{"id":6609,"date":"2024-11-26T11:17:34","date_gmt":"2024-11-26T09:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-quotes\/"},"modified":"2024-11-26T11:17:34","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T09:17:34","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-quotes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-quotes\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about quotes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Quotations are important documents at the base of a business agreement. Read all about quotations here: what they are, what they say, how to interpret them, and what to do if there are ambiguities. <\/em><\/p>\n<h2>What is an offer?<\/h2>\n<p>  A quotation is a formal proposal from a supplier or service provider to a potential customer. The document lists the products, services, and associated costs. Its purpose is to provide a clear agreement on what will be provided and on what terms. Quotes are usually non-binding (unless otherwise stated) and allow customers to compare different providers before making a decision. For some quotes, companies charge a specification fee to prepare the quote. You often get this cost &#8220;refunded&#8221; if you agree to the quote.       <\/p>\n<h2>What&#8217;s in a quotation?<\/h2>\n<p>  A good quotation includes the following elements:  <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Contact details<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Name, address, VAT number, phone number and email address of the company\/supplier.<\/li>\n<li>Customer&#8217;s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Description of services or products<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>A detailed description of what is provided.<\/li>\n<li>Specifications such as product numbers (EAN codes), dimensions, materials or duration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fee quote<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Price per product or service.<\/li>\n<li>Total price, including <strong>or<\/strong> excluding VAT.<\/li>\n<li>Possible discounts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Timelines<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Start and end dates of work for services.<\/li>\n<li>Delivery time for products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prerequisites<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>General terms and conditions: e.g. cancellation options, cancellation policy, liability clauses, warranty.<\/li>\n<li>Payment terms: e.g. advance payment (down payment), when to pay what, which VAT regulations apply.<\/li>\n<li>Period of validity of quotation.<\/li>\n<li>Exclusions and exceptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Signature or Agreement<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>A place where the customer can give his or her agreement, often with a date.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What should definitely not be missed?<\/h2>\n<p>  Under Belgian law, an offer must contain at least the following items:  <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Supplier Identity: The full name, company number and address.<\/li>\n<li>A clear description: The customer must know exactly what is being delivered.<\/li>\n<li>Price and VAT: The total price including VAT and if possible a breakdown of costs.<\/li>\n<li>Period of validity: The period during which the quotation is valid.<\/li>\n<li>General terms and conditions: In which reference is made to rules on cancellation, warranties, or disputes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> When working in the construction industry, there are often additional requirements such as the entry of measurement records or engineering plans.  <figure id=\"attachment_4558\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4558\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4558\" src=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-met-documenten-in-de-hand-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Quotes_Man with documents in hand\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-met-documenten-in-de-hand-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-met-documenten-in-de-hand-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-met-documenten-in-de-hand-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-met-documenten-in-de-hand-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-met-documenten-in-de-hand.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4558\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Man with documents in hand<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What should you pay attention to when making an offer?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Completeness: Make sure all details about products, services and costs are clear.<\/li>\n<li>Comparability: When comparing multiple quotes, look at specifications and not just price.<\/li>\n<li>Hidden costs: Ask explicitly about additional costs such as transportation, start-up or administrative fees.<\/li>\n<li>VAT entry: Check whether VAT is included.<\/li>\n<li>Deviations from the conversation: Make sure everything discussed is actually in the quotation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;  Read our article with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/10-tips-om-offertes-goed-te-vergelijken\/\">10 tips on how to properly compare quotes<\/a> here.  <\/p>\n<h2>How long is an offer valid?<\/h2>\n<p>  The validity period of an offer is usually stated in the document. This can range from a few days to several months, depending on the industry and the nature of the products or services. If no validity period is stated, the quotation is considered &#8220;reasonably binding&#8221; for a period of time common in the industry in question.    <\/p>\n<h2>What if you disagree with the offer?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Contact the supplier to discuss any ambiguities or errors.<\/li>\n<li>Ask for a custom quote if things are missing or need to be changed.<\/li>\n<li>If no agreement is possible, refuse the offer and have to look at other options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <figure id=\"attachment_4557\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4557\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4557\" src=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-aan-laptop-met-documenten-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Quotes_Man to laptop with documents\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-aan-laptop-met-documenten-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-aan-laptop-met-documenten-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-aan-laptop-met-documenten-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-aan-laptop-met-documenten-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Offertes_Man-aan-laptop-met-documenten.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4557\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Man at laptop with documents<\/figcaption><\/figure>&nbsp; Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teamleader.eu\/nl-be\/blog\/is-een-offerte-bindend#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Teamleader<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/offerte.nl\/ondernemersgids\/offertes\/offerte-maken\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quote<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you like to cite this article as a source? Then use: <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Stiasteny, L. (2024, Nov. 26). Everything you need to know about quotes. Apartment.com. Accessed on (date XX\/XX\/202X), from https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/alles-over-offertes\/   <\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/10-tips-om-offertes-goed-te-vergelijken\/\">10 Tips to compare quotes properly<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quotations are important documents at the base of a business agreement. Read all about quotations here: what they are, what they say, how to interpret them, and what to do if there are ambiguities. What is an offer? A quotation is a formal proposal from a supplier or service provider to a potential customer. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1150],"tags":[1320,1321,1322],"class_list":["post-6609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration-en","tag-quote","tag-what-is-an-offer","tag-what-is-in-a-quotation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}