General Terms of Business
1. Usually we don’t have a contract with publishers. This gives both sides flexibility should a publisher wish to cease its relationship with INK.
2. All distribution is Sale or Return. Only net sales are payable to the publisher. INK distribution has very high sales through rates, often in excess of 90%.
3. Firm orders plus delivery margin are placed with the publisher. Delivery of copies to our mailing house is at the publisher’s cost.
4. Copies are invoiced to stockists on delivery. Stockists can return copies (mastheads only) to INK until 30 days after the following Issue is delivered to them.
5. Publisher payments are made on the last Thursday of the month following the return deadline. For a bi-monthly publication this will generally mean that payment is made 3 months after the first issue is dispatched.
6. For the first 6 months of business with a publisher only net receipts are included in payments. This means that any bad debts are passed on to the publisher. Generally, if no or few new stockists are brought to INK by the publisher then we do not expect many bad debts.
7. Net payment is 40% of the cover price to the publisher. Stockists pay 70% of the cover price to INK. INK covers all postage, administration, payment fees, fuel surcharges etc within its margin.
8. INK dispatches titles at its sole discretion. Generally we only dispatch Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and consolidate orders where possible. Early notification of delays in delivery is imperative
The following constitutes our standard terms and conditions with regard to welcoming new publishers to INK Distribution Limited.
1 – UK distribution
Distribution
Magazine (or any other product) to be delivered to INK distribution’s mailing house at no extra cost to INK.
Discount Terms
Terms will be retail cover price less 60%.
All supplies will be SOR (Sale or Return) – Product will be supplied to retail customers SOR. The retail customers will make a claim for credit on unsolds by returning the front cover only (no full copy returns can be accepted)
Self Bill Payments
Ink will prepare Self-Bill document/remittance advice for payment to you once the net sale is final and all returns have been processed. This will be on a quarterly basis of the actual sales in each quarter minus any returns of previous issues credited in that same period. For example, at the end of July all the sales invoiced out in Apr-June will be reconciled with the credits of previous issues returned in that same quarter, and within 2 weeks of the calculation a bank transfer payment will be made.
The payment will be for all magazines sold minus your agreed terms of 60%. Therefore if we sell 500 magazines with a cover price of £3.25 during the period in question, minus 100 returns of previous issues being credited your net sales will be 400 copies and you would receive a payment of £520.
2 – Indemnity
In consideration of INK agreeing to distribute the magazine/s it is accepted that you hereby undertake to indemnify INK and its officers, employee, agents and representatives in respect of any damages, costs, expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and expenses) judgements, settlements, penalties, liabilities, or losses suffered or incurred, arising out of or in connection with any claim, action or proceedings resulting from the distribution, sale or other handling of the magazine(s) by INK.
It is the publishers responsibility to inform INK prior to the official day of sale/supply to INK of the VAT element of all goods supplied. Failure to inform INK of such information where INK is then subjected to further cost of whatsoever type will be covered by the publisher at its cost under these Terms and Conditions.