Products and Services   Can you give me wholesale prices? Yes, we give wholesale prices that would range anywhere from 10% to 35% depending on the quantity order.   Can I order in small quantities? We have a minimum order of $25 each style. Orders below $25 would be subjected to a corresponding premium price.   What can you do for us? We keep you abreast of what is going on in our industry by way of a newsletter if you sign-up to our Fashion Alerts. But we don’t talk specifically about other customer's exclusive lines. When we get an order from you, our processing includes the selection of the most capable craftsmen, following up on the orders, oftentimes on urgent orders, our runners are out day and night. We also have a full staff for doing quality control and we examine each item individually. This does not guarantee perfection, with handmade stuff, seldom can anything be called perfect. But the process does bring the items a lot closer to that. We pack, and pack oh so carefully. If required, we will do carding and ticketing of items for a few cents more only. If like other customers you want to come over, we of course would only be too happy to show you our showroom .. .. and that is part of our inherent hospitality .. we don't charge for this.  Do you carry inventory? Hardly. When we first promote an item we try to carry a small quantity but only in anticipation of sample requests or order. After we run out of them, if we don't decide to augment the stock, all those one or 2 pieces you may ask for will be made individually. Just so you know.  My buyer is very strict on colors and sizes. Whenever it is required, so are we. You will have to let us know Pantone color numbers, width, height and thickness to be more exact.  Are your products environmentally friendly? All natural material are biodegradable. We use a certain amount of resins but unless you are talking of ordering by truckload, the volume is negligible.  Are you environmentally conscious? We try our best to be. We recognize that natural waste by products like coco shell, bark, horn, bone and the non-edible part of shells are all materials that makes real sense to promote, (except when a shortage develop). We also pioneered the use of clay and similar materials to substitute for corals and some type of wood whose further use is endangering our environment.

Payment & Credits  Do you extend credit? Usually never to new customers. With regular customers we give a maximum of 30days.  How do we send payment? Big amounts are sent by wire transfer to our bank. We shall give you the necessary information when the time comes. We have a merchant account in the US and we can accept credit card payments for sample orders.  What modes of payment are acceptable? For all new customers, when you place an order, we require a deposit of at least 50% in our hands before we start processing. The balance is required upon completion of the order and before we make the shipment.  Telegraphic Transfers to our bank is the most convenient for us.  A letter of Credit is also acceptable though it takes time for both of us to process.  Checks are acceptable if the order can wait for about two months before processing, that's usually how long it takes to mail it to us and then for our banks to get it cleared.  Payment by PayPal is also accepted.

Shipping  How do you ship? For samples and small shipments up to 40 kilos, we suggest couriers like Fedex, UPS or DHL which deliver door to door. For bigger shipments, we use freight forwarders like Geologistics, Emery, etc. These freight forwarders offer very good rates for big shipments. Your own broker will be the one to clear and release the goods for you.  What about returns? Everyone's nightmare right? In the first place, we try our very best to avoid that by sticking strictly to instructions and closely to the actual samples. However this thing still occurs every now and then.. And because of relatively high shipping costs, our customer usually has to keep it. We however along with our suppliers tend to share the cost of this loss with a hefty rebate. We have no fixed guidelines on how much though because oftentimes the merchandise can still be sold and our customers do try to dispose of them.

Customer Service  What is an (AE) Account Executive? Your account executive is your special friend in our company. He or she will communicate directly with you. She will answer questions, clarify matters, take your orders, inform you of the status of your orders, negotiate with the suppliers directly about your orders, inspect the quality of the products you ordered, make sure shipment gets shipped as promised. And she is also the one you haggle with over prices, the very same person who will haggle with our suppliers over the prices of your items. He or she is the one who loses sleep so you don't lose yours.  How many account executives do you have? As of this writing, we have Sue, Lisa, Angie, Jona, Stella and Rosita. All of them except for Ben have been doing AE work for us or our sister company for over 15 years. A lot of experience is an important ingredient for this line of work. And if you think we don't have enough Account Executives if we get more customers, you're right! However we do have a rich pool of Account Executives who have worked for a long time with us in the boom times of the 80's. We hope the internet makes a big difference so we can all work together again.  Can I choose my account executive? Our Account Executive's are trained and taught a standardized product knowledge of our items and operations. But we won't be publishing any kind of ratings on them. You probably will want to start out with whoever is assigned. However, if for whatever reason at all, you are not satisfied with your Account Executive, you may request somebody else to be assigned to you. In this case please send an email to Rafael C. Catalan, Jr. at rafael@fcq.com.  Do you have a Research and Development department? Yes we do and it is headed by Ben Diaz. You may email him directly at ben@fcq.com if you wish to resolve some technical questions regarding the production specifications of an item although your Account Executive could also find out for you. He's also the guy to talk to if you want us to do a totally new kind of item or use a new material. We love expanding our skill and material base.  Do you do carding and ticketing? Yes we do. We need to have the cards and tickets at least a week before shipment.  We're new customers who would like our own new lines made? Send us an email, preferably with picture or sketch of the components. We'll get back to you on whether you need to place a deposit with us and how much. One of a kind new samples will be priced differently than normal orders.  Do you seek long term relationships? Notwithstanding email and this website, it is not too easy to establish a relationship in the first place. It takes time, lots of emailing back and forth, getting the right samples to prospective customers. We nurture a new customer for months sometimes before getting some results. Naturally we seek to hold on to them. And we're sure they feel the same way.  Can you ship my orders directly to stores? We have done that in the past, but yes, just supply us with the instructions and we will do it.  How do we begin a relationship with FCQ? Before the age of the internet, importers who were brave enough ventured forth to the third world, including our own place. We got to know them personally and we became friends too. Needless to say they usually bought huge quantities. How else could they pay for their trips? The internet promises to change some of that. We still look forward to building a relationship, selling huge volumes and making friends. The big difference with the internet is that you don't have to come over to build that relationship. You can now see more of our display on cyberspace rather than in our physical showroom. If you are the buyer we're looking for, you normally buy in good volumes too. We'll start by sending you samples images, if you take the time to email us on what items you are interested in. Then we can start from there. It is not uncommon though that we receive mail informing us of how well our Account Executives perform. All of us really plan to please.

Exclusivity & Other Related Policies :  Are you willing to sign exclusivity contracts? We are willing to examine and sign a fair deal if our clients needs the protection.  I want to place an order on a competitor's item that I know came from you too. If it is exclusive, no, unless we have the client’s permission.  We own a Beadshop in the US / Europe and sell beads to designers. If I carry a line you made for me and the designers buy samples from me what's to prevent them from buying it from you directly for volume orders? But we believe in supporting our Beadshop partners so I suppose we could work out a deal on a case to case basis, until the practice becomes fairly standard, whereby we recognize the Beadshop's ownership of his designs like they were intellectual property and either pay him a royalty or refuse to take the order.

Return Policy: If you would like to return an item for any reason simply return it to us, postage paid in original condition and packaging along with a copy of your receipt, within 30 days for an exchange and within 15 days for a refund. If the merchandise appears used/worn we cannot accept it for a refund or exchange. Shipping charges are only refunded if we have made an error.

Security Policy: We at FCQ World Wide know that you care about how your information is used and shared, and we appreciate the trust that you have placed in us. We never collect and store Credit/Debit Card information. Your information is held on our providers secure server which is tested daily. We never download your information. We just view the information which helps us to deliver and ship your items. This assures you that you are in a secure site.

Privacy Policy: Your privacy is very important to us. We promise we will Never give, sell, or trade your information with anyone. We will only use your information to process and ship your order to you.

If you sign up for our Fashion Alerts, we will send you information occasionally. You can opt out at any time. If you don't sign up, we won't bother you.

If you have any questions about any of our policies please contact us. Customer Support: rafael@fcq.com To contact us by telephone, call: +6332-2615739

A BRIEF COMPANY HISTORY

What is FCQ World Wide, Inc?

FCQ World Wide is an offspring of FCQ Eximtraders Inc which was a corporation established in Cebu City, Philippines in 1976. It mostly exported fashion jewelries.

Tell us about FCQ's history.

FCQ Eximtraders Inc started out in 1976 as a business among Francisco siblings, two brothers, a sister married to a Concepcion and another to a Quisumbing. That's where those initials come from. We like to think of those initials now as representing First Class Quality.

The company was one of the thousands born out of the puka and heishi gold rush in the 70's. FCQ did very well then and unlike most, even survived. Then again in the 80's, we pioneered the development of designer beads and components and did even better. The 90's though saw a break-up of the ownership structure and huge downsizing. Thus, FCQ World Wide, Inc was conceived. The company is now actively run by a core group of old-timers / employees who have stuck with it through thick and thin. And that's us... .

What kind of items do you export?

80% of our exports are hand made, made to order, buyer designed jewelry components and finished products. About 20% are small household decor products, hats and bags that are similar in the manufacture process to the production of the jewelry items.

Our products are made mostly from natural materials like wood, bone, coco, shells, fibers and others. We also use resin and clay or a mixture of both to make synthetic imitations of amber, tortoise and other semi precious stones. The crafts involved in the production of the items are wood carving, painting, dyeing, molding, inlay, sand art, paper mache, bead making, grinding, polishing, in short handicrafts.

Where does FCQ World Wide, Inc.get its products?

In Cebu City and outlying area, there are approximately 1,000 small cottage industry units employing anywhere from 5 to 100 workers, craftsmen and artisan. At the same time there are around 100 exporters whose business it is to introduce the products to their contacts abroad. FCQ World Wide, Inc. is among the oldest and most established of the group.

Our Mission Statement.

To provide the world market with fashionable products, good quality, good service, prompt delivery and innovative product development. And To make our city of Cebu the Costume Jewelry Center for Arts and Crafts in the world.