Seller's Guide

3 steps to start to sell items on CDandLP

To start selling on CDandLP, three steps are necessary:
1. Create a user account then a seller's account.
2. Define your mode of operation for shipping fees.
3. List your items.

CDandLP is what's known as a music marketplace. CDandLP does not buy any record. We put record sellers and buyers in contact. We act as middlemen; at no time are we a record dealer, so we never hold the records for sale on the site.
However, we propose you to start selling your records hassle-free on CDandLP and take a look at our buyers’ wish lists.
Feel free to browse our 10 tips to sell on CDandLP, you'll get to know what's best to boost your sales and get as many opportunities as possible to sell on our musical marketplace.

1 - Create your seller's account / Open your shop.

Create a seller's account and open a shop on CDandLP for free.

To create a seller's account (if you already have a member's account, go to step 2):
1. Click the create an account link on top of the page. Complete the form by choosing a login that matches your shopname, a confidential password and email address you check regularly.
2. Once your account is created, click on My account > My Profile > Start to sell.
3. You will first need to enter your personal profile or the person in charge of your company (name, mailing address, telephone number) and validate.
4. You will then need to fill in your seller's profile by filling out the forms carefully:
- Seller's Information.
- Payment of your sales.
- Currency used for your catalogue.

2 - Define your shipping fees

On CDandLP, the shipping fees are defined in advance (before buyers place orders). This system allows you to avoid having to calculate these fees at each availability confirmation of the order.

You can choose between one of the two modes of operation. You access these choices by going to your account My account > Shop settings > Shipping fees.

MODE 1 - Automatic
Our sellers mostly use this mode. When you create your seller account, CDandLP automatically sets shipping methods and shipping fees depending on your country of origin.

MODE 2 - Manual (only available for sellers outside France)
You can set up your own shipping methods and shipping fees.
STEP 1 - Specify:
- the currency for your shipping fees (yen, dollars, euros, pounds)
- settings for geographical areas
- your shipping methods based on CDandLP standards. For instance: Economy = surface mail, Priority = airmail, Registered = registered airmail, Express = UPS
- your preferences for free shipping on large orders.
Then confirm by clicking Apply Changes at the bottom of the page.
STEP 2 - Verify, validate and modify your own shipping grid for each shipping method that you have defined.
STEP 3 - Set up packing cost (optional). Click on the link on the top menu of the page.

Tip: Use the simulator tool (top menu on page) to check your shipping rates by medias and quantity of items.

There may be some slight variations which depend on the items and your packing.
You can request an adjustment of the shipping fees directly to the buyer on the availability confirmation page, in My account > My sales > Orders to confirm.

To avoid such requests, it is important that you select the automatic calculation system that best suits your needs.

3 - List your items for sale

3.1 - Add items one by one

In your account My account > My Catalogue > Add an item. List your items via our selling form.

Save time! List your items using our function "sell your own" and complete our selling form, pre-filled with basic information (artist, title, genre, media, etc...):
- on every item page, under the description of the item, click on the button "sell a similar item".
- on every research page, under the shopping cart button, click on the button "sell".

You can update information from our pre-filled form.

A smart way to list is to use our "Wanted items" page.
Find out in this page the list of all the items our buyers are currently searching for. You'll get an idea of what is in demand. We notify the buyer by email message as soon as you have listed the item corresponding to the request.

Feel free to take a look at this page, regularly, so that you know about the new searches from our visitors.

3.2 - Upload a csv/txt file

You can add multiple items at once in your shop if you already have a computerised list of your catalogue on a document such as Excel, txt or csv.
Use the Upload a csv/txt file function in your account My account > My Catalogue > Upload a csv/txt file. Then follow the instructions.

Tip: When listing your items, give as much information as you can about them (artist, title, year, format, description, picture) to increase your chances of selling. Think of adding comments to your items to foster sales, to avoid customers' claims and to improve your feedbacks.

3.3 - How to describe items (pictures, grading, description, featured items...)

To increase your sales, it is important to give as much information about your items as you can.

In order to display the most qualitative catalogue, in accordance with the expectations of CDandLP’s buyers, it is now compulsory for each new seller to list all the following information:
-Artist
-Title
-Media
-Music Category
-Condition of the record and the cover
-Pressing Year
-Label
-Pressing Number
-Add at least one photo of the item. You may add up to 3 photos.

Determine the grading of your item according to the nomenclature proposed by CDandLP.
This classification is based on the international standard Goldmine and Record Collector Grading Systems.

Add free comments on your items, as well as the tracklisting, comments on the track or on the album.

Well-described items are less prone to claims. Well-informed buyers will leave a better feedback and it will improve your performances. Complete descriptions make your catalogue attractive and help your sales.

We propose you to highlight your items on our home page, in the «Featured items» section. In addition, featured items are displayed within the search results, framed with an orange box and with the mention « Featured item » preceded by a star. This valuation also shows on the product page of the item.

Besides, the featured ads are moved to the top of the page on the results pages sorted by order of relevance.

Finally, on the home page, if visitors click on one of the « Featured items » links, they will find a list of all these articles.

You may highlight your items for a period of 30 days for an amount of 1.50 euros per item, if your seller's balance is positive.

3.4 - Define the selling price

Sellers freely determine their selling prices. However, we recommend that you base your prices on market prices and that you bring them into line with those of other sellers to stay competitive. The more competitive your prices are the more chances you have to increase your sales.

[!] PLEASE NOTE: Your prices mustn't include shipping costs which are added separately.

Tool: click on "help me to choose the best price" on the sell form. CDandLP provides you with an average sales price calculated on sales history of the same item.

Tip: You can apply discounts on items of your choice from the menu in your account My account > My catalogue > Update inventory.

3.5 - Issue coupons to your customers

Please note: to issue a coupon, your balance must be positive.

Go to your account > My Sales > Coupon codes

4 - Customize your shop

4.1 - Define your selling preferences

Sellers can easily define and update their account information at any time in My account > My Shop > Preferences as a seller.

Three forms are available:
1 - Seller's Information
Define your seller’s status (professional or private) and enter your details like your address, the name of your shop.

2 - Payment of your sales
Set up the payment threshold for your sales (the amount at which you wish to receive your account balance). This menu also enables you to provide your bank account details to receive payments via bank transfer from your account connected to our PSP.

3 - Currency of your items
Select the currency of the items you're selling.

4.2 - Customization of your shop

CDandLP provides each seller with tools for the presentation of your shop in the menu My account > My Shop > Customize My shop.
Using these tools can give your shop a better image, in order to reassure buyers and increase your chances of selling.

You can add:
- A welcome message where you introduce your store, your catalogue, your specialty, your promotions.
- Your logo.

In menu My account > My Shop > Showcase, select pictures of the items you want to highlight. It will give more visibility to the selected items. Don’t forget to update your showcase to animate your shop. This feature is free of charge.

5 - Sales Management

5.1 - Questions from buyers

We provide a messaging board to facilitate deals.
We strongly recommend that you reply to buyers' inquiries in order to boost your sales. When a buyer asks a question, the seller is informed by e-mail and is able to check all the questions in My account > My Mailbox > Questions about my items.
The buyer receives e-mail when you post your answer.

Legal use:
Please note that the purpose of the messaging board is to get details on the item itself.
By using this service the seller shall NOT:
- propose nor accept direct purchase
- be aggressive or insulting
- communicate his/her personal address
- give wrong information
- make the promotion of other Internet sites
- haggle over the price or the conditions

[!] IMPORTANT:
The more accurate your answers are, the more likely you are to sell your items and get a positive feedback.

5.2 - Confirm availability

Once a buyer places an order on your items, CDandLP notifies you by email.
Please confirm availability within 4 days.
Here are the steps:
1. Click on the link provided in email your have received.
2. Enter your username and password to login. You are logged in your account in the menu My account > My Sales > Orders to confirm.
3. Click on the related order number. You access the summary of the order.
4. Confirm the availability of each item.
5. Submit.

At CDandLP we are very demanding regarding your fill rate. Should you cancel several orders in a row because your inventory is not up-to date, we reserve the right to temporarily deactivate it. You will have to update your inventory before we activate your shop again. Please understand that cancelling orders is negative for your turnover but also for the image of the platform in general.

[!] PLEASE NOTE :
- Do not ship the order prior to receiving authorization from CDandLP.
Indeed, CDandLP must first confirm the cashing of the buyer's payment. Deadlines are different depending on the payment method used (Credit Card, Paypal, Bank Transfer, IPMO). We always do our best to accelerate the cashing process.
- If you don't confirm items availability within 4 days from the date of the order, the order will be cancelled.

If you mistakenly confirmed the availability of an order:
In the detail of the order, click on the button OTHER ACTIONS from > My account > My sales Orders awaiting cashing.

[!] PLEASE NOTE: we ask you to be very careful when you confirm an order; make sure items are really available. We remind you that if you mistakenly confirm the availability and that we need to refund the buyer, the commission will still be due and deducted from your balance.

If you’ve had a pending order awaiting cashing for a while:
Some payments take longer to reach than others. Whereas it is very quick with credit card, paypal or bank transfer, it may take more time with check, cash, postal order.
Every day, we automatically remind the buyers to send their payment until they confirm that they sent it. Another reason for the waiting time could be that we are waiting for all the sellers involved in the same transaction to confirm the availability of their orders before starting the cashing process.

[!] PLEASE NOTE: we ask you to reserve the order for 1 month at least.

If you have a concern about the shipping/billing information of an order:
In the detail of the order, click on the button OTHER ACTIONS from > My account > My sales Orders to ship

5.3 - Ship items and confirm shipping

When CDandLP has collected the payment from the buyer, you have 5 days to confirm the shipping date.
1. You receive an email authorization to ship the order.
2. Login to your account My account > My Sales > Orders to ship. On this page, check the delivery address and the shipping method selected by the buyer in order to prepare the package.
3. Once you have mailed your parcel, on the same page, confirm the shipping date of the order. Enter the date of dispatch at the bottom of the form. The buyer will receive an notification of the shipment.

[!] IMPORTANT:
For shipments towards the EU or the UK:
- Print the billing information in duplicate: stick one copy onto the package (make sure all parts are readable) and insert the other one inside the package.
- When preparing your shipping slip, inform your transport carrier or post office about our IOSS number (IM2500018053) for your parcels going to the UE or our EORI number (GB084164704000) for your parcels going to the UK.
- Declare the same value as our billing information on all the shipping documents you fill in.
These steps will save the buyer being overcharged or charged VAT twice at the time of delivery.

For shipments towards the ROW:
- Print the billing information in duplicate: stick one copy onto the package (make sure all parts are readable) and insert the other one inside the package.

[!] PLEASE NOTE:
- Sellers are responsible for their shipments. They must use the shipping method requested by the buyer.
- Remember to confirm the shipment date, otherwise the order will be cancelled after 5 days. Until you have confirmed a shipping date, the buyer can cancel his/her order.

If the parcel was returned to you:
In the detail of the order, click on the button OTHER ACTIONS from > My account > My sales Orders in transit

5.4 - Pack your items

Sellers are responsible for the shipping of their packages. Make sure you pack your item in the safest way so that it travels without damage until it reaches the buyer.
Therefore, we recommend that you
- use bubble paper, cardboard or solid envelope to avoid impacts or breakage.
- never write about the content of the parcel to avoid robbery.
- use strong scotch tape to avoid any attempt of opening before the arrival to the buyer.

PLEASE NOTE: For orders shipped via Mondial Relay, please make sure your parcels do not exceed the weight indicated by our system, at the time of the shipping authorization. We will charge you back if the invoice by Mondial Relay is higher than what we charged the buyer.

5.5 - Order's receipt by the buyer

Buyers’ confirmation is important. With this confirmation CDandLP credits the sale into your balance.

Two options for an order to be confirmed as ‘received’:

1. Manual confirmation by the buyer.
Upon receipt of the package, the buyer confirms the receipt and gives a feedback to the seller.
The seller receives an automatic e-mail and our system credits the order into the seller’s balance, immediately.

2. Automatic confirmation by our system.
Sometimes, buyers forget or don’t know how to confirm the receipt of their order.
Yet, without any pending claim from the buyer related to the order our system will eventually credit the order into the seller’s balance.
The waiting time depends on the location of the buyer and the shipping method selected by the buyer.

For domestic orders:
- via Economy shipping: 30 full days after the shipping date
- via Priority, Registered or Express shipping: 23 full days after the shipping date

For international orders (Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Uruguay excluded):
- via Economy shipping: 44 full days after the shipping date
- via Priority, Registered or Express shipping: 30 full days after the shipping date

For international orders to Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and Uruguay:
- via Economy shipping: 60 full days after the shipping date
- via Priority, Registered or Express shipping: 44 full days after the shipping date

[!] PLEASE NOTE:
As long as buyers do not confirm the receipt of their order, we send them automatic reminders to have them confirm manually.

If you are sure that the buyer has received the order, you may contact him/her directly via our messaging service.

5.6 - Satisfaction mark

Buyers must give a satisfaction mark to the seller when they confirm the receipt of their order. This mark is intended to evaluate the quality of the seller’s services and to confirm that the order has been received.

Buyers can choose from 5 marks:
5 / 5 Very satisfied
4 / 5 Satisfied
3 / 5 Somewhat satisfied
2 / 5 Disappointed
1 / 5 Very disappointed

Buyers can also write a free comment at the time they confirm the receipt of their order.

Buyers should take into account:
- the conformity of the items description compared to what they received,
- the swiftness of the seller in confirming and shipping,
- the quality of the packaging,
- the respect of the general rules of CDandLP.
It is very important for sellers to keep a good average of satisfaction marks to increase their sales.

If you have received an unfair feedback:
In the detail of the order, click on the button OTHER ACTIONS from > My account > My sales Orders Received

5.7 - Complaints

As a seller you are responsible for your catalogue and the delivery of your items.
Therefore you are committed to provide correct information about the items and their grading.
You have to take care of the delivery process by respecting the shipping method requested by the buyer, making a strong package and shipping the parcel as soon as you receive our authorization.

The complaint is put at buyer's disposal to deal with a transaction problem.
The complaint must be registered on CDandLP via the contact form.
Thus, we are able to forward the complaint to the seller with our suggestions in order to solve it. If no compromise can be found between you and the buyer, CDandLP helps you to come to a settlement. Claims never go public.

If you wish to refund a customer, you can process your request from the order detail page in your account.

The complaints we accept concerning an order are for:
- Non delivery.
- Lack of conformity: an item is missing or an item received is not the one ordered by the buyer.
- Damaged item: an item is damaged or broken.
- Unreadable item: the item does not function on the buyer’s material or the buyer can not listen to it correctly.

[!] PLEASE NOTE:
- CDandLP is not responsible for delivery. In the event of a loss, we suggest you to contact your post office or transport carrier (UPS,DHL, FEDEX ...) directly.
For orders shipped via Mondial Relay, please note that you have 15 days from the shipping date to open your claim with their services.

- In the event of a request for return of the item by the seller because of a breakage or non-conformity, the shipping costs for the return are charged to the seller.

You wish to refund a customer :
In the detail of the order, click on the button OTHER ACTIONS from > My account > My sales Orders to ship

6 - Manage your catalogue

6.1 - Update inventory

It is very important to update your stocks regularly so that a buyer wouldn't order an unavailable item.
To help you, we supply automatic functions.
- CDandLP deactivates the ordered item and reactivates when cancelled.
- CDandLP reduces the number of availability if you possess several copies. .

Manual management of your stocks:
You can update your catalogue in My account > My shop > Update Inventory.
- If you have sold the item somewhere else.
- If a buyer cancels an order or if you want to add a new copy of the item.

[!] PLEASE NOTE:
A bad running of your stocks will have a negative impact on your seller’s performances. Buyers are informed about your fill rate and pay attention to it before ordering. You must try to improve your fill rate as mush as you can.

6.2 - Activate/deactivate your catalog

When you are off on holiday or for some other reasons, if your are not able to make any shipment, you can deactivate your catalogue from your account My account > My shop > Activate/Deactivate. You can also set the date when to be automatically reactivated.

7 - Sales Payment

7.1 - Sales commission

After confirmation of receipt from the buyer (manual or automatic) After confirmation of receipt from the buyer (manual or automatic) and without complaint from the buyer, CDandLP credits the account balance of the seller with the items price (and postage for sellers located outside France) minus CDandLP commission.

The sales commission is calculated as follows: 14% excl. VAT (16,8% incl. VAT) of the total of the items

[!] PLEASE NOTE:
If you are a professional seller, belonging to the EU and registered for VAT, please enter a valid VAT number in your seller's preferences so that no tax is charged on your commissions; you will be in charge of declaring and paying taxing to the government of your country.

Otherwise, we will apply French VAT on your sales commissions and CDandLP will be in charge of declaring and paying taxes to the French government.

Our commission is due in all cases, with the exception of the case where the sale is refunded, due to the request for cancellation of the order by the buyer before shipment.

7.2 - Payment frequency

Our PSP sends your payments by Bank transfer. Set your preferences in your account My account > My Balance > Sales Payment.

Our PSP forwards you the payment of your sales once or twice a month.

Payment dates based on working days are:
- Between the 1st and the 5th of the month.
- Between the 15th and the 20th of the month.

The balance is equal to:
Total of received orders before the payment terms - Sales commission of CDandLP

You can define payment frequency in My account > My shop > Preferences as a seller.

[!] PLEASE NOTE:
We forward payment only for the sales being confirmed by the buyer.

If a buyer does not confirm the receipt of an order, we send a reminder every other day during the week prior to the date of automatic receipt to lead him/her to confirm manually. Without any registered complaint from him/her, if the buyer still hasn't confirmed at the automatic receipt date, the sale will be credited to your balance.

First, please check in your account history if CDandLP did send a payment of sales. If this is indeed the case, please check that the bank details listed in your account My account > My Balance > Sales Payment is correct.
Please note that for a bank transfer, payment can take 2 to 10 days.

Some buyers still haven't confirmed the receipt of their parcel?
In the detail of the order, click on the button OTHER ACTIONS from > My account > My sales Orders in transit

8 - Sellers' performances

Statistics give an overview of seller's performance. They are displayed on seller’s shop and on the item pages.

They include :
- the number of shipped items,
- the average time to confirm availability,
- the average time to ship,
- the average satisfaction mark,
- the average fill rate (% of available items).

8.1 - Number of sold items

It shows the total number of sold items starting from the 1st sales.

8.2 - Average time to confirm availability

It refers to the average time it takes you to confirm availability from the moment when an order is placed.

Calculation of this indicator is based on the last 3 months of your activity.

8.3 - Average time to ship

It refers to the average time you spend between shipment authorisation (after cashing of the payment) and shipping confirmation.

Calculation of this indicator is based on the last 3 months of your activity.

8.4 - Satisfaction mark

This mark is an average calculation of the given marks during the last 3 months of your activity.

8.5 - Fill rate

Fill rate is the percentage of ordered items that are confirmed as available.

Calculation of this indicator is based on the last 3 months of your activity

8.6 - Performance indicator

The performance indicator is the synthesis of all the statistics of a seller.

Therefore this performance indicator calculation is based on :
- the average time to confirm availability
- the average time to ship
- the average satisfaction mark
- the average fill rate (% of available items)

Calculation of this indicator is based on the last 3 months of your activity.
Since performances can vary from one month to another, buyers comments and feedback give a good idea of sellers performances since the beginning of their activity on the website.