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FAQS

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  • DO YOU AS OLDE COPPER SELL THE PRODUCTS?
    No. We do not sell the products. We buy on your behalf from the factory, and negotiate with the factory or vendor the best possible prices. If you want to buy directly from us, we may be able to integrate vendors costs and our fees in one price, depending on your project.

  • HOW DO YOU QUOTE?
    There are two options. If you already have the products, you send us the product information, measures, calibers, finishes and specifications. We quote the products with three or more vendors. We receive the quotes from the vendors and provide them to you. Based on your specifications we may suggest to work specific products, specific finishes or specific categories with certain vendors depending on the vendors capabilities. If you do not have the product line set up, then we find products for you from the vendors that we choose depending on your needs.

  • CAN WE TAKE THE PRICING ON THE PRESENTATION YOU SENT US TO PROMOTE YOUR SERVICES AS DEFINITE PRICES?
    On the presentation we distribute, we show approximate prices of 5 different factories, showing the best economical option for each style. That information was taken from some of the actual projects we are doing with the different factories. However, the cost should be considered as an estimate cost, not a quote or a definite cost. We have no control on the price increases, decreases or variations of the vendors. So, while you do not have a definite cost and quote, the price may experience variations from the estimations you may receive, due to exchange rate fluctuations, cost of materials increases, among others.

  • HOW ARE PRICES SET UP?


    The prices are firm once we set up with a certain vendor on a certain product. Once we place an order with a vendor the vendor will respect the price and the price will be firm for first and future orders, with the normal increases that any vendor in any industry may have from time to time. But while we are quoting with vendors, prices are not firm. Estimate prices in a presentation are also not firm prices. Only prices set up with a vendor and placed in an order (after the proper negotiation process) are firm prices.

  • WHAT SPECIFIC ROLE DO YOU ESPACE ENTERPRICES COMPANY HAVE IN THE PURCHASING PROCESS AND WHAT ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES DO I HAVE AS A CUSTOMER?


    We are not the manufacturers. Our position is as your agent. We are not in the manufacturer side. We are in your side. We do not negotiate our rates, nor do we determine the final price of the product. The manufacturer is the one placing the final price on the product. We secure you that you are paying the best price in the market. We have had customers that come to us when they are already purchasing from the manufacturer, wanting to get the pricing we can give them based on the agreements we have with the manufacturers, but that is something we can not do. Manufacturer will not allow us to lower a price he has already given to a customer based on the pricing the manufacturer gives to us. Normally the manufacturer will give a price to the customer that contact directly of 20 a 30% above the pricing we get, depending on volume. The advantage when a customer comes to us as a first option, is that we are starting from zero, and therefore you are getting the best price. The price we give you is considering all our other accounts volume.

  • CAN YOU DEVELOP PRODUCTS?

    We can certainly develop any product you may like and match to your specifications

  • WHAT ARE VENDOR TERMS?

    All sourcing services and payments to vendors need to be on a T/T basis. Vendor terms are 50% deposit and 50% on delivery of the product on their plant. We will charge you our commission along with the balance payment to pay the order in full once it is ready. Shipping charges will be paid before the order is shipped from Laredo, TX and after it crosses to US side. Payments for shipping services can be through credit card and after several operations we may also issue a credit line for you.

  • SHOULD WE WORK WITH ONLY ONE VENDOR?

    A combination of at least two vendors is suggested. Depending on the volume of your orders we may suggest a third vendor.

  • HOW DO YOU SELECT A VENDOR?

    We will decide which vendor to choose, depending on both cost, and capability to match your designs, so we may not end up in all cases with the lower cost vendor. It will depend. We will try to minimize your cost as much as possible within the possibilities of your products.

  • ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PRODUCT? WHAT WARRANTY DO I HAVE?

    We are responsible for our work. If our service is not acceptable and we make mistakes in our end that cause you losses we will cover them. However, if the vendor makes a mistake on a certain product it is the vendors responsibility to repair. I need to clear out here that we are not the manufacturers and do not take their responsibility. We are the facilitators, we are your agents, and as such we take responsibility for our mistakes, not for vendor mistakes. In the past, we have never experienced a problem with a customer in our service. However, we have had from time to time errors from the manufacturers that they have had to replace or correct (that is one of the reasons of our existence, to handle the vendors problems on your behalf). The advantage here is that the manufacturer will never want to act wrongfully as we are bringing him business from many customers. That is the reason we exist, because we make it for you buying in Santa Clara almost as easy as buying domestically in the US. We do not work in transactions, we work on relationships. And the last thing we will want is to loose you as a customer. That is the best guarantee you may have for working with us. We have never, ever lost a customer for our sourcing services.

  • HOW IS YOUR QUALITY INSPECTION PROCESS?

    In a regular process, during our quality inspection may we return close to 30% of merchandise inside the vendors facilities. This merchandise requires reprocess or remaking, depending on the depth of the problem. That is normal. That is what we do. And we charge for that. We have to follow your guidelines in terms of quality inspections. Our responsibility is to follow your guidelines and apply quality inspection processes based on those guidelines.

  • WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY REGARDING CUSTOMER SERVICE?

    If our service is good the customer will benefit from it. If it is not, then the customer will never return. If we do not do our job correctly we agree that we do not deserve to earn any money at all. We understand fairness. We have earned each and all of the dollars in our history providing benefits to our customers. Not providing problems. You know what guidelines to establish. We can tell you what guidelines will be acceptable to pursue and what guidelines will be impossible to achieve. But that is our job, to follow the guidelines and apply them to a quality inspection process, which we will do in the best possible way. But it will be up to you if our process is acceptable for you, or if our process is deficient for you. I anticipate that we will need some time to adaptation, as it is impossible that with one order we understand completely what you want. Each customer has its own needs and requirements, and although we have a vertebral spine in our quality inspection process, we see variations with each customer.

  • WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT?

    The process for a defective sink is to ask the vendor to replace it. It is very rare that we miss a bad sink. Still we have to investigate what was the reason for the defective sink and determine responsibility. We may pick it up and return it to the vendor at their expense. But that is really for an exceptional situation (bad packing, or mistake on coding, or something really rare). For damaged in transit sink, through North Cray Company, we provide a coverage for damages up to $500 USD per pallet. If not enough, an insurance may be bought. Still, if no insurance is taken we may claim with the US trucking company delivering the load if it was taken clear in Laredo, TX. There are two situations that will not be covered either by the trucking company, or the insurance. Damages due to US Customs inspection process. Or damages due to incorrect packing. We are experienced handling copper and we have never seen any damage. Although some of our customers have commented that in rare occasions they may receive minor bends easy repairable by hand with a minority of products (only with kitchen sinks). Damages due to incorrect packing would be responsibility of vendor, but again, we have not seen these type of claims in the past.

  • WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME FOR A PRODUCTION RUN?

    It normally take three weeks, although we have seen some delays on the vendor lately up to 4 weeks. A large order (200,000 USD) normally takes the same time as a small order.

  • OK. I LIKE YOUR SERVICE, HOW SHOULD I START?A test order is a good idea to start, so you can feel the quality, the savings, the easiness and the service.

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