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Dear Mr. Woods,
Thank you for your letter of 21 July in which you offer us Indian tea at ₤ 1.50 per kg. To our regret we are not able to accept your offer as we have just been offered a better price and more favourable terms by an Indian exporter of tea.
We may revert to this matter again, if you quote us a lower price and improve your terms.
Yours sincerely,
A.Nikitin
A.Nikitin
Manager
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FOCUS 2. Comprehension questions
LEAD-IN 1
?What is a quotation?
?What subjects should a quotation cover?
?What is the difference between the gross price and the net price?
?What is a firm offer? Is it legally binding on the supplier?
?What provisions for prices can be added by the supplier to a quotation?
?What discounts may be allowed by the supplier?
?What are the ways of quoting terms?
?What is the difference between fixed and negotiable terms?
LETTER 1.1.
?What prices are quoted in the quotation?
?What is included in the price? Is it a gross or a net price?
?How long will the supplier keep to the stated prices?
?What method of payment is stated?
?What is the quoted time of delivery?
LETTER 1.2.
?What concession was requested from the supplier?
?What discount can the supplier offer?
?What does the amount of the offered quantity discount depend on?
?What prices are quoted?
?What discount is offered on the prices?
?What is the proposed method of payment?
?Are the stated terms firm or negotiable?
?What delivery dates are specified and why?
?How does the supplier suggest that the method of payment could be changed in the future?
?What enclosures have been made?
LEAD-IN 2
?Why can the supplier offer goods without waiting for an enquiry?
?When do suppliers make special offers?
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LETTER 2.1.
?What is the purpose of the letter?
?What products are offered?
?Why are their prices so competitive?
?Will the quoted price apply to other offers?
?Why can the supplier meet the offeree’s specification and effect shipment within a week?
?In what way does the supplier persuade the offeree to place an order at once?
LETTER 2.2.
?What is offered in the letter?
?Why can the supplier offer competitive prices?
?What kind of offer is made?
?What prices are quoted by the supplier?
?What sort of payment does the supplier ask for?
?Why can the supplier guarantee immediate shipment?
?How does the supplier encourage the offeree to place an order promptly?
LETTER 2.3.
?What does the salutation suggest?
?What does the supplier offer and why?
?What is enclosed with the letter?
?What prices are quoted?
?Why will c.i.f. prices be dearer?
?What discount is offered?
LETTER 2.4.
?Why is the supplier able to offer goods at a reduced price?
?What is the average price reduction?
?How does the supplier indicate the high quality of the goods?
?What prices are quoted?
?What orders do the new prices apply to?
?How does the supplier stress that his prices are competitive?
?When do the new prices become effective?
?What method of payment is requested from the offeree?
?Why can the supplier guarantee immediate delivery?
?What is requested from the offeree if he accepts the offer?
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LETTER 2.5.
?Why is it obvious that it is a letter from an established supplier?
?What is offered by the supplier?
?What price is offered?
?On what condition will the supplier allow a 15 % trade discount?
?How does the supplier encourage the customer to place an order immediately?
?How long will the supplier hold the consignment?
LETTER 2.6.
?Why is the customer unable to accept the offer?
?What can make him revert to the matter?
FOCUS 3. Study the notes, written patterns and vocabulary
NOTES
1. Offer vs quotation
Данные слова могут переводиться на русский язык как «предложение, оферта» и быть взаимозаменяемыми (при этом слово quotation имеет и другие значения: «котировка», «курс», «расценка», «цена»). Однако следует обратить внимание на смысловые нюансы. Слово offer имеет более общее значение и подразумевает предложение приобрести товар на каких-либо условиях, а слово quotation употребляется в тех случаях, когда покупатель просит указать конкретные условия, на которых товар может быть поставлен.
2. Gross price, net price
Следует отметить, что в зависимости от контекста данные словосочетания переводятся следующим образом:
1.
gross price – цена-брутто, фактурная цена, цена без учета скидок (syn. invoice price) net price – цена-нетто, цена за вычетом всех скидок, окончательная цена.
2.
gross price – цена без вычетов налогов и расходов. net price - цена за вычетом налогов и расходов.