Caution Co

Some items vary from the Comic Book Specialty Market’s normal 2-month shipping cycle, may not be available in some countries or may change in content from the time of their initial solicitation in PREVIEWS. Caution Codes alert you to special circumstances regarding an item's international restrictions, content and shipping date. Each digit in a three-digit Caution Code – which is displayed in the product’s PREVIEWS solicitation and on its corresponding PREVIEWS Retailer Order Form line listing as (C: #-#-#) – reflects a different potential caution:

• The first digit reflects a product's International Ordering Restrictions, and is marked as “0” for products with no international restrictions and “1” for products with international restrictions.
• The second digit indicates whether or not the product's contents are subject to change, with “0” denoting no potential content changes and “1” signifying potential content changes.
• The third and final digit reveals any shipping advisories assigned to a product using one of three digits:

   “0”: Item will ship within 30 days of the PREVIEWS estimated ship date.
   "1": Item will ship within 60 days of the PREVIEWS estimated ship date.
   "2": Item will ship within 90 days of the PREVIEWS estimated ship date.

Certified Cool

A designation used in PREVIEWS to denote comics that are aimed at readers looking for something other than traditional super-hero comics.

Code Suffixes

Appearing at the end of applicable titles listed on your weekly Invoice, the following terms have been employed to clarify the various types of free items that may be included in your shipment. Each suffix is followed by a short description of the item noted, or – in the case of FRT CREDIT – the item for which the credit is issued. Suffixes include:

   • INCENTIVE, for a special item that a retailer can receive in exchange for fulfilling certain ordering qualifications. (i.e., Buy 25 regular edition copies, get one free variant edition.)

   • SPECIAL, for a premium or promotional item given to a select group of retailers. (i.e., a publisher sending a Chromium Edition of a book to the top 100 customers ordering a specific title.)

   • PROMO, for a free Point-of-Purchase (POP) item, such as a poster or display.

   • MATCH TO, for an order for an item that was not solicited to customers, but is being filled based on each retailer’s order for a prior issue. (i.e., If issues #18 and #20 of a book were solicited, but issue #19 was inadvertently skipped, Diamond would ship issue #19 to retailers in quantities matched to those of issue #18.) In most cases, these items are returnable.

   • FRT CREDIT, for a freight credit issued for overships and other circumstances.

   • FREE, for items that Diamond provides to the retailer at no cost, such as UPS Next-Day and Second-Day shipping materials.

Collecting Supplies

This PREVIEWS Specialty Catalog contains a comprehensive listing of supplies for displaying and preserving comics, cards and other collectibles. The catalog features supply lines by such trusted names as, Comic Defense System, ComiCare and E. Gerber. An online version of the catalog – complete with graphics, item codes, and the catalog’s Short Order Form – is also available for downloading in Portable Document Format (PDF) from the Data Files page of Diamond's Retailer Services Website.

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF)

Established in 1986, the non-profit CBLDF is, to quote from its website, “dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals.”

Comic Book Specialty Market (a.k.a. Direct Market)

A system of distribution, founded in the early 1980s, whereby product was sold to distributors such as Diamond and, in turn, to retailers at deeper Discounts than those offered to retailers in other outlets. In exchange for these savings, retailers purchase product on a non-returnable basis.

Comic Book Specialty Retailers (or Comic Book Specialty Shops)

This term is used to describe those retailers who deal with vendors, distributors and consumers of comic books and related items. Commonly referred to as the Direct Market.

ComiCare^®

A line of comic book collecting supplies by Diamond that includes such trusted products as ComiCovers Polyethylene and Polypropylene Bags, Comic Dividers, Privacy Bags and much more. ComiCare^® supplies can be obtained from your Distribution Center and ordered through a Retailer Services Representative or Diamond's Retailer Services Website.

Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con)

The world’s largest convention of its kind, Comic-Con International: San Diego – also known as San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) – is a nonprofit educational organization that creates awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms by celebrating comics’ contributions to art and culture, both current and historical. The annual convention generally attracts more than 130,000 attendees each year, including representatives and celebrities from comics, film, television, and other media. Diamond traditionally heralds its participation in the convention by offering retailers items that are unavailable outside the show. Diamond is also a sponsor of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, presented at each year’s gathering.

Comic Defense System (CDS)

A line of comic book collecting supplies produced by Diamond which include ProBags, Pro-Lytes, Collector Shields and many others. CDS products are available from Diamond’s Distribution Centers and through your Retailer Services Representative or Reorders Online.

Comic Shop Locator Service (CSLS)

Since its inception in 1996, the CSLS has given out millions of referrals to countless potential customers—making it easy for interested consumers to find a comic book specialty shop nearest them. CSLS Online – www.comicshoplocator.com –currently receives 100,000+ page views from 30,000+ unique visitors each month. When a potential consumer enters their ZIP code/postal code or address into the site’s search engine, the site returns detailed information on the stores within a 32-mile radius of their location or the ZIP/postal code’s center point. In addition to listing the shops, CSLS Online displays an interactive Google map, showing the exact location of each store and its surrounding area. Links to store profiles for each store – containing photos, hours of operation, store specialties, events, and more information  – are also provided. These profiles are maintained by retailers through the proprietary CSLS Management Tools available in the My Account section of Diamond’s Retailer Services Website, which allow retailers to customize their profiles, and to get access to monthly stats on how many online referrals they have received. In addition, CSLS Online also features CSLS Global, which allows international customers access to store information on comic book specialty shops worldwide.

The CSLS is fully supported by publishers and vendors who promote and feature the CSLS logo in outreach ads, product packaging, website links, press releases, social media outlets and more. This gives the CSLS and its affiliated retailers consistently high visibility among prospective customers across multiple media platforms. Participating retailers underwrite the service by paying a nominal monthly or annual fee. The service is also underwritten and sponsored by Diamond Comic Distributors, Dark Horse Comics, Gemstone Publishing, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, and PREVIEWS world.com.

ComicsPRO

The only trade organization for Direct Market comic book retailers, ComicsPRO promotes advocacy, education, and opportunity for its members. In addition to providing a voice for the concerns of direct-market retailers, ComicsPRO also offers members benefits that are often only available to much larger groups, including discounted credit card rates and deals on health insurance.


ComicSuite

ComicSuite is a host of Point-of Sale and subscription management tools intended to assist direct market comic book specialty retailers in doing business with Diamond. ComicSuite has been constructed from the ground up to interface with Retail Hero's Retailer Management Hero (RMH) utilizing Diamond’s product information and item code structure, a feature that facilitates both initial orders and reorders through a Web-based interface. Retailers also have access to all the latest data from Diamond, including PREVIEWS descriptions and graphics, as well as specific ordering information. Additionally, ComicSuite takes into consideration numerous aspects unique to specialty market retailers, offering in-store subscription (“pull-and-hold” service) programming, easy importing of weekly Diamond invoices, cycle sheet generation and more. For more information, please visit www.comicsuite.com.

ComicSuite UltraLite

This free program provides advanced initial order, FOC and reorder capabilities, as well as the ability to view previous months' order history (both initial order and reorders) for each item in the Initial Order form. Furthermore, ComicSuite UltraLite offers more accurate information and better integration with Diamond’s other systems.

Confirmation

Diamond’s methods of providing you with the availability status of any product you order:

1. The PREVIEWS Retailer Order Form Confirmation helps you verify that your Initial Orders have been entered correctly by generating a listing of your Initial Orders after those orders have been entered and compiled by Diamond’s computer system. These listings are automatically emailed to Diamond retailers with valid email addresses.

2. When you place an Order Increase, a Retailer Services Representative will confirm whether or not your order has been placed before the Order Increase Cut-Off (OIC) Date (thereby virtually guaranteeing that it will ship from your Distribution Center the same week as your Original Order).

3. If you are placing an Advance Reorder, a Retailer Services Representative will confirm whether or not Diamond has enough extra copies on order with the vendor to fill your Advance. If not, you have the option of placing an Unconfirmed Advance, and, if Diamond receives Confirmation from the vendor that more copies are available, a Confirmation of that Advance Reorder will appear on an Order Status Report as part of your weekly invoicing.

4. If you are placing a Reorder, or a PREVIEWS Backlist order, a Retailer Services Representative will confirm if there are quantities available. If the item you wish to Reorder is not in stock, you will be given the option of placing that item on Back Order.

When reordering via email, Confirmation will be provided automatically via fax or email within 24 hours if you request it in writing at the time you place your Reorder. When placing a Reorder via Diamond’s Retailer Services Website, you will receive an automated email confirmation.
Please Note: You may register up to four different email addresses to receive reorder confirmations via My Account -> Preferences on Diamond’s Retailer Services Website. This will allow you to share the status of your store's reorders with your employees.


Confirmed Extra

A type of Advance Reorder which Diamond is able to fill out of extras confirmed with vendors.

Consecutive Issues Policy

A shipping policy where Diamond, with the cooperation of vendors, requires consecutive issues of a title to ship in the order in which those issues are solicited, otherwise those issues will become fully returnable under Diamond’s Cancellation Policy.

Consignment Order

If your Diamond account is in good credit standing, you may order select product from Diamond on a consignment basis, with vendor approval, in conjunction with an approved in-store promotional event, such as a related movie premiere or a creator appearance. For more details, contact your Diamond Retailer Services Representative.

Consolidated Packing Slips

These slips ship to you in Direct Ship Reorders that occupy more than one box to hold your order. Unlike an Invoice, which lists everything in a standard weekly shipment, Consolidated Packing Slips include only the merchandise shipped in the box in which it was found. Thus, for a Direct Ship Reorder that ships in three boxes, you would receive three slips detailing the contents of each box. These slips can also be viewed and printed online via the Packing Slips page of the My Account page of Diamond’s Retailer Services Website, and are usually available 24 hours after your Direct Ship Reorder has left the Olive Branch Distribution Center. You also have online access to up to two weeks of Direct Ship consolidated packing slips. Please Note: From time to time, you may receive a blank electronic consolidated packing slip, a result of adjustments to your account that may appear on your weekly invoice. Packing slips for Direct Ship reorders found at Diamond’s Retailer Services Website include Unit Cost (wholesale) and Unit Price (retail) info (in addition to Net Cost data) for items included on the list. However, physical, printed packing slips included in your shipment continue to show only SRPs (or Net Cost). Online, you can see and print a consolidated list of everything in a multi-box, Direct Ship reorder by clicking Packing Slips hyperlink on the My Account page of the website.

Co-Op Ad Slick

A pre-printed advertisement for a specific title, character or product line, designed by the vendor. These can be reproduced as fliers, in newspapers or in other print media. Each ad has a blank area where store information can be listed. Many Co-Op Ad Slicks are eligible for Co-Op Advertising credit from the vendor.

Co-Op Advertising

A method of advertising or promotion, conducted in conjunction with a specific vendor, whereby the vendor usually reimburses 50% or more of the total promotional expenses to your Diamond account. The ad or promotion is usually established by the vendor (such as a pre-printed Co-Op Ad Slick); if you create your own, it must be pre-approved by the vendor since it will represent their company and/or product as well as your store. In addition, each promotion requires budget approval by Diamond before it is eligible for co-op. Vendor reimbursement is issued once Proof of Performance has been verified. Most Co-Op Advertising is eligible for expedited Co-Op Credit, provided the ad or promotion is pre-designed or pre-approved by the participating vendor. For more information on Co-Op Advertising, contact Diamond’s Home Office.

Co-Op Pooling

A practice whereby two or more retailers pool their Co-Op Advertising resources to jointly promote their stores. In addition to being cost-effective in its own right, Co-Op Pooling can qualify for increased reimbursement from some vendors when their advertising materials – including Co-Op Ad Slicks – are used.

Credit

Credit is issued to your account when you return Authorized Returns by the deadlines provided on the Authorized Returns Form, and when you report Damages and Shortages to Diamond. Credits are applied to the next possible weekly invoice and are displayed in a special Credit section of your invoice located after regular product invoicing. Credit may also be issued in cases of Co-Op Advertising, and to compensate for errors or delays to your shipment that are created by the vendor or Diamond.

Credit Analyst

A member of Diamond’s Home Office Credit Department who monitors your Diamond account. A Credit Analyst is assigned to review the history of each customer, consult with Diamond’s Director of Credit to establish payment terms (such as C.O.D. or Net 7), help with any billing questions and monitor your account’s activity. You can reach your Credit Analyst via phone at (443) 318-8001, via fax at (410) 683-7080 or via email at creditdept@diamondcomics.com.

Credit Terms

The payment schedule for your account with Diamond that indicates when payment is due for applicable Invoices. Most new accounts start out with C.O.D. terms but, depending on your business and/or personal credit rating, or how long you keep your current terms in good standing, your Credit Terms can be upgraded. Please Note: Customers must call their Credit Analyst and request the upgrade after holding Credit Terms for at least six months.

Customized Cancellation Lists

A list on your Order Status Report that details three types of order Cancellations – Initial Orders, Advance Reorders and Back Orders – that affect your shipments. These lists will be reported whenever items you had on order are cancelled, along with specific indications as to why each item has been cancelled, so you can update your own records and inform your customers.

Customized Damages Return Form

When you report Damages in your shipment to Diamond, those Damages are credited to your account and reflected on the next possible Invoice. In order to help Diamond process these Damages efficiently, we send Customized Damages Return Forms (see example) to 25% of our customers each week (meaning that you will receive one form approximately every four weeks).   The week your Customized Damage Return Form is included with your shipment, you will see “YOUR DAMAGE RETURN FORM SHOULD BE IN THIS WEEK'S SHIPMENT” (see sample invoice) at the top of the invoice immediately following the Order Status Report.

These forms will be stamped either “Please Return” or “Please Destroy” to help you tell, at a glance, whether you will need to return specific products. (If you see an asterisk [*] beside a title listed on the form, you need only return stripped covers. If you see no asterisk beside a title, you must return full copies.)  As always, Customized  Damage Return Forms for product to be returned will be accompanied by UPS ARS labels to facilitate returns.

If you have Damages that must be returned, please ship them to Diamond using the postage-paid UPS ARS label that will accompany your form if it is stamped “Return.” Also, please be advised that, if Diamond requests you to return your Damages and you fail to tender them to UPS within seven days, Diamond will re-bill you for the Damaged items, with an additional surcharge of 3%.