Services: Frequently Asked Questions About Shopster

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FAQs

Overview

Commissions

System

Operations

Setting up your Store

Dropship with Shopster

Reports

General Shopster Information

Overview

What is Shopster? (Top)

Shopster empowers entrepreneurs, Webmasters and affiliates to become retailers. Shopster provides the tools for you to become a retailer without the headaches of customer service, inventory costs and shipping, product fulfillment, merchant accounts, and returns.

You pick your inventory and use the Shopster system to create your store on your Shopster storefront. You create the sales and we handle the rest. To your consumer, you are a retailer like any other. You offer them products on your site that they want to buy and may have trouble finding elsewhere. In reality, you are a retailer who doesn't have to deal with all of the administrative and overhead requirements of a traditional retailer. You pick targeted products from our selection of approximately 1,000,000 products without having the cost associated with traditional retailers.

With Shopster, you open your ultimate retail store but you don't have any costs other than the monthly fee. The products sold on your store are delivered by Shopster to your customers and you determine your profit for each sale when you set your selling prices.

Shopster also provides the opportunity for retailers to dropship. For no additional cost you have the opportunity to sell the Shopster warehouse products on sites such as eBay, Yahoo stores, or Overstock. Place your order through Shopster Dropship Services once you have sold the product and we'll take care of the rest.

Does Shopster provide all the e-Commerce, Product Fulfillment and Customer Service? (Top)

Yes. As a Shopster Retailer, you create the sale on your store, you get paid the profits you make, and we handle the rest. There are no costs for you associated with product delivery. Shopster delivers your orders and provides customer service as part of the Shopster service.

Is my Shopster store a cookie cutter store? (Top)

No. Your store is one of a kind. Shopster's system is designed for you to create the ultimate niche store, with a look and feel you can create, to target the visitors of your Website. For example, if you have a Website about horror movies, your users are probably not going to be purchasing their home audio from your site. They will however, be interested in purchasing hard to get horror movie related goods like toys, DVDs, posters, apparel and paraphernalia. On the other hand, if your Website is about the newest tech gadgets, then you will want to sell the newest home audio tech gadgets. Your store might have only thirty or forty products on it or it might have a few hundred, but the more you target your product selection to your niche, the better your sales ratio will be. Remember, as a Shopster retailer, you don't stock any of your inventory, you just pick the items that you want to sell, and we ship it for you.

Do I have control over the products that I sell? (Top)

Yes. You have total control over which products you want to sell from the Shopster Virtual Warehouse (SVW). Shopster's warehouse is currently home to approximately 1,000,000 products. You create categories for your store and add products from the Shopster virtual warehouse to them. In addition, you can easily create and delete categories in your store.

What products can I sell? (Top)

Shopster currently has over 1,000,000 products to sell. At this point, you are not able to sell your own products through the system unless you qualify to become a Shopster Supplier. For supplier inquiries please use our contact form here and select "supplier inquiries" from the drop down menu.

Please Note: Exact inventory numbers in the warehouse change on a daily basis

Do I have control over the pricing of my products? (Top)

You choose the pricing for your products. The prices you set will determine your profits. You make the difference between the wholesale price in the warehouse and the price that you sell your products for. You can run sales, use coupons and more, but you always have control over the pricing of your products.

What does my store look like? (Top)

Shopster provides over a dozen high end templates for you to choose from. Alternatively, you can upload your own template to the Shopster system. You have full control over the look and feel of your store. You can even copy the look and feel of your current Website, or you can manipulate a Shopster provided template to suit your needs.

How much does it cost to start my store? (Top)

Shopster offers our retailers the best e-Commerce solution on the web at a very reasonable price. Our initial start-up fee is only $99.00 with a monthly price of $69.95 per month. Or sign up for an annual account ($549.95) and save over 70%.

To find out what your fees cover, visit How it works?

Am I responsible for shipping costs, or is that part of your service as well? (Top)

No. Your customer pays shipping when they checkout, you are not responsible for shipping fees.

What is my obligation should I decide to quit after the 7 day trial? (Top)

If you would like to maintain your account after the seven day trial is completed, do nothing. Your credit card will be auto billed after the 7 day free trial is complete and you will be a Shopster retailer. We will send you profit checks monthly and you can make unlimited profits. Should you decide to quit during the 7 day trial, you can do so by cancelling your account within the software.

Is there any contract or can I stop at any time? (Top)

You can stop at any time. Once you give notice that you wish to stop you will not be billed on the next billing cycle. Your account will continue to be operational up until the date you have already paid for. You will not be billed for any additional time on the system (you are not held to a longer term contract). All fees already paid are not subject to refunds.

Is it necessary for me to create an LLC to be a Shopster retailer? (Top)

No. Shopster pays you your profit checks in your personal name.

Commissions

How does Shopster make me money? (Top)

When you activate your account with Shopster, you will gain access to the Shopster Virtual Warehouse which currently stores approximately 1,000,000 products. Within the virtual warehouse, you can select which products and product categories make the ultimate retail mix for your target customer or Website visitor. You are able to see the wholesale price of the product and you can mark up the product to whatever price you think you can sell it at. You make the difference between the wholesale price and the price you sell to your consumers. Product lines like computer hardware usually have lower markups but higher per unit prices, so you can still make large profits. Some lines, such as sunglasses, movie posters and vitamins, have large markups. Shopster pays out monthly for the sales that you make.

How much can I make? (Top)

You can make as much as any other retailer on the internet. You choose the markup on your goods. You get the difference between the wholesale price and the retail price that you sell your products for. This is identical to the traditional retailer's business model. The difference is: you don't have the costs, headaches or time commitment that traditional retailers do.

  • No Inventory Costs.
  • Shopster handles the customer service and keeps your customer happy so that you get a repeat customer.
  • Shopster handles product fulfillment. We deliver the product to your consumer promptly.
  • Shopster handles any potential returns.
  • You focus on what you are best at: marketing and promotion of your website and products.
  • You make a healthy percentage for every good sold, just like traditional retailers.
  • You get a repeat customer and you get the lifetime customer value.

When and how do I get paid? (Top)

Shopster pays you your profit on the first of every month via check. There is a 30 day hold on the first payments to account for returns. So your first profit payment goes out to you on the first of the second month after your sale. For example, if you join Shopster in July, then your first profit check will come to you on September 1st and then on the 1st of every month thereafter.

System

What are my responsibilities as a retailer? (Top)

Shopster is a powerful system. In many ways, you become a retailer with a full inventory of goods. Because of that, there are certain responsibilities you must adhere to. If you do not, you will not only face being removed from the Shopster system, but you could face legal repercussions. This isn't meant to frighten or intimidate you, it's only meant to help make the Shopster experience an enjoyable one both for you and for your customer. We've compiled a list of basic responsibilities that will help ensure customer satisfaction and a positive retailer experience for you. The responsibilities of Shopster Retailers are listed below.

  • Do not falsely advertise.
  • Do not SPAM. In the US any email you send out as marketing must conform to the standards set out by the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which you can read by going here.
  • Do not use customer information in any inappropriate way.
  • Do not misrepresent who you are.
  • Do not copy content from other websites.
  • Do not post offensive or adult material on the same URL as your store. Shopster is a family oriented system. Any websites deemed to post overly offensive material may have their account suspended.
  • Do not hack or reverse engineer the software. Intentionally causing harm to the system will result in your automatic suspension.
  • Do not upload viruses, worms, or other malicious files. Only use the memory you are allocated to host images and other files that pertain directly to your RShop.
  • Do not use the system for phishing, or any other fraudulent activity.

These are very basic and intuitive responsibilities that should not be difficult to follow. As a retailer, think about two things:

  1. How do you want other retailers to treat you? You probably don't want them to steal content from your site, or pretend to be you.
  2. How does your customer want to be treated? If you were shopping in a store you wouldn't want to be lied to about products, and you wouldn't want the store giving away or otherwise misusing the information you give them. And remember: nobody likes spam.

Who handles customers? complaints? returns? etc. (Top)

Shopster handles all customer product issues. We are here to make sure that you have a satisfied customer who goes back to your Website to buy again and again.

Is there a toll free support phone number for consumers? (Top)

Yes, the toll free number is 1-800-580-0192. Note: Currently consumers cannot order over the phone. All orders go through your store. They can however call to check on the status of their orders. Our goal is to create a repeat customer for you.

Who handles all of the back-end? the transactions? the shipping? (Top)

The back-end and all transactions are handled by Shopster's secure payment system, Secure2u. We use an industry standard 128-bit data encryption system to ensure that your customer's credit card and personal information is secure and safe. We ship via UPS, FedEx, or DHL. We base our decision of carrier on costs, and the time frame for your customer to receive their goods. All dispute resolution is handled by Shopster. Customer satisfaction is key to the Shopster system and Shopster prides itself on providing the best customer support.

Who owns my URL? Who owns my Web business? (Top)

You own your Web business. You create the value of your retail business. You create the value of your retail brand. You own that brand and that retail business. You can resell your business or you can change your business. Do as you please - it's your URL and your business. Your Shopster store can be entirely on the URL of your choosing, or it can be a sub-domain of Shopster.

Where do all these products come from? (Top)

Products are shipped from Shopster and Shopster's select distribution partners. All shipments are carefully monitored by Shopster. Shopster handles all of the customer service and we make sure that your customers are happy and return to your Website to buy again and again.

What is Secure2u? (Top)

Secure2u is Shopster's secure server and payment system. Consumers who buy from your Shopster store pay at the Secure2u checkout. Secure2u is a brand that consumers can trust when they go through the checkout process in your store.

Who is hosting my site? (Top)

Shopster hosts your store. You do not have to pay for hosting and you do not have to host with any other hosting system. You can point your own URL to Shopster and you always own your URL.

Since Shopster is hosting my store, how much space am I allotted, and what kind of bandwidth am I allowed? Also, are there any fees regarding this hosting? (Top)

Currently, you are allotted unlimited bandwidth and you have 5MB of space (if you need more email us your request to profit@shopster.com. You cannot host things that are unrelated to your store on your account (for example, you can't host your favorite family video). So if you have a separate website altogether, you can just hook your Shopster store up to your Website and keep the same look and feel. Or you can use your Shopster store as a stand alone business. Your monthly subscription fees include the cost of hosting.

Can I use my own domain name? (Top)

Yes, you can easily point any domain to your Shopster store and your storefront will show up under that domain. When you register for your Shopster account, you pick a name that will be www.yourname.secure2u.com just to get going. However, once logged in, just go to "Retailer Services – RShop Domains" and follow the instructions to point your own domain to your Shopster store.

Can you incorporate products from wholesalers that you don't deal with into the site? (Top)

Yes. Simply email us the suggested company and we'll get in touch with them to see if they qualify. Please use our contact form and select "supplier inquiries".

How much per transaction do I pay for the financials? Who implements them, e.g., who processes a VISA transaction and what does it cost me? (Top)

There are no direct costs to you for any transactions. The only costs to you are the monthly fee and the one time $99 fee if you decide to register a monthly account; or the $549.95 annual cost if you decide to register an annual account.

Operations

Who is responsible to pay state sales tax? (Top)

Shopster takes care of the taxes so you don't have to. You are not responsible for paying sales taxes.

How much does the customer pay for shipping? (Top)

Shipping charges are strictly cost recovery. We currently use a shipping table based on weight that calculates the same price for anywhere in the United States. All items are shipped via traceable shipping method and your customer is able to login and get their tracking number once the order ships.

How long does it take to deliver the goods after the customer pays? (Top)

Delivery time is order dependent. The vast majority of orders ship out within 48 hours; however there are can be problem orders that take as long as 10 days or so to ship out. We always provide excellent customer service and if the customer requests a refund for a product that has not shipped because it has taken to long, we will grant the refund request.

What delivery service do you use...UPS, FedEX, DHL, or Postal? (Top)

We use UPS, FedEX and USPS depending on the best option for the items ordered. We always ship with tracking number so your customer can track where their order is at.

Do I have to guarantee each sale made by the customer by filling out verification forms or making a deposit before you will ship? (Top)

You do not need to do anything besides sell goods! There are no hidden costs or fees.

Where do my products ship to? Do you ship internationally? (Top)

Your products will currently ship to anywhere in North America. Shopster currently does not ship products outside of North America. This does not mean that you can not be a retailer if you do live in North America. We have many successful international retailers from all over the world that are doing very well selling to the North American market.

Does my name show up somewhere to my customers? (Top)

Your business name and logo goes on the customers receipt for their order. Your personal information such as name and address are not given out to your customers. All returns and customer service are handled by Shopster.

Setting up your Store

Can I change the look and feel of my store? (Top)

Yes. You can easily change the look and feel of your store. You can move categories around, change surrounding images and colors, change menu sizes and fonts, etc. So you can make your store look however you like.

So, to get the store up I simply link to it from my existing site? (Top)

Yes. You can promote your store and the products in your store however you would like. You can link directly to product pages from anywhere on your site, or you can link to product categories or to the home page of your store. Then you simply promote your store, and create links to it.

Can I sell my own products? (Top)

At this point, you are not able to sell your own products through the system unless you qualify to become a Shopster Supplier. For supplier inquiries please use our contact form and select "supplier inquiries" from the drop down menu.

How easy is Shopster to integrate into my current site and to use? (Top)

Shopster is a powerful business creator. You can build your store and begin selling in a couple of hours, but you'll want to spend more time on it if you want it to be optimized. We highly recommend that you follow watch the getting started videos and try out "Shopster 101" which are available to you when you start your 7 day trial.

I have more than one URL, can I start different stores on each of my URLs? (Top)

Yes. Once your initial account has been approved, you can add extra stores for only $9.95 a month. You manage all of your Shopster stores from a single account. Each one of your stores can have a completely different look and feel and can have a completely different product selection, pricing structure and category system. That part is up to you.

Can I use Email Marketing? (Top)

Yes, you can use opt in email marketing in accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which you can read by going here. Shopster provides an email newsletter tool within the system that will help you collect emails and send out campaigns. Do not SPAM.

Can I see what products you have available before I sign up? (Top)

Yes. You can browse the Shopster warehouse, click here. If you'd like to see more details of the products, prices or features, simply start your free trial and you'll get full access to the Shopster system.

Dropship with Shopster

Can I sell Shopster products on eBay? (Top)

Yes. The vast majority of Shopster products you can sell on eBay. There are some exceptions; some products cannot be sold on eBay because of brand restrictions. Products that can be sold on EBay are denoted in the Shopster warehouse.

To sell products on sites such as eBay or Yahoo Stores (known as Dropshipping), use the Dropship Services module, which is included with your subscription.

I already have an e-Commerce store front; can I sell Shopster products on it? (Top)

Yes. Simply use Shopster's Dropship Services and select the products you want listed in your store. Use the product description and images provided to help you sell. Once you have sold a product, order it through Dropship Services and we will take care of the delivery for you.

Reports

What reports are currently available to me? (Top)

With Shopster you can see what products are selling on your site, what your total sales have been, what product returns are at, how much profit you have earned, etc. You can also specify time periods for which you would like to see this information. In addition, you can see your visitor and traffic statistics.

What type of tracking will I have once I have sold a product and can I view my sales? (Top)

You will receive an email when you make a sale. You can log in and check your sales, even including your customer's information in the payments centre. So you'll know which items are selling, which items are being viewed and who your customers are. That means, you own your customer and can use their contact information for follow up opportunities. Remember though, that all your communications must be compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

General Shopster Information

Who is Shopster? How do I contact you? (Top)

Shopster is made up of a team that wants to make you more money and provide great service to your customers. You can contact us anytime using our online form or you can call us between 8:00AM - 6:00PM MST at 1-800-580-0192.

I noticed your head office is in Canada, and you indicate that you ship to both USA and Canada. Do you ship across the border? (Top)

Even though our head office is in Canada we ship to both Canada and the United States. Based on the products within your order, the delivery could come from either country.