Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

UPDATED: 26/7/2024

Buying or Selling technical training products is simple with Edquip. We have created these Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to make it clear for all users how we make it happen.

These Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are an essential part of the Master Service Agreement. These two agreements, together with either the Customer Terms & Conditions, or the Vendor Terms & Conditions, (depending on your type of user) defines the relationship between you and Edquip.co.

Contents

I.          Introduction

II.         Definitions

III.        Procurement Milestones

IV.       Detailed Milestones: Hardware (HW) Products

V.        Detailed Milestones: Software (SW) Products

VI.       Payment Service Provider

VII.      Types of Quotations

VIII.     Pricing Rules

IX.       Transaction Related

X.        Shipping Related

XI.       Supply Related

XII.      User Generated Content

XIII.     Edquip.co dispute policy

XIV.    Law and Jurisdiction

I.             Introduction

Edquip.co is an online marketplace committed to reducing uncertainty of choosing and comparing technical training products by providing defined, transparent, and comparable pricing. Edquip.co does this by providing an online communication and payments platform, and other tools, for Vendors and Customers, to promote a high level of service and trust for orders placed through Edquip.co.

Once a Customer places an order on Edquip.co, they enter into a direct agreement with the chosen Vendor(s). The purchase agreement reflecting the transaction is between the Customer and the Vendor directly. Edquip.co is a facilitator of the exchange of Products and Services between the two parties, not a party itself to the transaction.

The Vendor bears full responsibility for the successful execution of the Order based on the information Customers provide. Edquip.co handles payment administration for the Vendors but is not a party to the Order itself. Each Vendor is responsible for executing their contracted service as well as providing the Customer with direct communication as required.

The Customer acknowledges that preparing a quote can be a complex process and requires time and work from the Vendor. The Customer commits to only submitting information, which to the best of their knowledge is correct. The Customer acknowledges that if the information they submit is incorrect, the quotation from the Vendor can be invalid, or might need to be updated.

Edquip.co helps Customers to receive quotes from Vendors, but is not a Vendor itself. Edquip.co does not sell the Products listed on Edquip.co, unless otherwise explicitly agreed to in writing. Vendors are not agents or contractors of Edquip.co.

Vendors and Customers using Edquip.co agree to abide by this document. This policy may change from time to time, however, for the sake of transparency, the version valid at the time of Order placement will govern that Order.

Use of Edquip.co is also subject to the Master Services Agreement and all policies referenced therein. The Capitalized Terms used in this document are defined as per the Definitions section below.

When Ordering on Edquip.co, Customers will know what is included in their Quote, what is not, and what additional services may come up during the lifecycle of the Order as per the Pricing policies in this document.

All Vendors working through the Platform abide by the same rules determining which costs must be included in the Quote upfront. This includes any Vendors agents and subcontractors and their services, not only the services that are being provided directly by the Vendors.

Customers and Vendors can contact Edquip.co with any questions and feedback is welcome.

II.            Definitions

The Capitalized Terms used in this SOP will be defined as follows:

Customer: a legal person and/or entrepreneurs within the meaning of private law (but also government bodies and government institutions, etc.) which has an intention to use the products in their own organization, for their own educational, training or research purposes. Alternatively, a consultant or a funding agency acting on behalf of the end using organization. Edquip.co does not collaborate with consumers (persons who purchase goods and services for personal use).

Customer Portal: the section of the Edquip.co Platform where each Customer can login to manage their quotation requests, procurement, product reviews, organizational details etc.

Vendor: a legal person and/or entrepreneurs which provides products or services aimed for education, training, or research purposes, and lists them for sale at Edquip.co

Vendor Portal: the section of the Edquip.co Platform where each Vendor can login to manage their product catalogue, sales pipeline, quotations, online reputation, organizational profile etc.

Quote: the pricing and commercial information, submitted to the Customer by the Vendor, related to any products or services listed on Edquip.co

Quotation Request: the act in which the Customer requests pricing and commercial information for a specific product or service, or a set of products and services from the Vendor(s).

Quotation Request Process: referring to the specific step by step software supported workflow on Edquip.co which is started when the Customer clicks the button “Request Quotation”.

Online Quote: any Quote which is fulfilled through the Quotation Request Process.

Manual Quote: any Quote which is fulfilled through other means than the Quotation Request Process.

Direct Purchase: a procurement method in which a Customer directly acquires goods or services from a specific Vendor. It involves a direct negotiation and agreement between the Customer and the Vendor regarding pricing and commercial terms. A Direct Purchase can be (but does not have to be), following from a non-formal comparison of Quotes from different Vendors.

Tender: a formal procurement procedure in which Customers invite Vendors to submit bids for supplying goods or services. It typically involves publishing a request for proposals, evaluating the received bids, and awarding the contract to the most suitable supplier based on predetermined criteria. A Tender can be (but does not have to be), following from a non-formal comparison of Quotes from different Vendors.

Order: a binding purchase contract between the Customer and the Vendor.

Manufacturing lead time: this refers to the amount of time in between a Vendor accepting an order, and the order having been manufactured, tested, packed, and labeled, being ready for pickup by the shipping provider.

Shipping lead time: this refers to the amount of time in between the shipment is picked up at the Vendor premises and delivered at the Customer premises. Please note, this lead time refers to a standard amount of time for custom clearance and does not take into account unforeseen circumstances such as delayed communication from the customer, peak times, strikes at ports or any other such circumstances.

Delivery lead time: this refers to the amount of time in between when the order is accepted by the Vendor, and it has been delivered to the Customer, thus “Manufacturing lead time” + “Shipping lead time”.

Force Majeure: this refers to the period of time during which circumstances precluding liability by law or under these Terms and Conditions continue, in particular in cases such as: strike, epidemic, fire, natural disaster, mobilization, war, insurrection, embargo, transfer ban, administrative restrictions not caused by the contracting party (e.g. withdrawal of license or attestation), terrorist attack, etc.

Product Costs: this refers to the full one-time price which Vendor charges for a hardware product, in its standard configuration (if not agreed otherwise), duly prepared, standard-packaged, labelled, and with necessary paperwork for export or transportation to the destination point.

Shipping Costs: this refers to the price, which the Vendor charges for the transport of the Order from the Vendor to the Customer.

ICT Costs: this refers to the price, which a Vendor charges for doing Installation and Commissioning at the Customer's site, including an introductory training on how to use the product.

Subscription Costs: this refers to the licensing price, which the Vendor charges the Customer to get access to its purely software-based product, for a specific period of time.

Lifetime Costs: this refers to the licensing price, which a Vendor charges the Customer to get access to its purely software-based product, for the lifetime of the product.

Escrow Costs: this refers to the costs for management of escrow services, in which Vendors are paid as and when they acheive different milestones.

Total cost: includes Product Cost, Shipping Cost, ICT Cost and Escrow Costs for the Order of a hardware product, and/or in case of a software product includes Subscription Costs or Lifetime Costs, as well as an Escrow Cost, whichever applies.

Onboarding: refers to the process happening after a sale of a Software product, in which the Vendor gives the Customer access to the software purchased. This can be through, but not limited to, communicating a software download link, or issuing access credentials, such as license keys, customer accounts, passwords etc.

De-platforming: refers to go through the process of removing the Customer or Vendor from the Edquip.co marketplace. This can happen for various reasons, but is always associated with the Customer or Vendor not following the SOP, the MSA or the T&C, or otherwise disrupting the operations of Edquip.co.

III.           Procurement Milestones

Quotation Request Process

Instructional technologies for technical training are complex products and their prices depend on a large variety of parameters, below a few examples:

Which type of products, in which quantity, from which manufacturer, in which configuration, including which software, where they are manufactured, how they are packed, which mode of transport, types of shipping insurance, country of origin, country of destination, local destination support, type of procurement, export or import duties, potential sales taxes, further services such as installation, commissioning and training, or maintenance contracts etc.

At Edquip.co we have standardized the Quotation Request Process as per below:

• The Edquip.co Quotation Request Process starts when the Customer clicks the button “Request Quotation” anywhere on the Platform.
• The Quotation Request Process requires that a Customer registers with Edquip.co and agrees to Terms & Conditions. If the Customer has already registered in the past, they can login instead.
• The Quotation Request Process are a few short input forms with a number of open text fields, drop down lists with single or multiple choice.
• Part of the information gathered is shared with the Vendor for them to submit an accurate custom quotation to the Customer, this is referred to as “open information”.
• Part of the information gathered is used by Edquip.co to validate and verify the Customer, this is referred to as “closed information”, since it’s not shared with the Vendor until the Customer has chosen to Order a product.

The benefit of standardizing the Quotation Request Process is that it allows the Customer to submit a quotation request only once, but for up to eight different products (4 hardware and 4 software).

Once answered, the Quotations submitted by the Vendors are displayed for the Customer in what is a comparable format, making it simple and effortless for Customers to request and compare quotations.

This service provided by Edquip.co is a major improvement and benefit for Customers, who in return agree to provide feedback on each quotation prepared by the Vendors.

The Quotation Request Process represents the first Procurement Milestone as explained in the next section.

Overview: Milestones as a Workflow

The Procurement Milestones represent a workflow between Customers, Vendors and Edquip.co.

The Milestones are progressed by users either manually by ticking the check box upon completion of the relevant Milestone, or automatically, upon user activity.

These milestones help all users to have a clear understanding of the status of each quotation request at any given point. It also helps to display which counterpart is responsible for clearing the next Milestone.

When a Milestone gets completed (either Hardware or Software), the relevant counterparts for the next action get notified through email.

To ensure complete information and transparency for all involved in the process, the current Milestone for each quotation can be reviewed in the Customer or Vendor portal.

A hardware product is typically produced-to-order (as opposed to off-the-shelf). It will also have to be physically shipped to the customer. This is why there are more steps to manage (and more milestones) for a hardware product, than for a software product.

The Milestones are visible for each Quotation Request, in the Customer Portal (for Customers) and the Vendor Portal (for Vendors).

Further down this document, each milestone is explained in detail. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write: info (at) edquip (dot) co

Overview: Milestones table with responsibilities

Below two tables display different milestones for hardware and software products, including which counterpart is responsible for completing each milestone.

The tables also show whether each of these milestones is manual or automatic.
 

Hardware Milestones

Software Milestones

Summary of Milestones

These Milestones have been developed in close collaboration between Edquip.co and its Customers and Vendors, to make buying technical training equipment simple with Edquip.co

These Milestones are intended to support the workflow between Customer, Vendor and Edquip.co with the purpose of sharing the status of each quotation, as well as clearly defining responsibilities.

While these Milestones guide the transaction between the Customer and the Vendor, they are also open enough for the parties to negotiate and decide their own structure of the transaction.

The number of Milestones differs between a Hardware and a Software product, due to the nature of procurement and shipping of physical products.

Milestones are progressed (marked complete) by Customers, Vendors and Edquip.co, either manually or automatically upon user activity.

Below each milestone is explained in detail.

IV.          Detailed Milestones: Hardware (HW) Products

1.          Quotation Request Received

Customers can use Edquip.co to learn more about technical training equipment, search for suitable products, and compare products to each other.

Further, Customers can register with Edquip.co to submit Quotation Requests directly to the Vendors, through the Quotation Request Process (section III). This allows for answered quotations to be received in a side-by-side comparable format.

The information submitted by the Customer during the Quotation Request, is the base upon which the Vendor submits a Quote.

For accuracy, the Customer commits to submitting information, which to the best of their knowledge is correct. The Customer acknowledges that if the information they submit is incorrect, the quotation from the Vendor can be invalid, or might need to be updated.

2.          Customer Verified – KYC

Edquip.co does not collaborate with individual Customers (natural persons), but only with organizational Customers (legal persons). Individual customers are not allowed to use Edquip.co.

After the Customer has submitted a Quotation Request, Edquip will authenticate the identity of the Customer through mechanisms such as, (but not limited to) email, phone calls, online search etc.

Customers are encouraged to use official work email addresses when registering (such as firstname.lastname@universitydomain.edu) not gmail / yahoo / outlook or similar unverified customer details.

For the purpose of speediness, the Customers are encouraged to communicate with Edquip.co without any undue delay in regards to any questions arising from their Quotation Request.

Further, Edquip.co reserves the right not to furnish quotations in case, that the Customer does not fulfil the qualifications laid down in the Terms and Conditions, or in case that the Customer has no obvious interest in acquiring the goods of the Vendor, or in case of any good cause.

3.          Quotation Submitted

After the Vendor has been notified of an existing quotation request, they will review all information submitted by the Customer during the Quotation Request in their Vendor portal. This information will be the basis on which the Vendor submits a Quotation to the Customer.

The Vendor commits to submitting a Quotation for the Customer without any undue delay, preferably within two working days from receiving the notification, and never longer than five working days from receipt of notification. Should the Vendor need any clarifications from the Customer regarding their quotation request, they can use the Chat function of Edquip.co to ask the Customer clarifying questions.

The Vendor agrees to follow the required Edquip.co Pricing Rules when submitting Quotations. The purpose is to guarantee the following:

• Best price for Customer, not more expensive through Edquip.co than in any other place.
• Costs to be displayed as different line items, to make quotations comprehensive, clear, and comparable.

If not otherwise agreed between the Customer and the Vendor in the chat function of the Platform, and communicated in the message section of the quotation, the quotation will refer to the standard product, such as portrayed on the product listing on Edquip.co.

There are two types of Quotations which can be submitted through Edquip:

• The Vendor can submit a Quote as “Indicative Pricing” in such cases where it is not clear yet whether the Customer would like to include any optional add-ons, shipping, installation, commissioning, or training. Such Quotes are not legally binding, and their purpose is to help the Customer get a ball-park-figure of the Total Costs associated to a specific product, and to initiate conversations about the Customers needs.
• Further, the Vendor can submit a Quote as “Legally Binding Offer”, in which the price in the Quote is absolutely binding, for the validity term chosen by the Vendor. Only when the latest Submitted Quotation is a “Legally Binding Offer” the Customer can proceed with formally accepting the quote and initiating an order. When such a Quote is accepted by the Customer (by ticking Milestone 4 – Quotation Accepted & Payment Pending) it will create a valid and binding agreement between the Customer & Vendor.

Up until the Customer has accepted the “Legally Binding Offer”, both types of Quotations can be updated and changed accordingly, and they are automatically saved in a versioning system. After the Customer has accepted the “Legally Binding Offer”, no changes can be made.

The Customer understands that received quotations are personalized for their organization, based on the information provided by Customer, at the specific time, and under the specific circumstances in which the quotation was submitted by the Vendor.

Quotations can be downloaded in pdf format, and shared within the Customer organization between lecturers and their different internal departments, i.e. procurement or finance departments. The Customer agrees to not sharing the quotations received through Edquip.co to other organizations, either to competing Vendors, their agents, or distributors, or to other third-party organizations.

Each quotation request triggers work for Edquip.co and the Vendors, which is why the Customer agrees to evaluate each received quotation that was requested, and to give feedback on how the Customer plans to proceed, including potential time frames and milestones in upcoming procurement process.

4.          Quotation Accepted & Payment Pending

Before Accepting a Quotation and placing an order, it is the responsibility of the Customer to review all information received from the Vendor. This can include (but is not limited to) technical details, prices, payments, estimated lead time, incoterms, shipment, customs clearance, tax treatment, insurance, previous communication etc. Any questions can be directed to the Vendor via the Chat system in the Customer portal.

A Customer can only accept Quotes of the nature “Legally Binding Offer”, a Quote marked with “Indicative Pricing” cannot be accepted through Edquip. If the Customer wants to proceed with placing an Order for a Quote which is marked “Indicative Pricing” then the Customer should through the Chat ask the Vendor to update the type to “Legally Binding Offer”. The Vendor will then ask the Customer clarifying questions and amend the Quote accordingly before submitting a new version, this time a “Legally Binding Offer”

Customer accepts a “Legally Binding Offer” by ticking Milestone 4 – Quotation Accepted & Payment Pending, and making payment according to the payment instructions on the Pro-forma invoice, which creates an Order, and a purchase agreement between the Customer & Vendor.

Order constitutes a binding contract between the Customer and the Vendor, whereby the Customer agrees to provide payment to the Vendor, in exchange for the products and / or services that the Vendor agrees to provide to the Customer, at the stated Total Cost. The legal effectiveness of this contract though, is conditioned by the payment of the Customer. The payment constitutes the right of the Customer to demand the ordered goods, and the duty of the Vendor to deliver these goods.

Customer understands that if additional products or services are requested after the Order has been placed, further costs can arise. Further, under Force Majeure circumstances, not covered in the sales contract, or in insurance policies, or as ordered by local or international laws or any rulings or decisions by any state authority, further costs can arise.

Customer manually updates Milestone 4 (Quotation Accepted & Payment Pending) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Customer Portal.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Edquip.co to check receipt of funds.

5.          Payment Deposited

After an Order has been placed, Edquip.co will confirm the receipt of payment, which is a pre-requisite to proceed with the Milestones.

Edquip.co manually updates Milestone 5 (Payment Deposited) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to the Vendor to initiate the order.

6.          Order Initiated

When Payment has been deposited with the Payment Service Provider of Edquip, the Vendor shall Initiate the Order and communicate expected lead time with the Customer.

Vendor manually updates Milestone 6 (Order Initiated) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Edquip.co to release the first payment.

7.          Payment Released – Product (1/2)

When the Order has been initiated by the Vendor, Edquip.co shall release the first product payment to the Vendor, as 25% of the Product Costs.

Edquip.co manually updates Milestone 7 (Payment Released – Product (1/2)) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Vendor to proceed with Manufacturing.

8.          Order Manufactured & Tested

Once the payment has been released, the Vendor will execute on the manufacturing of the product.

Should there arise any real or potential delay to the initially estimated lead-time, the Vendor shall update the Customer through the chat function of the website, without any undue delay.

After the Product has been manufactured, the Vendor must appropriately test it to assure its quality. There shall be no doubt that the product functions as it is intended and described in the product listing on Edquip.co. This Milestone can be marked complete by the Vendor, in which it verifies that the Product is manufactured, tested, works as intended, packed, and ready for shipment.

Vendor manually updates Milestone 8 (Order Manufactured & Tested) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Vendor Portal.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Edquip.co for releasing the payment of the Shipping Costs.

9.          Payment Released – Shipping

When the Order has been Manufactured & Tested by the Vendor, Edquip.co shall release the payment associated with the Shipping of the Order.

Edquip.co manually updates Milestone 9 (Payment Release – Shipping) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Vendor to proceed with Shipping.

10.          Order Shipped

When the Vendor has received the Payment for Shipping Costs, they shall coordinate the Shipping of the product to the Customer.

The Parties can agree using Incoterms 2020® issued by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) which regulates such transactions which involve physical Products. The specific incoterm which was chosen for the transaction thus regulates responsibilities and risk between the Customer and the Vendor. The parties can also agree on a different modus operandi. For legal certainty and use of given rules, Edquip.co strongly recommends the use of  Incoterms 2020®.

Irrespective of modus operandi has been chosen, both the Vendor and the Customer agree to help the other by any reasonable means, and to communicate readily, with any third parties such as Edquip.co / shipment providers / custom brokers / custom authorities / insurance companies etc. with the goal to execute a shipping experience without unnecessary costs or delays.

Edquip.co always recommends the Customer and the Vendor to sign an appropriate insurance which covers the real value of the products if anything should happen with the shipment. Customer and Vendor should understand that if an appropriate insurance is not signed and shipment is lost or arrives damaged, general compensations can sometimes be paid by the shipping company (depending on the country of origin, destination, type of goods, contract terms and type of damage or loss), but they are often very low, and typically do not cover the real value of the shipment.

Vendor uploads all shipping documents, including commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading etc. through the document sharing function on Edquip.co and communicates any necessary information to the Customer through the chat function of the Platform.

Vendor manually updates Milestone 10 (Order Shipped) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Vendor Portal.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Customer to be ready to receive the Shipment.

11.          Order Received

When the Shipment is arriving at the mutually agreed place and time, it is the Customers responsibility to be available, with whichever means necessary (such as a loading bay, a forklift, necessary people), to unload and receive the shipment from the local delivery vehicle. If, at the mutually agreed place and time, the Customer does not provide the means for the unloading, any additional charges should be assumed by the Customer.

It is the responsibility of the Customer to immediately inspect the shipment upon arrival for any damage or fault, and make any claims necessary without any undue delay, such as communications with the chosen insurance company. This also applies if Customer for any reason claim non-receipt of the shipment. The Customer understands that if any claims are submitted later than the claims window stipulated by an insurance company, any insurance claims can be void.

Should the Customer for any reason refuse to receive the shipment, they shall raise a dispute according to the Edquip.co dispute policy described within section XIII, within ten (10) workdays from the intended receipt of the shipment.

If the Customer has physically received the order but not indicated this in the platform, nor submitted a dispute accordingly within ten (10) workdays from the receipt of the Order, then the order shall be considered received as per these Standard Operating Procedures, and Milestone 12 will pursue.

Customer manually updates Milestone 11 (Order Received) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Customer Portal.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Edquip.co to release the second payment of Product Costs.

12.          Payment Released – Product (2/2)

When the Order has been received by the Customer, Edquip.co shall release the second product payment to the Vendor, as 75% of the Product Costs.

Edquip.co manually updates Milestone 12 (Payment Release – Product (2/2)) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Vendor to proceed with Scheduling ICT.

13.          ICT Scheduled

    
If Installation, Commissioning & Training (ICT) was part of the initial quotation, the Vendor shall communicate with the Customer and schedule the execution of this work. The Vendor shall communicate and set expectations on what support they need from the Customer, during the execution of ICT.

Customers shall be available and communicate readily to facilitate the scheduling of ICT.

Vendor manually updates Milestone 13 (ICT Scheduled) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Vendor Portal.

If the Customer is not responding upon numerous reminders to facilitate the ICT within 12 months from receiving the Order, then if by the will of the Vendor, the ICT will be forfeighted and Milestone 15 will pursue.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Customer to proceed with coordinating ICT.

If Installation, Commissioning & Training (ICT) was NOT part of the initial quotation, please proceed to Milestone 16 (Case Study Submitted).

14.          ICT Approved

When the Vendor and the Customer have agreed to scheduled dates, it is the Vendors responsibility to physically be at the premises in the agreed time to execute on the ICT.

The Customer shall provide contact details, access to premises, necessary tools, guidance regarding facilities, and availability of any employees to receive training on the product.

During the ICT, the Customer shall be available and make all arrangements necessary for the Vendor to be able to execute on the ICT during the scheduled time.

The Customer shall have appropriate insurance covering accidents, injuries or damage to any staff attending the ICT process, or any customer facilities. The Vendor shall have appropriate insurance covering accidents, injuries or damage to their staff travelling and executing the ICT.

Vendor shall document with notes and photographs the execution of ICT. The Vendor takes sole and full responsibility for having any needed approval regarding personal rights and data protection rights of any individuals involved in the ICT.

When the ICT has been executed, and before the Vendor is scheduled to leave the Customer premises, the Customer shall approve of the ICT execution. Should the Customer for any reason not agree to the approval of the ICT, they shall raise a dispute according to the Edquip.co dispute policy described within section XIII, within ten (10) workdays from the last day of the ICT execution. If the Customer has not approved, nor submitted a dispute accordingly, then the ICT shall be considered approved, and Milestone 15 will pursue.

Customer manually updates Milestone 14 (ICT Approved) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Customer Portal.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Edquip.co to Release Payment to Vendor for the ICT.

15.          Payment Released – ICT

When the ICT has been executed by the Vendor and approved by the Customer, then Edquip.co will release the final ICT payment to the Vendor and close the transaction.

Edquip.co manually updates Milestone 15 (Payment Released – ICT) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Vendor to proceed with submitting the case study.

16.          Case Study Submitted

The Vendor and the Customer both agree, if not otherwise agreed by Edquip.co in writing, that Edquip.co may publish a Case Study of the completed transaction on the Platform, in form of images, videos and text description, which might depict Customer's premises, Customer's and Vendor's staff, equipment purchased etc.

The purpose of this Case study is to show and inspire website visitors, in how the Vendor through appropriate instructional technology is supporting the Customer with didactic implementation.

After the Vendor has received the final ICT payment, it shall submit the raw offer (notes, text, quotes, photographs, and videos), and Edquip.co shall finalize and publish the case study on the website.

Vendor updates Milestone 16 (Case Study Submitted) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Vendor Portal.

17.          Product Reviewed

    
When the Customer has used the product for a sufficient amount of time, and feels comfortable about knowing the extent of operations, learning experiences, activities and experiments which can be done with the product, and can see the impact on student learning, the Customer should submit a review of the product.

Customer manually updates Milestone 17 (Product Reviewed) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Customer Portal.

V.            Detailed Milestones: Software (SW) Products

1.          Quotation Request Received

Customers can use Edquip.co to learn more about technical training software, search for suitable software products, and compare these software products to each other.

Further, Customers can register with Edquip.co to submit Quotation Requests directly to the Vendors, through the Quotation Request Process (section III). This allows for answered quotations to be received in a side-by-side comparable format.

The information submitted by the Customer during the Quotation Request, is the base upon which the Vendor submits a Quote.

For accuracy, the Customer commits to submitting information, which to the best of their knowledge is correct. The Customer acknowledges that if the information they submit is incorrect, the quotation from the Vendor can be invalid, or might need to be updated.

2.          Customer Verified – KYC

Edquip.co does not collaborate with individual Customers (natural persons), but only with organizational Customers (legal persons). Individual customers are not allowed to use Edquip.co.

After the Customer has submitted a Quotation Request, Edquip will authenticate the identity of the Customer through mechanisms such as, (but not limited to) email, phone calls, online search etc. Customers are encouraged to use official work email addresses when registering.

For the purpose of speediness, the Customers are encouraged to communicate with Edquip.co without any undue delay in regard to any questions arising from their Quotation Request.

Further, Edquip.co reserves the right not to furnish quotations in case, that the Customer does not fulfil the qualifications laid down in the Terms and Conditions, or in case that the Customer has no obvious interest in acquiring the goods of the Vendor, or in case of any good cause.

3.          Quotation Submitted

After the Vendor has been notified of an existing quotation request, they will review all information submitted by the Customer during the Quotation Request in their Vendor portal. This information will be the basis on which the Vendor submits a Quotation to the Customer.

The Vendor commits to submitting a Quotation for the Customer without any undue delay, preferably within two working days from receiving the notification, and never longer than five working days from receipt of notification. Should the Vendor need any clarifications from the Customer regarding their quotation request, they can use the Chat function of Edquip.co to ask the Customer clarifying questions.

The Vendor agrees to follow the required Edquip.co Pricing Rules when submitting Quotations. The purpose is to guarantee the following:

• Best price for Customer, not more expensive through Edquip.co than in any other place.
• Costs to be displayed as different line items, to make quotations comprehensive, clear, and comparable.

If not otherwise agreed between the Customer and the Vendor in the chat function of the Platform, and communicated in the message section of the quotation, the quotation will refer to the standard product, such as portrayed on the product listing on Edquip.co.

There are two types of Quotations which can be submitted through Edquip:

• The Vendor can submit a Quote as “Indicative Pricing” in such cases where it is not clear yet whether the Customer would like to include any optional add-ons, shipping, installation, commissioning, or training. Such Quotes are not legally binding, and their purpose is to help the Customer get a ball-park-figure of the Total Costs associated to a specific product, and to initiate conversations about the Customers needs.
• Further, the Vendor can submit a Quote as “Legally Binding Offer”, in which the price in the Quote is absolutely binding, for the validity term chosen by the Vendor. Only when the latest Submitted Quotation is a “Legally Binding Offer” the Customer can proceed with formally accepting the quote and initiating an order. When such a Quote is accepted by the Customer (by ticking Milestone 4 – Quotation Accepted & Payment Pending) it will create a valid and binding agreement between the Customer & Vendor.

Up until the Customer has accepted the “Legally Binding Offer”, both types of Quotations can be updated and changed accordingly, and they are automatically saved in a versioning system. After the Customer has accepted the “Legally Binding Offer”, no changes can be made.

The Customer understands that received quotations are personalized for their organization, based on the information provided by Customer, at the specific time, and under the specific circumstances in which the quotation was submitted by the Vendor.

Quotations can be downloaded in pdf format, and shared within the Customer organization between lecturers and their different internal departments, i.e. procurement or finance departments. The Customer agrees to not sharing the quotations received through Edquip.co to other organizations, either to competing Vendors, their agents, or distributors, or to other third-party organizations.

Each quotation request triggers work for Edquip.co and the Vendors, which is why the Customer agrees to evaluate each received quotation that was requested, and to give feedback on how the Customer plans to proceed, including potential time frames and milestones in upcoming procurement process.

4.          Quotation Accepted & Payment Pending

Before Accepting a Quotation and placing an order, it is the responsibility of the Customer to review all information received from the Vendor. This can include (but is not limited to) technical details, prices, payments, estimated lead time, incoterms, shipment, customs clearance, tax treatment, insurance, previous communication etc. Any questions can be directed to the Vendor via the Chat system in the Customer portal.

A Customer can only accept Quotes of the nature “Legally Binding Offer”, a Quote marked with “Indicative Pricing” cannot be accepted through Edquip. If the Customer wants to proceed with placing an Order for a Quote which is marked “Indicative Pricing” then the Customer should through the Chat ask the Vendor to update the type to “Legally Binding Offer”. The Vendor will then ask the Customer clarifying questions and amend the Quote accordingly before submitting a new version, this time a “Legally binding Offer”

Customer accepts a “Legally Binding Offer” by ticking Milestone 4 – Quotation Accepted & Payment Pending, and making payment according to the payment instructions on the Pro-forma invoice, which creates an Order, and a purchase agreement between the Customer & Vendor.

The legal effectiveness of this contract though, is conditioned by the payment of the Customer. The payment constitutes the right of the Customer to demand the ordered goods, and the duty of the Vendor to deliver these goods.

Order constitutes a binding contract between the Customer and the Vendor, whereby the Customer agrees to provide payment to the Vendor, in exchange for the products and / or services that the Vendor agrees to provide to the Customer, at the stated Total Cost.

Customer understands that if additional products or services are requested after the Order has been placed, further costs can arise. Further, under Force Majeure circumstances, not covered in the contract, or in insurance policies, or as ordered by local or international laws or any rulings or decisions by any state authority, further costs can arise.

Customer manually updates Milestone 4 (Quotation Accepted & Pament Pending) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Customer Portal.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Edquip.co to check receipt of funds.

5.          Payment Deposited

When an Order has been placed, Edquip.co will confirm the receipt of payment, which is a pre-requisite to proceed with Onboarding the Customer.

Edquip.co manually updates Milestone 5 (Payment Deposited) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to the Vendor to Onboard the order.

6.          Customer Onboarded

When the Vendor has received notification that the Customer payment has been deposited with the Payment Service Provider of Edquip.co, it shall initiate Customer Onboarding.

If the Order simply includes access to software, the access credentials should be communicated to the Customer, who is encouraged to change their password details immediately after onboarding. If the Order also includes training activities these shall be executed by the Vendor.

Customer manually updates Milestone 6 (Customer Onboarded) as complete.

When the milestone is updated, a notification is sent to Edquip.co to release payment to Vendor.

7.          Payment Released – Product

When the Customer has been Onboarded by the Vendor, Edquip.co shall release the payment to the Vendor and close the transaction.

Edquip.co manually updates Milestone 7 (Payment Released – Product) as complete.

8.          Case Study Submitted

The Vendor and the Customer agrees, if not otherwise agreed by Edquip.co in writing, that Edquip.co may publish a Case Study of the completed transaction, in form of images, videos and text description, which might depict Customer's premises, Customer's and Vendor's staff, products purchased etc. The Vendor takes sole and full responsibility for having any needed approval regarding personal rights and data protection rights of any individuals involved.

The purpose of this Case study is to show and inspire website visitors, in how the Vendor through appropriate instructional technology is supporting the Customer with didactic implementation.

After the Vendor has received the final ICT payment, it shall submit the raw materials (notes, text, quotes, photographs, and videos), and Edquip.co shall finalize and publish the case study on the website.

Vendor updates Milestone 8 (Case Study Submitted) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Vendor Portal.

9.          Product Reviewed

    
When the Customer has used the product for a sufficient amount of time to feel comfortable about knowing the extent of operations, learning experiences, activities and experiments which can be done with the product, and can see the impact on student learning, the Customer should submit a review of the product.

Customer manually updates Milestone 9 (Product Reviewed) as complete, by clicking the checkbox in the Customer Portal.

VI.          Payment Service Provider

1.          General information

Edquip.co administers the payment between the Customer and Vendor. When the funds are received from the Customer, they are held and released step by step to the Vendor, upon fulfillment of specific Milestones, as described in the section IV and V of this document.

For the purpose of holding funds on behalf of the Vendors, Edquip.co uses the services of a regulated Payment Service Provider (PSP), see point 2 below.

Funds paid in by the Customer for the products and services provided by the Vendor are never held in Edquip.co bank accounts.

• Funds cannot be claimed by creditors in the unlikely event that Edquip.co would go into bankruptcy.
• Funds cannot be claimed by creditors in the unlikely event that the Payment Service Provider would go into bankruptcy.
• Funds cannot be claimed by creditors in the unlikely event that the Bank which is holding the funds would go into bankruptcy.
• The Bank which is holding the funds cannot invest them, they are held in safe non-interest bearing accounts.
• Funds are protected by government guarantees. More information can be found on the Payment Service Providers website as per the link below.

2.          Appointed Payment Service Provider

Edquip.co has appointed Mangopay S.A. which is a limited liability company having its registered office at 2, Avenue Amélie, L-1125 Luxembourg and registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Register under number B173459.

In order to process payments, Mangopay holds an electronic money institution license, allowing it to provide payment services throughout the European Economic Area. This license was issued by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier [Financial Sector Supervisory Commission] (283 route d'Arlon L-1150 Luxembourg, www.cssf.lu) and can be consulted on the CSSF’s official website and on the European official register (Euclid).

3.          Currencies

Each quotation submitted to the Customer from the Vendor has an assigned currency. If the Customer for any reason decides to pay by other currency, the payment service provider will automatically apply an exchange rate, which can lead to under-payment or over-payment, as well as a delay in clearing the payment. We strongly advice the Customer to pay in the currency which the Quotation or Pro-forma invoice is issued.

4.          Disruption of payment process

Filing a payment or transaction dispute or reversing your payment through your payment provider, credit or debit card company, or your bank (chargeback) is a violation of our Terms and Conditions and of this Dispute Policy and Edquip.co reserves the right to disable a Customers account in this case.

In the case of a Customer reversing payment for customs duties and taxes, the Customs Brokerage Service Provider is entitled to cancel their duties payment made to the customs authority on behalf of the Customer when applicable.

VII.         Types of Quotations

There are two types of Quotation Requests administered through Edquip.co, Online and Manual.
 

1.          Online Quotation

An Online Quotation is when the Customer submits a Quotation Request to the Vendors of listed products through Edquip.co platform, through the intended Quotation Request Process, as described in section III of this document.

Vendors get notified of a pending quotation request and from their Vendor Portal they answer the quotation request by inputting the chosen time validity, currency, incoterms 2020®, price for products and services, price for shipping, price for ICT etc. before submitting the Quotation.

Customers get notified via email to see and download the Quotation in pdf format from their Customer Portal. Once the quotation has been accepted a pro-forma invoice will be created for download, including payment details to the escrow account at the regulated payment service provider.

The payment is administered via Edquip.co and paid to the Vendor step-by-step when different Milestones are achieved, as per the process in Section IV or V of this document.

Any payments administered by Edquip.co are always held by and paid through our designated government regulated Payment Service Provider, more info in section VI of this document.
 

2.          Manual Quotation

A Manual Quotation Request is when the Customer contacts Edquip.co to request quotations from the Vendors, through other means than the intended Quotation Request Process. For example, through a contact form on the website, via email, social media, by letter, by phone, or other nonstandard means.

Edquip.co will subsequently contact Vendors to submit a Manual Quotation to the Customer in other formats than through the Vendor Portal. This could be (but is not limited to) pricing indications on an excel sheet, by sharing pricing lists, via writing an email, or by issuing pricing estimations, formal quotations, or pro-forma invoices, directly to the Customer, on Vendor letterhead, with Vendor payment details.

Customers will receive the Quotations issued by the Vendors, in an email from Edquip.co. The payment goes straight from the Customer to the Vendor, and Edquip.co has no influence in administering the payment.

Since the transaction is not managed through the Edquip.co Milestones described in section IV and V above are not applicable, and neither the Customer nor the Vendor uses their Edquip.co Portals to proceed with the rest of the Order.
 

Summary of Online & Manual Quotations

Sometimes the Customer initially requests Manual Quotations and later decides that they want to pay through Edquip.co instead of directly to the Vendor. In such cases Edquip.co will share with the Customer a payment document with Edquip.co payment details and take responsibility for administering the payment, as per the Milestones described above in section IV and V.

VIII.       Pricing Rules

On Edquip.co Customers browse products and services listed by the Vendors and can decide to request quotations for different types of products & services.

It is the responsibility of the Vendor to follow the pricing rules listed herein to ensure that the Customer has a clear understanding of which charges are included in the quotation, and which are not.

The Customer is always responsible for making sure that the full amount of funds expected by the Vendor arrives at the corresponding account at Payment Service Provider or at bank account of the Vendor with no delay. Transaction and payment costs related to the order are to be borne by the Customer.

1.          Vendor Competitive Pricing Guarantees

                                                                         
Vendors might market their products and services also through other channels than Edquip.co. Vendors guarantee that the prices submitted through Edquip.co will not be higher than elsewhere.

Should a Customer find a lower price somewhere else, they should notify Edquip.co and also contact the Vendor through their Customer portal chat function for a price-match, which the Vendor will give.

2.          Costs included in Online Quotation for Hardware Product

The Vendor has three types of costs to fill in an Online Quotation for a Hardware Product: (1) Product Costs, (2) Shipping Costs, (3) ICT Costs. Below each one is further explained.

2.1.          Product Costs

If not communicated otherwise, Product Costs refer to the full one-time price which Vendor charges for a hardware product, in its standard configuration, duly prepared, standard-packaged, labelled, and with necessary paperwork for export or transportation to destination point.

If the Customer and the Vendor through communications in the platform chat, decide that the Product Costs are better represented by a non-standard configuration, then this can also be supplied in this field, with a remark from the Vendor in the message field of the quotation, as to which exact configuration the Product Costs refer to.

2.2.          Shipping Costs

Shipping Costs are the most time-consuming work of preparing a quotation, which is why some Vendors prefer to not quote Shipping Costs until the Customer has confirmed that they are interested in the Product (hence “Indicative Pricing” and “Legally Binding Offer”).

Thus, Shipping Costs can either be not quoted, they can be indicated, or they can be guaranteed. Either way, it is important that Vendor confirms to the Customer whether Shipping Costs are indicated or guaranteed.

Shipping Costs might include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Freight: ocean (FCL, LCL), air, rail, road (FTL, LTL) for containerized, bulk, break-bulk or loose-cargo.
• Freight surcharges: Bunker, Peak Season, Currency Adjustment Factor, fuel, security, AEO, ISPS, Terrorism prevention, Emergency Risks.
• Origin and destination charges (applied twice in many cases): Terminal Handling Fee, documentation (BL, AWB, CMR), Transport Order, customs clearance.
• Additional charges: pick-up, final delivery, transshipment, storage, demurrage, detentions, occupations, pre-shipment inspections (mandatory by authorities or requested by customers), customs inspections.

The specific Incoterms 2020 offered by the Vendor determine which different types of charges are included in the Shipping Costs.

The Customer acknowledges that Shipping Costs quoted might exclude additional costs to be payable by the Customer, unless not guaranteed otherwise by the Vendor.

2.3.          Installation, Commissioning, Training (ICT) Costs

ICT charges include, if not otherwise determined, the day rate of the personnel doing the ICT, any travel costs, lodging costs, and per diem meal costs for the staff executing the ICT.

3.          Costs included in Online Quotation for Software Product

3.1.          Subscription Costs

If not otherwise indicated, Subscription Costs refer to the costs on a per seat / user basis for a 12-month period.

3.2.          Lifetime Costs

If not otherwise indicated, Lifetime Costs refer to the costs as a per seat / user basis for the lifetime of the Product.

4.          Additional Costs that may occur

Should additional costs arise after the order has been placed, which are not mentioned in Section VIII point 2, and 3, then the Customer will be notified by the Vendor with no undue delay.

It is the Vendor’s responsibility to be clear in its communication with the Customer regarding any charges, both those in standard Quote fields, and any non-standard fees, as and when they arise.

In the matter of doubt, Vendor should be able to refer to an Edquip.co chat message between the Customer and Vendor, where the Vendor explains the cost and the Customer accepts this cost.

As a general rule, if not agreed otherwise, any additional costs that arise after the acceptance of the legal binding quotation, that are not caused by the Vendor, shall be borne by the Customer.

5.          Disagreements on Charges Added

Should disagreements arise on Costs that the Vendor wants to charge the Customer, then Edquip.co highly encourages the Customer and Vendor to try to come to an agreeable resolution.

If this is not possible, then the Customer or the Vendor should open a dispute resolution ticket according to the Edquip.co dispute policy in section XIII of this document.

IX.           Transaction Related

1.          Warranties

Customer places Order(s) directly with the chosen Vendor(s), which may have different warranties for their products. It is the responsibility of the Customer to check the length and coverage of warranty with each Vendor they Order products or services from.

If the products ordered by the Customer are faulty, and do not look or work as intended, the Customer shall notify the Vendor to rectify the issues if within the warranty period, while keeping Edquip.co informed.

Edquip.co does not handle warranty claims and is not in any way liable for any faults of products and services ordered from Vendors through Edquip.co

2.          Order Cancellations

Edquip.co does not collaborate with individual Customers (natural persons), but only with organizational Customers (legal persons). Individual customers are not allowed to use Edquip.co.

Thus, any Customer agrees that they are not a consumer, and are not covered by the EU Consumer Directive or similar legislation in other countries or regions, which are intended to give the Consumers right of withdrawal from their purchase within a specific time frame.

At Edquip.co an Order is a binding contract between the Customer and the Vendor, whereby the Customer agrees to provide payment to the Vendor, in exchange for the products and / or services that the Vendor agrees to provide to the Customer.

3.          Non circumvention

Edquip.co invests significant efforts and resources into developing its technology, marketing the products listed on the marketplace, and finding Customers and Vendors.

When Edquip.co introduces the Customer and the Vendor, they must transact exclusively through Edquip.co for 36 months after their first contact, following the closing of the first transaction (Milestone 14), or the expiration of the validity of the initial quotation, whichever is latest.

There is an exemption to this non circumvention clause, if the Vendor had sold directly to the Customer in the previous 12 months prior to their first Quotation Request on Edquip.co, as evidenced by an actual invoice, to be shown upon request by Edquip.co.

Any direct transactions between a Customer and Vendor during this non-circumvention period will be deemed to have taken place through Edquip.co with respect to Vendor and Customer Fees.

Any Customer that approaches a Vendor should be redirected back to Edquip.co to place the Order. Any Vendor that approaches the Customer should be redirected back to Edquip.co to acknowledge the Order.

Circumvention is ground for de-platforming both the Customer and the Vendor.

X.            Shipping Related

1.          Shipment liability

All Online Quotations for Hardware products on Edquip.co marketplace includes a reference to a trade term by Incoterms® 2020. Any such reference shall determine both risk transfer and shipment liability in the transaction between Customer & Vendor, should they have not mutually agreed to other terms. The transfer of ownership shall happen at the moment of delivery if not agreed otherwise.

Both the Customer and the Vendor hereby agree to do their outmost to decrease possible problems associated to shipments, even if they are not, or will not be, themselves impacted.

2.          Shipping Insurance

Should the Customer and Vendor choose an Incoterm 2020® which mandates an insurance to be issued for the products during transit, then it is the responsibility of the party mandated by Incoterms 2020® to issue an insurance along with shipping quotations.

Edquip.co always recommend the Customer and the Vendor to sign an appropriate insurance, which covers the real value of the products if anything should happen with the shipment, irrespective of which incoterms have been agreed upon. Customer and Vendor should understand that if an appropriate insurance is not signed and shipment is lost or arrives damaged, general compensations can sometimes be paid by the shipping company (depending on the country of origin, destination, type of goods, contract terms and type of damage or loss), but such general compensation is often very low, and typically do not cover the real value of the shipment.

Should an event happen, which triggers involvement from the insurance company, it is the responsibility of both the Customer and the Vendor to communicate any necessary information with the insurance company readily, and without any undue delay.

Edquip.co does not handle any insurance claims connected to the Orders made through its Platform.

3.          Customs Brokerage

Should the Customer and the Vendor be located in different countries, and the transaction be international, it is possible that the shipment will require Customs Clearance upon export and/or import.

In such cases Edquip.co highly recommends that the party responsible for exportation formalities and importation formalities (as clarified by Incoterms 2020®), will engage a certified Customs Broker to execute on these formalities.

XI.           Supply Related

1.          Vendor listings

All Vendors listing any products or services at Edquip.co are verified and validated according to the Terms and Conditions of Edquip.co in order to create a trustful environment to facilitate transactions. Our thorough vetting process includes face-to-face meetings and formal applications.

When the Vendor has been approved to join Edquip.co a Vendor profile is created in which to share basic information with Customers about the Vendor organization, and products and services offered. The Vendor profile will also show reviews, ratings, operational metrics, or badges, as explained in section XII.

Edquip.co is not obligated to publish all provided information, nor is Edquip.co responsible for validating the content of the Vendor profile page. Vendors assume all responsibility for the content submitted.

2.          Product listings

Edquip.co is committed to building a catalog with a large variety of technical training products, suitable for teaching a wide array of technical and industrial skills.

Vendors are responsible for keeping any product or technical descriptions, product attributes, commercial data, and photos / videos up to date. Products or services which infringe on other organization's intellectual property are strictly prohibited on the Edquip.co marketplace.

Vendors are responsible for ensuring that any products listed on Edquip.co are safe to use in a learning and training environment. All products need to have necessary safety and warning labels, and clear safety instructions in their instructional manuals.

XII.         User Generated Content

Reviews, ratings, case studies and metrics are key to helping the wider education and training community to differentiate which Products and Vendors are most suitable for them. The added benefit of such transparency is that it also pushes the Vendors to up their game.

Therefore, all products listed at Edquip.co are open to receiving product reviews and ratings. Successful technology implementations are written up as Case Studies and Edquip.co also publishes operational metrics evaluating the online services provided by each Vendor.

All reviews and case studies are solely the opinion and responsibility of the person posting the content, and Edquip.co takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for reviews or case studies posted by users.

Edquip.co also reserves the right to unpublish any content entirely for good cause.

1.          Product Reviews

When a Vendor submits a product for listing on Edquip.co, they must choose between 3-5 of the below parameters which best describe the product.

• Does the product help improve educator knowledge?
• Does the product improve teaching efficiency?
• Does the product reduce educator workload?
• Does the product build subject knowledge for students?
• Does the product improve student technology literacy?
• Does the product build student hands-on preparedness?
• Does the product improve critical thinking in students?
• Does the product increase student collaboration?

Subsequently, when a Customer submits a review of said product, they will be able to rate the 3-5 chosen parameters, as well as the likelihood to recommend the product to colleagues or friends.

The review includes quantitative rating on each parameter on a scale from 1-5, and qualitative examples in open text format, on why the Customer gives a certain score.

Weighted Review Score: this quantitative rating will be weighed together by a formula which gives 60% weight to the average rating of the 3-5 chosen review parameters, and 40% weight to the likelihood of recommending the product to colleagues or friends.

Average Product Rating: this is the arithmetic mean of all “Weighted Review Scores” submitted for a specific product. This rating might be displayed on the product listings, in the product and quote comparisons, on category pages, in search results, and in other places.

Average Portfolio Rating: this is the arithmetic mean of all “Average Product Ratings” submitted for products listed by the Vendor. This rating might be displayed on the Vendor profile, in search results, and in other places.

Customer reviews should reflect the product and services they have received from their Vendor. Third-parties offering customs brokerage and insurance services should not be part of the Customer review.

All reviews are verified, which means that Edquip.co knows the identity of the user which has submitted the product review. Unverified reviews are not published.

Edquip.co will remove review comments if they are deemed untrue, malicious, obscene, or libelous, and reserves the right to remove reviews not in accordance with our policy or not relevant to the Vendor’s products or services. Vendors may comment on any product review.

Edquip.co or Vendors may extend an offer to a Customer to encourage them to leave a review, but this may not be contingent on giving a review with a specific review comment or score.

2.          Case Studies

Customer and Vendor agree that Edquip.co might publish a case study on the website, displaying organizational logos, descriptions of the Challenge which the Customer met, the implemented product-based Solution, as well as the Results achieved, alongside pictures from the product installment and of relevant people.

Edquip.co also reserves the right to partly amend or to entirely unpublish such case studies for good cause.

3.          Operational excellence

Customers do not only want to determine which products would be best suited for them. It is also important to find a Vendor which is known for their operational excellence.

Therefore, Edquip.co will publish and share metrics about Vendor’s performance which are collected through the use of the marketplace, such as, but not limited to the below:

• Average time to submit a quotation to Customer
• Average time to answer a Customer question via chat
• On time product delivery
• Etc.

Such operational metrics may be published on the Vendor’s profile page, in search results, or elsewhere.

4.          SuperVendors

SuperVendors are Vendors which provide both highly rated products and services and are also highly rated for operational excellence. SuperVendors are experienced, reliable, and responsive.

XIII.        Edquip.co dispute policy

1.          Definition

Disagreements can arise between the Customer and the Vendor during the Order lifecycle and after Transaction closure. We encourage our Customers and Vendors to efficiently resolve these disagreements between themselves using Edquip.co chat function on the Platform.

If for any reason the disagreement is not resolved between Customer and Vendor, either party may open a dispute on Edquip.co, and request from Edquip.co to propose a solution on the matter. Please note that Edquip.co solely supports conversations between contract parties with the aim of finding a resolution to the dispute, out of Edquip's goodwill to both Customer and Vendor involved. Edquip.co is not part of the contract in dispute between the Customer and the Vendor, does not offer any legal services to any party involved, or in no case has any obligations, including legal or financial obligations, to any party involved in the dispute. The participation in a dispute proceeding according to this section is based on the free will of the parties and cannot be enforced by any party, if not agreed otherwise in the individual contract.

1.1          Customers and Vendors can submit a dispute case via dispute form here.

By Ordering through Edquip you have agreed to accept the Customer Terms & Conditions or the Vendor Terms & Conditions including this Dispute Policy as the guiding policy for the dispute process.

1.2          Possible disputes to be managed by Edquip.co

The guidelines and criteria for Ordering fees and other charges are governed by our Standard Operating Procedure.

• A Customer contesting additional charges:
  • Where the Customer is contesting the validity of the additional charges.
  • Where the Customer is contesting proper communication of the additional charges.
  • Where the Customer is contesting additional charges caused by Vendor
• A Vendor contesting non-payment of additional charges.
• A Vendor claiming delivery without acceptance by the Customer.
• A Customer claiming ICT service was not provided.
• A Vendor contesting a non-cooperation by the Customer regarding ICT.

Any disputes regarding Customs- Tax- or other issues regarding charges imposed by local or international authorities are excluded from this dispute policy.

1.3          Edquip will not manage disputes in the following cases

• For the value of lost and damaged goods (in these cases Customers should contact the insurance agent).
• For consequential and/or indirect damages (impact to Vendors or Customer’s business, etc.).
• For Edquips’ Vendor fee, or Customer Escrow fee.

1.4          Maximums

This dispute policy is not applicable on disputes related to Orders with a net worth of more than 100.000 USD or any equivalent in other currencies

1.5          Special circumstances

Edquip.co reserves the right to reject the involvement in any dispute due to special circumstances such as, but not limited to, if unilateral actions were taken by any of the parties, or if Edquip.co is in a possible conflict of interest. When Edquip.co has confirmed in writing that it rejects the involvement due to special circumstances, Edquip.co will abide by any ruling of a competent court for matters of refunds and payment guarantee also in the case that Edquip.co is not a party to any such proceedings.

1.6          Dispute Times

Customers/Vendor may submit a dispute within 30 days of the Orders’ delivery, or 30 days after the ICT, whatever date is earlier. Any dispute arising at a later stage must be solved in the way contractually agreed by the parties of the respective contract.

2.      Dispute Process

2.1.          Dispute case submitted

Once a dispute case is submitted, both Customer and Vendor will be provided with the opportunity to state their opinion and arguments regarding the dispute with documented evidence. The Edquip.co Team will reach out to both sides to manage the dispute resolution process.

Until the end of the dispute process Edquip.co will halt all ongoing processes regarding the order in dispute, if not agreed and instructed otherwise by both contractual parties.

2.2.          Dispute documentation

The party initiating the dispute is responsible to provide the following documentation to support the disputed claim as needed according to the nature of the dispute:

• QR (Quotation Request) and BR (Bid Response) number
• Photographs
• Packing list
• Commercial invoice
• Transport Documents (such as: Transport Order, Delivery Order, Bill of Lading / AWB / CMR / Other Transport Contracts, Carrier's Manifest)
• Any relevant additional information and/or documents

2.3.          Edquip.co reaching out to counterparty

After the Edquip.co Team receives a dispute claim, the team will reach out to the other party and notify the party about the received dispute claim specifying:

• QR (Quotation Request) and BR (Bid Response) number
• Customer/Vendor name
• Customer/vendor contact details
• Claim
• Disputed amount
• Relevant additional information & documentation

2.4.          Defense documentation

In response to the notification the counterparty is responsible to provide to the Edquip.co Team all the following documentation according to a template provided by Edquip.co to react to the disputed issue:

• In case of Customer contesting additional charges:
  • Edquip chat communication about the charges to the Customer
  • Customer acceptance of the charges as required by the Edquip.co Standard Operating Procedure
  • Photographs, invoices, and any other supporting information and documentation of the charge(s) in question
• In case of a Vendor contesting non-payment of additional charges:
  • Proof of payment of such additional charges.
• In case of a Vendor claiming delivery without acceptance by the Customer
  • Reasoning from Customer as why to refuse delivery.
• In case of a Customer claiming ICT service was not provided
  • Proof of execution of ICT services (such as photographs of installed equipment at customer premises).
• In case of a Vendor contesting a non-cooperation by the Customer regarding ICT
  • Proof of communication to set up the ICT

2.5.          Responding to Edquip.co

The Edquip.co Team’s inquiries should be responded to within a maximum of 5 business days, or shorter, if necessary, for following the procedures of some insurance companies. If the Edquip.co Team does not receive responses from either the Vendor or from the Customer within this timeframe, the Edquip.co Team reserves the right to interrupt the dispute process. In case of such an interruption, the process halted according to clause 2.1 will be continued.

2.6.          Dispute summary by Edquip.co

Once all evidence is received, the Edquip.co Team will review the documentation provided by both parties and create a dispute summary including all the events of the Order, the Shipment, the specifics of the disputed amount, and the evidence submitted by both parties.

2.7.          Settlement proposal by Edquip.co

The Edquip.co Team will, within 14 calendar days, based on all information provided by the parties involved in the dispute, the dispute summary and other available information, propose a settlement to the parties involved. This proposal of a settlement does not constitute any binding decision whatsoever and does not constitute any duty upon the parties involved to accept such settlement. The proposed settlement is solely intended to end the dispute in an amicable way, based on the documents and the experience of Edquip.co.

2.8.          Acceptance of the settlement

Upon the delivery of the settlement proposal by Edquip.co both parties can accept the proposal in a grace period of 14 calendar days. If accepted by both parties, the dispute is closed. In case that any of the parties does not accept the settlement, the dispute will be left open until a ruling of a court or any other decision on the dispute as agreed in the contract between the parties is delivered to Edquip.co.

XIV.       Law and Jurisdiction

Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Standard Operating Procedures shall be exclusively resolved by the appropriate courts of justice located in Prague and under the laws of the Czech Republic.