Use it on every provider you speak to. Our own answers are in the table so you can hold us to them.
Start with your own numbers
Before you ask anyone for a quote, write down:
- Orders per month now, and at your next peak
- Average items per order and parcel weight
- How much stock you hold (CBM, or carton sizes and counts)
- Share of orders paid by cash on delivery
- Where you sell: store platform, marketplaces, social
- Where your customers are: Dubai, other emirates, abroad
Every provider can then quote the same month, and you can compare totals.
The checklist
| # | Question | Why it matters | Our answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Are all prices published or itemised in writing? | Unitemised quotes hide fees | Yes — every rate is on our pricing page |
| 2 | Is there a minimum monthly charge or volume? | Minimums punish quiet months | No minimum monthly charge |
| 3 | Do prices include VAT? | 5% changes the comparison | No, all exclude VAT; 5% is added on top |
| 4 | Are there setup, account or exit fees? | One-offs add up | Ask us and we will confirm in writing |
| 5 | What is the daily order cut-off? | A later cut-off means more orders out today | A daily cut-off between 14:00 and 16:00, same-day dispatch |
| 6 | Which days do you dispatch? | Weekends and holidays matter | Ask us and we will confirm in writing |
| 7 | Do you promise delivery times, and on what basis? | Be wary of guarantees nobody controls | We promise same-day dispatch before the cut-off |
| 8 | Is there a cash-on-delivery fee? | Per-parcel or percentage fees add up | 2.5% of the cash collected |
| 9 | How often is COD remitted, and with what report? | Your cash flow | Reconciled per order with a statement; ask us for the cycle |
| 10 | What happens to refused parcels? | Stock and cost | Returned, inspected and restocked |
| 11 | Does it connect natively to my platform? | Manual order entry breaks | Shopify and WooCommerce natively; REST API for custom stores |
| 12 | Can I see orders and stock myself? | Visibility without asking | Live order tracking in our OMS; monthly stock report |
| 13 | Can one stock pool serve my store and my marketplaces? | Avoid splitting stock | Yes |
| 14 | How is stock counted in, and how are discrepancies reported? | Disputes start here | Counted against your packing list; ask us for the detail |
| 15 | Can you pack to my SOP with my packaging? | Brand experience | Yes |
| 16 | How are returns inspected and reported? | Stock accuracy and refunds | Per-unit condition report; restocked or set aside |
| 17 | Is the facility monitored, and is insurance available? | Risk | Monitored 24/7; insurance on request |
| 18 | Is storage climate-controlled? | UAE heat, cosmetics and fragrance | Ask us and we will confirm in writing |
| 19 | Have you handled products like mine? What will you not handle? | Honest fit | We publish the categories we handle, and say when we are not the right fit |
| 20 | Who do I talk to, how, and how fast? | You will need them on a bad day | WhatsApp to our Dubai team, reply within one business day |
Red flags
- A quote without line items.
- Delivery-time “guarantees” with no stated conditions.
- Cash-on-delivery remittance timing that is vague, or “depends”.
- No clear answer about who delivers your parcels.
- No way to see your own stock.
- Being asked to sign a long contract before a trial month.
Then run a trial
A month of real orders tells you more than any proposal: whether the cut-off holds, whether parcels arrive as packed, whether returns come back into stock, and whether anyone answers on a bad day.