Frequently Asked Questions

General Help

Start here to get a basic understanding of the Kole Imports Dropship Program

• What is the Kole Imports Drop Shipping Program?

  It's simple. You list our items for sale on your website. When someone orders something, we ship the items to your customer. You pay us for the merchandise and shipping. You keep the profit which is the difference between your selling price and your wholesale cost.

• Why do business with Kole Imports?

  We have been in business since 1985, directly importing and wholesaling general merchandise to our customers, and drop-shipping merchandise for our customers.

  • We have a huge product line, and our items are great sellers in retail stores across the country.
  • We know what people want to buy, and that's what we sell.
  • We're experts in our field, and we can help you make more money by selling our items on your website, Amazon or eBay.

  There has never been an easier way to add wholesale items to your inventory.

• Why would I want to sell your items on my site?

  What we can offer is a bit different than your typical drop shipper. Because we are wholesalers, we fill a very specific niche that is increasing in demand with the growth of ecommerce. Increasingly, retail consumers are searching online for wholesale merchandise.

  You can make money by selling Kole Imports items on your website with no direct costs.

• How much will it cost for me to use the Kole Imports Drop Shipping Program?

  The program is free. That means no hidden fees or extra charges. With just a couple of minutes of your time, you can register, create a product feed, and begin incorporating our data into your website.

  The only time we ask for payment is when you submit an order with us.

  There is no dropship fee or shipping surcharge. Your full cost is the price shown in the product feed.

• What kind of items does Kole Imports sell?

  To see what items we sell, please visit our catalog.

  We have a wide variety of general merchandise, which we wholesale at super-low prices. Take a moment to o over our price model to get a better idea of our price point and merchandise.

  We are a wholesaler, which means we sell items to other wholesalers as well. Additionally, we sell to retailers who sell them to the public. Our items are sold in wholesale lots, so your customers can order in small pack sizes all the way up to large cases.

• Why do my customers have to buy wholesale packs? Can't they just buy one?

  We are a wholesale operation, and our business model doesn't allow us to sell in smaller increments. Items are warehoused by pack size, so in order to ship quickly and keep ourselves and you profitable, we can't break our inner packs down into smaller quantities.

• Is the Kole Imports Drop Shipping Program right for me?

  Do you have a website with an active community of buyers who order regularly? If so, we encourage you to offer wholesale options to your customers. We are confident you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

  Having said that, a certain degree of technical knowledge, advertising capital, and solid strategy will go a long way in maximizing your profits.

• How do I get Kole Imports items onto my site?

  Start by registering with us. You will be able to set up an product feed for your site, which contains all of the item information, as well as the path to different sized pictures of our items.

  This file will be updated daily. You will need to program your website to use the product feed in order to update your inventory.

  If you'd like assistance integrating our feed onto your site, please contact us.

• How much profit will I make on the items I sell?

  That's up to you. We give you a list of our items and the wholesale prices by pack size. You put the items on your website, mark them up however you want, and keep the profit.

• What prevents my customers from buying from Kole Imports directly?

  There a number of reason that your retail customers will not be buying from Kole Imports directly.

  To begin with, Kole Imports is not looking to do direct business on a retail level. We will never seek out business with any of your customers.

  Furthermore, Kole Imports minimum order requirements on direct sales orders and the requirement that all customers possess a Federal Tax ID number are prohibitive for retail customers.

  Ecommerce shoppers are not accustom to purchasing from a wholesale distributor, and typically do not seek it.

• Is there a minimum order requirement?

  The Kole Imports Dropship Program does not have a minimum dollar amount for each order.

  Instead, each order must meet our minimum quantity requirements. We will fulfill all orders that meet the quantity requirements. Each item has a different minimum quantity required, and this amount is shown in the product feed under Tier Pack 1.

• When will my customer receive their tracking number?

  On orders that have been submitted with a customer email address, the customer will receive the tracking number for the order within real time of the product shipping. The email will come from the shipping carrier used to ship the merchandise.

• Why is email address required for sign up?

  Kole Imports requires that users sign up for our drop ship program with an email address to aide in the communication process between ourselves and customers. Email is the primary mode of communication for Kole Imports Drop Ship Program.

• What do I put if I don't have a URL?

  If your business does not have a URL, please indicate how you intend to sell products. Example: eBay, Amazon or 'building a website'.

• Why do I need to name my feed?

  Kole Imports requires that all product feeds be named in order to add organization to the Dashboard. Feeds are listed by the name they are given. Choose your feed's name depending on the types of items that will be included. Examples: All Items, Pet Products, My Company Name

• Does the password have any restrictions?

  All passwords must be at least eight characters long.

• How do I retrieve my password?

  If you do not remember your password, click on the "I forgot my password" link. You will be instructed to enter your email address, which is where an email will be sent verifying your identify and allowing you to reset your password.

• Does KI work with USPS?

  Kole Imports does not work with USPS.

• Does Kole Imports Drop Ship Account have a twitter account?

  Yes. You can follow us for up to the minute updates on our twitter page.

• Which shipping accounts does KI work with?

  Kole Imports ships with FedEx and UPS.

• Why does Kole Imports require an address to appear on my shipping labels?

  All orders are required to specify the address to which they will be shipped. Orders that do not specify a ship-to address will not be processed.

Account Settings

These questions cover information regarding your account.

• What is a "Federal Tax ID" or "EIN"?

  Your Federal Tax ID is an identifying number used for tax purposed in the United States. It can be assigned by the Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service.

• How do I obtain a "Federal Tax ID"?

  If you are a US citizen, you already have a Federal Tax ID. Your Federal Tax ID number may be your Social Security Number (SSN).

  Aliens or people with temporary visas may use their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Employers, corporations, partnerships and non-profits may use your Employer Identification Number (EIN).

• Can I register if my business is not in the United States?

  Because of the tax implications involved, currently, only businesses and individual participants that have an address in the United States may participate in the Kole Imports Dropship Program.

  If you live outside of the United States and would like to discuss doing business, please contact us

• I just started and don't have a company name. Can I still register?

  If you do not have a company name, you may list your first and last name.

• I don't have a company phone number. How do I register?

  In the event that we need to contact you for further information, we request that you enter a phone number where you could be reached.

Billing

Look in this section for specific answers to payment questions.

• Which Credit Cards does Kole Imports accept?

  We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

• Can I pay using PayPal?

  Currently, Kole Imports dropship program does not accept PayPal payments.

• Can I pay using my bank account?

  If you would like to have payments charged to your bank account, please contact us.

• Why is one cent deducted from my first purchase with Kole Imports Dropship Program?

  Our credit card processing company charges all credit cards with a one cent charge when they are entered into the system to authorize the card. The penny will be refunded to your account within 2-3 business days.

Product Catalog

Check here to get information or the types of products we carry.

• What products does Kole Imports sell?

  Kole Imports sells over 5,000 different wholesale general merchandise products in 40 categories. Please feel free to browse our catalog.

• Are all products sold in wholesale quantities?

  Kole Imports is a wholesale company. We are able to drop ship small wholesale quantities. The smallest quantities that we can drop ship are indicated in Tier Pack 1 on the product feed. Because Kole Imports is a wholesale company, we are not able to dropship individual pieces and typically do not break cases.

• Are all of Kole Imports products available for drop ship?

  Not all of Kole Imports products are available for dropship. All of the products that are available for dropship are shown in the product feed. Products that are not in the product feed are available for direct purchase.

• What is a closeout?

  Closeouts are items that Kole Imports bought in one time deal. These are items that we do not anticipate restocking in the future, which means that once they are sold out they will be taken off the product feed. The product feed is available with or without closeouts.

• What is a display?

  Displays are tools that enable storefronts to show multiple pieces of one product. Typically, displays are not sold to retail consumers. The product feed is available with or without displays.

• What is included in the "extended description"?

  Extended descriptions are available to expand the understanding of the item being sold. Included in the Extended Description is the packaging type, number of pieces in the package, brand name, country of origin, warning labels, colors, materials, and measurements of the item when applicable.

• Do all of the products have a brand name?

  Most of Kole Imports products are branded using an in house brand that Kole Imports created, such as "Sassy Girl" or "Duke's". Not all of the products contain a brand name.

• Where are the products warehoused?

  Kole Imports warehouses all of our products at our 250,000 sq foot warehouse in Carson, CA.

Feed Management

Information about the specifics of the product feed are available here.

Why do products get removed from the product feed?

Products can be removed from the feed for a variety of reasons. The item may be too breakable in transit or Kole Imports could have decided to no longer offer the product. Regardless of the reason, only products currently listed on the product feed should be available to your customers. Orders for items not listed on the product feed will not be accepted.

Do products that get removed from the feed ever get re-listed?

Very rarely will a product be removed from the feed only to be relisted. The important point to know is that only products currently on the feed will be accepted for orders.

What image sizes are available?

We provide 4 different aspect ratios and 3 different sized images. Square (1:1), Widescreen (3:2), Portrait (3:4), and Landscape (4:3) are all available in small (150px X 150px), medium (300px X 300px) and large (600px X 600px) sizes.

What image size is recommended?

Landscape (4:3) mode is set as the default aspect ratio. Small, medium and large images are all included as part of the default settings.

How often is the inventory updated?

Our product feed is updated daily around 1 am pst.

What is the fulfillment rate?

Kole Imports is over 99.7% accurate in fulfilling orders that are indicated as in stock on the product feed. Please be sure to keep your product feed updated in order to receive the most accurate inventory available.

Is the pricing on the feed my price?

The price that is associated with each tier is the price that you will need to pay Kole Imports in order to have the merchandise drop shipped to your customer. We encourage you to mark up the merchandise to achieve a profit before selling it to your customer.

What markup percentage do you recommend?

Depending on your target market, we recommend that you markup our products between 15-40%.

Where is the MSRP?

As many of our products are bought directly from the manufactures for wholesale distribution, our products do not contain a MSRP. MSRP is a retail marketing tool, which doesn't hold very much weight in the wholesale marketplace.

How does the Tiered quantity and pricing system work?

Tier Pack is a term that we use to differentiate between our different packaging sizes.

The smallest wholesale quantity that can be ordered is found in Tier Pack 1.

Tier Pack 2, 3, and 4 are multiples of Tier Pack 1. Tier Pack 5 is the case pack of the item.

Every item will have a master case pack size ie Tier Pack 5. Most items will have a tier pack 1, which is an inner package from the case pack. Tier packs 2, 3 and 4 are available when the packaging of a particular item evenly divides into additional quantities. Kindly consult the product feed for a listing of Tier Packs by item.

How does the pricing of the tiers work?

Every item that is presented in the feed is sold in the quantities made available in the Tier Packs.

Alongside each tier pack is the Tier Pack Price, which is the price for all of the items sold in the Tier Pack.

An example is Item HT874, Tier Pack 1: 24 pieces and Tier Price of $26.64 means that all 24 pieces are sold for $26.64, at $1.11 per piece.

Do I need to login to Kole Imports Dropship website each time I want to access my product feeds?

It is not necessary to login each time you would like to access the product feed.

Once you have created a product feed in an Excel file, it may be downloaded and saved onto your computer.

If you have created an XML file, you may create a bookmark to access the data without logging into the Kole Dropship Website.

How do I know which products are in stock?

Item quantity is provided within your product feed on a per item basis. Another way to checking item availability is by looking at the availability slider on the shopping cart in the ordering section.

What happens when an item is out of stock?

In the product feed, Column F is illustrates if an item is available or not. A "1" means that we have ample supply of the product to accommodate any drop shipped orders for this particular item. A "0" means that we are not in stock on that particular product. Our product feed is updated daily, so be sure to update to get the most accurate quantity available information. For items that are listed as "1", or "in stock", Kole Imports fulfills over 99.7% of the orders.

How do I calculate the weight of a package?

The weight of the package can be calculated by locating the weight of each individual item, Column V of the product feed, and multiplying that by the Tier Pack quantity that is being purchased. The weight per piece includes that associated packaging weight that will be needed to ship the merchandise.

What is 'item cube'?

When calculating shipping costs on large orders, cubic feet may be required. In Column U of the product feed, we provide the per piece cubic feet for each item. Calculating the cubic feet of a package can be achieved by multiplying the cubic feet by the number of pieces in the package.

What is the default image size?

The default image size is 4X3 inches. The image size can be altered upon creation of a new product feed.

What is the difference between Item ID and UPC?

Item ID is Kole Imports internal item numbers. UPC is a Universal Product Code, which will be needed when selling products on Amazon or Ebay. During the ordering process, items can be selected by entering the item title, keywords, Item ID or UPC.

Why can't I see the whole UPC code?

The full UPC of each item is included in the product feed, however it may look like it is only displaying a number similar to "7.31E+11". In Microsoft Excel when the UPC column is selected, the full UPC will show in the function column along the top of the worksheet. Also, if you'd like to see all of UPCs at once, you are able to expand the column width for easier viewing.

Does Kole Imports provide an FTP site?

Yes, our FTP site can be found at ftp://developers.koleimports.com/

Is the FTP site free to use?

Yes, Kole Imports provides our FTP site as a value added service.

What picture sizes and ratios are available on the FTP site?

Our FTP site houses all of the sizes and aspect ratios that are available through the product feed. We provide 4 different aspect ratios and 3 different sized images. Square (1:1), Widescreen (3:2), Portrait (3:4), and Landscape (4:3) are all available in small (150px X 150px), medium (300px X 300px) and large (600px X 600px) sizes.

Ordering

Consult this section for inquiries on the ordering process.

• How are orders placed?

  Orders can be placed through our ordering center.

• What is necessary before an order can be placed?

  Before an order can be placed, you will need to enter your billing & shipping information, in addition to your customer profile. That's it.

Refunds & Returns

Learn about our refund and return policies.

• Does Kole Imports accept returns?

  Kole Imports Dropship Program will accept returns on merchandise that is broken in transit or sent to the customer incorrectly. In these situations, Kole Imports will accept the responsibility of paying the shipping charges. If the customer would like the return the merchandise, for whatever reason, without fault to Kole Imports, the customer may do so. In these situations, items may be returned and credit will be given once the merchandise is received in good standing back to Kole Imports warehouse.

• When would Kole Imports refund the cost of the order?

  Kole Imports would refund the cost of the order if the customer received broken merchandise. Also in situations where Kole Imports incorrectly ships the wrong item, the cost of the order will be refunded.

• When will an exchange occur?

  Kole Imports can exchange merchandise at our expense if the items shipped were incorrect.

Shipping

Get answers to your shipping questions here.

• How are tracking numbers sent?

  Answer

• Does Kole Imports ship internationally?

  We have the capability of shipping to any country. The cost of shipping is the responsibility of the drop shipper, so if you are willing to pay for the shipping cost than we are able to fulfill and ship your international orders.

• Does Kole Imports provide a shipping cost calculator?

  No. Each FedEx and UPS account incurs different costs for shipping depending on the quantity of orders sent, and both shipping carriers do not allow 3rd party billers (Kole Imports) to access account holder's rates.

• How can I set up a free account with UPS and FedEx?

  • FedEx
  • UPS

• Can I ship my order using a freight carrier?

  Orders that are large enough can be shipped using an independent freight company. Currently, we are unable to process these orders through our online systems. Please email support@koleimports.com or call 800-874-7766 x 167 for consultation.

• How do the estimated shipping rates work?

  Accounts that have provided a shipping carrier account: Accounts will be shown "estimated" shipping quotes. These quotes are given to provide a broad overview of the costs of shipping. These rates are not guaranteed and should be used as a guideline.

  Accounts that use Kole Imports shipping carrier: The rates provided are the real cost that will be added the cost of goods towards the complete order total. UPS and FedEx are both available for selection along with multiple shipping methods.

• Does my customer receive a tracking email?

  In the "shipping details", an email address is required to process the order. The email address provided will be sent a tracking notification from the shipping carrier selected for the order.

• Can multiple email addresses be entered into the "Shipping Details" email tracking field?

  Yes. An tracking email will be sent to the primary account holder after every shipment. You also have the option of entering a second email address.

• Does my customer's tracking email mention Kole Imports?

  Kole Imports will not communicate with your customer. Tracking emails will come from the shipping carrier & will not mention Kole Imports by name.

• Can I use Kole Imports shipping account?

  You are welcome to use Kole Imports FedEx or UPS account for shipping your orders. We provide you the shipping quotes and will include the shipping cost with the cost of merchandise for your order total. The shipping cost will be placed on your credit card with your order total.

• Can I ship to PO boxes?

  We can ship to PO boxes as long as the address is included along with PO Box #.

• Can I ship to APOs?

  Kole Imports does not accept shipments to APOs.