ItsABlackThang.com Seller Program
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the ItsABlackThang.com Seller Program?
Our seller program provides individuals and businesses with an opportunity to sell their products on ItsABlackThang.com.
2. Why should I sell on ItsABlackThang.com?
It's an opportunity to get your products viewed and purchased by our targeted audience that we've been growing since 2001. And if you're just getting started it will give you the opportunity to start selling your products right away without the need to create a standalone website.
3. Can I sell an item that's already being sold on ItsABlackThang.com?
You can't sell an item that is already being sold on our site. You can sell an item in the same category but not the exact same item.
4. What types of products cannot be posted on ItsABlackThang.com?
We primarily sell African American related gift items and accessories. You can review our site and make a pretty good determination if your products would fit our site. However, we review all product submissions and approve or disapprove products on a case-by-case basis.
5. Do my products have to be African American related?
We prefer that your products be African American related but if they're not we will consider them on a case-by-case basis.
6. Will I need to send you a sample of my product?
We may require you to send us a sample of your product. It will depend on the nature of the product. For instance, if your item is a handmade craft, we may need to verify the quality and workmanship.
7. How does selling on ItsABlackThang.com differ from selling on other online sites?
Our selling system differs in three ways.
A. You will be the exclusive seller for the items you list on our site. So you won't have to deal with other vendors selling the same items and be forced into a price war to try and win the sale.
B. Your company information will not be listed on our site. We will only list and sell your products.
C. We will maintain and update your product listings.
8. Who is responsible for shipping the order and how is customer service handled?
We will forward the sale to you and you will ship the order and forward the tracking information to us. We will be the liaison for customer service. We will contact you if a customer has an issue or concern about their order or about an item and we will forward your response to the customer.
9. How are shipping charges determined?
We use shipping charts that are based on the amount of the order. The shipping charges will be included in your portion of the sale. Click here to review our shipping charts.
10. Do you offer customers any shipping discounts?
Yes, we offer our customers free shipping on orders over $89. So you will have to offer the same incentive.
11. How much do I make from a sale? When do I get paid and how?
You will receive the shipping charges and 70% of the selling price of your items. We have a 30-day return policy so you will be paid 30-days after the sale. We do not pay sellers until we are confident that customers have received and are happy with their orders. All payments are made via Pay Pal.
12. Does your site have fraud protection?
Yes, we have high-level fraud protection to help prevent fraudulent credit card use and fraudulent orders.
13. How do I keep track of my sales?
We have an affiliate tracking system is also used to keep track our seller program. You will create an affiliate account and chose to join our seller program instead of our affiliate program.
14. Are there any fees associated with the seller program?
You pay a one time set-up fee of $39.95 and then just $12.95 a month for product hosting and maintenance (first month free).
15. What else do I get for the $12.95 monthly fee?
- We will host your items and keep them updated
- We will submit your items to the various search engines and help maintain a high ranking position
- We will periodically mention your items in our newsletters which go out to over 50,000 subscribers.
16. How are returns and damaged/lost orders handled?
All returns will be sent to you and we will refund the customer if necessary and the amount will be deducted from your next payment. Of course if the customer wants a replacement, you will send the replacement.
17. How do I upload my products and how many products can I sell?
You will send us the images of your products and the product descriptions and we will load the products for you. You can start out with up to 30 products and additional products may be added later.
18. How do you keep track of our inventory levels?
You will give us your initial inventory numbers and we will load them into our warehouse system. You will also send us a monthly inventory report so we can verify your inventory levels. You will also inform us of any sudden inventory changes or if an item becomes unavailable.
Selling Program Details:
This Selling Program Operating Agreement contains the terms and conditions that govern your participation in the ItsABlackThang.com Selling Program. By joining our selling program, you agree to the terms and conditions of this operating agreement, or by continuing to participate in the program following our posting of a change notice or revised operating agreement on the ItsABlackThang.com site. You agree to be bound by this operating agreement; acknowledge and agree that you have independently evaluated the desirability of participating in the program and are not relying on any representation, guarantee, or statement other than as expressly set forth in this operating agreement; and hereby represent and warrant that you are lawfully able to enter into contracts (e.g., you are not a minor) and that you are and will remain in compliance with this operating agreement, including the selling program participation requirements. In addition, if this operating agreement is being agreed to by a company or other legal entity, then the person agreeing to this operating agreement on behalf of that company or entity hereby represents and warrants that he or she is authorized and lawfully able to bind that company or entity to this operating agreement.
1. Description of our Selling Program
The purpose of our Affiliate Program is to permit you to advertise our products and banners on your web site and earn a commission for any qualifying purchases made by your visitors that follow your unique link and visit our site. In order to help you promote our products, we will make available to you images, text, and other linking tools.
2. Application Process
To begin the application process you must identify your site, the place where you will place your link or the marketing strategy you plan to use to promote our products. We will evaluate your application and notify you of its acceptance or rejection. We may reject your application if we determine that your site or marketing strategy is unsuitable. Unsuitable sites or marketing strategies include those that:
(a) promote or contain sexually explicit materials;
(b) promote violence or contain violent materials;
(c) promote or contain libelous or defamatory materials;
(d) promote discrimination, or employ discriminatory practices, based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age;
(e) promote or undertake illegal activities;
(f) are directed toward children under 13 years of age, as defined by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-6506) and any regulations promulgated thereunder;
(g) anything that violate intellectual property rights.
If we reject your application, you are welcome to reapply at any time. However, if we accept your application and we later determine that your site is unsuitable, we may terminate this operating agreement.
You will ensure that the information in your affiliate program application, including your email address and other contact information and identification of your site or marketing strategy is at all times complete, accurate, and up-to-date. We may send notifications and other communications relating to the affiliate program and this operating agreement to the email address associated with your affiliate program account. You will be deemed to have received all notifications, approvals, and other communications sent to that email address, even if the email address associated with your account is no longer current.
3. Links On Your Site
After you have been notified that your application to participate in our affiliate program has been approved you may display your unique link on your site. Your unique link are links to the It’s A Black Thang.com site that you place on your site in accordance with this agreement, that properly utilize the special “tagged” link formats we provide, and that comply with the affiliate program linking requirements. Your unique link will permit accurate tracking, reporting, and accrual of your commission fees. You may earn commission fees only with respect to activity on the It’s A Black Thang.com site occurring directly through your unique link. We will have no obligation to pay you commission fees if you fail to properly format the links on your site to the It’s A Black Thang.com site as a unique link, including to the extent that such failure may result in any reduction of commission fee amounts that would otherwise be paid to you under this agreement.
4. Responsibility For Your Site
You will be solely responsible for your site, including its development, operation, and maintenance and all materials that appear on or within it. For example, you will be solely responsible for:
- the technical operation of your site and all related equipment;
- displaying your unique link and content on your site in compliance with this operating agreement and any agreement between you and any other person or entity (including any restrictions or requirements placed on you by any person or entity that hosts your site);
- creating and posting, and ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and appropriateness of, materials posted on your site (including all product descriptions and other product-related materials and any information you include within or associate with your unique link);
- using the content, your site, and the materials on or within your site in a manner that does not infringe, violate, or misappropriate any of our rights or those of any other person or entity (including copyrights, trademarks, privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or proprietary rights);
5. Order Processing
We will process orders placed by customers who follow your unique link from your site to the It’s A Black Thang.com site. We reserve the right to reject orders that do not comply with any requirements on the It’s A Black Thang.com site, as they may be updated from time to time. We will track purchases for reporting and commission fee accrual purposes and will make available to you reports summarizing those purchases.
6. Earning Commission Fees
We will pay you a commission fee on a qualifying purchase. A qualifying purchase occurs when a customer clicks on your unique link on your site and is directed to the It’s A Black Thang.com site; during the session the customer must add a product to his or her shopping cart and place the order for that product.
The following are unqualified purchases and we will not pay commission fees on any of the following:
- any product purchase that is not correctly tracked or reported because the links from your site to the It’s A Black Thang.com site are not properly formatted;
- any product order that is canceled or returned
- any product purchased after termination of this operating agreement
7. Commission Payments
We will pay your commission fees on a monthly basis for qualifying purchases shipped in a given month. We will pay you approximately 30 days following the end of each calendar month via Pay Pal or via an It's A Black Thang.com Gift Card.
- Payment by Pal Pal. We will deposit your commission fees directly into your Pay Pal account.
- Payment by It’s A Black Thang.com Gift Card. If you select payment by It’s A Black Thang.com gift card, we will send you an electronic gift card in the amount of the commission fees you earn, redeemable for products on It’s A Black Thang.com. All It’s A Black Thang.com gift cards will be subject to our standard gift card terms and conditions.
8. Miscellaneous
You will not misrepresent or embellish the relationship between us and you (including by expressing or implying that we support, sponsor, endorse, or contribute to any charity or other cause), or express or imply any relationship or affiliation between us and you or any other person or entity except as expressly permitted by this operating agreement.
In connection with your participation in the affiliate program you will comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, orders, licenses, permits, judgments, decisions, and other requirements of any governmental authority that has jurisdiction over you, including laws (federal, state, or otherwise) that govern marketing email (e.g., the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003).
You and we are independent contractors, and nothing in this operating agreement will create any partnership, joint venture, agency, franchise, sales representative, or employment relationship between you and us or our respective affiliates. You will have no authority to make or accept any offers or representations on our or our affiliates’ behalf. You will not make any statement, whether on your site or otherwise, that contradicts or may contradict anything in this section. If you authorize, assist, encourage, or facilitate another person or entity to take any action related to the subject matter of this operating agreement, you will be deemed to have taken the action yourself.
9. Modifications
We may modify any of the terms and conditions contained in this operating agreement at any time and in our sole discretion by posting a change notice or revised agreement on the It’s A Black Thang.com site or by sending notice of such modification to you by email to the email address associated with your affiliate account (any such change by email will be effective on the date specified in the email and will in no event be less than two business days after the date the email is sent). Modifications may include, for example, changes to the Commission Fee Schedule, Affiliate Program Participation Requirements, payment procedures, and other program requirements. If any modification is unacceptable to you, your only recourse is to terminate this operating agreement. Your continued participation in the program following the effective date of any modification (e.g., the date of our posting of a change notice or revised operating agreement on the It’s A Black Thang.com site or the date specified in any email to you regarding such modification) will constitute your binding acceptance of the change.
10. Term and Termination
The term of this operating agreement will begin upon our acceptance of your affiliate program application and will end when terminated by either you or us. Either you or we may terminate this operating agreement at any time, with or without cause, by giving the other party written notice of termination. Upon any termination of this operating agreement, any and all licenses you have with respect to content will automatically terminate and you will immediately stop using the content and It’s A Black Thang.com marks and promptly remove from your site and delete or otherwise destroy all links to the It’s A Black Thang.com site, all other content, and any other materials provided or made available by or on behalf of us to you under this operating agreement or otherwise in connection with the affiliate program. We may withhold accrued unpaid advertising fees for a reasonable period of time following termination to ensure that the correct amount is paid (e.g., to account for any cancellations or returns).
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