Getting Started
What does “WaaS™” stand for?
“WaaS™ stands for “Warehouse as a Service.” It is our way of showcasing that you can create an online store and never have to run your own warehouse and fulfillment. You can use a Warehouse as a Service as an integral part of your business. We are your warehouse and fulfillment center.
How do I get started?
The Torqued Distribution WaaS works through apps for eCommerce stores. Currently we support Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce. Click here to install.
Can the Torqued Distribution app run alongside other apps?
Yes. There is no conflict between different product sourcing apps being installed on the same store. Depending on the eCommerce store and subscription level, there may be a requirement for a given product to be managed only by one app, meaning you can’t have multiple sources of inventory for one item, but in general there is no conflict for products which are new to your store and uploaded and managed by Torqued Distribution’s WaaS. Furthermore, you can take existing products on your store and switch them be managed and fulfilled by Torqued Distribution. We call this “attaching” to an existing store product.
Can you connect to my ERP?
We currently have an integration with Spark Shipping and would consider additional ERPs based on feedback and demand.
We have a development team. Do you have an API?
Yes we do. It’s a REST API we call Fulfillment Web Service.
What do you need from us to get set up?
First, you’ll need to become a dealer. Next, install the app on your store. Then we “flip the switch” for your store and that’s it.
Product uploads
How do I upload my first product?
Go to your Torqued Distribution dealer console, navigate into a product and click “Enable” in the sync box. See these WaaS video guides too. This then pushes the full product information including title, description, pricing, pictures and inventory to your store.
What do you keep in sync for each product?
After the initial upload of a product we keep your inventory in sync in real time, meaning whenever there’s a change in availability in our warehouses, we update your store’s inventory. We also keep prices in sync, so you will never have to do another pricing update on your store.
Can I edit the product once it’s uploaded? Will you ever overwrite my changes?
Yes, you can edit it to your heart’s content. Just the inventory and pricing will kept updated for you. We will not overwrite any other parts of the product listing unless you initiate a product refresh from your dealer console.
How often do you update inventory?
Whenever the change happens in our warehouse. There’s no batched or delayed mass syncing, so inventory on your store will never be more than a few seconds delayed from what’s in our warehouse.
Can you put each product in a category on my store for me?
Not directly. All stores have a different taxonomy (layout) for categories / collections. We do send a default collection as a product tag during initial upload as of October. Depending on your eCommerce platform, you should be able to set up rules where products tagged with a certain tag automatically get assigned into your store’s categories. So while don’t do directly, it’s generally indirectly possible.
I screwed up my listing, can I get the original back?
Yes, there is a “Refresh” button on each uploaded product on the dealer console. This resets all settings on the product to the original ones.
How are tags handled?
We put some additional information into tags if desired, such as Prop65 warning requirements and CARB compliance. Because tags are used for many other things as well, we preserve all existing tags on your store when updating them, including for a product refresh. Tags can be laborious to set up and we don’t want to discard that content from your product.
Order handling
I sold a product on my store. How do I send you the order?
This varies slightly between the different apps. For Shopify and WooCommerce, there is a “Request fulfillment” or button on orders which contain products assigned to us. For BigCommerce, Torqued Distribution automatically grabs orders for products which were added to your store through our WaaS system.
How do you calculate shipping costs?
We primarily use USPS and UPS to ship. When we import and order from your store, we run what’s called a “box pack algorithm”. This algorithm takes the weights and dimensions of all the products in your order and then tries to find the smallest possible packaging this fits into. Once that’s found, we meter this box or envelope with UPS and USPS to calculate the lowest shipping cost.
We are able to ship really small and light pieces (think fitting) in a padded envelope via USPS Parcel Select at less than $4. Most other bubble mailers and small boxes ship USPS Priority (2-day service to most places) for around $9. Medium-sized boxes ship either USPS Priority or UPS Ground and almost all larger boxes ship UPS Ground. We only charge the negotiated rate we pay UPS as a passthrough and there are no drop ship fees.
How do I tell you about special handling instructions?
On Shopify, there is a box in the “Request fulfillment” process to send us a message. For BigCommerce and WooCommerce, please send us an email right away after you send the order to us.
Can you do express shipping?
All orders imported from a store to Torqued Distribution appear as default ground shipping. If you need express shipping, please add this in the order notes and additionally email your account rep to confirm. Express shipping is available for most, but not all products.
Do you send tracking back?
Yes, once we have tracking, we send it back to the store and your store’s standard order processing emails are sent to the customer. Orders we fulfill look exactly the same as any other order on your store for your customers.