Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Liquidating Excess Inventory With Pollen

Does Pollen accept all types of inventory or products?

Pollen accepts all inventory except tobacco and tobacco-related items, alcohol, medicine, and any other items the team deems unsuitable for sale through our marketplace.

Does Pollen accept products from all countries?

Pollen reserves the right to refuse inventory from conflict or sanctioned locations.

Does Pollen facilitate recycling and/or donations?

Yes, Pollen works with partners around the world to enable recycling or donation of excess inventory. To learn more, contact our Customer Success team via contact@pollen.tech.

Can I restrict the types of buyers and/or locations I want to allow to purchase my listings?

Yes, Pollen allows brands to set geographical or buyer-type restrictions on inventory via our Liquidation Management System (LMS).

Is Pollen available in multiple languages?

At present, Pollen is only available in English. Our engineering team is currently working on multiple language options for the LMS.

Does Pollen offer dispute resolution services?

Pollen’s Customer Success team offers dispute resolution services for Enterprise level clients. To learn more, contact sales@pollen.tech.

Can I list on Pollen as well as other platforms, or am I bound by an exclusivity contract?

Pollen offers brands additional sales channels for excess inventory, and we do not restrict brands from listing inventory on other platforms.

Can I stop listing on Pollen whenever I want?

Yes, simply log in to your LMS account and cancel your listing.

How will Pollen know if my inventory in listing is accurate?

Pollen relies on brands to furnish updated and accurate manifests and information.

Will Pollen verify the condition and quantity of all my items before listing?

Pollen relies on brands to provide accurate listing information. Should you require our 'Pollen Verified' certificate of authenticity and accuracy, please contact Customer Success at contact@pollen.tech.

Are the buyers on Pollen’s marketplace legit and trustworthy?

Pollen’s Customer Success team vets all buyers before they can proceed to make an offer on our marketplace.

Does Pollen hide the SKUs of my products?

Pollen prevents non-Pollen Pass members from viewing detailed listing information.

For more information on how Pollen Pass protects sellers, please contact Customer Success at contact@pollen.tech.

Will I earn carbon credits from liquidating through Pollen?

Pollen does not currently offer carbon credits.

What if a buyer violates the terms of sale I imposed?
E.g. selling the items in locations I blacklisted, misrepresenting themselves as a member of my company etc?

In the rare case of a buyer violating terms of sale, Pollen’s Customer Success team will work closely with brand and buyer to resolve the issue.

What happens if a buyer’s offer is accepted but the buyer changes their mind?

Buyers on Pollen’s marketplace are vetted by our Customer Success team prior to them making an offer.

In the rare case of a buyer changing their mind after an offer is accepted, Pollen’s Customer Success team will work closely with the buyer to understand why such a decision was made, and if necessary work with the brand to identify alternative buyers.

About Pollen's Liquidation Management System (LMS)

Do I need to install the LMS on my server or computers?

Our LMS is entirely cloud-based, with no installation required.

Do I need to integrate the LMS to my other systems e.g. ERP, warehousing?

LMS integration to existing systems is a function available for Enterprise clients, and will come with Pollen engineering assistance.

Do I need to integrate with logistics and payments providers?

Logistics and payment integrations are handled by Pollen on the LMS back-end.

Is my data safe and secure?

Pollen adheres to world-class privacy and security protocols, in order to ensure customer data is secure from any malicious attempts to gain unapproved access.

Will the LMS slow my systems down?

Our LMS is a cloud-based web browser system, which will not impact brands’ servers or systems.

What happens if I forget my password?

Please click on ‘Forgot Password’ on the LMS login screen, or contact Customer Success for assistance.

Please expect an identity verification process to for security purposes.

Does the LMS have an approval / authorization / review process flow to prevent errors or malicious actions?

Yes, Pollen’s LMS contains multiple levels of authorization and processes in our Advanced and Enterprise packages.

What if I or my employee am leaving the company - can login credentials be transferred to another employee?

Yes, credentials can be transferred among your internal team. For security purposes, we suggest changing the password upon successful transfer or handover.

Does Pollen need to verify my company credentials and products before I can start listing?

Yes, we will conduct a check on company documents prior to you listing inventory on our marketplace.

Does Pollen guarantee sale of my listings if I use your LMS?

While Pollen does not guarantee sale of listings, our marketplace is visited by thousands of buyers from around the world. Many of our customers have found success by listing excess inventory with Pollen.

Is there support available for LMS use, and if so how accessible is it?

All LMS users will have access to Pollen’s extensive knowledge hub – which is a repository of guides and instructions for LMS use.

Additionally, for brands on Pollen’s Advanced or Enterprise LMS packages, a dedicated Customer Success representative will be assigned.

I don’t have images of my items - can Pollen find these pictures for me, or can I just use Google images?

Pollen relies on brands to provide accurate images of all products being listed for liquidation.

Pricing and Payments

Do I have to pay Pollen to list my products?

Listing of products on Pollen's LMS is free.

What exchange rate does Pollen use for payments (subscription to LMS, payments from buyers)?

Pollen utilizes exchange rates imposed by payment platforms, which vary depending on transaction and country.

Do I need to integrate with logistics and payments providers?

Logistics and payment integrations are handled by Pollen on the LMS back-end.

How much does Pollen charge for listing and sale of products?

Pollen only charges a percentage of GMV on successful orders. For information on Pollen's commission fees, please contact Customer Success at contact@pollen.tech.

What payment platform does Pollen use, what is the fee, and how safe is it?

Pollen uses Xendit, Stripe, and Wise – all of which are international brands with world-class security and processes.

Where transaction fees are imposed by platforms, these charges will be billed to brands or buyers on a cost-plus basis.

How long does it take for me to receive my money from successful sales?

Fund transfers are subject to platform restrictions, and can vary from 24 hours to several days (for bank transfers).

Can I choose to receive funds via bank transfer or any other means I prefer?

While not encouraged, we are open to brands choosing to utilize preferred payment platforms. Please alert our Customer Success team prior to listing if you wish to use an alternative channel.

Can I get a refund if I don’t manage to sell any items via Pollen’s marketplace?

Pollen does not charge sellers for listing products on our marketplace. We charge a commission only on successful sales.

Logistics

Do I have to handle logistics of products or will Pollen take care of it?

Aside from picking and packing, brands will not be required to manage shipping or logistics on inventory sold via our marketplace.

Pollen allows buyers to designate their preferred logistics partner, or select from any of our Pollen Assisted Logistics partners.

Do I have to pay for the shipping of products to buyers?

All shipping and logistics costs will be borne by buyers.

What happens if items are damaged or missing while in transit?

Items in transit are the responsibility of the logistics provider. On the rare chance such a situation occurs, Pollen’s Customer Success team will assist buyers with resolving the issue.

Does Pollen have logistics partners who can also help me with shipping other items?

Pollen is happy to connect you with our extensive network of Pollen Assisted Logistics (PAL) partners, a group of first mile, last mile, air freight, and sea freight companies worldwide.

Can I designate my preferred shipping provider?

You may suggest your preferred provider to Pollen’s Customer Success team, though the terms of sale on our marketplace allow buyers to reserve the right to select their own shipping provider.

Who will coordinate with my team about shipping?
Is it a member of Pollen, the buyer, or the logistics company themselves?

Pollen’s Customer Success team will coordinate with you on logistics.

Buyer Queries

What does Pollen offer?

Pollen only offers liquidation products (overstock and near-expiry inventory). All items offered are guaranteed 100% authentic and shipped directly from the manufacturers.

How do we know if the products are legit?

All available items are directly sourced from the brands and manufacturers.

What type of products does Pollen sell?

We offer liquidated items from a wide variety of categories, such as personal care and cosmetics, home care, food and beverage products, and much more.

Who can buy from Pollen?

Anyone can buy from Pollen! Whether you just started a new business or an established liquidation business, we are glad to be of service.

How do we check available items on Pollen?

You can sign up as a Pollen Pass member (for FREE) to receive customized catalogs and product images regularly. As a Pollen Pass member, you also gain the ability to waitlist products of interest.

Can I visit your warehouse to see the products before purchase?

As Pollen does not hold stock, all items will be shipped directly from the sellers' distribution centers or warehouses. Pollen will do our best to provide you with images of products in warehouses on a case-by-case basis.

What is the best price you can offer?

As an authorized reseller, we have legal contracts with the manufacturers to liquidate their inventory. Therefore, we can provide you with the best wholesale deals with up to 80-95% discount on retail price, depending on product expiry dates.

Is there a minimum purchase requirement (MOQ)?

Domestic orders require a minimum USD1,000 value OR a minimum of 50 cartons for the FIRST order. For export orders, MOQ is at least one 20ft FCL. For those who are just getting started in the liquidation business, Pollen can help arrange sales of 1 to 2 pallets (in smaller batches), but please bear in mind that shipping costs may be higher.

What payment terms do you accept?

All orders require payment in full before pickup.

What Incoterms do you support?

As of now, we only accept Incoterms Ex-works.

Can buyers inspect items before shipping?

As products are located in brand/manufacturer warehouses, it is not possible to conduct physical inspections before shipping. However, we will send the actual and loading images after receiving payment in full.

Will there be any support during the logistics process?

Our Customer Success team works with a network of freight forwarders to assist with door-to-door delivery for first-time customers.

How much does shipping cost?

The cost of shipping depends on the volume of order, weight, and distance. Contact us to get a shipping estimate for your order.

Can I arrange my own shipping?

Yes, it is possible to arrange your preferred shipping. However, we also have a network of Freight Forwarders that we can work with to secure quotes for you.

Who is responsible for paying the shipping cost?

Buyers are responsible for the shipping cost and any associated taxes / fees.

How long does shipping take?

It can take a maximum of 10 business days for the pickup lead time after you complete your payment to prepare the necessary documents. With regard to the actual delivery, it will depend on your destination port and shipping schedules. Contact us to get the estimated shipping date for your order.

Will there be any additional costs?

There are some possible additional charges depending on the country. For example, customs clearance costs, import tax duties, and other costs such as FDA certifications.

What are the documents that Pollen will provide?

We will provide some logistics supporting documents, such as packing lists, commercial invoice, Bill of Lading (BOL), other shipping documents, and exporter declaration from the manufacturers.

What if there is an issue with my order?

We will investigate any issue that happens on a case-by-case basis and offer credits for issues that cost more than 5% of the overall order volume. However, please bear in mind that as logistics is handled by third-parties, Pollen will not be held liable in case of damages that occur during shipping.