Vendor Procedures and Guidelines

[print-me target=”div#content” title=”Print Guidelines”] All Vendors are expected to adhere to the following procedures and guidelines (the “Vendor Guidelines”) when listing products on SeaCatalog.com. Violations of SeaCatalog’s Vendor Terms and Conditions (the “Participation Agreement”), of which these Vendor Guidelines are an integrated part, can result in suspension of Vendor’s account and removal of items from the Site. All capitalized terms used, but not defined, herein shall have the meanings as defined in the Participation Agreement which is available on the Site at https://seacatalog.com/vendor-agreement/.

1. Basic Rules

These basic rules are in place to help ensure a convenient buying and selling experience for all of SeaCatalog’s customers and vendors.

1.1

Vendor agrees to sell, to maintain current account information, and to act in a manner to allow customers to trust that they can always buy with confidence on SeaCatalog.com.

1.2

If SeaCatalog has removed Vendor’s selling privileges, Vendor may not open a new selling account.

1.3

Vendor may not misrepresent itself or its products.

2. Restricted Products

2.1

Products offered for sale on the Site must comply with all laws and regulations. The sale of illegal, unsafe, or other restricted products listed on these pages is prohibited.

2.2

Vendors supplying goods on the Site should carefully review the list of Restricted Products in Section 2.3 before listing a product. The examples provided are not inclusive and are provided solely as an informational guide. SeaCatalog encourages each Vendor to consult with its legal counsel if it has questions about the laws and regulations concerning its products, as all products and listings must comply with applicable laws.

2.3

The following products are restricted and may not be sold or listed on SeaCatalog.com:

  1. Items intended to serve as weapons or components of weapons systems or to facilitate or support the use of any weapons or weapons systems;
  2. Items for which the sale would constitute violation of any United States or international arms control or technology export regulations or other export restrictions or sanctions then in effect except as provided under Section 2.5 (a) of these Procedures and Guidelines;
  3. Items that are pornographic, obscene or offensive in nature or that promote violence or other activity deemed inappropriate in the sole and absolute discretion of SeaCatalog; or
  4. Items that are not deemed consistent with the brand, image, reputation or other characteristics of the Site.

2.4

If a Vendor supplies a product in violation of the law or any of SeaCatalog’s policies, SeaCatalog may take corrective actions, as appropriate, including issuing warnings, suspension or termination of service, delisting items, denying access, removal of materials from the Site, withholding remittances or payments, or suspending or terminating Service. The sale of illegal or unsafe products can also lead to legal action, including civil and criminal penalties.

2.5

SeaCatalog will (a) work to detect and prevent illegal or unsafe products from reaching the marketplace, (b) investigate each report of illegal or unsafe products listed on the Site, (c) work with regulators, third party experts, vendors, and customers to improve the ways SeaCatalog detects and prevents illegal and unsafe products from reaching the marketplace, and (d) encourage its vendors and customers to report listings that violate SeaCatalog’s policies or applicable law by contacting SeaCatalog.

  1. Additional Related Policies. Certain categories require Vendor to obtain pre-approval from SeaCatalog before listing in those categories or to provide additional information or a supplemental guarantee before listing in those categories. If Vendor wishes to list items for international purchase, Vendor is solely responsible for conducting proper research to ensure that the items listed comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the international jurisdiction. Vendor agrees to indemnify and hold SeaCatalog harmless for any Action arising out of or in any way connected with compliance with applicable laws and regulations in jurisdictions outside the United States. This policy is in addition to, and in no way limits, SeaCatalog’s remedies.

3. Listing Restrictions.

3.1 Vendor Responsibility.

As a Vendor or advertiser on the Site, it is Vendor’s responsibility to comply with all laws and regulations and with SeaCatalog policies when listing and describing Vendor’s products.

3.2 Prohibited Activities and Actions.

These prohibited activities and actions are established to maintain a selling program that is safe for customers and fair for Vendors. Failure to comply with the terms of this policy can result in SeaCatalog taking any action that it deems appropriate. Such action may include, but is not limited to, issuing warnings, suspension, or termination of service, denying access, and removal of any materials on the Site, including listings. SeaCatalog reserves the right and has absolute discretion to remove, screen, or edit any content that violates these provisions or is otherwise objectionable. In addition, SeaCatalog will not pay Vendors until SeaCatalog is confident customers have received the products they ordered. If SeaCatalog determines a Vendor account has been used to engage in fraud or other illegal activity, remittances and payments may be withheld or forfeited and Vendor may be reported to law enforcement. SeaCatalog will cooperate to ensure that violators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This policy is in addition to, and in no way limits, Vendor’s other obligations pursuant to any other agreement with SeaCatalog.

  1. Attempts to divert transactions or customers: Any attempt to circumvent the established SeaCatalog sales process or to divert SeaCatalog users to another website or sales process is prohibited. Specifically, any advertisements, marketing messages (special offers) or “calls to action” that lead, prompt, or encourage SeaCatalog users to leave the Site are prohibited. This may include the use of email or the inclusion of hyperlinks, URLs, or web addresses within any Vendor-generated confirmation email messages or any product/listing description fields.
  2. Unauthorized and improper business names: The Business Name (identifying a Vendor’s business entity on SeaCatalog) must be a name that (i) accurately identifies the Vendor; (ii) is not misleading; (iii) the Vendor has the right to use (the name cannot include the trademark of, or otherwise infringe on, any trademark or other intellectual property right of any individual or entity); and (iv) does not contains an email or domain suffix such as .com, .net, .biz, whether or not approved by ICANN.
  3. Inappropriate email and phone communications: Unsolicited email and phone communications with SeaCatalog users; email, or phone communications other than as necessary for order fulfillment and related customer service; and emails and phone calls related to marketing communications of any kind (including within otherwise permitted communications) are prohibited.
  4. Direct email addresses: Customers and Vendors may communicate with one another via the integrated messaging service within the Site. Any communication between customer and Vendor must be submitted to prospective customer via the integrated messaging system unless authorized in writing by SeaCatalog.

3.3 Multiple Vendor accounts.

Operating and maintaining multiple Vendor accounts is prohibited. If Vendor has a legitimate business need for a second account, Vendor may apply for an exception to this policy by emailing [email protected] Vendors must provide an explanation of the legitimate business need for a second account. To be considered for approval:

  1. Each Vendor account must have a separate bank account. SeaCatalog will not approve multiple Vendor accounts that use the same bank account within the same region (e.g. North America and Europe);
  2. Each account must have a separate email address;
  3. The products and services sold in each account must be different; and
  4. Vendor’s account must be in good standing.

SeaCatalog will respond to Vendor’s request within 2 to 3 business days. Failure to maintain compliance with these requirements may result in account termination of any or all Vendor accounts.

3.4 Misuse of the SeaCatalog selling service.

If Vendor repeatedly uploads excessive amounts of data or otherwise uses the service in an excessive or unreasonable way, SeaCatalog may in its discretion restrict or block Vendor’s access to product feeds or any other functions that are being misused until Vendor stops its misuse.

3.5 Misuse of ratings, feedback, or reviews.

Vendor may request feedback from a customer, however, any attempt to manipulate ratings, feedback, or reviews is prohibited. Vendor may not:

  1. post abusive or inappropriate feedback or include personal information about another;
  2. post ratings or feedback to Vendor’s own account;
  3. pay or offer any incentive to a customer for either providing or removing feedback;
  4. write reviews for products or services that Vendor has a financial interest in, including reviews for products or services that Vendor or Vendor’s competitors sell;
  5. provide compensation (including free or discounted products) for a review; or
  6. ask customers to modify or remove reviews.

3.6 Misuse of Search and Browse.

Vendor may not attempt to manipulate the search and browse experience. To protect the customer experience, all product-related information, including keywords and search terms, must comply with the guidelines provided below:

  1. Each individual word in the product name or title is searchable on its own. For example, a product called “DeepSea Power & Light Black SeaLite Six 1500 Lumens UV LED Light (12° spot, 85° flood, 50,000 hour, 6000 m)” is better than “LED UV Light.” This is because the recommended Product Name above includes this information:
    • Brand: DeepSea Power & Light
    • Product line: SeaLite Six
    • Material or key feature: 12° spot / 85° flood
    • Product Type: UV LED light
    • Color: Black
    • Specifications: 1500 Lumens
  2. Information provided in the product description and key product features (excerpts) are searchable by customers. These sections should include product-related information in a clear and concise manner.
  3. SeaCatalog allows additional product-related keywords called ‘tags.’ These tags should only include relevant information not already captured by other fields such as product name, excerpts, product description, and brand name. If a tag provides valuable information about a product, such description should be placed in the product description or excerpt. Vendor is not required to provide tags for products. There is no additional benefit in providing tags except for tags that contain unique information (such as alternate names or abbreviations that do not fit in any other non-keyword field). The following are best practices for providing tags:
    1. DO:
      1. When entering several words as a search term, put them in the most logical order; and
      2. Include abbreviations, alternate names, and topics as tags.
    2. DO NOT provide or include:
      1. inaccurate, misleading, or irrelevant information such as competitor product, brand, or author name – providing misleading or irrelevant information is against SeaCatalog’s listing policy and offending product listings will be removed and Vendor account may be suspended;
      2. excessively long content;
      3. redundant information already captured in other fields such as title, author, product description, bullet points, or brand;
      4. common misspellings of the product name;
      5. statements that are only temporarily true, such as ‘new,’ ‘on sale,’ ‘available now;’
      6. variants of spacing, punctuation, capitalization, and pluralization;
      7. terms that are abusive or offensive in nature; or
      8. subjective claims such as ‘amazing,’ ‘good quality.’

3.7 Post-Transaction Price Manipulation and Excessive Shipping Fees.

Any attempt to increase the sale price of an item after a transaction has been completed is prohibited. Additionally, Vendors may not set excessive order fulfillment and shipping costs.

3.8 Separate listings.

Vendors may not create separate listings for identical copies of the same item. Vendors must use the quantity field to offer multiple copies of the same item, and only list separately if offering the same item in different conditions.

3.9 Upselling.

Vendor must perform any service (e.g. installation, configuration) as outlined on the service detail page as of the date the service was purchased. Vendor may not solicit additional product, parts, or service orders before, during or after a service call. If the customer requests services, parts, or products outside of the defined scope of work, then the service provider may fulfill that request and charge the customer directly.

4. Vendor Transactions.

4.1 Fixed Price Sales.

  1. For sales where a Vendor lists goods at a fixed price (“Fixed Price Sales”), the Vendor is obligated to sell the goods at the listed price to customers who meet the Vendor’s terms. By listing an item in a fixed price sale, Vendor represents and warrants to prospective customers that Vendor has the right and ability to sell, and that the listing is accurate, current, and complete and is neither misleading nor otherwise deceptive.
  2. For Fixed Price Sales, Vendor will determine the purchase price for each item it lists on the Site via and subject to the Site’s standard functionality for listing the purchase price, provided that Vendor must abide by the same Vendor Guidelines with respect to pricing.

4.2 Request A Quote Policy.

  1. Vendors may list items without a price under the ‘Request A Quote’ listing feature if the item meet at least one of the following conditions:
    1. items must have a total cost of $2,500 USD or greater;
    2. items must either have (1) non-standard conditions, requirements, instructions, or (2) require unusual or non-customary skill to install, configure, or construct; or
    3. items must require some specific knowledge of the systems with which the item must be used with/installed on in order to determine which is the correct configuration.
  2. (b) Vendor giving quotes must comply with the following conditions:
    1. Customers must be contacted within 12 hours of the request;
    2. Quotes must made within 48 hours of the request unless otherwise agreed with the customer and SeaCatalog;
    3. Quotes must detail complete relevant information including quantity, description, price per unit, delivery requirements, special conditions, drawings, specifications, date required, or any other applicable requirements; and
    4. All correspondence regarding a quote must be submitted to prospective customer through the Site’s communication tools.

4.3 Standard Fee Schedule and Payment Terms.

    1. For all products and unless SeaCatalog and Vendor specifically agree otherwise in writing, SeaCatalog will be entitled to receive, and shall deduct from any Sales Proceeds, the applicable Listing Fee percentage on each item calculated on the total sales price, excluding taxes. The total sales price is the total amount paid by the customer, including the item price and any shipping or handling charges. Standard listing fees are:
Per Item ValueListing Fee (% of item total sales price)
$0 – 2,499 USD15%
$2,500 – 4,999 USD10%
$5,000 – 24,999 USD7%
$25,000 – 49,999 USD5%
$50,000 USD or moreNegotiable

All Listing Fees are in U.S. dollars unless stated otherwise and incorporated herein by reference. The fee schedule and payment terms may vary in the future. The fee schedule and payment terms in effect on the date of sale of the item shall govern the transaction. All fees are payable upon demand as earned.

5. Returns and Refunds.

5.1

Any product(s) that Vendor accepts a return of shall be processed and returned to either the Vendor or the manufacturer. SeaCatalog will not accept returns. SeaCatalog accepts no responsibility to care for, store, or maintain any product that SeaCatalog receives as a return. At its discretion, SeaCatalog may inform Vendor that it has received a return, but shall have no obligation to do so. Vendor is solely responsible for ensuring Vendor recovers returns delivered to SeaCatalog. SeaCatalog shall be under no obligation to release any improper return if more than 90 days have elapsed since a return has been delivered to SeaCatalog (the “Return Grace Period”). Vendor hereby grants all title, license, and rights in any return delivered and remaining in SeaCatalog’s possession after the Return Grace Period. Vendor agrees that SeaCatalog may dispose of, sell, rent, lease, or otherwise divest itself of any such returns after the Return Grace Period. Vendor shall indemnify and hold SeaCatalog harmless for any Action arising out of or in any way contemplated under the provisions of this Section 5.1.

5.2

Vendor shall accept and process returns, refunds, and adjustments in accordance with the Participation Agreement and the SeaCatalog return policies published on the Site at the time of the applicable order, and SeaCatalog may inform customers that these policies apply to Vendor’s products.

5.3

Vendor shall determine and calculate the amount of all refunds and adjustments (including any taxes, shipping and handling, or other charges) or other amounts to be paid by Vendor to customer in connection with Vendor’s Transactions, using functionality SeaCatalog enables for Vendor’s account, and, as agreed between SeaCatalog and Vendor, shall route all such payments either directly to customer or through the Site’s online payment mechanism, notwithstanding that customer payments may have been received by Vendor other than through the Site’s online payment mechanism.

5.4

Should SeaCatalog provide any such payments to customers (which may be in the same payment form originally used to purchase Vendor’s product), Vendor shall reimburse SeaCatalog for all amounts so paid.

5.5

SeaCatalog may offset such payments against any amounts to be remitted or paid by SeaCatalog or its affiliates to Vendor under this Participation Agreement or seek reimbursement from Vendor via any means. Vendor shall promptly provide refunds and adjustments that Vendor is obligated to provide under the applicable SeaCatalog return policies and as required by law, and in no case later than 30 days after the obligation arises.

5.6

SeaCatalog shall notify Vendor via e-mail if a customer requests authorization to return an item. Each return request will include the customer’s reason for submitting the request. If a customer’s return request does not fit within the parameters of the SeaCatalog.com return policies, SeaCatalog will tell Vendor in the e-mail notification, such notification is for informational purposes only. Vendor may decide whether to authorize or decline the return request according to Vendor’s posted return policies. If a customer cancels a pending return request, SeaCatalog will notify Vendor via e-mail.

5.7 Before issuing a refund, consider the following:

  1. After Vendor authorizes a return request, it may wait until it receives the item back from the customer before issuing a refund. At Vendor’s preference, Vendor may allow the customer to keep or discard the item even if Vendor decides to issue a refund.
  2. If the customer returns the item damaged or in a condition that is different from the condition in which Vendor sent it, Vendor, at its discretion, may issue a partial refund. If Vendor decides to issue a partial refund, Vendor shall explain this to the customer in advance to help avoid misunderstanding.
  3. If Vendor described and listed the item accurately, but customer simply no longer wants the item, Vendor has the option to refund the item price but not refund the shipping costs.
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