Gpoint As a Retailer
1. WHAT IS GPOINT?
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Just tell me quickly!
A place where retailers of gift and homewares can find products at wholesale price and order online directly from the supplier.
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What is e-commerce?
E-commerce (electronic commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In practice, this term and a newer term, e-business, are often used interchangeably. For online retail selling, the term e-tailing is sometimes used. (definition taken from: www.primode.com/glossary.html)
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Can't I just deal directly with my suppliers?
Of course you can, the beauty of Gpoint is that you are! By placing orders on Gpoint, you are buying directly from each supplier. The order is received by them and shipped to you directly.
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What can I do with my Gpoint account?
Browse by category to find products. Search by keyword to find products. View list of suppliers and sort them by category to make new contacts. Sign up for our fortnightly newsletter to receive product and gift ideas as well as information on specials and sales. Access wholesalers sites with the one username and password.
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Who owns Gpoint?
Gpoint is owned by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd. The Intermedia Group have published The Australian Giftguide Magazine for 30 years.
2. WHAT IS THE COST?
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Is there a membership fee for retailers?
No. There is zero membership fee for retailers! Gpoint is a safe, secure and free trading place for retailers to locate products and to make and maintain contact with new and old suppliers.
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Can anyone gain access to Gpoint?
Gpoint is primarily a resource for retailers and suppliers in the gift and homewares industry. To access Gpoint and search contents, application is required. You can apply immediately and usually will receive confirmation of your access within 24 hours. An ABN is required for Australian residents. Applications made from outside Australia will be assessed individually.
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What do I need to prove I'm a retailer?
An ABN is required as part of your application (international applications will be assessed case by case). Each application is checked against the Government ABN database and any evidence that suggests a company is not a retail company is investigated.
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Am I charged extra when I buy through Gpoint?
Gpoint does not make any money from retailers through sales made on the site. The price you pay is set by each supplier and is exactly the price that you would pay if you contacted them directly. Using Gpoint is exactly like making direct contact with over 200 suppliers!
3. GPOINT SUPPLIERS
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How many suppliers use Gpoint?
In October 2005 there were just over 200 suppliers registered with Gpoint. This number is steadily increasing and will continue to do so for some time.
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How can I find a specific supplier?
Log in to Gpoint and view the complete suppliers list. The list is alphabetical but can be filtered by category type; ie., candles, dinnerware, frames, silverware.
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A supplier I buy from is not on Gpoint
If you wish to buy from a supplier online and they are not using Gpoint, let them know! Ordering products online can often be a much cheaper option than mailing catalogues. Additionally, products can be regularly and easily updated.
4. HOW CAN I FIND WHAT I WANT?
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Can I search for a specific product?
The search engine will search by keyword on product names, short descriptions and long descriptions. The search will cover all our clients' products.
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Are products categorised?
There is a category tree which you can use to find specific products. You can also list our suppliers by category.
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Can I search by price?
Yes. When searching for a product, you may enter a price range to search by in order to limit your results.
5. WHAT ABOUT ONLINE SECURITY?
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Is Gpoint a secure website?
Yes it is. While you are ordering from www.gpoint.com.au there are never any credit card details taken. Your order is sent to the supplier who will follow up on the sale. You may order from a supplier's website and, depending on the setup of the site, be asked to supply credit card details. At that point we use a legitimate secure system.
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What if I don't want to use my credit card?
We don't ask for any credit card details for our orders. Orders are forwarded securely to the relevant supplier who will follow up. Some of our supplier's websites are configured for credit card payment.
6. WHAT IF I HAVE A PROBLEM?
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I am having difficulty using the website
There could be several reasons for this. We require default levels of security on your internet browser. Check the answer on browser settings for instructions. We also require Flash to be installed. This is a very common tool and is used frequently on the internet. Check the answer on installing Flash for more details. We also recommend using the latest updates to your internet browser (MS Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox etc)
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Internet browser settings
Our website requires a default level of security and cookies enabled.
Here are some things to check on your machine: (these instructions are for Internet Explorer, however, the same settings are relevant to Netscape, Firefox, or Safari)
Click on the 'Tools' menu in Internet Explorer and click 'Internet Options' then :
1 - Click on the 'Security' tab and press the 'Default Level' button. Make sure the security level is set to medium (this will ensure that Java scripting is enabled)
2 - Click on the 'Privacy' tab and press the 'Default' button. Again, the level should be set to medium (this will ensure that 'Cookies' are enabled)
Click OK to confirm all your changes, then close your web browser and try using the website again.
If this did not work, there may be a firewall configured for your computer. Try disabling the firewall (eg, Norton's Internet Security) and try logging in again. If this worked then the settings for the firewall will need to be adjusted to allow cookies.
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My username and password does not work
The first thing to check is that you are typing your details correctly. Note that the number 1 and the letter L often look the same (1 and l), also the letter O and the number 0, so check that you are entering the correct information.
If this problem continues after you have verified your details are correct, go to the home page where there is a button called "Forgot your password?" This will be located under the login box.
Click on the "Forgot your password" button and enter the email address you applied to Gpoint with.
An email will be sent to you with the login and password for your Gpoint account and any other Gpoint Suppliers you might have applied for.
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What are the system requirements to use this site?
These browsers will work with Gpoint:
- MS Internet Explorer 5 and above
- Netscape 6 and above,
- Safari 1.1 and above
- Firefox
Also required is the Macromedia Flash Plug-in available from www.macromedia.com
Minimum size screen display: 800X600.
Javascript needs to be enabled.
Cookies also need to be enabled in your web browser.
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I've applied for access but heard nothing
After the Gpoint application form has been submitted, an automated email is sent to your email account. This contains instructions on activating your application. If you have not received this email, check your junk mail folder.
If you are still having problems, send an email to support@gpoint.com.au
7. THE GPOINT NEWSLETTER
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What is the Gpoint Newsletter?
This is an email newsletter that is published every two weeks. It contains information from suppliers about new products, current sales, and other relevant information regarding their products. This is an optional newsletter to which you may subscribe when you apply for Gpoint access.
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What is in the newsletter?
The content of the newsletter is mostly supplied by Gpoint suppliers. Information that suppliers wish retailers to be aware of regarding sales, new ranges, invitations to visit their website etc, will form the bulk of the content.
8. TELL ME SOME STATISTICS ABOUT GPOINT