Always keep
your purchasing card in a secure place. Treat it like cash. To
report a lost or stolen card, call the bank at (800) 704-0883.
Help is available 24 hours a day. The cardholder must call the
bank immediately upon discovering that the card is missing. Also
call the purchasing card administrator as soon as possible at
910-962-3849 and your card coordinator.
Please remember that the cardholder is the only person authorized
to make purchases using the card. Giving your card or card number
to another person or using someone else's card is not allowed. To
assist in keeping track of transactions and receipts, know your
Card Coordinator and how to use PACS.
A. How to make purchases - All UNCW and State guidelines
remain intact. This is just an optional method of payment.
1. Follow proper internal procedures
specific to your department for determining that a purchase is required
and authorized.
Determine whether the purchasing card is the most appropriate tool
to use for the purchase. Do not purchase items on the card if they
are available in Central Stores. Do not put items on back
order on your card. Only order those items that are to
be picked up or shipped right away. Remember the bank pays the vendor
two to three working days after the vendor processes the purchase.
2. Purchases may be made in person, by phone, fax
or mail. Remember that the card is simply another method for making
purchases, and that the rules already in place have not
changed.
3. Determine that the total amount of the purchase
(the amount that will be shown on the statement from the bank to
the University) including shipping, handling, postage, freight,
insurance, etc., does not exceed the limit on your card. If a limit
is exceeded, the bank will automatically refuse the transaction
and the purchase will not proceed.
4. Determine that the price quoted is the best
you can obtain. You may use the card to purchase materials on state
contract. Always ask for educational discount.
5. The cardholder is responsible for obtaining
receipts. Receipts may be given immediately to Card Coordinator
in your area depending upon your department's internal program procedures.
In conjunction with the Card Coordinator, the cardholder should
perform a monthly review and reconciliation of all new purchases.
Receipts for credits should also be included.
Obtain a receipt at the time of purchase or pickup.
If an item is being called in for shipment, ask "up front"
for a receipt and the packing slip should be kept. Sufficient
detail to describe both the items purchased and the amounts paid
is required. Examples of acceptable and unacceptable receipts are
enclosed in this package
6. Remember to give the supplier your name,
department, phone number, and complete delivery instructions.
Instruct the vendor to include your name, department name (institutional
address) and VISA on the outside of the package. Remember also to
request an invoice/receipt with your name and department
on it. Please use the following address:
NAME
University of North Carolina Wilmington
DEPARTMENT NAME - VISA (INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS)
601 S. College Road (or appropriate Satellite Office)
Wilmington, NC 28403
(Phone Number)
Improper information for shipping could result in refusal and delay
of receipt of goods.
B. Returns, damaged goods, credits
Items purchased with the purchasing card will periodically need
to be returned for one reason or another. A few tips to make the
process easier:
1. Always retain boxes, containers, special packaging,
packing slips, etc., until you are certain that you are going to
keep the items. Some items, such as software or fragile pieces,
cannot be returned without the original packing materials.
2. Read all instructions carefully. Often a critical
phone number and other instructions are included on the packing
slip and/or receipt.
3. In some cases there may be a restocking fee.
The purchasing card may be used to pay this fee as long as it does
not exceed any of the card limits.
4. If you need help in packaging goods for return,
please contact Central Stores at 962-3180.
C. Dispute of statement items
Most billing problems can be resolved with the vendor or supplier.
If unsuccessful with the supplier, purchases appearing incorrectly
on the monthly statement from the bank may be disputed with the
bank up to thirty days from the statement date. A Customer Statement
Description of Error Form (with instructions) is on the reverse
side of your original statement. The cardholder must complete the
Customer Statement Description of Error Form, make a copy, sign
and date the form (an original signature is required by the bank),
and mail to the customer service address shown on the form. Please
include a full explanation with contact names of the vendor/merchant
and their response. The original statement must be kept and forwarded
along with your reconciliation package to Purchasing. You may be
contacted by the bank to discuss details of the dispute. If a credit
is issued, it will occur when the investigation is complete. If
you are not satisfied with the outcome or have problems, please
contact the Purchasing Card Administrator.
D. Tips for Purchasing Card Holders on
How to Find Vendor and Price Information
1. Is it available on State Contract?
To find out, go to this web site and look up your item by name (e.g.
Office Supply).
"Alphabetical
Listing of Key Words for Term Contracts"
From there you can navigate to the contract for the item you need.
Once you get to the web page for the state contract you need, you
usually have several choices. Most contracts offer a selection of
brand names, many of which are sold by several vendors. Read the
terms of the contract so you'll know what the vendor & the state
have agreed upon (e.g., delivery time).
Here's an example: State
Contract #615 - General Office Supplies )
Most contracts
offer a selection of brand names, many of which are sold by several
vendors. Read the terms of the contract so you'll know what the
vendors and the state have agreed upon (e.g. shipping charges and
delivery time).
To view the
list of vendors, click on "Contractors". Some vendors require a
user name and password before you can view their state contract
prices (they call it their Online Catalog). Contact a Purchasing
Agent if you have any questions on how to navigate these web pages,
or if you need assistance in obtaining a user name and password
for access to any online catalogs.
2.
If Yes, is the use of the state contract mandatory?
To find out,
read the "Scope of Contract" paragraph (for some Information Technology
items, use of the contract by the North Carolina University System
is not mandatory but available as a convenience). If you're still
not sure, contact Purchasing for further guidance.
3.
If Yes, are there any "minimum order" restrictions?
To find out,
read the "Minimum Orders" paragraph. If your order is less than
the minimum order value, you may purchase from a non-contract source.
However, you may not split your order into multiple transactions
to avoid this restriction. If your order is less than the minimum,
you may still choose to purchase from a state contract vendor, but
read this paragraph to determine whether your order will be subject
to shipping charges.
4.
If it is NOT available on state contract, you may purchase from
the vendor of your choice. Here are a few guidelines for making
that selection:
a) Vendor Terms and Conditions
Each
vendor has its own set of policies and procedures for conducting
business (usually referred to as terms and conditions or T's &
C's), and these are usually posted somewhere in the back of their
catalog or on their web page. Although most reputable vendors have
reasonable Ts and Cs that are consistent with widely accepted commercial
standards, some are less flexible (e.g. regarding exchanges and
returns). Problems with delivery, damages, returns, billing, etc.
be very time-consuming, thus adding to your administrative costs
of dealing with that vendor. This is why we prefer to deal with
established vendors who have treated us well in the past. Feel free
to contact a Purchasing Agent for suggested sources for your items.
b) "Dot.com" companies
Be
cautious when a vendor has a name that ends with "dot.com" and there
is no address, phone, or contact information on their Web site.
Here are a few tips to help you tell whether this vendor is a legitimate
business with a good reputation or just a "virtual" company with
a flashy Web site and little substance?
•
Look for contact information on their web site. If they publish
a variety of ways to contact them (complete address, phone, fax,
and e-mail), then there's a better chance that they're legitimate.
You can also check to see if they are listed in the yellow pages
of their local telephone directory by using one of the following
Internet search tools: ( http://www.switchboard.com
or http://www.555-1212.com)
•
Call them to see whether they have real employees who will
answer the phone and provide pre-sales service. If you have trouble
reaching them before the sale, you are not likely to receive a good
response to post-sales problems.
•
Read the terms and conditions of their sales. Be aware of the terms
that apply to any special or promotional offers.
• If you decide
to submit a requisition instead of using your Purchasing Card, make
sure they will accept a PO . If the University has never used this
vendor before, they will likely require us to complete a credit
application prior to accepting a PO . It could take a few weeks
for them to process our application, and your delivery could be
delayed while this process is completed. Some vendors will offer
extremely low prices that are only valid if you order online using
a credit card. So even though the company may be legitimate, their
sales policy and customer service procedures might make them an
undesirable source.
•
Ask a Purchasing Agent for assistance when in doubt. We have more
formal methods of researching a vendor's reputation (Better Business
Bureau, Dunn & Bradstreet, etc.).
5.
A Few Words of Caution Regarding Information Technology Purchases
(computers, software, accessories and peripherals):
a) UNCW has standardized on the Windows operating
system and Dell Computers for all desktop and laptop purchases.
The purchase of any Apple or Macintosh computer must be approved
by the UNCW Computer Baseline Standards Committee. Please consult
Purchasing or ITSD / Client Services for further guidance before
making any computer purchases:
http://www.uncw.edu/itsd/client/purchases.html
b) Many software programs are available free of charge
to UNCW faculty, staff, and students. The UNCW ITSD / Client Services
/ Tech Assistance Center maintains a list of this software on their
Web site: http://www.uncw.edu/itsd/client/software.html
If the software
you wish to purchase is not on this list, click on "Ordering Other
Software Products" to see a list of vendors offering educational
discounts for faculty and staff purchases.
c)
For computer accessories and peripherals, you may use the vendor
of your choice. These items are also available from any of the state
contract vendors for office supplies. Be cautious of scams when
purchasing Ink and Toner Cartridges. If you would like a recommendation
on which vendor to use, please consult Purchasing.
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