If you typically source cases from liquidation and wholesale companies like BULQ, ask yourself: is it time to take my inventory to the next level? If so, consider sourcing return pallets. Pallets are considerably larger than cases and do require more preparation and research, so we mapped out what to expect when buying return pallets.
Pre-Purchase Preparation
Buying liquidation return pallets is a cost-effective way to both grow your reselling business and source more customer returned and/or excess inventory than a case. However, you need to prepare yourself before making your first pallet purchase.
Familiarize yourself with BULQ’s pallet shipping costs. Freight shipping costs are calculated based on the pallet’s weight, dimensions, and distance from the final delivery address. Be sure to enter your shipping address into your BULQ account. This ensures that your estimated shipping total is accurate and shown when pallets are added to your cart.
Consider purchasing more than one pallet at a time. At BULQ, we offer a shipping discount if two or more pallets of liquidated merchandise are purchased at the same time. Take shipping costs into consideration when determining the profit of a specific pallet as well.
Determine if you have enough space for pallets.Pallets are large (measure approximately 48”x40”x42”) and often heavy, so give yourself enough space for the pallet itself and the inventory included.
Ensure that your address can accommodate a semi-truck for delivery. For our customers, BULQ pallets are delivered by T-Force Freight (formerly UPS Freight). It’s important to provide your most up-to-date phone number and email address. Also, mark whether or not your address is residential or commercial in your BULQ account. To do this, click the “My Addresses” section when you log into your account.
Having up-to-date contact information will ensure that T-Force Freight can get in touch with you to schedule your delivery once your pallet arrives at your local service center. If they can’t get ahold of you, it’s possible your pallet will be returned back to our warehouse, and we will not be able to provide a refund if the pallet is returned to us.
Tracking Your Pallet
When you find the perfect return pallet(s) and place your order, it’s important to understand how the shipping process works. Once you place your order, it usually takes 1-2 business days for pallets to ship. However, if you place a large order of multiple pallets, it may take a day or two longer to ship.
When your order ships, you’ll receive an email with your tracking number(s). Please note that if you purchase 6 or more pallets in the same order, they will ship with more than one tracking number. When your pallets ship, we recommend keeping an eye on the tracking. Be aware that it can take 24-36 hours for your tracking number to update on the TForce Freight website.
Although total shipment time varies based on location, pallets can take up to 10 business days to be delivered once they leave our warehouse. The estimated delivery day provided on the TForce Freight website is an estimation of when the pallet will arrive at your local sorting facility, not necessarily to you as they should not deliver to you without an appointment.
Once your shipment arrives at the sorting facility, the service center will call your provided phone number to schedule your delivery day and time. If you have any questions about scheduling your delivery, you can always reach out to TForce Freight’s Customer Service team or BULQ’s Customer Care team.
Receiving Your Pallet
Now begins the fun part, which is receiving your pallet. Your pallet will arrive on a semi-truck, and as long as you specified that your address is residential, you won’t need any equipment for the delivery. Just make sure someone is there to accept and sign for the merchandise on the scheduled delivery day.
When your pallet is delivered, if there is an issue with your actual delivery, please contact help@bulq.com within 24 hours and be sure to take photos of the way your pallet was delivered and note any damage on the BOL. DO NOT refuse the order, as refusal charges will be applied. No refunds will be issued for orders refused at delivery or for failing to schedule the delivery with our third-party freight carrier.
If you discover an issue once you go through your pallet, let our Customer Care team (help@bulq.com) know within 7 days of delivery. Our Customer Care team will need photos of any damaged items as well as photos of the way your pallet(s) arrived in order to move forward with a claim.
Once your pallet arrives as expected, you can unbox it and begin listing your new inventory. Make sure you clear out space to receive and unbox your returned merchandise. Many resellers in the BULQ Community record their unboxing videos and share them on YouTube, too.
This is a great way to gain exposure and show off your inventory, whether it’s home and garden, consumer electronics, or even general merchandise. Whenever you post an unboxing video featuring a BULQ case or pallet, be sure to tag our social handles so we can reshare it.
More from BULQ
As always, we’re here to answer any questions about sourcing pallets from liquidation companies in general or the delivery process. Please reach out to our Customer Care team via email at help@bulq.com, chat, or phone (844-311-2857).
If these tips are helpful, check out these posts about scaling your business:
- Buying Your First BULQ Pallet: BULQ Reselling Basics
- Liquidation Pallets: Take Reselling to the Next Level
- Tips from a Reselling Expert: How to Scale Your Business feat. Mike and Terri
- ips from a Reselling Expert: Taking Your Business to the Next Level feat. Chuck Popovich
Follow BULQ on social media for additional tips, reseller stories, and more:
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