Seller Operating Expectations

Sellers are expected to uphold and follow a standard of operational behavior. Here we review expectations for Sellers and the code of conduct all Sellers agree to maintain.

General

1. Sellers agree to adhere to these Seller Operating Instructions, your Fulfillment Services Agreement, and the Software Subscription and License Agreement at all times.
   
   
2. Cahoot fulfills orders Monday through Friday, excluding US Postal Service Observed Holidays and Amazon Listed Holidays.
   
   
3. All communication must go through Cahoot. Anonymity of all Sellers and Fulfillment Centers will be respected, and Sellers and Fulfillment Centers will not communicate directly.
   
   
4. Owners and key stakeholders will have direct relationships with Cahoot key stakeholders.
   • Maintain current account information including contact information, warehouse address (if applicable), etc.
   • Mobile phone numbers for primary personnel and business owners will be kept on file and used in the event of an emergency.
     
     
5. Cahoot provides initial training on how to use the Cahoot software and services, after which, Sellers are responsible for new and refresher training of staff. 
   • Business leaders need to complete all training, not just the warehouse staff.
     
6. Never misrepresent yourself or your intentions when doing business.

Inbound Shipments

1. Seller or its authorized representatives must create an inbound shipment and receive approval from Cahoot BEFORE shipping inventory to any Cahoot Fulfillment Center.
   
   
2. Inventory should adhere to the product prep and shipment guidelines. Determining the type of preparation required to ship your products to Cahoot safely is your responsibility. Failure to comply with these product preparation requirements, safety requirements, and product restrictions may result in the refusal of the delivery and/or receiving delays.
   • Product prep guidelines are designed to ensure safe handling by warehouse staff, transportation by carrier employees, and delivery to customers. The items should arrive at the Fulfillment Center ready to be fulfilled. Cahoot is only expected to either attach a shipping label directly to the unit of inventory (Ready to Ship), or pack the item within appropriate packaging material before shipping.
   • Prep services and special projects may be available for a fee (Ex. inventory barcoding, bubble wrapping, etc.).

SKU Configuration

1. All SKU values for any given product must match the SKU value(s) in Cahoot EXACTLY. Sellers must communicate any changes to SKUs, ASINs, etc. for existing products immediately.
   
   
2. Orders for SKUs with incorrect configurations will be assigned to Sellers to fulfill. It is recommended to use the same SKU value across sales channels to minimize SKU management and avoid errors.
   
   
3. Sellers must not edit Package Manager Data for SKUs that Cahoot is fulfilling, whether they are Cahoot Only Fulfilled SKUs, or they are Merchant Fulfilled SKUs. Configuring Package Manager Data for your SKUs only applies to orders that you exclusively fulfill for yourself using Cahoot Shipping Software.

Inventory at Cahoot

1. Cahoot will confirm that the inventory count received matches the Seller's intended shipment quantity, or else document the overages/shortages, during the receiving process.
   
   
2. Sellers are responsible for monitoring inventory and maintaining positive quantity available across Cahoot locations to prevent stock-outs, overselling and backorders. Cahoot tracks inventory Qty Available in the Cahoot system in real-time as orders are assigned for fulfillment.
   
   
3. It is recommended that you list fewer available units across all sales channels (by 2% of the total stock or 5 units, whichever is greater) than are actually on-hand to preserve a “safety stock” and prevent overselling and order cancellations.
   
   
4. Orders without sufficient inventory available for fulfillment (backorders) will be assigned to Sellers for fulfillment. When new inventory becomes available in the Cahoot system new orders will be fulfilled automatically, but Sellers must reset the backorders that you wish to be fulfilled by Cahoot. Cahoot will not automatically fulfill backorders.
   
   
5. Cahoot does NOT track inventory outside of Cahoot Fulfillment Centers.
   
   
6. Inventory Removals (as distinct from FBA Forwarding or B2B Fulfillment services) should be requested by submission of a work order. Please note that the fees for inventory removals are calculated differently than for standard work orders, and payment for removal may be required up-front. Check your Cahoot Fulfillment Services Agreement for details.

Order Fulfillment

1. Sellers are 100% responsible for ensuring all orders (both Cahoot Fulfilled and Merchant Fulfilled, if applicable), are imported into Cahoot from all sales channels, and that they are marked as shipped in each channel and the end of each business day. Pay very close attention to this and please report any concerns/issues to Cahoot Support immediately.
   
   
2. Orders received before 2 p.m. local time at the shipping location will be shipped same day.
   
   
3. Sellers must make any Order Corrections needed in a timely manner to enable fulfillment within established SLAs (e.g. address corrections, split shipments, etc.). Sellers should monitor all orders in No Match Found status at least daily for such corrections and alert Cahoot Support if there are any questions or concerns.
   
   
4. Please provide Cahoot with forward visibility for fulfillment capacity, carrier capacity, and storage capacity needs. Avoid unplanned spikes in order volume as possible to reduce risk of order defects.
   
   • Cahoot may override handling time SLAs (excluding Seller Fulfilled Prime orders) if order volume for certain SKUs is spiking unexpectedly.
     
     
5. Sellers are 100% responsible for sidelining Cahoot-eligible orders in other systems to ensure orders are not double-shipped. The best way to prevent double-shipments is to use Cahoot Shipping Software for all Merchant Fulfilled orders.
   
   
6. Orders assigned to Cahoot for fulfillment cannot be reversed after Order Status has been updated to Shipping Label Ready. Orders are batch processed, so cancellations must be done before they enter the fulfillment queue.
   
   
7. Cahoot does not control carriers nor package deliverability, only that orders are shipped on time using the order and address information provided. 
   
   
8. Cahoot does not create demand. It is Seller's responsibility to ship SKUs to Cahoot that have existing demand.
   
   
9. Cahoot is not responsible for Amazon Shipping Templates and does NOT review or manage them. Paid consulting services are available if needed.
   
   
10. Sellers can file claims for lost or damaged shipments directly with carriers. Find the individual forms here.

Claiming Refunds for Missed Carrier SLAs

Some carriers guarantee On Time Delivery for certain expedited services purchased. When a guaranteed delivery date/time is missed, you may submit a claim with the carrier to request a refund of the shipping cost paid for that shipment. Cahoot does not submit or monitor claims for missed carrier SLAs.

Learn more here.

Returns

1. Customer-initiated returns are managed by Sellers and Marketplaces. Learn more about returns.
   
   
2. Carrier-initiated returns, (aka "Return to Sender"), are undeliverable packages, and are either returned to the Cahoot returns location in Dallas, Texas, or they'll be returned to the business address on file for the carrier account used to purchase the shipping label.
   • Orders that are returned to Cahoot HQ are tagged with the Order Tag "Returned to Cahoot."
   • Orders that are returned elsewhere are tagged with the Order Tag, "Returned to Sender."
     
     
3. If an order needs to be replaced (due to lost, damaged, or stolen orders, etc.), sellers can import a replacement order into Cahoot.
   

BYO Carrier Accounts

1. Sellers utilizing the Bring Your Own Carrier Accounts option are responsible for working with their account representatives to schedule dedicated daily pickups at Cahoot Fulfillment Centers shipping their product.
   • Pickups should be scheduled after 3:30p local time to support same-day shipping SLAs.
   • Important: Forward the carrier pickup window confirmation to your Onboarding Specialist.
     
     
2. Make sure packages can be reliably picked up at scale and that space allocation on trucks is not a concern for the size/weight of your SKUs, or discuss any potential issues with your Onboarding Specialist or Carrier Account Rep.
   
   
3. Work closely with local carriers in response to shifts in demand. If a carrier doesn’t expect your volume, they may refuse it.
   • Sellers need to have conversations with their carrier's Sales and Operations teams in advance of spikes in order volume to ensure space is available on trucks picking up from Cahoot Fulfillment Centers. Cahoot is not responsible for arranging additional carrier pickups for non-Cahoot accounts to accommodate spikes in order volume.
     
     
4. Sellers are responsible for giving Cahoot Support two weeks advance notice of any carrier/service changes required.