4.3. Travel agency as an intermediary company. Agency agreement A travel agency is a company that sells a product developed by a tour operator on the basis of an agreement (agency agreement). Typically, the difference between a travel agency and a tour operator

A brokerage firm is a person or firm that stands between the producer and consumer of a product and promotes it.

A mediator exists where there are civilized market relations. By identifying problems and helping to solve them, the mediator acts as a kind of catalyst.

Trading companies include enterprises that are legally and economically independent of the producer and consumer of goods. They act in order to profit, which is obtained either as a result of the difference between producer prices and the prices at which these goods are sold to customers, or in the form of remuneration for the services provided to promote goods on the market.

Classification of intermediary firms

The experience of developed market economies shows that a large number of diverse enterprises, organizations and individuals that carry out trade and intermediary functions are involved.

Classification of intermediary firms can be on various grounds.

According to the main sign - this is   functions performed.   On this basis are distinguished:

• universal intermediaries - perform the full range of services. Ego distributors, wholesalers-merchants;
• specialized   intermediaries - perform separate functions, so they are divided into:
  • information and contact (contribute to the establishment of economic relations between suppliers and consumers),
  • information (net) - do not have at their disposal the goods and perform the implementation according to the conditions of the manufacturer
  • search (they are called sales agents) are, as a rule, agents of industrial firms that are engaged in the search for buyers in certain regions. They work on the basis of an agreement or instructions, facilitate the conclusion of transactions between the seller (goods owner) and the buyer, concluding them on behalf of the goods owner,
  • attorneys (importing agents) act on the basis of an agreement on behalf of and at the expense of the principal. Agents conclude contracts where their powers are specified in terms of technical and commercial terms of the transaction. Contracts signed by agents are executed by principals. Agents receive rewards for their services. Agents can be firms or legal entities licensed for this type of activity,
  • wholesalers-sellers sell by mail, i.e. catalogs are sent to separate groups of goods, and orders are sent by mail,
  • wholesalers-salespeople not only sell for cash, but also deliver the goods to customers. Usually this is a limited range of short-term storage products (bread, milk, fruit),
  • wholesalers-organizers work with those that are characterized by the absence of containers (heavy equipment, timber, coal). They do not have stocks of goods, but, receiving an order from the buyer (retail trade enterprises), they find the manufacturer who ships the goods to the buyer.

Types of intermediaries

On the basis of subordination and the nature of the operations performed, intermediaries can be divided into three types:

• independent;
• formally independent;
• dependent (related to production).

Independent Resellers

Independent Resellers   (both legal entities and individuals) act on their own behalf and at their own expense. In relation to the manufacturer, they act as buyers purchasing goods on the basis of a contract of sale. They become owners of the product and can sell it in any market and at any price.

Distinguish:

• full-service wholesalers who provide services for the storage of inventories, for lending, for the delivery of goods, for assistance in management. They can carry out operations with various assortments;
• limited-service wholesalers who provide customers with significantly fewer services. They can trade for cash, without delivery of goods, with usually a more limited assortment.

Independent intermediaries form the basis of the wholesale structure system, since they close on themselves a large number of retail trade enterprises and carry out a rather wide range of operations. These include dealers, distributors, jobbers, wholesalers-merchants, wholesalers, trading houses, wholesalers-salespeople, wholesalers-organizers, wholesalers-consigners, wholesalers-post-merchants.

Dealers   - an individual or legal entity that buys goods from industrial enterprises and sells them to customers, assuming service responsibilities (minor repairs, supply of spare parts). Their income is formed due to the difference in purchase and sale prices.

Distributors   (English - distribution) - an individual or legal entity serving various industries, having warehouses and vehicles and carrying out commercial activities on its own behalf and at its own expense. Most often they sell industrial products or sell imported goods in the country.

A distributor who purchases goods, stores, stores, prepares for final consumption, makes up a group of distributors “with a full range of services” (or regular type).

Regular distributors work by specialization, have a clear number of positions for each group, so they can use specialized means of transportation, loading, unloading and storage. They are mainly in the engineering market (computers, televisions, cars).

Another group of distributors - “ irregular type»(With an incomplete, limited range of services) only acquires goods from regular manufacturers and sells them. This is a larger group. They are engaged in the sale of perishable agricultural products or small industrial lots of a diverse assortment on the principle of “buy-take” (“cache and carry”), i.e. without services.

Jobbers   - dealers who, at their own risk, buy and sell goods on their own (in small batches).

Jobbers can work on exchanges. These are stock brokers who carry out their intermediary activities, buying up large quantities of goods and immediately selling them to other jobbers or brokers, earning at the same time on the price difference. They make transactions on their own behalf and at their own expense, influence the price level and bear the risk in full.

Formally Independent Resellers

Formally Independent Resellers   appeared in connection with the desire of manufacturers to include these enterprises in their supply chain through a system of contracts. To do this, use the following types of contracts:

• an assignment agreement, which is concluded with attorneys or with sales agents;
• commission agreement, which determines the powers of commission agents (they find partners, sign agreements with them on their own behalf, but at the expense of the seller or buyer);
• simple mediation agreement.

Dependent Resellers

Dependent Resellers   They are authorized sales agents (as if the manufacturer’s sales department) and work on the basis of urgent and unlimited labor agreements. Dependent intermediaries do not claim for goods, working for a commission.

Broker   - individuals or legal entities (brokerage houses) who find mutually interested sellers and buyers, bring them together, but do not participate in the transaction, either on their own behalf or on behalf of the guarantor.

Their task is to find a buyer for the products of the manufacturer (seller) and seller for the buyer and to facilitate the signing of a contract between them.

Purchasing Offices   - independent commercial enterprises. Payment for their services is based on a certain percentage of annual sales.

The purchasing offices are close to brokers by the nature of their activities (they provide their customers with information on price movements, information about potential partners, and conclude transactions at the direction of their customers).

Fig. 12.2. Types of dependent intermediaries

Industrial Agents   - independent specialized firms that work with non-competing, complementary products and have the exclusive right to sell them in a certain territory.

Sales Agents   - enterprises and individuals performing, under an agreement with the manufacturer, the whole range of functions for the distribution of the entire range of products.

Sales agents - individuals or legal entities that, on the basis of an agreement with a seller or a buyer, have the right to facilitate the conclusion of transactions for a relatively long period. Sales agents act as representatives of sellers and buyers and receive remuneration under an employment contract depending on the results of work.

Groups of sales agents:

• representatives of manufacturers - individuals or legal entities with whom the manufacturer enters into an agreement, which determines the pricing policy for the purchase and sale of goods, the territory, the boundaries of the agent’s activities, the procedure for submitting orders, the service system, the size of commission rates
• distributors
• purchasing agents - representatives of buyers who take responsibility for the safety, quantity, quality and incoming goods. They act on behalf of the buyer and fulfill his terms of purchase of goods. For their work they receive remuneration as a percentage of the volume of purchased and delivered goods.

Intermediary Commissioners   act on the basis of a commission agreement concluded with the goods owner or buyer.

The owners of the goods for this type of transaction are called the principal. He instructs the commission agent to make transactions on his own behalf and at the expense of the principal bearing all commercial risk.

Commissioners act as sellers of goods to third parties, are responsible for the safety of products. They are not responsible for the execution of transactions by a third party, payment obligations.

Consignee   - a wholesaler (enterprises or individuals) who receives goods from the guarantor in his warehouse and sells it on his own behalf, but at the expense of the supplier-manufacturer by a certain date. He offers non-food products, he sets the price. A van sends it to the store, and a representative equips the display of goods in the trading floor.

The activity is based on consignment agreement. Consignment agreement - special view   contract agreement.

Consignees act mainly in foreign trade transactions. The consignee shall make payments to the consignee for the sale of goods. Items not sold by the due date may be returned to the exporter.

Trading brokers   carry out activities as distributors of a regular type, but have a narrower profile of activity and are associated with bulky goods, the transportation and transfer of which are very time-consuming.

There are so-called unofficial intermediaries - as a rule, these are individuals who have personal connections in various fields, acting on their own behalf. They rely on their reputation, knowledge, experience and personal relationships. As a rule, they do not bear material obligations, but receive a certain fee for their services, and are not bound by legal agreements and obligations.

In recent years, especially in Western countries, a category has appeared   "Virtual" intermediarieswho use the Internet for their activities. The seller or buyer places their sites on the Internet where they indicate their type of activity, the goods or services offered.

Factors affecting the choice of intermediary

There are many factors that influence the choice of an intermediary. These include:

• legal security of the intermediary, i.e. the presence of necessary and legally correctly executed documents giving him the right to provide intermediary services;
• competence of the intermediary, i.e. knowledge of the essence of the tasks that he needs to solve, knowledge of the consumer properties of the goods, the ability, if necessary, to promptly assist in the transportation, storage, preservation of goods, timely payment of goods in accordance with the agreement;
• financial security, i.e. the ability of the intermediary to fulfill their obligations and bear material responsibility in accordance with agreements concluded by interested parties;
• reputation of an intermediary, i.e. the opinion of those who have already used or are using its services, correctness in the preparation and implementation of their obligations and agreements.

Intermediaries are often mentioned in the context of purchases in foreign online stores. However, in recent years, the meaning of this term has changed dramatically and does not mean exactly what it used to be. What is the matter? What are intermediary services now and who actually provides them? Let's try to figure it out.

Intermediaries. What is it?

A good dozen years ago, when our compatriots were just beginning to develop foreign shopping, it was a slightly different picture than now. No, iconic American online stores such as Amazon.com, 6pm.com, eBay.com and many others have already been, but they are overwhelmingly orders from foreign customers did not accept. And many of our compatriots, accustomed to traditional purchases, even if it was possible to make an order on their own, were wary of this matter.

• Commission fee for intermediary services 10-15%.
• Work with all branches of ebay and Amazon: USA, UK, Germany, etc.
• A wide range of free services (including SMS-informer).
• Frequent promotions: big discounts, free delivery.
• A full-fledged support service, top-up in dozens of ways, including QIWI and RBK Money.
• Simple and intuitive one-click ordering system.

• Shopozz.ru is:
  • Low commission from 7%;
  • Convenient numerous payment methods;
  • Individual approach to each client;
  • Russian-speaking support service (multi-channel numbers 8-800);
  • eBay - Sniper;
  • Warehouses in 5 countries (USA, UK, Germany, Japan, China);
  • Purchase / delivery of goods directly from the Apple Store.
• The service "Virtual Address" (Mail Forwarding) is separately provided.
• Additional services are provided: “Verification of goods”, “Photo of goods”, “Insurance of goods”, “Customs clearance”.
• Weekly commission discounts of up to 50% on the most popular foreign online stores (Apple Store, Victoria's Secret, Adidas, Puma, Reebok, Burberry, Lego and others).
• Official website of the service: http://shopozz.ru/.
• Contact us with any question you are interested in: http://shopozz.ru/contacts.

Transport company Dnipro is one of the largest carriers of goods from the USA to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and other countries of the former Union.

• Intermediary services for purchases in any online stores in the USA, mail forwarding.
• One of the lowest parcel delivery rates, incl. oversized and oversized to the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries.
• Free consolidation, storage in stock for up to 3 months, tracking of each parcel and an individual approach to customers.
• Low rates for intermediary services: only $ 10 for orders up to $ 200 and 5% of the amount if the cost is higher.

Alfaparcel Ltd. provides services for the purchase, payment and delivery of goods from the UK.

• A separate virtual address service in the UK is provided. The service is intended for those who pay for goods on their own. A customer buys a cell in an Alfaparcel warehouse and makes purchases as a resident of the UK.
• You will be available products that are sold on:
  • UK affiliate auction eBay.co.uk
  • British online stores. For your convenience, we have compiled a catalog of online stores, which we regularly replenish; you can familiarize yourself with it directly on our website.
  • Clothing, household appliances, computers, antiques and much more from England. We provide a full range of services for the acquisition of goods by customers from the CIS countries.
  • We provide representative services for individuals and legal entities of Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries.
  • One of the areas of our activity is the sale of literature in English, including antique.

SKYPE: alfaparcel

Support phone: +441945585562 (UK).

Today, the eBay auction is the most famous online auction. Many people have learned to use it and are successfully doing business. But, it will be rather difficult for a newcomer due to the large quantity of goods, the features of the technology of product selection, selection and bidding per lot, payment and delivery to your home. Naturally, the beginner will have a lot of questions how to simplify the whole process. In such cases, intermediary firms will come to the rescue, who will help you find the right product, conduct the right bidding, negotiate with the seller of the lot, pay for the goods and deliver it to your home.
   Of course, if you play at the eBay auction yourself, you can create yourself a positive rating and in this case you can refuse the services of intermediary firms. But, sometimes there are situations when the help of intermediary firms in the purchase of goods is simply necessary.

So, for example, there are times when eBay auction sellers refuse to cooperate with residents of Eastern Europe due to the large number of scams and network scammers. But, gradually trust increases. Although some sellers still do not trust our compatriots and refuse to work with them.
   The second example is the purchase of an expensive product, such as jewelry, a car, etc. In this case, it is better to use the services of intermediary firms, which will reduce the risk associated with such an expensive purchase. If the product does not reach you or does not come in its original form, then you can return the amount spent or compensate for the damage.
   An example of the third is a simplified form of payment. You pay the goods to the intermediary company, and she pays the purchase to the seller in the declared form of payment and in the way that is most suitable for the owner of the goods.
   The fourth example - the intermediary company will deliver guaranteed serviceable goods, since it receives it at the office located in the same country as the seller, checks the goods and only then sends it to the buyer.
The services of intermediary firms are naturally not free, but in their price lists you can find exactly the indicated amounts for certain services. Choosing a company, do not chase the lowest price offers, approach this task responsibly, read reviews, look at the time of work in the intermediary market, etc.

There was a right choice of the intermediary therefore we present you the list of the most profitable, checked and honest intermediaries:

Affiliate program of a shopping service abroad.

Buying a lot of goods in American and European online stores and at eBay is much cheaper than in Russia. But far from all of what is sold abroad, sellers deliver to Russia. We will help you buy in the UK and the USA as easy as if you were there.

Your purchase path:

Seller in USA or UK\u003e Our warehouse\u003e Your Home.

The company system generates a promotional code that you must enter when registering. After you make your first purchase and we receive the goods in our warehouse, you will receive $ 5 in the account.

Here is the code:

   eBayWorld

In the USA, many things are several times cheaper than in Russia. But most people do not even think about the possibility of shopping abroad. It seems to be difficult. But, thanks to the service, shopping abroad is easy!

What does eBayWorld offer?

• EBay Auction Delivery. The service has a sniper, which allows you to win tenders at the lowest price and significantly save on purchases! Buying at eBay is becoming very easy.
• Delivery of goods from any online stores in the USA. Through eBayWorld, you can buy ANY product in ANY American online store as easily as if you were in the USA.
• Service "Virtual address in the USA". This service will be useful to those who are fluent in English and have experience of independent purchases abroad. The service "Virtual Address in the USA" provides you with a delivery address that you can use when paying for goods in the online store! Company employees will receive your packages and send them to Russia at your current address.
• Convenient payment methods. You do not need to start PayPal or risk your credit card to make purchases. EbayWorld accepts rubles, electronic money (Yandex.Money, WebMoney, Qiwi-wallet, etc.), money transfers and much more.
• Low commission - from 7%. The service has a system of rewarding regular customers. The more you use the services of the service, the lower commission you pay. This is very beneficial for those who make many purchases!

You can buy things abroad 2-3 times cheaper!