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Frequently Asked Questions

This is a list of some frequently asked questions. Please kindly have a look at them as well as at our Step-by-Step Guides on how to use the Import-Export Bulletin Board. If you do not find an answer to your question here, our Online Support will be happy to help you.

  • Membership

    • How can I become a Member?

      Please click "Join Free" on the left side of the toolbar. Fill in the application form (which takes around 1 minute). We will immediately send you an email with your password and you can get started!
      For a detailed instruction, please have a look at our Step-by-Step Guide on how to become a member!
    • Why should I become a Member?

      Only as a Member you can benefit of all functions of the Import-Export Bulletin Board:
         - contact traders by email
         - receive inquiries
         - post trade leads
         - publish a company profile
         - access to the Member Center to easily manage your activities
         - etc.
      Becoming a Member and using the Import-Export Bulletin Board is free of charge! So join today.
    • Is it really free to become a Member and use the Import-Export Bulletin Board?

      Yes! It is completely free to become a Member and use the Import-Export Bulletin Board. You can post as many trade leads as you want, publish a company profile, contact buyers and suppliers, use the Member Center - all free of charge!
    • How can I change my contact details (address, email, contact person…)?

      Please go to Member Tools on the right side of the toolbar and choose "Update your Contact Details" or press the button "Update your Contact Details" in your Member Center. If you are not logged in already, you will be asked for your username and password and will then be directed to a form where you can change your contact details.
      Please do not forget to also change your contact details in your Company Profile!
    • How can I cancel my membership?

      To cancel your membership, please send an email to our Online Support.
  • Login, Username & Password

    • How can I login to my Member Center?

      Please go to Member Tools on the right side of the toolbar and choose "Member Center". You will be asked to type in your username and password. Now you are in your Member Center, where you can manage your trade leads, company profile and member details.
      For a detailed instruction, please have a look at our Step-by-Step Guide on how to login to and use the Member Center.
    • I have not received an email with my username and password.

      Please make sure that you enter a correct and valid email address in the application form! This is usually the reason why the email could not be transmitted.
      In rare cases it can happen that your email provider by mistake classifies our membership confirmation email as spam, so please have a look at the spam section of your email account. If you cannot find it there either, please contact our Online Support.
    • I cannot login with the password you sent me in the email.

      Please note that both username and password are case-sensitive (a and A are not the same). You can also copy-paste the password from the email to the login form.
      It may also be that the password in the email does not work anymore because you changed it a while ago. You can easily retrieve your password with the Password Tool.
    • I forgot my password!

      No problem. With the Password Tool you can easily retrieve your password. Fill in your username and email address, and a new password will be sent to you.
    • I forgot my username!

      When you registered with us, the username and password were sent to you with an email entitled 'Import-Export Bulletin Board - Password'. Please browse your email-inbox with this keyword. If you cannot find this email anymore, please send an email to our Online Support providing us with as many information about your account as you still remember, so we can resend the username to you.
    • I cannot login anymore – did you suspend my account?

      Do not worry - usually there is just a little technical problem which will be resolved within a few minutes or hours. Just try to login again a few hours later. If you still cannot login, please send an email to our Online Support.
      However, if you misuse the Import-Export Bulletin Board, do not follow our rules, do not respect laws and third party rights or if another member or third party reports an alleged abuse, we may have suspended your account. Please contact our Online Support to resolve the matter.
    • How can I change my password?

      Please go to Member Tools on the right side of the toolbar and choose "Change your Login Password" or press the button "Change Password" in your Member Center. If you are not logged in already, you will be asked for your username and password and will then be directed to a form where you can set a new password. For security reasons we highly recommend you to change your initial password.
    • Can I change my username?

      No, it is not possible to change your username by yourself. If you need to change your username, please send an email to our Online Support.
  • Posting & Managing Trade Leads

    • How can I post a trade lead?

      Please go to Member Tools on the right side of the toolbar, click "Post Trade Leads" and choose the section you want to post your trade lead in (Buy, Sell, Business Opportunities). If you are not logged in already, you will be asked to type in your username and password. Now, fill in the form, submit it - and your trade lead is posted.
      For a detailed instruction, please have a look at our Step-by-Step Guide.
    • Should I post a new trade lead for every product I offer, or just one general sell lead?

      This is up to you. We recommend you to post a new trade lead for every product, so you can describe the product in detail, add a picture of the product and display each product in the right category.
      However, if you do not want to take the time to make many postings, a general trade lead is just fine. A general trade lead is also great in addition to your specific product leads!
    • Can I post buy leads and sell leads with the same account?

      Yes of course! You can display the products you supply in the "Offers to Sell" section and list your sourcing needs in the "Offers to Buy" section. This will also enhance trust with buyers, as they see that you are not only an agent, but a manufacturer.
    • What kind of trade leads can be posted in the section “Business Opportunities”?

      The "Business Opportunity" section is for trade leads that neither fit into "Buy" nor "Sell" section. For example financers seeking investment opportunities, companies needing loans, entrepreneurs looking for business partners, manufacturers seeking retail partners, trade organizations looking for members, etc.
      Sell leads should not be posted here. Continued posting in the wrong section may result in a suspension of your account.
    • How can I add a picture to my trade leads?

      If you post a new trade lead, simply add the picture with the "Image Upload" button which you can find just below the "Detailed Description" area.
      To add a picture to an existing trade lead, please login to your Member Center. There you will find a list of all trade leads published by you. Simply press the button "edit" next to the trade lead you want to add/change picture and press the button "Image Upload". Please note that you cannot add more than one picture to a trade lead, so if you upload a new picture, the old one will be deleted.
    • How can I edit my trade leads?

      Please login to your Member Center. There you will find a list of all trade leads published by you. Simply press the button "edit" next to the trade lead you want to modify. The trade lead will open in a new window and you can make the necessary changes.
    • Why should I use the function "repost" for my trade leads?

      If you press the button "repost", the timestamp (e.g. 7/3/2009 14:21 GMT) of the trade lead will change to the current date. This has 2 advantages:
      1. When sorting by date, your trade lead will appear higher in the search results.
      2. Traders are more likely to respond to a trade lead with current timestamp than one that appears to be out of date.
      The function "repost" can only be used after 7 days.
    • What happens with expired trade leads?

      Expired trade leads will no longer appear in the search results. But you can still find them in your Member Center in the list of your trade leads. You can easily re-activate your expired trade lead by clicking "modify" and setting a new expiry date.
    • How can I delete my trade leads?

      Please login to your Member Center. There you will find a list of all trade leads published by you. Simply press the button "delete" next to the trade lead you want to delete and confirm that you really want to delete the posting. Deleted postings are removed permanently and are not recoverable.
    • Is it free to post trade leads?

      Yes! You can post as many trade leads as you want and add pictures free of charge. We encourage you to post a new trade lead for every product you supply, so our buyers find more information about each of your products.
    • How many trade leads can I post?

      You can post as many trade leads as you want, there is no limit. However, please follow our rules: always post in the right section and category, please repost a trade lead only after 7 days and do not spam (publish almost same trade lead without deleting the old one).
  • Posting & Managing Company Profile

    • How can I post a company profile?

      Please go to Member Tools on the right side of the toolbar, click "List your Company Profile". If you are not logged in already, you will be asked to type in your username and password. Now, fill in the form (2 pages), add picture and logo, submit it - and your company profile is posted.
      For a detailed instruction, please have a look at our Step-by-Step Guide.
    • When I wanted to post a company profile the error message "no (sub)category chosen" appeared. But I have chosen a category!

      First of all, you must choose a category, a subcategory and - if there is any - a second subcategory. Then, please press the button "Add Category". Only after you have pressed the button the category is chosen! Now you can add more categories or fill in the other fields of the form.
    • How can I add a picture/logo to my company profile?

      If you post a new company profile, simply add the picture with the "Company Logo" and "Company Photo" button which you can find just below the "Detailed Business Message" area.
      To add a picture to an existing company profile, please login to your Member Center. There you will find your company profile. Press the button "edit", and the Company Profile form will open in a new window. Go to the second page of the form and upload your picture/logo with the "Company Logo" and "Company Photo" button. Please note that you cannot add more than one picture and one logo to your profile, so if you upload a new picture, the old one will be deleted.
    • How can I modify my company profile?

      Please go to Member Tools on the right side of the toolbar, click "Update your Company Profile". Or login to your Member Center and press the button "edit" next to your company profile. Click through the Company Profile Manager form and make all changes necessary. Submit the form - and your company profile will be changed.
      Please regularly update your company profile to keep it up to date!
    • How can I delete my company profile?

      Please login to your Member Center. There you will find your company profile. Press the button "delete" next to your company profile and confirm that you really want to delete your profile. Deleted profiles are not recoverable, but you can publish a new company profile anytime!
    • Why should I publish a company profile?

      The Company Profile is your personal website where you can introduce your company, add picture and logo and where all your trade leads/products will be displayed. If you publish a company profile, it will be linked to all your trade leads, so whenever someone is interested in one of your products he can click to your profile and see the other products you display. Furthermore, a company profile enhances trust with other traders, as they get to know something about the structure of your company, your company history, your products, your philosophy, etc.
      Apart from that, the Company Profile section is an important tool for traders to find Buyers or Sellers of a certain branch and your profile can be found through search engines. Do not miss this chance and publish your profile today - it is free!
    • Is it free to publish a company profile?

      Yes! It is completely free to publish a company profile and add a picture and a logo to it.

Home - Offers to Buy - Offers to Sell - Business Opportunities - Company Profiles

For further information, please contact:
Online Support or call +41 (0) 848-400-400 Fax +41 (0) 44-821-7178 International.


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