MySkatingMall Partner Store FAQs

Do we remain an independent company if we become a Partner Store on MySkatingMall.com?

Yes, you remain completely independent. We simply create a link from MySkatingMall.com to your site (explained in a question below) and you only pay commission on the sales on your site that are generated from our traffic. Your site is yours and remains unchanged.

What are the logistics of how it works?

A Partner Store must choose one of these two options to sell its items: 1) Link its existing website (shopping cart required) to MySkatingMall.com or 2) Create a Storefront to sell items on MySkatingMall.com. Shoppers on MySkatingMall can click on Partner Store logos displayed on the front page or read store descriptions on our Partner Store page to connect to our Partner Stores. Businesses linking their existing websites are sent a piece of code that is placed on their site's shopping cart so that purchases made from shoppers sent by MySkatingMall can be tracked. At the end of each month, linked Partner Stores are invoiced or have their Paypal account debited for the 10% commission owed on sales. Half of the 10% commission MySkatingMall charges on sales is given to the skating club or team of the purchaser.

What if someone returns an item to me and MySkatingMall has already billed the 10% from my PayPal account?

Partner Stores have 30 days from the point of sale to notify us of any returns and provide proof of the return, if possible. You will be refunded the 10% minus any applicable PayPal fees that we have incurred. It is our policy to trust your integrity as a long term partner in these matters until it appears to be abused.

Why should I be willing to give up 10% of my revenue to join as a MySkatingMall Partner Store?

There are several reasons:

1. Joining as a MySkatingMall Partner Store should ultimately increase your bottom line. Without asking any money up front, we direct additional traffic to your website.
2. MySkatingMall.com gives your site additional worldwide exposure.
3. You only pay the 10% commission on sales from traffic that we send you. Here's another way to look at this: Your business would not have made that particular sale if the customer had not been directed to your site. The 10% simply comes out of your additional profits.
4. Think of the 10% as a marketing expense to attract customers. It is clearly the best type of marketing expense since you only pay when a sale is made. Where else can you spend your marketing dollars like that?
5. You are building goodwill with those in the skating community. You are setting your business apart through your commitment to raise money for grassroots skating through each sale you make at MySkatingMall. That goodwill can only benefit your business long term.
6. Due to the fund raising features of MySkatingMall, it may become the primary place a large portion of the skating community goes to to purchase skating items. If you are not visible on MySkatingmall, you may ultimately lose business. In short, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

What are the costs to be a MySkatingMall Partner Store?

If you have an existing website, the only cost to be a MySkatingMall Partner Store is the 10% commission you pay on each sale. Businesses without a website equipped with a shopping cart are assessed a $10 per month hosting fee for their Storefronts on MySkatingMall.com. Banner advertising space, front page exposure for listings, and other upgrades are available for additional costs. Those fees are found through the "Pricing" and "Advertise With Us" links at the bottom of each page on MySkatingMall.

Does my company send a check every month for the 10% commission to MySkatingMall?

No. All financial transactions are handled through PayPal. No checks will be going back and forth in the mail. We want MySkatingMall to make your life easier, not more difficult.

I am not comfortable turning over any of my profit directly to clubs and teams when I get no say in how the money is spent. Why doesn't the money just go back to individual families?

The way individual skaters benefit is by receiving 90% of the sales price for their items. It is true that Partner Stores do not have any control over how the 5% given to the skating groups is spent. Think of the 5% as a business marketing expense and not as handing over a portion of your profits. It can be assumed that any sales sent your way by MySkatingMall.com would not have come to you without your partnership with MySkatingMall.

I am not comfortable turning over any of my profit directly to the club when I get no say in how my money is spent. Why doesn't the money just go back to individual families?

The way individual skaters will benefit is by receiving 90% of the sales price for their items. It is true that partner stores don't have any control over how the clubs' 5% is spent. You can think of the 5% as a marketing expense for your business and not as handing over 5% of your profits. It can be assumed that any of the sales sent your way from MySkatingMall you may not have received otherwise.

Do items on my website show up when shoppers are using the MySkatingMall search feature and looking for specific items that I have?

Not automatically. With a little work all of your items can show up in the MySkatingMall.com search feature and category listings. There are two types of listings that Partner Stores can create. A "Partner Store listing" does not direct shoppers to buy an item on MySkatingMall but contains a web link that leads to the item's page on a Partner Store site. Partner Stores can create an unlimited number of free Partner Store listings. A regular listing enables a Partner Store to sell directly on MySkatingMall any item that is not available for sale on its site. An example when regular listings would be used is when a skate shop has used boots and blades that it sells but the shop only lists new items on its site. Regular listings are free until March 2011. At that point, a $1 per year per listing will be charged on all existing listings. Both types of listings can be created one at a time or through MySkatingMall's free bulk uploading service. Creating listings takes effort but has the potential to greatly increase sales. Without creating listings, shoppers can only find a Partner Store by clicking on its logo on our front page or by finding it through our Partner Store page.

How do shoppers find my store on MySkatingMall.com?

There are several ways:

1. We have an area of the front page that cycles through the logos (with hyperlinks) of our Partner Stores.
2. Our Partner Store page lists all stores with descriptions submitted by the stores.
3. Partner Stores can create listings of items they have for sale on MySkatingMall. These listings show up when shoppers use our search function and browse our categories to find specific items.
4. Banner advertising space is available for purchase.

How are the shipping and return policies determined for purchases?

Your business determines all shipping charges and your refund policy.

Who cuts the check to the figure skating club or team?

MySkatingMall.com handles all transactions with skating clubs and teams.