In today’s tough economy, with rising gold and diamond prices and tepid consumer confidence, jewelers need the marketing boost of trade shows but also need to cut costs.
TransGuardian, Inc., the leading online logistics and insurance provider to the trade, is making exhibitions more affordable with online insurance coverage to, from, and at key shows like JCK Las Vegas (May 30 – June 3, 2008).
Exhibitors typically pay armored carriers $0.32 per $1,000 for transit coverage to and from and $0.80 per $1,000 for coverage at the show.
TransGuardian offers $0.27 per $1,000 to and from the show and $0.70 per $1,000 at the show – a savings of 15% - up to $5 million, a deductible of only $5,000 (vs. the standard $10,000), war risk, and with only one person (vs. the standard two) required in attendance at the show booth.
TransGuardian members can secure coverage real-time, online, with a full quotation before every purchase, at http://www.transguardian.com/. TransGuardian is exhibiting at JCK Las Vegas (Booth L69) and with Polygon.net (Booth 2146).
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
YES, YOU CAN USE SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION WITH PO BOXES!
FedEx, UPS, and DHL cannot deliver to PO Boxes.
The USPS can.
And, when shipping valuable cargo, you can use Signature Confirmation when shipping to a PO Box.
The Post Office will simply leave a notice inside the PO Box, asking the recipient to wait in line and sign for your package at the Post Office retail counter.
So you can get a "wet signature" proof of delivery.
With TransGuardian, you can print Priority Mail labels (insured up to $150,000) and First Class Mail labels (insured up to $1,000) with Signature Confirmation -- to any destination, including PO Boxes.
The USPS can.
And, when shipping valuable cargo, you can use Signature Confirmation when shipping to a PO Box.
The Post Office will simply leave a notice inside the PO Box, asking the recipient to wait in line and sign for your package at the Post Office retail counter.
So you can get a "wet signature" proof of delivery.
With TransGuardian, you can print Priority Mail labels (insured up to $150,000) and First Class Mail labels (insured up to $1,000) with Signature Confirmation -- to any destination, including PO Boxes.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Save On Shipping Supplies
TransGuardian has established a new affiliate program with Royal Mailers, a direct manufacturer of bubble mailers.
On the TransGuardian Home Page (http://www.transguardian.com/), simply click the RoyalMailers logo or log in at http://www.royalmailers.com/.
Log in with the coupon code "transguardian" for phenomenal discounts on shipping supplies (like bubble mailers and tape) and absolutely FREE shipping!
You'll be amazed at the savings with every mailer you send out!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Our New Proof of Mailing Manifest
We're very pleased to highlight the attached video.
USPS Proof Of Mailing Manifest
This shows how we have engineered an interface with the US Postal Service to create an acceptance scan with the US Postal Service analagous to the acceptance scan with FedEx and UPS.
Until now, you could tender packages to the US Postal Service and somewhere, inside the mailstream, you'd get the first scan. Sometimes that happened at the moment of tendering, and sometimes it happened thereafter, and nobody had the authority to compel a scan up front.
Our programming now requires the USPS Employee to provide a scan at the moment of tendering the packages. We're using an exisitng form that before now was only available in paper format -- and we've created it (a) for Internet Online Postage (IOP), made it available (b) per customer and (c) per batch of mailings. Those are the breakthroughs.
Having indulged in a brief "Eureka!", we are now changing our website and contracts to inform and instruct customers on required use of the Proof of Mailing Manifest.
USPS Proof Of Mailing Manifest
This shows how we have engineered an interface with the US Postal Service to create an acceptance scan with the US Postal Service analagous to the acceptance scan with FedEx and UPS.
Until now, you could tender packages to the US Postal Service and somewhere, inside the mailstream, you'd get the first scan. Sometimes that happened at the moment of tendering, and sometimes it happened thereafter, and nobody had the authority to compel a scan up front.
Our programming now requires the USPS Employee to provide a scan at the moment of tendering the packages. We're using an exisitng form that before now was only available in paper format -- and we've created it (a) for Internet Online Postage (IOP), made it available (b) per customer and (c) per batch of mailings. Those are the breakthroughs.
Having indulged in a brief "Eureka!", we are now changing our website and contracts to inform and instruct customers on required use of the Proof of Mailing Manifest.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Credit Card Fraud - Beware of This One
David Marcus, the President of the Diamond Club West Coast, Inc., sent this to us, and we thought our readers should be aware.
*******
I thought this was too important to pass by and thought I would forward it. Take the time to read it. You never know, it could happen to you. I checked with our PD and they said yes, they did hear of it.
*******
New Credit Card Scam Snopes.com says this is true. See this site - http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp .
*******
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA," and I was called on Thursday from "Master Card."
The scam works like this: the person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card h as been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona ?"
When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards."
Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"
You say "yes".
The caller continues: "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. "
The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works.
The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card."
He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers."
There are 7 numbers; the first four are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him.
After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?"
After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do," and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did!
The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number.
What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will n ever ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card!
If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement, you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late or more difficult actually to file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.
********
Thanks, David!
*******
I thought this was too important to pass by and thought I would forward it. Take the time to read it. You never know, it could happen to you. I checked with our PD and they said yes, they did hear of it.
*******
New Credit Card Scam Snopes.com says this is true. See this site - http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp .
*******
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA," and I was called on Thursday from "Master Card."
The scam works like this: the person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card h as been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona ?"
When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards."
Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"
You say "yes".
The caller continues: "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. "
The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works.
The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card."
He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers."
There are 7 numbers; the first four are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him.
After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?"
After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do," and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did!
The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number.
What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will n ever ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card!
If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement, you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late or more difficult actually to file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.
********
Thanks, David!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Forbidden Word Failsafe
Most shippers of high-value cargo know that typing "forbidden" words on a shipping label - like gold, diamonds, or jewelry - will void their insurance. Virtually every policy states that packages so labeled are excluded from coverage.
So if you ship a package worth $10,000 and address it to The ABC Jewelry Mart, a claim for theft or loss almost certainly will be denied.
In the gem and jewelry industry, most shippers have developed practices that eliminate such "steal me" red flags on labels. For example, they commonly abbreviate "ABC Jewelry Mart" to "ABC J Mart." And if the shipper's company name is Acme Wedding Rings, they abbreviate the return address to "AWR."
The problem is making sure to remember these conventions every time you make a label - or, even tougher, making sure all your employees understand and remember them.
TransGuardian has created a failsafe measure to reduce this risk.
Any time you type a forbidden word on a TransGuardian label (whether it's UPS, FedEx, DHL or the US Postal Service), you'll get a warning in big, red letters notifying you of the red flag words you just typed - BEFORE the label is purchased or printed.
Of course, we cannot block printing labels with forbidden words entirely, because if you must send a package to Bob GOLDblum, 123 JEWELRY Way, DIAMOND, Texas, there's not much you can do about it. The real surname, street name, and city name are indispensible.
But in addition to onscreen red-flag warnings BEFORE the label prints, forbidden word alerts also transmit instantly to TransGuardian security managers, who can review the label contents on their computer screens or pdas and frequently can intervene with a customer to make labels safer before they leave the shipper's premises.
TransGuardian is committed to the intelligent use of technology to guide shippers away from costly errors BEFORE those errors are made.
So if you ship a package worth $10,000 and address it to The ABC Jewelry Mart, a claim for theft or loss almost certainly will be denied.
In the gem and jewelry industry, most shippers have developed practices that eliminate such "steal me" red flags on labels. For example, they commonly abbreviate "ABC Jewelry Mart" to "ABC J Mart." And if the shipper's company name is Acme Wedding Rings, they abbreviate the return address to "AWR."
The problem is making sure to remember these conventions every time you make a label - or, even tougher, making sure all your employees understand and remember them.
TransGuardian has created a failsafe measure to reduce this risk.
Any time you type a forbidden word on a TransGuardian label (whether it's UPS, FedEx, DHL or the US Postal Service), you'll get a warning in big, red letters notifying you of the red flag words you just typed - BEFORE the label is purchased or printed.
Of course, we cannot block printing labels with forbidden words entirely, because if you must send a package to Bob GOLDblum, 123 JEWELRY Way, DIAMOND, Texas, there's not much you can do about it. The real surname, street name, and city name are indispensible.
But in addition to onscreen red-flag warnings BEFORE the label prints, forbidden word alerts also transmit instantly to TransGuardian security managers, who can review the label contents on their computer screens or pdas and frequently can intervene with a customer to make labels safer before they leave the shipper's premises.
TransGuardian is committed to the intelligent use of technology to guide shippers away from costly errors BEFORE those errors are made.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Trade Risk Coverage - Now Insure Your Receivables Against Bankruptcy, Default & Even Slow Pay
TransGuardian has just launched Trade Risk Coverage (TRC).
Insure your receivables against default, bankruptcy, absconding, legal judgments & slow-pay, up to $5 million per qualified buyer. Selectively cover buyers.
Here's how it works:
Search TransGuardian's Buyer Database to see if the Buyer you want to sell merchandise to is already approved for trade Risk Coverage.
If not, request Trade Risk Approval for your potential Buyer. (This is free and may take overnight to several days, depending on the data available for your potential Buyer.)
Once your Buyer is in the Database, submit the transaction amount you want to cover.
If your Buyer is approved for the desired amount, use the Commercial Insured Trade Agreement (CITA) in place of a commercial invoice or memo.
Type in the transaction value and delivery details and submit the CITA to TransGuardian. Trade Risk Coverage will be bound and confirmed online.
When the Buyer pays you (in full or in part), record the payments in the TRC History.
In case of default or slow payment, call TransGuardian to submit a claim. Claims typically are paid within 60 days.
The premium for TRC is $0.725 per $100, which includes not only receivables insurance, but transit insurance. This means that on $10,000 the premium would be $72.50 to insure both transit and the account receivable...compare the cost of $22-$50 simply to insure shipping with various shipping insurance providers.
TRC is available for terms of 120 days. If the Buyer is approved, you can buy a second and third term of 120 days each, at the same rate of premium.
To understand how this may be worthwhile, consider the following example:
1. You sell $100,000 to your Buyer and pay TRC/shipping insurance through TransGuardian of $725 (remember, you would pay $220 to $500 for shipping insurance alone through other service providers).
2. After 110 days, your Buyer has paid off $70,000. But you're not comfortable leaving the $30,000 balance uninsured. So you buy a second term of TRC for another 120 at a cost of $217.50.
3. After 230 days, your Buyer has paid off an additional $20,000, leaving a balance of $10,000. You feel he probably will pay, but it bothers you that he's taken all this time to pay off the whole balance, so to be safe, you secure a final term of TRC for another 120 at a cost of $72.50.
Before each term of TRC expires, you will receive multiple emails advising you that the term is about to expire and that you should consider filing a claim before the term is up.
TransGuardian can also assist with slow-pay, both for TRC transactions and for old outstanding receivables not covered by TRC.
Insure your receivables against default, bankruptcy, absconding, legal judgments & slow-pay, up to $5 million per qualified buyer. Selectively cover buyers.
Here's how it works:
Search TransGuardian's Buyer Database to see if the Buyer you want to sell merchandise to is already approved for trade Risk Coverage.
If not, request Trade Risk Approval for your potential Buyer. (This is free and may take overnight to several days, depending on the data available for your potential Buyer.)
Once your Buyer is in the Database, submit the transaction amount you want to cover.
If your Buyer is approved for the desired amount, use the Commercial Insured Trade Agreement (CITA) in place of a commercial invoice or memo.
Type in the transaction value and delivery details and submit the CITA to TransGuardian. Trade Risk Coverage will be bound and confirmed online.
When the Buyer pays you (in full or in part), record the payments in the TRC History.
In case of default or slow payment, call TransGuardian to submit a claim. Claims typically are paid within 60 days.
The premium for TRC is $0.725 per $100, which includes not only receivables insurance, but transit insurance. This means that on $10,000 the premium would be $72.50 to insure both transit and the account receivable...compare the cost of $22-$50 simply to insure shipping with various shipping insurance providers.
TRC is available for terms of 120 days. If the Buyer is approved, you can buy a second and third term of 120 days each, at the same rate of premium.
To understand how this may be worthwhile, consider the following example:
1. You sell $100,000 to your Buyer and pay TRC/shipping insurance through TransGuardian of $725 (remember, you would pay $220 to $500 for shipping insurance alone through other service providers).
2. After 110 days, your Buyer has paid off $70,000. But you're not comfortable leaving the $30,000 balance uninsured. So you buy a second term of TRC for another 120 at a cost of $217.50.
3. After 230 days, your Buyer has paid off an additional $20,000, leaving a balance of $10,000. You feel he probably will pay, but it bothers you that he's taken all this time to pay off the whole balance, so to be safe, you secure a final term of TRC for another 120 at a cost of $72.50.
Before each term of TRC expires, you will receive multiple emails advising you that the term is about to expire and that you should consider filing a claim before the term is up.
TransGuardian can also assist with slow-pay, both for TRC transactions and for old outstanding receivables not covered by TRC.
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