Frequently asked questions , The Prince International

1.

Are you a manufacturer or trader?

We are a manufacturer-trader in the way that we get these handicrafts made on job by skilled craftsman based on our designs and drawings. The raw material too is supplied by us, it is just the crafting that we get on job from the highly skilled workers.

2.

Where are you located?

We are located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan where we have our set up for marble statues, stone handicrafts and natural stone exports. Jodhpur is very easily accessible by Road, Rail or Air from Delhi or Mumbai which makes it convenient for the buyers to visit us.

3.

From where do you ship products?

Our handicraft products are shipped from Mumbai port, India.

4.

How do you ship the products? Do you arrange door to door delivery?

We ship all our products by sea as this is the cheapest available option, even for retail orders. For retail orders we can also use shipment by Air if the customer insists. In either case the products are shipped to the nearest sea/air port from where the customers arranges for pick up. The contact details of the delivery agent are provided by the shipping company on Bill of Lading itself. We do not arrange door to door delivery as it turns out very expensive from India.

5.

Do you have any store outside India?

We deal with all our customers directly and do not have any store outside/inside India. All our products are custom made in India and shipped directly from India.

6.

What is enquiry basket?

Just like a shopping basket, enquiry basket enables a visitor to include all the items of his/her interest in the basket. There is no need to send separate enquiries for each product or even to remember the item codes to include in the enquiry form. All you have to do is keep visiting all our product pages, add the products/designs of your choice to the basket and in the end it will be attached to the enquiry form automatically.

7.

How does the enquiry basket works?

From product category pages or search result pages, select the products you wish to enquire about.  Click the "Add to enquiry basket" link from top under product category name or from bottom of the page. Your select products will be automatically added to enquiry basket.
You can also update the estimated quantity required for each product.
To add more products click "Add more products"
To remove any added product click trash button corresponding to each product in last column
Once you are done with adding products to enquiry basket click "Send enquiry". Here you will be asked your contact details and any message/details/specifications you want to add with your enquiry.
Click "Submit"

While browsing, at any time if you wish to see all items added to your enquiry basket, click "View enquiry basket" from top of the page.

8.

I have sent enquiry. Now what to do?

Your enquiry is very valuable to us. As soon as we receive your enquiry we reply back with the details of each product like description, size, price and other terms. It is highly advised that you mention the maximum possible details in the text of the enquiry which will give us a clear understanding of your requirement and we can reply accordingly with more precision. Once the prices and other terms are acceptable you can proceed for an order placement.

9.

Do you make designs as per custom requirement?

We do offer this service as it is in great demand from almost everyone. Beauty of a handicraft product is in the eye of a beholder, you in this case and you might want a particular product to be customized to your taste. Just feel free for the same and try to mention the details in the enquiry text. Depending on the level of customization (or a new design altogether) we may ask you for a drawing or photograph of the product. We have in past customized several of our products to the customers taste in this way.

10.

What is "send bulk enquiry"?

Mostly the customers visiting us are end consumers i.e. retail buyers and it is our practise to reply back with retail prices of the products. If you think you have a larger order to place or if you want to retail our products in your area, you can "send bulk enquiry". It is altogether a different level of correspondence with bulk buyers and there are handsome discounts for bulk orders.

11.

We do not know how to import. Can you help?

There is a first time for everything. With our vast experience in export of our products to various countries worldwide, you just have to relax with the imports' worries. One of the best thing about us is our services and we see full customer satisfaction in all fields related to our product as our ultimate motive. You will receive all the required guidance for this purpose.

12.

How much time does it take to deliver products?

One of the toughest question for us, specifically in the field of handicrafts. In short it all depends on the order details like the product, design, quantity, assortment, etc. The minimum time required to ship the products from India is 3-4 weeks from the date of order.

13.

Do you maintain ready stock of products?

We do not keep any stock other than the display items at our office. This is mainly because there are hundreds of designs in various products and customers' taste is very hard to predict.

14.

What is your minimum order quantity?

There is no minimum order quantity as such. You can order even a single piece of handicraft and you will still receive the same attention as received by a bulk buyer.
Is it possible to get pre-inspection done? You can arrange for a pre-inspection of the ordered products once they are ready to be packed. For this purpose you can come down personally, send a representative or if required we can get the inspection done through certified agents.

15.

We would like to visit your factory, how can be done?

You are most welcome to visit our processing sites. This will enable you to see the making of product, quality of product and many more details which will be beneficial to both of us. Jodhpur is capital of the state of Rajasthan and it is easily accessible by Road, Rail or Air from Delhi or Mumbai. There are good hotel accommodations in Jodhpur to suit all types of pockets.

16.

About packaging to ensure that we will receive goods in good condition. ?

Even a slight damage or chipping on a handicraft product effects its beauty very badly. Although the goods are sold to you but we consider it as our product and to see that it reaches safely we undertake strict packing standards. Depending on the product is first packed in thermocol or foam sheets, tightly wrapped and is safely tightened inside a wooden pallet. Only worry is on the part of retail shipping where the crates are handled by several agencies and many places. We pass on strict instructions to the shipping agencies for careful handling of the items but it is essential to have an insurance cover, just in case.

17.

Is Insurance a must and how can it be covered?

We highly recommend insurance cover on these products because these are very costly and even a slight damage is unwarranted. There are many insurance companies and all of them provide this service. When we have shipped your order, we will send you the relevant papers and based on these you can get a insurance cover from your end. It is advisable to get insurance covered at destination because in case of damage to the product, the claim process is simplified at your end. We can get insurance cover for you if insisted and the premium charged in India for this is 7% which will be added to the cost.

18.

What are your payment terms?

We accept orders only on 100% advance along with confirmation of order. If the order value is more than US$3000.00 we can relax this term to 50% advance and balance on shipment from Indian port on submission (by fax or e-mail) the copy of Bill of Lading as a proof of shipment. The payment modes are discussed under.

19.

General Shipping Terms :

FOB
This acronym expands to "Free On Board' which simply means that all expenses are paid at our end till the order is on board the ship at Indian port. Only ocean freight, destination charges and insurance is in your account.

CIF
This acronym expands to "Cost-Insurance-Freight" which simply means that all expenses including insurance are paid till the order reaches destination. Only destination charges are in your account. If insurance is covered by you the acronym becomes C&F which is "Cost & Freight".

Payment Terms
Wire Transfer
This is one of the most secure, cost effective and fastest way of payment whereby you can instruct your bank to send a wire transfer to our bank for the order amount. Upon receipt of the confirmed order, we give you our bank details required for wire transfer. It usually takes 24-48 hours for the wire transfer to reach our bank, leaving the time-zone gap between our countries. 99% of our business is done on payment through wire transfers.

Letter of Credit (L/C)
This is internationally acclaimed as the most secure way of transaction but the only disadvantage is the cost involved in opening a L/c at your end and the same at our end as well for negotiating the L/c and for the interest charges on the term of L/c. These additional charges finally add to the cost of the product. If you want to open a L/c, we can discuss its terms and conditions.

Credit Card
People find it as most convenient way of paying but it is very insecure hence we do not recommend payment through Credit Cards. But if you insist we can provide you with a link for such payment after which you will have to fax us the copy of credit card, letter of authority and invoice. Letter of authority and invoice will be generated while making the payment you must take its print out for your/our records.