Retailer Frequently Asked Questions
01.
How do I start buying on CRAFTMERCE Market?
Sign up to shop. It is important to provide as much information as you can and that it be as accurate as possible. Missing business information or incorrect details will delay verification and may result in delays to your orders..
CRAFTMERCE is a wholesale marketplace that makes buying products from creative manufacturers and handmade producers around Africa easy and frictionless.
We represent an opportunity to source differently by offering:
- an ever growing selection of handmade, authentic and small-batch manufactured products: to read more about these products and the people that produce them, please
- access to makers and producers in Africa , where a maker is defined as an artist, artisan producer, designer, design studio, and/or brand;
- a one-stop solution from discovery to delivery;
- product customization to build exclusive products and collections for your brand;
- buyer friendly terms, including low minimum order quantities (MOQs); and
- secure payment gateway.
02.
Who can shop at the CRAFTMERCE Market?
We welcome buyers, and trade representatives who:
- Are US-based, Canadian, European, and Asians
- Have an established online or bricks-and-mortar store open and ready for business; and
- Hold a valid reseller ID (also known as a sales tax identification, reseller permit, or resale certificate) or equivalent document (i.e. trade certificate).
- To buy on CRAFTMERCE, you need to be a registered company with a valid registration number. Until you are registered, you cannot access the resale prices nor place an order.
03.
How does CRAFTMERCE identify and select its brands and producers?
Our selection process is based on first-hand experience with makers as well as credible and legitimate referrals from a strong global network of organizations (including crafts councils, export promotion agencies, handmade sector associations, NGOs and development agencies) interacting directly with makers. We have been building relationships in the creative manufacturing and handmade sector for several decades.
When we meet a new maker they undergo a due diligence process during which we assess their ability to produce with high quality and deliver on time. All CRAFTMERCE maker partners self report that they are compliant with the following three policies:
- No children under the age of 16 are involved in the production process;
- Appropriate standards are put in place to ensure artisan safety; and
- Artisans are paid a living wage.
As part of our due diligence, makers confirm their commitment to one or more of our six core values:
- Oman-led;
- Heritage craft preservation;
- Co-friendly materials;
- Handmade;
- Product innovation; and
- Sustainable processes
.
04.
How do returns work?
We are not able to provide returns (shipping costs make this prohibitive) but we do offer reimbursement of your order value (minus shipping) if the final product does not match the sample provided*. We also ensure that the producer sends pictures of the ordered products before shipping.
If you have any problems with your order, contact the maker/producer directly as each one will have their own policies for returns and refunds.
*Handcrafted items will always have a degree of variance compared to factory-made products so please make sure to read the disclaimers carefully on the product page or in your custom order quotation.
06.
Returns & Exchanges?
- Refunds. CRAFTMERCE does not offer returns on final orders placed with makers and only offers refunds under certain limited circumstances as described below.
- Shipping damage: If a buyer receives a product that was damaged in shipping please take the following steps:
- Take a video/pictures of the shipment box while unboxing.
- Send images to the shipping company as they will be the entity covering the cost or replacement or refund.
- Keep CRAFTMERCE notified and copied on correspondence.
- Check with the shipping company in question to make sure you follow their procedure as they will be issuing the refund.
- Significant delays: Buyers should expect orders within a two week window and accept orders up to a month. For delays over a month we encourage buyers to negotiate a discount before cancelling the order altogether.
- Insufficient quality and missing items: In any of these cases buyers must report the issue within 10 days of receiving the product. If a buyer does not report the issue within this time period, the product shall be considered delivered and satisfactory. To report any issue with the order delivered, we would need proof to suitably address your concerns. We therefore request that you take the following steps to ensure that we can provide the fastest, most satisfactory resolution:
- If there is any discrepancy between the sample and the product delivered, we request you to share the image of the product and sample side-by-side and articulate your specific issue.
- Please share a clear picture/video from different angles of any defect that you may notice on the product.
- Shipping damage: If a buyer receives a product that was damaged in shipping please take the following steps:
We always remind our buyers that handcrafted items will always have a degree of variance compared to factory-made products so please ensure you have read the disclaimers carefully on the product page or in your custom order quotation.
07.
Third-party providers
CRAFTMERCE has engaged third-party, licensed service providers to perform many of the services related to payments, including card processing, disbursements, currency exchange, identity verification, fraud analysis, and regulatory compliance. If there are insufficient funds in your bank account when our provider processes the payment, CRAFTMERCE reserves the right to contact you directly and seek payment. By using a third-party service, you may also be subject to an agreement with the third party.
08.
Does CRAFTMERCE offer drop shipping?
We do not support drop shipping at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause but greatly appreciate your patience while we continue to improve our service offerings to all of our customers.
09.
When will I receive my orders?
Lead times vary depending on the Brand, product category and order size:
Average lead times are visible at the top of each product page. Once the Brand accepts your order, the expected shipping date will be updated under ‘Pending Orders’ within the ‘My Account’ tab.
10.
Does CRAFTMERCE offer multi-delivery orders?
You can make a special request or custom inquiry using the notes section under the order. Orders can be split between shipments to different addresses. You will need to cover shipping expenses for every shipment to a unique address. Each order needs to meet the minimum order value (MOV) specified for each maker set to optimize international shipping rates.
Average lead times are visible at the top of each product page. Once the Brand accepts your order, the expected shipping date will be updated under ‘Pending Orders’ within the ‘My Account’ tab.
11.
Resetting my password
Forgot your password to CRAFTMERCE marketplace? Simply follow these steps:
- Desktop: Click the ‘My Account’ icon in top right corner of the Homepage;
Mobile: Click Menu icon in the top left of Navigation and then the ‘My Account’ icon at the bottom of the menu - Click the ‘Forgot Password’ link
