FAQ
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is “www.usedhotelitems.com”?
A: The website is a dedicated platform for the Hospitality industry, enabling Owners and Operators in the hospitality industry to sell their unwanted items. The platform also provides an avenue for buyers (those that may be setting up a hospitality outlet of their own) to purchase needed items.
Individuals such as homeowners may also purchase items, but they are not allowed to sell, thus making this platform a purely Hospitality dedicated website.
Q: What kind of items can be uploaded?
A: If you are an Hospitality Owner or operator (hotels, serviced apartments, hostels, clubs, restaurants etc), as a subscriber you can upload as many items as you want during the annual subscription period. Example: tables that may be slightly damaged and you are replacing them, upgrading coffee machines, room mini-fridges, cutlery, dishwasher, etc. The items sold can be categorized as “good, used, new, for scrap or for charity”
Q: As a Seller, how do I upload my items?
A: First is that a Seller must be a Paid subscriber. Subscription is an annual fee based mechanism. Once you have subscribed and made payment, you will receive an email advising that your account is “now active” and may now begin to upload your for sale items. There is no limit to the number of items you can upload during the subscription period. 2 Months before the expiration of your annual subscription, you will receive an email advising you to either continue the subscription or terminate.
Q: Sell Directly or by Auction
A: As a Seller, you may elect to sell your item(s) “Directly” to a buyer, or to sell via “Auction”.
Selling by Auction reflects a situation where you have several items for sale, example 200 beds, 50 coffee machines etc. On the Seller dashboard (control Panel) you can elect
- how long you want the Auction to continue;
- Put a reserve price;
- Cancel the auction at any time if you have received an appropriate offer with which you are satisfied with.
Selling Directly is a situation where you may have 1 bed, or 1 table for sale and you are willing to sell to a consumer directly (those who may not necessarily be in the Hospitality industry).
Q: Pricing and Subscriptions
A: There are 4 different types:
- Standard Yearly subscription is US$288.00;
- Premium Yearly Subscription is US$576.00. (see benefits of premium subscribers below).
- Auction Commission: Selling by auction carries a commission based mechanism. The commission is 8% payable by the Seller and is calculated on the last accepted bid. Your subscription fee is deducted from the commission.
Example: You are a Standard subscriber and have already made the annual payment of US$288- . You now sell items via auction and the last bid received and accepted bid is US$25,000. The commission payable by you is [25,000 x 8%] - $288 = $1,712.The Subscription Fee is deducted only once. So if you have another auction, the $288 will not be deducted again.
Best of all, you continue being a subscriber for the remainder of the term. - Featured Items: If you elect to have your items on a featured list (appearing on the home page) you will be invoiced US$30/month.
Q: Premium Subscribers - Benefits:
A: A premium subscriber will get the following additional benefits:
Assistance from our team to
- Upload the items;
- Provide description of the for sale items;
- Upload photos;
- All premium subscribers will have their items on the featured items list;
- Screen potential buyers and communicate with buyers on your behalf while keeping you informed
- Instruct the Buyers when to collect the items based upon prior agreed arrangements between you (the Seller) and our team.
Q: I sold my items via a “Direct Sale”:
A: Once an interested buyer has expressed interest in buying your item(s) and you agree to the sale, the buyer has the responsibility to come to your location at a predetermined date and time to collect the items and make payment. You may negotiate with the buyer to have a different mode of payment, but that is up to you, the Seller.
NOTE: In your items description, it is advisable to state how you want a transaction to be concluded. For example, you may put in your description “buyer must collect the items and make payment upon collection; or buyer must make payment by interbank transfer before collection, etc.”
Q: I sold my items via a “Auction”:
A: Once you have received a bid that you are satisfied with, the buyer has the responsibility to make 100% payment upon conclusion of the Auction.
In your description, you should provide information on how the Buyer must comply to your terms. Example:
- Seller will advise Buyer when to collect the items;
- Buyer must make full payment upon the successful bid;
- Payment must be made within 1 day from Seller acceptance of the bid via TT, or Paypal or other forms of payments.
- If you elect to have the buyer to make payment through our Paypal account, the funds, once received by us, will be credited to your account, less any fees associated with Paypal and less the 8% commission charged by us.
Q. How many photos can I upload?
A: As many as you deem necessary. No limit
Q: Can the photos be of any size?
A: Yes. (Do note that pdf files cannot be uploaded).
Q: As a Seller, will the buyer see my contact information?
A: ABSOLUTELY NO. The initial email response from the Buyer will be to your User ID. Thereafter if you choose to communicate directly with the Buyer, you may do so, at which point, you will be revealing your identity. This is entirely within the Seller’s control. On the other hand, you will know who the Buyer is, by virtue of their email request to you.
Q: Wanted Items
A: Every now and then, someone has a need for a particular item that they cannot find elsewhere and it is not listed on our platform. They can use the “wanted items” category to identify the item they are looking for. A Hospitality Owner/Operator who is already a subscriber, may then make contact with the person(s) requesting the item and transact a sale directly.
If you have any queries, please contact us at info@usedhotelitems.com
