Shopify,
I'm asking that a Shopify staff member pass this onto a risk management team member(s) and legal team member(s).
I have no issues to having to submit documents proving that my business is authorized to sell branded products on my website and in our brick and mortar. I'm lucky that my business isn't living payout to payout. We go through a very strict process with HOKA, Saucony, Brooks, Nike, Salomon, On-Running, Altra, Adidas and many other running brands in order to sell their products on our website and brick and mortar shop. I am proud to be an authorized retailer of these brands.
We love using Shopify payments due to the ease of having the Shopify POS system and Website update inventory in real time.
On 12/14/2023 we had our Shopify payments placed on hold and I submitted via the link in the email the required documents within 30 minutes. Based Shopify policies the only way to send these required documents is via the link provided. Here is our Ticket ID: b839317d-979a-4eb2-bdae-2ef20ec1fc21
The link provided only had the ability the submit 5 documents. I have 30+ brands and felt uncomfortable only submitting 5 invoices when I could have submitted hundreds.
My ask is that Shopify and their banking patterns allow shops to submit ahead of time brand authorizations. When I get a new brand on my site and in my brick and mortar I should be able to submit this information to the legal team, risk management team and the banking partners so when they detect a potential problem for selling branded products they already have that information. I am willing voluntarily send the invoices and written authorizations weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and yearly. Every product on my website has an invoice from the brands in question.
The current system of holding payouts without warning and requiring a sudden submission of paperwork is not efficient. All of the information needed to prove a shop's brand authorization can be provided ahead of time and I imagine 99% of those shops who are above board with their brands would happily supply this information.
My shop and others that follow the rules shouldn't have to be burdened because of the number of retailers that don't follow the rules.
Please forward this information to those in charge.
Lastly, if your business has been burdened by this issue please reply so that Shopify Staff can see the necessity of submitting the required information ahead of time.
