Make every quotation easier to compare.

1. Write one complete specification

Send every supplier the same requirement. Identify the metal, exact grade or alloy designation, applicable standard and edition where required. Explain whether equivalent grades are acceptable and who must approve a substitution.

• Form and condition: sheet, coil, bar, tube, ingot or scrap; prime or secondary; finish, coating and processing requirements.
• Dimensions and quantity: thickness, width, length, tolerances and units. State whether quantity is net weight, gross weight or piece count, and any permitted variation.
• Evidence: specify the certificates, test results, lot traceability or independent inspection you require. Ask when these can be reviewed.
• Handling: coil and bundle limits, packing, corrosion protection and the equipment available for unloading.
• Timing and place: destination, requested arrival window, delivery rule and named place. The deadline for receiving quotes is separate from the required delivery date.

The optional prompts in the buy-request form become part of your published specification. Keep personal information, bank details and confidential documents in the appropriate private channel. The free AI assistant can draft from your notes; review every technical statement before submitting.

2. Compare the same commercial scope

First check whether the offer meets your specification. A cheaper price for a different grade, quantity, condition or delivery scope is a different offer. Ask the supplier to list exceptions explicitly.

• Use the same currency and distinguish metric tonnes, kilograms, pounds and pieces. MetalSite can display mass prices per kilogram; it does not convert currencies or infer the weight of a piece.
• Check the delivery rule, named place, payment terms, validity, available quantity and arrival window. Review inclusions and exclusions for freight, insurance, duties, taxes and inspection.
• Use the private comparison page for each RFQ to review proposals and download the latest 100 as CSV. Each supplier's competing prices remain private.
• Record unknown costs explicitly. A subtotal that excludes unknown charges is not a complete landed-cost estimate.

3. Check the business and the material

Research the legal business, the person authorised to sell and the material offered. An unclaimed directory reference is research information; it does not establish that a company has joined MetalSite, holds stock or endorses the platform.

Ask for lot-specific evidence and confirm how documents can be authenticated with their issuer. Agree who appoints the inspector, what will be measured, where sampling happens and what occurs if results differ. Photographs and seller descriptions support a discussion; they do not establish composition or quality.

Read review context and dates. Moderated order reviews are reports associated with a completed-order record, not a guarantee of future performance. Raise concerns privately through Contact us, quoting the listing, RFQ or proposal reference.

4. Agree the handover before commitment

Before arranging an external payment or shipment, agree the final contract, specification, inspection acceptance, dispatch and delivery milestones, responsibilities, claims process and supporting documents with your counterparty and relevant advisers.

For cross-border purchases, have a qualified broker confirm the classification, eligibility, documents and assessed charges for the actual material and route. A country selector, estimated freight price or indicative metal rate does not confirm that a trade can proceed.

MetalSite records proposals and private coordination orders. Acceptance is in principle. The platform does not collect or safeguard funds, operate escrow, book freight or submit customs declarations. Arrange those services separately with suitable providers and confirm their actual terms.