For help on a specific topic, click the icon at the top right hand corner of the screen. This will provide step by step help for your current page.

This section is designed to offer general help and assistance regarding the use of the Cotnet service. As the site evolves, it is our intention to include the more common help issues in a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section of this page.

Click Here to find out how to Contact Us

General Help- Navigating Through Cotnet

(Return To Top)

Cotnet has been designed to be used without any special computer or internet knowledge. The fact that you have got this far suggests that you are fairly competent in the use of the mouse and keyboard, but the following should cover all possible scenarios.

The mouse is the main method used for moving around the site. You will require a keyboard, but its use will be kept to a minimum.

To move between the different sections of this site, you will be required to use the left-mouse button to click on certain buttons. The buttons will normally be self explanatory (ie. Trading floor, BUY etc..) and you can tell when a button has an active link as the cursor will change from the normal arrow to a hand symbol. Move the mouse over the mouse graphic to the left to see an example of this. Note that as this is just a demonstration, there is no actual link attached to the button.

The other method of navigation will be by use of HYPERLINKS. A hyperlink is simply a highlighted word or phrase that when clicked on takes you to a particular section. Hyperlinks are recognisable as the text is normally a different colour, and normally underlined. As you can see the different topics of the contents above are hyperlinks, and by clicking on each one, you are taken directly to the appropriate section.

How to Register

Before you can take advantage of the services offered by Cotnet, you will need to register with us as either a Buyer or a Seller, you will then be evaluated before being allowed to register for trading. There is no subscription for sellers and an annual subscription for buyers of only 5,000 USD but as a thankyou for your registration the first 6 months will be completely free of charge, our invoice will be sent after the initial 6 months. The process of registration uses a quick and straightforward form designed to allow you to be trading on the Cotnet site in the shortest possible time. You can go directly to the registration page by clicking the REGISTER tab, above.

Buying and Selling with Cotnet

The Cotnet service has been designed to revolutionise the global trade of cotton. Cotton buyers will have access to immediate real-time prices for raw cotton and the seller will have immediate on-line access to cotton buyers from all over the world.

The first key aspect of the Cotnet trading system is that, just like a conventional cotton trade, the buyer and seller will be able to bargain until a mutually agreed price has been found.

The second key aspect of the Cotnet trading system is that all bids and offers are tendered anonymously. This results in a secure exchange of contracts once the terms have been agreed by both parties. At the point of acceptance of business by both buyer and seller the two parties are made aware of the identity and details of their counter parts. This enables both parties to carry out any checks on their opposite number which they feel should be made, prior to signature. This includes using the 'Evaluate' system of SGS for which there is a link on our site.

The Seller completes a simple on-line form that puts full details of their stock on to the site. Buyers can immediately view available stock on a world-wide basis 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The buyers view the stock and can make bids for the items shown. The Buyer has freedom to adjust certain trading parameters such as Quantity, Price, Delivery and Payment Terms. The seller views all the bids on his stock, and can either Accept, Reject or make a Counter-offer.

The buyer receives notification of the fate of his bid and, if Rejected or Counter-offered, may wish to make another Counter-Bid in the hope that it is accepted.

As soon as both the Buyer and Seller agree on the transaction by pressing the Accept button, a legal and binding contract is displayed on their machine for them to sign.

Both Buyer and Seller must validate the contract by entering their own personal details.

As soon as the contracts have been exchanged, the Buyer will open a Letter of Credit as per the terms of the trade which will pay the seller for the goods. The payment for the user fee is deducted from the Sellers price.

Costs and Charges

The Buyer- Trading Costs
Currently Free Of Charge.

The Seller- Trading Costs
Cotton Net Limited will charge a user fee, based on the value of each trade completed and will receive a set 2.0% of traded turnover, according to the size of the transaction. Sellers may offer their cotton to the World-Wide Trading Floor at any time and in any number of parcels, all Sellers advertise free of charge.

General Setup Fees
Both buyers and sellers will require a PC computer with Internet Access and an Internet Browser. This may be either a portable or a fixed PC and may communicate through a land-line or a mobile telephone system.

Frequently Asked Questions