One of the many services available to NCTM Affiliates is the ability to order NCTM products on consignment. Consignments allow Affiliates to make NCTM resources available to their own members at their own events.

Ordering Options 

NCTM offers three consignment ordering options.

1. Sample Consignment
Affiliates that sold less than $800 of materials (on-site and special orders combined) from their last consignment for a similar event will receive one of two Sample Consignments. A Small Sample Consignment will include NCTM catalogs and Special Order forms for items purchased from the catalog. These Special Orders will be shipped from NCTM directly to the purchaser. This consignment is appropriate when the expected attendance is less than 75. The Standard Sample Consignment will include samples of our top-selling educational materials and special products. The Affiliate may then take Special Orders from their members for products on display as well as for items in the NCTM Educational Materials Catalog (See Exclusions.) The Affiliate may choose to sell the samples at the end of the event or return them. Sample Consignments are available to any Affiliate that is In Good Standing.

2. Regular Consignment
Affiliates that sold $800 or more of materials from their last consignment for a similar event may receive a Regular Consignment.  A Regular Consignment is when multiple copies of top-selling products are sent to sell onsite.  The Affiliate has an opportunity to review the list of items and quantities that will be sent and can suggest changes.  Unsold products are then returned to NCTM at the end of the event for a credit.

Note: A 10% special rebate will be given to the Affiliates for all Special Orders processed (i.e., orders shipped from NCTM) for both Sample and Regular Consignments.

3. Quantity Discount Purchase
The purpose of this option is to enable Affiliates to purchase specific quantities of specific products at a 30% discount.  This option is limited to orders over $400 (at the 70% pricing) and the expectation is that products will not be returned as they are in a consignment (see below).

For example, an Affiliate may need multiple copies of a particular NCTM book that will be given to all participants in a workshop that the Affiliate is hosting.  The Affiliate can purchase these books at 70% of the full retail price of the products.  Any returns for full refund must be made within 30 days of the original order.  Return shipping for quantity discount orders is paid for by the Affiliate.

These orders may be paid with a credit card when the order is placed or the Affiliate can be billed for the order.

Placing an Order

1. Send in the Affiliate Consignment Request and Agreement Form* so that it arrives at NCTM no less than six weeks prior to your event. Requests received after this date risk not being filled.

2. The NCTM Consignment Specialist will review your request and verify that your affiliate is In Good Standing and is eligible to participate. Any problems are communicated by e-mail to the Affiliate Consignment Coordinator within a week of receiving your request.

3. Once eligibility is verified, the Affiliate Consignment Coordinator receives an initial list of products from NCTM to review. You have until three weeks prior to your event to communicate any additions/deletions to your order. NCTM will attempt to accommodate special requests and circumstances. (See Important Notes and Exclusions.)

4. Requests for pre-shipment changes must be sent to the NCTM Consignment Specialist by e-mail to consignments@nctm.org, or fax to 703-476-2970, Attention: Affiliate Consignment Services.

5. Shipment is sent from NCTM to arrive no less than two weeks prior to the event. This timing gives the Affiliate Consignment Coordinator one week to take inventory and to report post-shipping discrepencies to NCTM. The additional week will allow NCTM time to send additional products if necessary. (See Unpacking Boxes.)

Affiliate Purchase Price

The Affiliate pays 70% of full retail price of all educational materials and special products sold.  The value of sold products is calculated by NCTM as the difference between the value of products sent and the value of products returned.

Shipping Costs

NCTM covers the cost of outbound and return shipping for Sample and Regular consignment orders. The Affiliate reports the cost of shipping on the Consignment Sales Report Form* and will get this amount credited to their final bill. For Quantity Discount Purchase, any return shipment costs are borne by the Affiliate.

Special Orders

A Special Order Billing Form* and a Special Order Billing and Shipping Form* must be filled out completely with all customer information, including billing and shipping addresses, and their telephone number. Incomplete forms will be returned to the Affiliate's Consignment Coordinator.

Orders for Products Not Available Onsite
Affiliates may take special orders for products that are not available onsite.  Items not available onsite will be shipped directly from NCTM to the customer and no shipping charges will be added.  The balance due for Special Orders will be added to the final bill for sold products.

Credit Card Sales
Affiliates may take credit card orders for products available for the customer to pick-up onsite and those not available onsite.  However, separate special order forms must be completed for items needing to be shipped directly from NCTM.  These forms must be clearly marked so that significant delays in processing can be avoided.

Price Cards
Price cards will be available for the Affiliate, if desired. These price cards will list the full retail price of the products. (See note below about product pricing.)

Important Notes and Exclusions

• NCTM makes every effort to ensure that consignment orders reflect our analysis of top selling products. However, not all products are available for consignment sales, onsite or for special orders for shipment from NCTM.
  
  The list of what is available will vary, depending on availability of inventory and our analysis of past sales.  The NCTM Consignment Representative will have additional details when your order is received.
  
• The 70% purchase rate does not apply to product packages that are already sold at a discount.  For this reason, these packages are excluded from consignment orders and special orders will not be taken.  If the Affiliate takes a Special Order for one of these discounted packages, the product will be billed to the Affiliate at 100% of the full retail price.
• • Affiliates can develop the discounts they would like to provide to their audience.  NCTM will not request that the 20% member discount be offered.  Regardless of the discount level an Affiliate chooses, the Affiliate will be responsible for 70% of the retail cost for all products not returned to NCTM.
• Affiliates are responsible for paying for all appropriate state and local sales tax.  Contact your state department of taxation for information.
  
• Affiliates that have not complied with the guidelines for returning products, sales report, payment, etc. will not be eligible for additional Affiliate services, including subsequent consignments.

Consignment Timeline

Below is an overview of the process for ordering, implementing, and closing an Affiliate Consignment. Canadian Affiliates should consult our guidelines for Canadian consignments.

Unpacking Boxes

Use the following instructions as a guide when opening your shipment boxes.

Inventory

1. Unpack all inventory carefully. Be sure to save all packing materials included in original shipment (shredded paper, bubble wrap, or crumpled craft paper). Save all boxes that are in good condition to use to return materials.

2. Using the inventory forms sent in your Consignment Coordinator Kit, take an inventory of your shipment, recording the numbers in the SECOND column.

3. If there are any discrepencies between what the invoice says has been shipped and what you count on-site, NCTM must receive your on-site inventory by fax prior to the start of your event. NCTM cannot make adjustments to your original order unless this step is followed, and the Affiliate will be responsible for any materials noted on the original inventory shipment forms.

Please fax your inventory to the NCTM Consignment Specialist at 703-476-2970. The original order will be modified and, if time allows, additional products will be sent.

Price Cards

4. Once all inventory is displayed, place price cards in front of each item.

Instructions for Onsite Operations

Your volunteers play a critical role in the success of your consignment sales.  However, they can only help as much as they are aware of what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Be sure to spend some time going over the following items with your volunteers:

• The details of sales tax calculation and recording on receipts.
• The pricing policies that the sales event will be following.
  
  You may plan to sell the materials at a price less than the NCTM list price.  If so, it has been NCTM’s experience that it is best to give a flat discount to all attendees.  For example, you may also decide to give all your attendees a flat discount of 10 or 15 percent.  Or should you wish to tie the discount to membership, a discount larger than the flat discount could be given to attendees who join NCTM or renew on site.  (Affiliates receive a $5 rebate for each new NCTM membership submitted and a $3 rebate for each NCTM membership renewal submitted by the Affiliate.)
• Instructions on completing the Special Order Billing Form* and Special Order Billing and Shipping Form* accurately.
  
  You may want to designate a few people to fill these out so that you can maintain higher quality control. Complete customer information and stock numbers must be written legibly on the forms or they will be returned.
  
  Each form should be clearly marked as to which of the three categories it falls into. You may also want to have three separate boxes or envelopes for these to be sorted in as sales occur:
  
  
  Credit card sales/items need to be shipped
  Cash sales/items need to be shipped
  Credit card sales/items were picked up on site
  
  
  This should help ensure that the forms are filled out completely and will save you valuable time later.
• If a buyer pays by check, ask that the check be made out to your local Affiliate.  NCTM will send you a final invoice after all returned paperwork and products have been processed.

Check in with your volunteers throughout the conference to ensure that their questions or concerns are getting addressed. Also, check frequently on the Special Order Forms to be sure that problems don't develop.

Closing Your Event

Here's how to pack inventory and prepare reports.

Inventory

1. Using the original inventory forms, record your unsold inventory in the THIRD column (i.e. the one next to where you originally checked in your inventory when it first arrived).
2. Pack all inventory carefully, being sure to use the packing materials included in original shipment, making sure items cannot move around inside box, and using appropriate shipping tape to securely seal the boxes.
3. 3. Ship all unsold inventory so that it arrives at NCTM no later than 14 days after the end of your event.  In order to get credit for your shipping expenses, you must use UPS Ground Service.
4. Boxes should be mailed via UPS Ground to the following address:

NCTM Receiving
1920 Association Drive  *Note: This is not the main NCTM address
Reston, VA 20191

Pre-printed labels with your order number are included with the Consignment Coordinator Kit mailed prior to the event.  Prior permission must be received from NCTM to ship another method than UPS Ground.  Affiliates that do not use UPS Ground and do not get prior permission may not be reimbursed for return shipping costs.

Sales Report

Organize all Special Order Forms into three categories:

1. 1. Credit card sales/items need to be shipped
   2. Cash sales/items need to be shipped
   3. Credit card sales/items were picked up on site
2. Calculate total sales for each of these three categories of forms. Complete sections A and B on the Consignment Sales Report Form*. Send forms to NCTM already separated with paper clips, rubber bands, or separate envelopes.
3. Enter the total cost of your return shipping in section C of the Consignment Sales Report Form. Include copy of your shipping receipt in this mailing.
4. Mail your Consignment Sales Report Form and Inventory Sheets in the Priority self-addressed stamped envelope provided no later than two days after the close of your event.
   
   NCTM Affiliate Consignment Services
   1906 Association Drive
   Reston, VA 20191
   
   *Note: Different from the address for unsold products
5. After you final paperwork and product returns have been processed, the NCTM Consignment Representative will send you a final invoice, with associated documentation Do not send any payment with your Sales Report.

Canadian Consignment Orders

To allow for additional shipping times, requests for Consignments should be received at NCTM no later than eight weeks before the event.  All aspects of the timeline will be shifted to accommodate this extra time for shipment of products.

All orders will be shipped Global Mail.  This allows for direct delivery to the recipient without charging duties or taxes.

Affiliates will pay 15% handling fee for all sold products.  This amount will be calculated when the final bill is prepared.

Due to the challenges associated with returning taxable products across the Canadian/U.S. borders, Special Products (anything that is not a book) are only available through Special Orders and Affiliate Bulk Purchases.  We regret that we cannot include them in Sample or Regular Consignments.

Only price cards with the U.S. retail prices will be available for Canadian Consignments.

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