For buyers
Frequently asked questions
The questions the trade desk answers most often, answered once here.
Accounts & access
- Can I buy without a trade account?
- No. Everything Vinaherb supplies is sold business to business, and accounts are verified against a trading business before pricing is released. The catalog stays open to read without signing in, so species, form and specification can be checked before you talk to anyone. Prices and documents are what sit behind verification.
- How do I open one?
- Register with your business details. The trade desk verifies the business and approves the account, and you are told either way. It is free and commits you to nothing.
- Do you sell retail quantities to consumers?
- No. Every SKU carries a minimum order quantity set for commercial supply.
Ordering
- Is there a minimum order?
- Yes, and it is per SKU rather than per order. The MOQ is shown against each variant in the catalog, so it is visible before you ask.
- Can I get a sample first?
- Yes. Samples are representative of the material being offered, and they are requested through the trade desk once an account is open.
- What forms and packaging do you supply?
- Three forms (whole herbs, milled powder and standardized extract), packed to 1, 5 or 25 kg with lot codes and export labelling. Which forms exist for a given species is shown on its product page.
- We buy full containers. Same process?
- Write to the desk directly at contact@vinaherb.com. Full-container business goes through the desk rather than through the site.
Shipping & payment
- Which Incoterms do you sell on?
- EXW and FOB. Anything beyond that is arranged case by case; raise it with the desk when you ask for the quotation rather than after it.
- What are the payment terms?
- Payment terms are agreed per customer rather than published as one policy. Once your account is approved, the terms that apply to you are shown in your account area after you sign in.
- How long is a quotation good for?
- Each quotation carries its own validity date, set by the desk and shown on the quotation itself. Past that date it has to be re-quoted, because the prices behind it move.
Quality & documents
- What documents come with an order?
- A certificate of analysis for the lot, and the export and origin certificate for the shipment. Both are lot-specific and both arrive with the quotation for the lot being offered.
- Who does the testing?
- Mainly third-party laboratories rather than our own lab. Which tests are run depends on the product and the destination market, so tell the desk where the material is going.
- Can you supply under a certification scheme?
- That is answered per product and per lot, in writing, before an order is placed. If your market requires a specific scheme, raise it at the specification stage.
Not answered here
The desk answers specification, sourcing and document questions directly, and a question about one product is usually faster asked than searched for.