Commercial Correspondence Unit 4

Offers and Cover Letters of Offers

What is a cover letter of an offer?

It is a business letter enclosed with an offer (usually in a printed or tabulated form) to explain what are not said, make everything clearer, and add some favourable comments.

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Opening

Express thanks for the enquiry Express pleasure in enclosing the offer• We thank you for your enquiry of … for

… and are pleased to enclose our offer for the said goods.

• … and take pleasure in enclosing our offer for…

• … and please find enclosed our firm offer No. … 3

Main message

Repeat important terms • We would like to make clear the following points.• We would like to draw your attention to the

following points.• We would like to emphasize the following terms

and conditions.Give explanation, comments or more information:

prices, delivery, samples, discounts, other goods…

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Prices

• The net price of this article is £100.00, to which VAT must be added at 17.5%, marking a gross price of £117.50.

• We can quote you a gross price, inclusive of delivery charges, of £347.50 per 100 items. These goods are exempt from VAT.

• We can offer you a price of £5,200.00 per engine, firm 21 days, after which the price will be subject to an increase of 5%.

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Delivery time

• As there are regular sailings from Liverpool to New York, we are sure that the consignment will reach you well within the time you specified.

• As there is a heavy demand for fans at this time of year, please allow at least six weeks for delivery.

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Discounts

Trade discountsQuantity discounts Cash discountsLoyalty discounts•The prices quoted are CFR Yokohama, but are subject to a 20% trade discount off net prices. We can offer a further 10% discount off net prices for orders of more than 2,000 units.

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Discounts

• We allow a 3% cash discount for payment within one month.

• We do not normally give discounts to private customers, but because of your long association with our company we can offer you 12% off the retail price.

Note: Remember to mention the offer and other documents you want to enclose at the end of the letter (Enc.)

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Practice 4

Dear Mr Smith

We thank you for your enquiry of 20 September 20__, in which you asked for children’s woolen sweaters and children’s jackets. We are pleased to enclose our firm offer No. OF09/09 for children’s jackets, code 876/NQ, as illustrated in our winter catalogue already sent to you.

In addition, we would like to draw your attention to the following points:

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Practice 4

Payment is to be made in pounds sterling, by an irrevocable letter of credit, to be opened through the Bank of Lloyd, London, 20 days before (prior to) the shipment, to the account of Vietcombank, in the seller’s favour for 100% of the value (the total value) of the goods to be shipped.

We are willing (pleased) to offer you a 2.5% quantity discount for orders of up to £150,000.00.

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Practice 4

The goods are to be delivered (shall be delivered) in one lot in mid November in time for Christmas rush (for sales at Christmas).

We are sorry (regret) to inform you that the woolen sweaters, code 421/GL, you asked for, are no longer in production. However, we can offer the substitutes, code 521/GL, which are in a wider and better range of colors and flowery patterns but cheaper than the 421/GL.

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Practice 4

This offer will only be valid (subject to acceptance) until 20 October 20__. After this time, the prices, terms and conditions stated in this offer may be subject to change.

Yours sincerely

(Signed)Nguyen NamSales Manager

Enc. Firm Offer No. OF09/0912

Practice 5Thang Long Garment Company

245 Minh Khai Street, Hai Ba Trung District, HanoiTel: 0438633745 Fax: 0438652337

Your ref: MJ/rm Our ref: TH/mh

23 November 20__

F. Lynch & Co. LtdNesson House Newell StreetBirmingham B3 3ELUnited Kingdom

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Practice 5Dear Mr Johnson

We thank you for your enquiry of 18 November 20__ for men’s shirts and we are pleased to enclose our offer No. OS/05 together with our summer catalogue and current price list as you asked for.

We are confident that our products will be popular with the UK customers and will all be selling well in your market. The specifications, sizes, colours as well as designs of the shirts are as per samples sent to you by air. The prices offered are quoted CIF London port including packing.

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Practice 5We are willing to offer you a 5% quantity discount off net prices for orders of over £20,000.00 and an extra 5% cash discount for prompt payment. As we have all the goods in stock, delivery can be made as requested.

Payment is to be made in pounds sterling, by an irrevocable letter of credit at sight to be opened at Northminster Bank, Birmingham, 15 days prior to the shipment, to the account of Thang Long Garment Co. Ltd with Vietcombank for the total value of the goods to be delivered.

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Practice 5In addition to the products you asked for, we also make goods to customers’ orders with their own designs, sizes and materials, and delivery can be made as promptly as requested.

We look forward to receiving your order soon.

Yours sincerely,Signed

Le Thi Thanh Ha (Mrs)Export Manager Enc. 1.Offer No. OS/05 2. Summer catalogue 3. Price list

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Practice 6Dear Mr Smith

Re: Enquiry for tea sets

We thank you for your enquiry of 23 November 20__, in which you asked for tea sets. We are pleased to enclose our offer No. CH/09 and the latest catalogue.

We would like to draw your attention to (emphasize) the following points:

The price offered (the quoted price) is fixed £10.00 per set, CIF London port, including packing charges, valid within one month.

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Practice 6We are willing to give (offer) you the usual trade discounts of 5%, and an additional 10% quantity discount for orders of over 1,000 sets at one time.

The goods you ordered can be supplied from stock and we can deliver the goods within two weeks from receipt of your official order if the quantity ordered is less than (under) 1,500 sets. For larger quantities (orders), delivery time may be longer.

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Practice 6Payment is to be made in pounds sterling by an irrevocable letter of credit at sight to be opened through a first-class bank in the UK 15 days prior to the shipment to the seller’s account with VietinBank, Hanoi Branch, in favour of the seller for 100% of the value (for the total value) of the goods to be shipped.

We are confident that our products will be very popular in your market thanks to their fine designs and reasonable prices.

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Practice 6We look forward to your early order and can assure you that your order will be completed (processed/ executed) to your satisfaction.

Yours sincerely,

(Signed)Do Xuan BacGeneral Manager

Enc: 1.Offer form No. CH/09 2. Catalogue

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