Protecting supplier info

Getting calls or emails looking for info on suppliers

[charliecon]

Hi All

How do you go about protecting your supplier information. I sometimes get emails and calls from people asking for manufacturer/supplier info on my products.

I am not selling anything that any normal customer would need to know this information. I suspect potential competitors. How do I deal with this?

I could fire off a snotty reply, but if the customer is genuine, I could end up getting a bad reputation

Anyone encounter this?

[Automan Empire]

If they are asking for additional product info, that could point up an opportunity for your site to be more authoratative than most in your niche. Add the info that nobody can find on the net!
If they are looking to buy direct from the suppliers, which is what it sounds like, there are polite ways of fending off these requests. Try offering wholesale lots if this is what they are after. I was recently shopping for a dozen of the same widget as gifts, and it was hard to find that at wholesale. I finally found a widget supplier who made the sale; they will enjoy repeat business someday without me going into competition!
If it is competitors you cant/won't service in a B2B fashion, send them a very nice letter with the most expensive source for the product in question :)
-Automan

[Essex_boy]

In the past ans this has only happened once, I offered wholesale prices plus a little extra