We are excited to work with you as a new, or returning, distributor. Throughout these Terms and Conditions (also referred to as “Agreement”), the words “You/you” and “Distributor” will mean the same thing. We will refer to ourselves as “Supplier”, “Us/us”, or “We/we”. We refer to you and us from time-to-time individually as a “Party”, and collectively as “Parties”.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, this Agreement, together with any Accepted Sales Orders, comprise the terms and conditions covering the entire business relationship for the sale and supply of Merchandise between us and you.
1. | DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION | ||||||||||||||||||
1.1. |
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2. | APPOINTMENT OF DISTRIBUTOR |
2.1 | The Distributor shall be responsible to the Supplier for all acts and omissions of sub-distributors as though they were the acts and omissions of the Distributor, and any breach of this Agreement caused or contributed to by a sub-distributor shall be considered a breach by the Distributor. |
2.2 | The Distributor shall be entitled to describe itself as the Supplier’s "Authorised Distributor" or “Distributor” for the Merchandise but shall not (a) hold itself out as the Supplier’s agent for sales of the Merchandise or as being entitled to bind the Supplier in any way, (b) commit the Supplier to any contracts, (c) otherwise incur any liability for or on behalf of the Supplier or (d) give any condition or warranty on behalf of the Supplier. Distributor shall not, without the Supplier’s prior written consent, make any promises or guarantees about the Merchandise beyond those contained in the product literature supplied by the Supplier. |
2.3 | The Distributor shall not:
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2.4 | In the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, the Distributor undertakes that it shall comply with, and shall ensure that its sub-distributors shall comply with, all applicable international, national, federal, state and local laws, rules, and regulations; treaties, conventions, and governmental orders, directives and regulations; orders, decrees, judgments, and settlements of all courts, tribunals and arbitrators; privacy policies or statements; and all mandatory and voluntary industry standards; whether now existing or subsequent to the Effective Date including, as applicable and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws; tax laws or regulations; export and import controls in each country, and laws, regulations, standards or self-regulatory guidance related to the collection, storage, and use of any data collected or derived by the Distributor or its sub-distributors. |
3. | ORDERING, PAYMENT AND DELIVERY Supply of the Merchandise |
3.1. | The Supplier shall from time to time provide to the Distributor a list of its inventory of Merchandise available for supply to the Distributor (“Product Release”), containing the relevant Merchandise information, including title and description, estimated size and weight of Merchandise and packaging, recommended retail price, whether the Merchandise is sold on an in-stock or pre-order basis, etc. |
3.2. | Within ten (10) working days of a Product Release, or such other period as mutually agreed between the parties, the Distributor may place orders for the Merchandise in writing (including e-mails) (“Purchase Order”) to the Supplier, specifying the following information: (a) description of the Merchandise; (b) the quantity of Merchandise to be supplied, and; (c) precise instructions for labelling, packing, invoicing and shipping of the Merchandise. |
3.3 | Within five (5) working days upon receipt and confirmation of each Purchase Order, the Supplier shall then send a confirmation for all or part of the orders in writing (including e-mails) to the Distributor in return (“Sales Order”). The Distributor shall, within three (3) working days upon receipt of the Sales Order, provide to the Supplier its confirmation on the Sales Order in writing (“Accepted Sales Order”). In relation to the foregoing:
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3.4. | The Distributor shall, in respect of each order for the Merchandise to be supplied hereunder, be responsible for:
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3.5. | The Distributor acknowledges that the Merchandise may be sold on an in-stock basis, or a pre-order basis, and that any Product Release provided to the Distributor is not an indication that there is readily available stock for such Merchandise. Where the Merchandise is sold on an in-stock basis, subject always to the Distributor making the necessary payments in accordance with Clause 3.9 and 3.10, the Supplier shall provide the necessary shipping information in writing (including via e-mail) within ten (10) working days upon receipt of the Accepted Sales Order, and provide to the Distributor a date from which the Distributor may arrange for collection of the Merchandise from the designated location. For the avoidance of doubt, the Supplier shall use reasonable endeavours to meet any communicated delivery dates, but time of delivery shall not be of the essence and accordingly the Supplier shall have no liability to the Distributor, whether for breach, damages, or otherwise, if there is any delay in delivery. |
3.6. | The Distributor may not otherwise modify or cancel any Accepted Sales Order, in whole or in part, without the Supplier’s prior written agreement. |
3.7. | The Supplier shall ensure that each confirmed order of the Merchandise prepared for delivery to the Distributor (the “Shipment”) shall include the following documents: (a) commercial invoice for the Shipment, and; (b) original packing list for the Shipment. Any other documentation or certifications (e.g. health certificate, certificate of origin, airway or seaway bills) requested by the Distributor for the importation of the Shipment into the Supplier’s jurisdiction shall only be provided where prior written consent has been obtained from the Supplier. |
3.8. | The Supplier shall not be under any obligation to continue the manufacture of all or any of the Merchandise and shall be entitled to make such alterations to the specifications of the Merchandise as it may think fit, provided always that the Supplier provides no less than thirty (30) days’ written notice of such alterations or discontinuance to the Distributor. Upon providing such notice the Supplier shall be entitled to discontinue the Merchandise or to require the Distributor to substitute for any of the Merchandise a new version of such Merchandise, and any new orders shall be for the new version of such Merchandise forthwith. The Distributor shall be entitled to continue selling any discontinued Merchandise that it may have in its inventory prior to such discontinuance. Payment for the Merchandise |
3.9 | Unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Parties, all Merchandise to be supplied by the Supplier pursuant to this Agreement shall be sold on an EX WORKS basis. Accordingly, the Distributor shall be liable for arranging and paying all costs of transport of the Merchandise. The Supplier may, at the Distributor’s sole expense, provide such assistance as is reasonably requested by the Distributor in connection with arranging for the transportation of the Merchandise. Where the Supplier agrees in writing to arrange for transport as an agent for the Distributor, the Distributor shall reimburse the Supplier the full costs thereof, including without limitation, the costs of insurance coverage, transportation, loading and unloading, handling and storage, and all the applicable provisions of this Agreement shall apply with respect to the payment of such costs as they apply to payment for the Merchandise. |
3.10 | Unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Parties, payment for supply of the Merchandise shall be carried out in the following manner:
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3.11 | All deposits and payments made by the Distributor under this Agreement are non-refundable under any circumstances. |
3.12 | If the Distributor fails to make payment within the respective deadlines for payment, the Supplier shall be entitled, without further notice to the Distributor, and without prejudice to any other right or remedy it may have, to:
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3.13 | All prices for the Merchandise are exclusive of any applicable goods and services tax, sales tax and any other tax, charge, levy, or duty, for which the Distributor shall be additionally liable. Title and Risk |
3.14 | Title to any Merchandise shall pass to the Distributor upon full payment for the order. |
3.15 | Risk of damage to, or loss of, the Merchandise shall pass to the Distributor at the time when the Shipment is made available at the designated location and/or facility for the Distributor’s collection. The Distributor shall further be responsible for obtaining the appropriate insurance coverage for the delivery. |
3.16 | The Distributor shall bear the responsibility and costs of replacing any damaged or expired stocks of Merchandise returned from trade. |
4. | MARKETING OF MERCHANDISE | ||||||||
4.1 | The Distributorshall use best efforts to retail the Merchandise to its customers at a pricethat protects the market value of the Merchandise, but in any case, such price should not fall below the recommended retail price provided pursuant to Clause3.1, or as may be amended from time to timeby the Supplier.Any retail of the Merchandise below the recommended retail priceshallrequirethe Supplier’s prior approvalin writing | ||||||||
4.2 | In connection with the promotionand marketing of the Merchandise, the Distributor shall:
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5. | TRADEMARKS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS |
5.1 | The Supplier hereby grants the Distributor a non-exclusive, non-sub-licensable and non-transferable license to use the Trade Marks on or in relation to the Merchandise for the purposes only of exercising its rights and performing its obligations under this Agreement. Subject to the Supplier’s prior written consent, the Distributor may grant its affiliated company or its sub-distributors a sublicense to use the Trade Marks for the purpose of performance of this Agreement. |
5.2 | The Distributor shall not:
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5.3 | Except as provided in Clause 5.1, the Distributor shall have no rights in respect of any trade names or Trade Marks used by the Supplier in relation to the Merchandise or of the goodwill associated therewith. The Distributor further acknowledges that, except as expressly provided in this Agreement, it shall not acquire any rights in respect thereof or make any applications for registration of the Trade Marks and that all such rights and goodwill are, and shall remain, vested in the Supplier. In the event that any rights in the Trade Marks or goodwill at any time accrue to the Distributor by operation of law or howsoever otherwise, the Distributor shall forthwith on demand do all such acts and things and execute all such documents as the Supplier shall deem necessary to vest such rights and goodwill absolutely in the Supplier and shall in the meantime hold the same on trust for the Supplier. |
5.4 | To the best of its knowledge, the Distributor shall promptly and fully notify the Supplier of any actual, threatened or suspected infringement or passing off of any Intellectual Property of the Supplier which comes to the Distributor’s notice, and of any claim by any third party so coming to its notice that the importation of the Merchandise into the Supplier’s jurisdiction, or their sale therein, infringes any rights of any other person, and the Distributor shall at the request and expense of the Supplier do all such things as may be reasonably required to assist the Supplier in taking or resisting any proceedings in relation to any such infringement or claim. |
6. | CONFIDENTIALITY |
6.1 | Except as provided below, each Party shall at all times during the continuance of this Agreement and after its termination:
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6.2 | Any Confidential Information may be disclosed by a party to:
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6.3 | Any Confidential Information may be used by a party for any purpose, or disclosed by that party to any other person, to the extent only that:
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7. | LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNITIES |
7.1 | To the fullest extent permitted by law, and except as otherwise specifically set forth in this agreement or as otherwise specifically set forth in the supplier’s terms of service (but only if such warranty is included with such merchandise), the supplier (and its officers, employees, parent, subsidiaries, and affiliates) disclaims all statutory and implied warranties, including without limitation, warranties of merchantability, quality and fitness for a particular purpose and warranties against hidden or latent defects. The distributor hereby agrees and acknowledges that the products as supplied hereunder by the group is provided on an “as is” or “as available”. |
7.2 | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Supplier shall not, except in respect of death or personal injury caused by the Supplier, be liable to the Distributor by reason of any representation or implied warranty, condition or other term or any duty at common law, or under the express terms of this Agreement, for any loss of profit or any indirect, special or consequential loss or damage (whether occasioned by the Supplier or its employees or agents or otherwise) arising out of or in connection with any act or omission of the Supplier relating to the manufacture or supply of the Merchandise, their resale by the Distributor or their use by any customer. |
7.3 | The Supplier shall not be liable for any indirect, special, consequential, collateral, incidental or punitive damages including, without limitation, loss of business, revenue, profit, contracts, claims of third parties and all associated and incidental costs and expenses, whether or not the Supplier was or should have been aware of the possibility that such damage could occur, except to the extent that such liability cannot be excluded or limited under the applicable law. |
7.4 | The Distributor shall indemnify and hold harmless the Supplier against any and all claims, costs, proceedings, actions, losses, demands, liabilities, damages and expenses of any nature whatsoever, and legal costs and expenses on a full indemnity basis suffered or incurred by or made against the Supplier arising directly or indirectly out of or in connection with:
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8. | PRODUCT INSPECTIONS AND RECALLS |
8.1 | Initial Inspection Period: the Distributor shall notify the Supplier with the full particulars of any material damages and defects (including proof of damage, such as photos showing the damage) in relation to the Merchandise (“Inspection Notice”). In relation to the foregoing, the Supplier will only entertain any Inspection Notice:
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8.2 | Replacement Period: The Supplier shall investigate the claims set forth in the Inspection Notice, and shall be entitled to request for further evidence and/or proof in relation to the claims in the Inspection Notice, and if the Supplier is, in its sole and absolute discretion, fully satisfied as to the validity of the Distributor’s claims, it shall replace such affected Merchandise at its own cost. In the event that the Supplier is unable to replace such Merchandise, the Distributor shall be entitled to request a refund of the full purchase price of the Merchandise or to use the value of the Merchandise to offset any subsequent Accepted Sales Orders. For the avoidance of doubt, a “defect” for the purposes of this Clause 8 shall refer only to manufacturing defects and shall not include any damage or defects incurred during shipping or transportation of the Merchandise, or any damage or defects caused by a negligent or wrongful act or omission by the Distributor or its agents, provided always that the Supplier has complied strictly with the Distributor’s shipping and packing instructions, and any other legal requirements. This clause shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
8.3 | The Supplier, after consultation with the Distributor, shall have the sole right, exercisable at its discretion, to initiate and direct the content and scope of a recall, market withdrawal, stock recovery, product correction and/or advisory safety communication (any one or more referred to as a "Recall Action") regarding any of the Merchandise. The Distributor shall take all actions necessary to implement such Recall Action in accordance with the Supplier's instructions and shall otherwise fully cooperate and take all such steps as are reasonably requested by the Supplier to implement the Recall Action in a timely and complete manner. The Supplier shall determine, in its discretion, the manner, text, and timing of any publicity to be given on such matters; provided, however, any publicity that involves the disclosure of the names of the Distributor shall require the prior written consent of the Distributor (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld). Any and all action to be taken in connection with a Recall Action shall be in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations. The Supplier shall bear the costs associated with any Recall Action unless such Recall Action has resulted from the Distributor's acts or omissions or breach of its warranties under this Agreement, in which case the Distributor shall bear the costs of such Recall Action. |
8.4 | Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, where the Supplier is required to replace any Merchandise under Clause 8.2 of this Agreement, the Distributor may, if required by the Supplier, at the Supplier's own expense, arrange for the return and/or assist with the disposal of such damaged, defective, or non-conforming Merchandise, and the Distributor shall then warrant in writing and furnish evidence to the satisfaction of Parties that such undertaking has been unreservedly executed. |
9. | TERMINATION |
9.1 | The Supplier may terminate this Agreement and any Accepted Sales Orders at any time with immediate effect by written notice to the other upon any of the following events:
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9.2 | Any waiver by either party of a breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not be considered as a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision thereof. The rights to terminate this Agreement given by this Clause shall be without prejudice to any other right or remedy of either party in respect of the breach concerned (if any) or any other breach. |
9.3 | Upon termination of this Agreement:
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9.4 | Termination of this Agreement shall not affect any provisions of this Agreement expressed to have effect after such termination nor shall it relieve a party hereto in breach of its obligations under this Agreement from its liability to damages for such breach. |
10. | GENERAL |
10.1 | This Agreement and any Accepted Sales Orders constitute the entire agreement and understanding between the parties and supersedes all prior verbal or written agreements, understandings, and arrangements between them. |
10.2 | Nothing herein shall constitute any principal-and-agency, employment, joint venture, or partnership relationship between both parties. |
10.3 | Subject to the Supplier’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), the Distributor may not assign, sub-license, charge, or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its rights and obligations under this Agreement. |
10.4 | If any provision of these terms and conditions is held by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, the offending provision shall be deemed to be severed from this Agreement, and the remainder of the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall not be affected. |
10.5 | The Supplier shall not be liable for any delay, non-performance, or any other default in performance of the obligations hereunder due to the occurrence of any Force Majeure event, which includes prohibition of exportation or importation, war, riot, strike, civil disorder, civil commotion, fire, explosion, flood, typhoon, hurricane, tidal wave, earthquake, act of God, epidemic, pandemic, or contagious disease, health emergencies, government action, and any other causes beyond the reasonable control of the Supplier. |
10.6 | This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore, and any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, including any question regarding its existence, validity, or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“SIAC”) in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“SIAC Rules”) for the time being in force, which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference in this clause. The seat of arbitration shall be Singapore, and the language of the arbitration shall be in English. |