[MMacGillivray]

Hi Scott

Happy New Year to you.

Distributors? Well, firstly, my understanding of the way that distributors work is that they purchase in volume at a discount and then sell to you, the retailer. They are putting their own money behind the products they sell. Agents, on the other hand, buy nothing, but earn commission from making sales of manufacturers' products.

Distributors probably need some way to sort out the chancers/scammers from the real businesses; asking for a bank account number is one way they pre-qualify reputable customers whose annual purchasing power is potentially in the thousands of dollars. If you look at this from their point of view, it's not going to take many folks who default on their obligations to turn the distribution business from profit to loss, especially if their margins are tight.

If you are really concerned about the reputation of the distributor, then why not meet up with them at a trade show and speak face to face with their sales and marketing team. (Once you have bought goods for your business, you will be on the suppliers' mailing lists and get plenty of invitations to trade shows.) That will let you assess them and gives you the opportunity to make your own decisions about them as one of your core suppliers. In addition, you might find other suppliers who carry the same products - or even better products.

Best wishes for your new online store.

Margaret