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Goods Condition

PRODUCT CONDITIONS

Different companies or retailors may use varying product definitions to describe the condition of the goods being sold. Terms such as Liquidation, Salvage, Closeouts, Shelf Pulls, Overstocks, Irregulars, Returns … are often used in the Liquidation Industry. We use the umbrella term Liquidation Merchandise to describe any kind of products which are being liquidated. In general, we use the below general product grouping to describe the items we sell:

What is Shelf Pulls?

Shelf pulls are typically items that were already exposed for sale in a retail environment but have been “pulled” from the shelves and chosen to be liquidated by the vendor. These goods are typically new and have never been used. Shelf pulls are typically excess goods that have been displayed for sale in a store or online but have never been purchased by a customer. Shelf pulls are typically considered excess inventory from store shelves. In the vast majority of cases, shelf pulls require much less work than customer returns in terms of testing and repairing.

However, it is expected that some work will be required in attempt of checking the goods’ quality as well as cleaning off potentially dusty items and removing price tags/security sensors (if necessary) before reselling the items. Shelf pulls would have been handled multiple times during the process of transport from the store back to a Liquidator & a small % of items may show signs of excessive handling & may have stains or slight imperfections. Shelf pulls will typically be in good selling condition and may have some or all of the following characteristics:

• End of season & seasonal goods
• Discontinued goods
• Items may still have their original retail/discount pricing stickers/tags on them
• Packaging or item may show signs of handling
• Exterior packaging is often in less than perfect condition
• May be defaced/de-labeled (inner labels or tags removed to prevent return to the original store)
• Some items may still have retail security sensors attached
• A percentage of the items may be out of box or in open boxes
• A percentage of the items may be in-store display units or samples

This is not a ‘get rich quick’ scheme for professional buyers. The payoffs are high for those prepared to work hard and put effort in their purchases in order to create the highest possible return on investment. This is a “get-rich” slowly scheme with hard work, dedication & creativity.

What are New Overstocks?
New Overstocks are typically items that were never exposed for sale in a retail setting though they may no longer be in their original master case or factory packaging. New Overstocks, also often referred to as (Closeouts) tend to be goods which typically have never been merchandised or exposed for sale in a retail store. Such goods can materialize from retailers, importers, manufacturers or distributors who are closing down or simply have discontinued or excess goods in their warehouse that they need to move. We also source & offer liquidation services to freight forwarders, logistics industries, manufacturers, insurance & financial institutions and the alike. Overstock goods tend to be in 100% New Condition.

New Overstock items typically have the following characteristics:
• Items are typically 100% retail-ready and in new condition
• No additional retail/discount or warehouse labels/tags on the items
• Items are in their original retail packaging but can occasionally also be loose-packed
• Packaging and item tend to be in good condition with no excessive signs of handling Purchasing New Overstock and reselling them for profit is a tried, tested and proven concept. However, before launching into a business venture involving liquidation merchandise, you should know that:
• Typically, liquidators such as us operate a no returns policy with all sales deemed final and all goods sold “AS-IS” irrespective of condition unless otherwise stated.
• You will need to study the categories, sub categories carefully, and decide on what type of items you are interested in, make sure that you select a category that you have interest in and do have some knowledge and information about. This will make your decision more rational.
• There is a steep learning curve that newcomers to the industry typically experience and one should expect to do much better once they have more experience with such goods.
• Purchasing liquidation New Overstock is the easiest goods condition you may start with.

This is not a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. The payoffs are high for those prepared to work hard and put effort in their purchases in order to create the highest possible return on investment. This is a “get-rich” slowly scheme with hard work, dedication & creativity. In order to maximize your success with this type of merchandise, you need to be prepared to process, test, check and research pricing on the goods prior to selling them. In the long term (and over several purchases), most people in this industry agree that the payoffs and returns are very profitable and that the long-term risk is generally minimal. Liquidation goods are normally priced accordingly, and allow you to profit handsomely while still offering your own customers excellent deals on items.

What are Customer Returns?

Customer Returns are typically items that have been purchased from a store or website but then returned by a customer in varying conditions. Large majority of customer return goods simply undergo a cursory visual check at the store level prior to making their way into a return load. Higher value items may be subject to more thorough inspection prior to being selected for liquidation. The general “quality” of customer return loads can vary significantly according to the implemented program and it is common that some programs may have a 50% or greater Defective rate while others are only 10% or 20%. Return loads with low defective rates are sometimes referred to as “Clean” Customer Return Loads. Return Loads with very high defective rates are at times referred to as “Salvage” Loads. Moreover, Customer Return Loads sometimes may have a mix of both Clean and Salvage merchandise.

Customer Returns typically have the following characteristics:
• Cosmetic blemishes or slight defects
• Out of box goods and having return labels on them.
• Missing minor or major components (remote controls, manuals, covers, cables)
• In-store display items
• Damaged exterior packaging
• One or more malfunctioning features
• Out of season items or discontinued items
• Defaced barcodes and/or labels
• Signs of handling – both external packaging and the item itself All customer return goods are always sold with no warranty or guarantee. Any warranties found with the goods are invalid and cannot legally be used. Purchasing Customer Returns and reselling them for profit is a tried, tested and proven concept. However, before launching into a business venture involving liquidation merchandise, you should know that:
• Typically, liquidators such as us operate on a no returns policy with all the sales deemed final and all the goods sold AS-IS irrespective of the condition unless otherwise stated.
• Purchasing customer returns is not for everyone.
• There is a risk that your purchases may not be profitable and this risk increases when purchasing customer returns.
• There is a steep learning curve that newcomers to the industry typically experience and one should expect to do much better once they have more experience with such goods.

In order to maximize your success with this type of merchandise, you need to be prepared to process, test, check and research pricing on the goods prior to selling them. In the long term (and over several purchases), most people in this industry agree that the payoffs and returns are very profitable and that the long-term risk is generally minimal. Liquidation goods and customer returns are normally priced accordingly and allow you to profit handsomely while still offering your own customers excellent deals on items.

What are Irregulars?

Irregulars (depending on commodity also referred to as “Scratch and Dent”) are typically new items that are being discarded or liquidated as a result of improper or defective manufacturing. In some cases, this term is also used to describe Furniture or Large Appliances which may have some scratch and dents but are otherwise fully functional. They can also be called “Imperfect Goods”. In the majority of cases, irregular items have very small manufacturing defects such as the wrong color thread, improper stitching, minor deviation from the intended item’s color, minor blemishes, scratches, dents, discoloration or other imperfections.

Irregular items may have some or all of the following characteristics:
• Appear in new condition with no signs of prior use
• In or out of original factory packaging
• May show signs of manufacturing defects (improper stitching, discoloration … etc.)
• May show small stains that occurred during manufacturing
• May have scratches and dents
• Mostly retail-ready

Professional buyers need to study the category of interest and do some market research about modules, prices, and seasonality before bidding. In general, irregular merchandize are prices that allow comfortable profit margins for small and intermediate buyers.
As with other liquidation merchandise, the items are liquidating on the base of “AS-IS, and no type of warranty is given.

What are Refurbished Goods?

We also offer “refurbished” goods for sale on a periodic basis. Refurbished goods have been tested and verified to function properly, and are thus free of defects and restore to their original working condition. In various cases “refurbished” may be synonymous with “reconditioned”, “refreshed”, “repaired”, “recertified”, or “like new”. These merchandize have been cleaned, inspected, repaired and approved to ensure they are in like-new condition. Typically, they include products from Electronics, Electrical Appliances and Furniture retailers. Often these products are repacked in generic boxes and may not include all the accessories found in the original manufacturer’s packaging.

Refurbished items may have the following characteristics:
• Items used in field tests, sales display or demonstrations
• Items returned for reasons other than defect, and tested by the vendor
• Items returned because the box or item was damaged during shipping
• Items were either pre-owned or used as a display item

A refurbished buyer primarily purchases inventory that is considered adequate to offer to a particular segment of end users who are more interested in the basic functionalities of the product rather than the look and other accessories that they might not use at all. Buyer should be from a specialized industry with some knowledge of the items features and specifications.

What is Salvage?

Salvage items come from a variety of companies and retailers especially in consumer electronics and electrical appliances. These salvage items may contain a vast assortment of customer returns, defections concerning functionality, appearance or both. Salvage items in general are not functional, have cosmetic defects and will likely have stickers or other markings on them. Salvage items usually can only be used for their parts and are therefore recommended for professional buyers specialized in repairs or resale parts. These items do not come with manuals, batteries, chargers and/or supplementary accessories. Salvage goods differs greatly from clearance merchandise. These assets are offered “as-is, where-is” with no returns, guarantees, or claims as to working condition.

Salvage is typically not in good re-selling condition, and may have some or all of the following characteristics:

• Defective when returned by the customer
• Missing minor or major components (remote controls, manuals, covers, cables)
• Items that the store does not want to or cannot re-shelve
• Feature(s) or/ and function(s) is/are malfunctioned or defective.
• Items may be visually defective or incomplete or partial sets or parts

It’s important to realize that buying and selling salvage electronics involves a little more work than other types of merchandise. Merchandise requiring significant repairs prior to resale or else will be used for parts/components only. However, it also has the potential to make a greater profit.