Ethics Committee Votes To Ban Company From Tradeloop

Tradeloop's volunteer Ethics committee made the hard decision this week to ban a Tradeloop member company - Trinity Trading, Inc. The complaint was filed by non-member company, Ridge Technologies, Inc. In Ethics Case #5115, the company alleged that it shipped product to Trinity Trading, expected payment within 30 days, but received no payment in five months. The defendant didn't dispute the circumstances and cited financial problems as a reason for not paying the $1400 invoice.

Both the buyer and seller had agreed to a purchase contract that gave the defendant a full 30 days to inspect/test the product before paying for it. That time delay was necessary for the protection of both parties since the shipment was "a lot of 156 non-working LCD panels."

According to the information provided to the Committee, Trinity Trading received the shipment at the end of August 2010. Ridge Technologies invoiced for the shipment a month later. The complainant described the situation to the Ethics Committee:

An invoice was sent on 9/28/2010 with payment terms of "Payable Upon Receipt". We have been attempting to collect the amount owed ever since. We have made numerous calls and sent e-mails but only received one response on 12/6/2010 which stated: "I'm not hiding I just don't have the money at the moment. I'll send it when I recover it".

We never agreed to payment terms of "pay when you have it". We sent the equipment as promised and gave them adequate time to receive/verify the equipment to ensure it was as we promised. It was and we expect to be paid according to our agreement.

During the discussion with the Ethics Committee, the defendant cited business financial difficulties and mentioned the possibility of partial payment. After discussion, the Committee voted to ban the defendant and post the case to the Tradeloop community so that members review the discussion.

This is not an action that anyone takes lightly, but we're committed to keeping Tradeloop a safe place to do business. We give our all-volunteer Ethics Committee the authority to mediate disputes and ban dealers from the community - even Tradeloop members! - when the facts of the case support that action.

Visit our Ethics Blog to review the details of posted cases and offer your own comments in the Members area of the blog.

2nd Solutions – Taking the Guesswork Out of Buying Used Electronics

Richmond, Virginia-based 2nd Solutions was founded in 2005 to help buyers and sellers extend the commercial life of electronic devices by capturing their residual value on the secondary market. It now provides comprehensive IT asset recovery for corporations, government agencies, hospitals, and schools across the United States. The company has 30 employees and 60,000 square feet of office and warehouse space.

Brian Loden is 2nd Solutions' Sales Channel Manager for all products related to computers. That includes desktops, laptops, monitors, hard drives, memory, cables, networking, and telecom equipment, components, and scrap. This gives him a unique perspective on the status of the resale market and helps him explain 2nd Solutions' success.

"There is an obvious trend in the primary market representing the convergence of mobile and computing technology. We see this in smart phones and in tablets. This is great news for our industry because users are upgrading more frequently. Increased demand in the primary market equals an increase in supply on the secondary market. The demand for lower-cost slightly older computers and phones is here to stay."

Loden spends much of his workday trying to meet that demand and has found Tradeloop to be a valuable resource. "Sometimes it's a challenge to have enough inventory to meet the demands of my customers. Tradeloop not only helps me source product for existing customers; it has also allowed me meet some of my best long-term clients."

The customer base of mostly resellers keeps coming back to 2nd Solutions for a very simple reason, explained Loden. "We help them make money." The company views its relationship with customers and suppliers as a partnership that's mutually beneficial. "We offer a 30-day warranty and if there are any issues, our customers know we'll make it right."

That commitment to customer satisfaction and quality products is company-wide. Every device is subject to a thorough diagnostic and testing process by trained professionals and a final quality control check before it's sold, Loden noted. "We take the guesswork out of buying used electronics."

2nd Solutions entered the secondary electronics market at an opportune time and has been successful because it helps customers adapt to new challenges, Loden said.

"It was no accident that we opened for business just as the dynamics surrounding end-of-life cycle technology were changing. With companies starting to seriously deal with technology refresh, the looming issue of environmental impact—coupled with a growing demand by organizations for help in offsetting the cost of next generation purchases—presented a clear window of opportunity for 2nd Solutions."

The company has used that opportunity to become a leader in asset recovery for a very simple reason, he continued.

"2nd Solutions combines experience and knowledge of all facets of global sales trends, with a commitment to superior customer service. We can provide you with the devices you're looking for at fair market prices. Our continued goal is not merely meet your expectations, but to continue to exceed them."

Please Congratulate These Longstanding Tradeloop Members

Please join us as as we congratulate these Tradeloop members who have been part of the trading community for 5 years or longer. Many have donated time to our all-volunteer Ethics Committee or provided other services to the community. All are valued members and we thank them for their commitment to Tradeloop.

Here are the members who celebrate their Tradeloop anniversary during the month of February:

February 2000

• A3Net Servers, Inc.
• Canvas Systems

February 2002

• NW Remarketing, Inc.
• Black River Technology
• Coretek
  

February 2004

• Re-Source Partners
  

February 2005

• MET International
• Sell Your Telecom
• MOJO Systems
• CTC Technologies, Inc.
  

February 2006

• PC Micro, Inc.
• Affordable Upgrades, Inc.
• Shinewaves
  

We want to thank these members for their commitment to the Tradeloop trading community. These companies - along with the many other Tradeloop users - work with us to promote ethical business standards, protect the value of the wholesale market, and police the community to prevent online fraud. Search the Tradeloop Dealer Directory to find even more Tradeloop wholesale members and registered users.

New Search Options: Find People & Parts More Quickly

Searching Tradeloop just got easier with the launch of our new universal search box. Search the Trading Floor, Dealer Directory, Broadcasts, or Ethics cases from any place in the site. We've also improved the search function in the Dealer Directory: it now returns more relevant results, more quickly.

Have you noticed the new search box? It uses a drop-down menu with different options so you can target your search to a particular area:

The new search at Tradeloop's Dealer Directory supports multiple word searches. You can now enter a member's full name and navigate directly to his/her profile instead of searching just by last name. This will make it even easier to find and invite people to join your trusted network of dealers using our Connections system.

Try the new Dealer Directory search or search the Trading Floor now!

Search For Parts, Upload Inventory, & More At Your New Member Dashboard

Your Member Dashboard is a one-stop location to get information about Tradeloop, search for parts, upload your inventory, and more. We've added two new features that allow you to get started buying and selling right from the Dashboard page.

Here's the new layout:

The top left option is for uploading inventory. Click on the "Advanced Upload" link to use the new custom inventory upload option. The top right is a multi-part search box. Enter one part number per line and search for multiple part numbers at the same time.

Customize your Tradeloop experience at the Member Dashboard:

• Choose your own member home page.
  
• Watch a short training video to learn how to get the most out of Tradeloop.
• Learn about features that help you research the market, promote your products, and more.
• Get the latest news from the Tradeloop member blog.

Access your Member Dashboard to use these features and get the most from your Tradeloop membership.