The short answer: Use a request for quote when price, quantity, specifications, or delivery terms need a seller response. Describe the requirement precisely, compare the complete offer—not price alone—and keep every counter-offer, acceptance, payment, and message inside EzBuyCo so the final order has a reliable record.
Use an RFQ for a requirement that needs a seller response
A standard listing and cart are best when the item, quantity, price, and fulfillment terms are already clear. Use Request for Quote when you need a larger quantity, a defined specification, a target delivery date, or a seller-proposed price before committing.
RFQ tools appear only when the marketplace, seller, product, and account are eligible. If the button or dashboard menu is unavailable, use the published listing terms or contact support instead of moving the negotiation off-platform.
- Describe the exact product or service, variant, condition, and acceptable alternatives.
- Enter a realistic quantity, unit, delivery destination, and requested date.
- Attach only relevant, safe files; remove passwords, payment data, and unrelated personal information.
- Choose open or selected suppliers deliberately when that choice is offered.
Create a complete request that sellers can price accurately
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1
Start from a listing or the RFQ form
Use Request a Quote on an eligible product, or create a request from the marketplace RFQ tool when you are sourcing an item.
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2
Define the requirement
Add the quantity, unit, product type, category, delivery date, address, and a concise description of the required outcome.
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Select supplier visibility
Choose an open request or the appropriate selected or favorite suppliers when those options are enabled.
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4
Review before submitting
Check measurements, dates, attachments, and supplier selection; unclear requests lead to offers that cannot be compared fairly.
Build an offer from terms the shop can actually fulfill
Sellers should open the RFQ in the seller dashboard, confirm that the shop can meet the specification and destination, and answer with an accurate quantity, unit price, validity period, and fulfillment terms. Ask questions in the recorded marketplace thread before making assumptions.
An offer should account for inventory, sourcing time, shipping, taxes, marketplace fees, and the promised delivery date. Review seller fees before offering a price that would make the order unprofitable.
Compare complete offers and counter only with clear terms
A counter-offer replaces the proposed quantity or price with a new proposal; it is not an accepted order. State the change precisely, review the updated totals, and wait for the platform to record acceptance before treating the negotiation as final.
| Compare | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Product and quantity | Does the offer match the requested item, variant, condition, unit, and quantity? |
| Price | Is it a unit price or total, and what shipping, tax, or other order charges remain? |
| Fulfillment | Can the seller meet the destination, method, preparation time, and delivery date? |
| Seller evidence | Do the shop profile, policies, ratings, and written answers support the promise? |
| Offer validity | How long can the buyer accept these exact terms? |
Turn the accepted offer into a marketplace order
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Confirm the final version
Review the seller, product, quantity, unit price, validity, fulfillment, address, and delivery expectations shown on the accepted offer.
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2
Use the generated checkout path
Complete the order and payment through EzBuyCo; do not send money using instructions from a message or attachment.
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3
Verify the order record
Confirm the resulting order appears in My Orders with the correct seller and negotiated terms.
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4
Follow the normal order workflow
Use order tracking, messages, cancellation, return, and support tools according to the final order and marketplace policies.
Resolve missing offers, expired terms, and unsafe requests
- Check RFQ approval and status when suppliers cannot see or answer a request.
- Do not duplicate a request just because an offer is pending; review the existing request and its visibility first.
- Ask the seller to issue a current offer when price, stock, quantity, or validity has changed.
- Decline any request to pay, refund, or exchange sensitive credentials outside EzBuyCo.
- Contact support with the RFQ number, offer reference, dates, and screenshots that do not expose secrets.
Frequently asked questions
Does submitting an RFQ create an order?
No. It creates a request. A buyer normally selects or negotiates an offer, accepts the final terms, and then completes the resulting marketplace checkout and payment.
Is the lowest offer always the best offer?
No. Compare the exact product, quantity, shipping, taxes, timing, seller history, policies, and offer validity as well as price.
Can a buyer or seller change terms after acceptance?
Do not rely on an unrecorded change. If material terms changed, use the available RFQ or order workflow to create a current record before payment or fulfillment.
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