Frequently asked questions

What is e-commerce?
e-commerce is the ability to take electronic payments for goods or services (usually over the Internet). Many companies are selling online as a practical means of driving down the cost of sales or of providing a 24/7 service to their valued customers. Currently 13% of UK residents have bought something online. This figure is set to grow dramatically in the near future and it will become increasingly important to have a cost effective way of capitalising on this growth.

Where are you based?
The mail order centre is based in the centre of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the north-east of England.

How much will it cost me?
There is a setup fee of £500 to build your store and a monthly service charge of £50 per month + Pay as you Go charges. A detailed listing of our tariff charges is available.

Why is it so cheap?
One of the underlying principles of the mail order centre is to build a cost effective model that allows a large number of services to be developed and managed within one single environment. This model spreads the cost of the services among all clients, driving down the costs without comprimising the quality of the service. The mail order centre operate on a Pay as you Go service which means that after you have paid your monthly service charge, you only pay for the services you use.

What happens if my business fails?
As you have a diminishing account with the mail order centre, that is always in credit. Should your business fail (for any reason) or you simply decide to stop running the business, you can terminate your contract with us at any time (giving the appropriate notice) and all of your products stored in our warehouse will be returned to you along with any remaining funds in your account (once your account has been closed)

Where can I get free business advice?
There are lots of organisations which provide free business advice and guidance on starting up a new business venture. The companies the mail order centre are mostly associated with are:

Business Link (www.businesslink.org)
Tel: 0845 600 9 006

or if you are aged between 16 and 30

Shell LiveWIRE (www.shell-livewire.org)
Tel: 08457 573 252

What exactly is an incubator service?
An incubator service is a managed system that is constantly monitored by our staff, and should any strange or extreme circumstances develop, you will be alerted to the issues and an appropriate response initiated to counteract the problems.

Is there an age limit?
NO, the services provided by the mail order centre are available to anyone wishing to start up a mail order business, selling products over the Internet.

How can I update the Website i.e. change prices or promotions?
There are comprehensive point-and-click management tools that every client is given access to. These easy to use tools provide complete control over the products stored within your store, allowing all details to be easily updated.

How long does it take to set up?
It takes approximately 5 working days to set up a store with the mail order centre. Although these times may vary, depending upon your requirements.

How do I get my product to you? Do you collect them?
NO, we no not provide a collection service for your products. The preferred method is to package your products and dispatch them in the post or via courier into the mail order centre. Alternatively, the products may be shipped direct from manufacturer to us.

Is there a system for returned goods?
YES, there is a complete solution in place to handle the return of any goods to us. Our aim is to ensure that in all cases the returned goods are available for resale. If for some reason there is a problem with a particular item, our contact centre will inform you and return the item to yourself for further investigation.

Will there be any changes in costs?
All charges within the mail order centre are fixed. However, we reserve the right to alter the charges without prior notice.

What experience do you have in this field?
The staff at the mail order center have over 10 years cumlitive experience in the fields of customer service, call centre management, warehousing and fulfillment and e-commerce development.

What steps have you taken to reduce the risk of credit card fraud?
Several precautions have been developed to try and reduce the risk of credit card fraud over the Internet, these include:

• Card Validation
  This checks the card holder's card details to make sure that the card has not been reported lost or stolen and that sufficient funds are available to process the transaction.
• AVS - Address Verification Service
  This checks the card holder's address details to make sure that the details entered match the card holder's details stored at the bank.
• Card Verification Check
  To prevent any stolen credit card details from being used to purchase a product from your branded Internet store, the last three numbers on the reverse of the card (in the signature strip) must be entered before a transaction will be authorised. (These digits are never stored anywhere and therefore cannot be obtained illegally)

What are the hours available to customers?
The contact centre is open during the following times:

8 am to 10 pm (Monday to Saturday)
10 am to 8 pm (Sunday)

Can my customers purchase with cheques/cash/standing order?
NO, it is not possible to accept payments for goods using cheques, cash or standing order. It is considered insecure to handle any paper-based transactions when a customer is purchasing from your store.

Will there be related links to the Website?
YES, you can form any relationships (affiliates) you wish with other online companies and link them to your website.

Can the customers contact me?
The preferred method of customer contact is by using your own national rate telephone number (allocated to you when your business is set up). These calls will be handled by our contact centre and will pass on any relevant information to you. Alternatively, within your website you will be allocated as many email addresses as you wish, and should a customer send an email to a particular address, then you will be able to send / receive emails to your customers.

Do I receive anything for recommending you to a friend?
YES, we are offering a £50 incentive for any existing clients who recommend a friend to the mail order centre. The payment is credited to your mail order account, when your friend successfully starts up a business with us. There is no cash alternative available.

Do you allow two or more businesses to sell the same products?
YES, there is no risk of any products being mixed up within our warehouse as each product is individually coded as it is checked in and physically stored within a different location in the warehouse.