightmare as there is no one to talk to.

If you are lucky enough to reach someone by email or phone they will just answer a question without reading or hearing what you are saying.

There are many times that Paypal has frozen accounts of large sums of money with no apparent reason and they will do what they want.

Again it is great if nothing goes wrong.

[royster13]

There is risk in every thing we do in business...... I lost another VISA card (3rd or 4th as I recall) the other day because some supplier was a little lose with they way they kept my info.....My faves get Mastercard but some that I am not as familiar with get my VISA with a purposely low limit.... As far as PayPal problems reprted on the internet....I have about as much faith in those reports as those that say the economy is in the dumps....1,000 of online retailers use PayPal so in my mind the problems reported are more or less imaginary.... https://www.paypal.c...merSafe-outside

[Schlep]

Royce call when you have an imaginary problem with Paypal as I have had an "imaginary" problem and believe me it was impossible to work out.

[royster13]

"more or less" does not mean 100%......I am sure there are problems with PayPal the same way there are problems with other processors....I was reading a thread on a screen printers board about U$9,000 in Amex charges reversed after 4 months....Nothing to do with PayPal....All I am saying is that after having to replace another Visa card I am cranky...

[jimknecht]

royster13 said:

All I am saying is that after having to replace another Visa card I am cranky...

Maybe it is those tight fitting Sumo diapers. :D

[Schlep]

Nothing worse than a cranky Royster.

By the way Royce send me my triangle information.