Purchasing and Shipping Service

Dues and Service Fees

July 1, 2008- June 30, 2009

AASSA Purchasing, Consolidation and Shipping Service

 

AASSA provides a purchasing/consolidation service for its member schools for the preferential service charge of only 6.5% of the cost of goods ordered for Full Member schools and 10% for Invitational Member schools.  The service charge for Full Members is approximately half of that of any other purchasing service available and there are no additional hidden purchasing charges (other than the charge to send invoices by courier, if requested by the school).  Because AASSA buys in bulk, we receive goods at a discount from many vendors which are passed along to our membership.

 

Purchasing Procedures

  • Each school utilizing our purchasing service signs a memorandum of understanding with AASSA.  All orders must be placed through AASSA in order to use the services of Ideal Cargo as our consolidator. 

 

  • Orders are then placed, ideally using our excel-based purchase order form, which will be sent to you once we have received your contract.  It is recommended that orders are placed by early March at the latest in order to be assured of receiving them prior to the following school year.
  • At the time of placing orders, funds should be wired to us as funds in the amount of the orders must be on deposit in the school’s AASSA Services Account.  Once funds are received, we place all orders with vendors and track the receipt of boxes at the warehouse.

 

  • The school will be informed on a regular basis (generally weekly) as to the receipt of merchandise at the warehouse. 

 

Shipping

AASSA has had a working relationship with Ideal Cargo [click for link to Ideal Cargo:  www.idealcargo.com] for 18 years and, as such, has reached a special arrangement on behalf of our member schools.  They offer highly competitive rates for warehousing (which is free for 30 days) and shipping to AASSA member schools who purchase through AASSA.  As a result, the most efficient and effective plan is to use AASSA for purchasing and Ideal Cargo for warehousing and shipping, if at all possible.  If you do so, you will receive discounts as a member who is purchasing and consolidating your order through Ideal Cargo. 

Some schools ship their goods via the U.S. Embassy and are required to use other shipping companies such as Coco’s or Just in Time.  Goods are generally received by Ideal Cargo, packed for shipment, and then forwarded to the selected shipper.   In this case, the school should expect invoices both from Ideal Cargo and their selected shipper.

Prior to the shipment being dispatched, the school will be informed as to the amount due to Ideal Cargo for handling fees and/or shipping costs.