i have ever talked about this problem with my collegue. His client asked him to sent samples to them with price near normal price, and my collegue asked me whether it is ok?
And i said it's up to your client whether really have enough sincerity cooperate with you. According to the first contacts, i suggested him a little higher price, which will be deducted when the client place an order.
Bellow is the reason why i choose a little higher sample price: 1. Clients place sample order from suplier is like purchasing small quantity goods by others. So the quantity is different with larged order, which produce different price.
But he is willing to pay for near half the price for his client by himself. I guess he is eager to achieve his first trading.
2. If it is a small sample order, wholesaler can get it, distributer can buy it, even one single person also can purchase it. The trade will become confused, and it brings little profit to supplier.
3.Competitor company wants get your samle as their model.
4. It also reduce the reputation. If the sample becomes valueless, clients will suspicion the goods quality.
5. Trade should be win-win situation, so the price a little high is reasonable.
welcome discuss this problem. Pls post your opinion.
Quoting from [sonny-oulang]:I think that the sample should be a little higher than the rest of the order as it is one sample and producing one sample may cost higher.This happens with shipping too . Shipping one item sometimes the same as shipping half a kilo .
All of the points that you make are very fair and valid, but there is one major problem. They are the views of the supplier, but the views of the buyer are almost the opposite. So in most cases both parties need to meet in the middle.
Buyers think that if factories want their business then the factory should supply them with free samples for evaluation and promotional purposes. No one wants to pay shipping costs but most buyers are willing to accept these costs.
Sellers think that as samples cost money to make the buyer should pay for the samples. As one piece sample takes more time and energy to make than items in mass production perhaps the buyer should pay more for that one item than they would for mass production. And then as a deterrant of abuse perhaps the buyer should pay double, triple or more of the actual price to deter them from abusing the sample system.
Neither party is wrong, but if either party is inflexible then that could put an end to possible business.
This is why most buyers and sellers accept a system of the buyer paying for the sample and delivery costs with a promise that the costs of the sample will be offset once an order is placed. That is really the middle ground.