Home Before you join: about MarbleMap

Before you join: about MarbleMap

Commission, revenue model, starting free, trust, privacy and scope — and what MarbleMap does and does not sell. The questions visitors ask before signing up.
By Atilla Ilhan KARTAL
• 48 articles

How is MarbleMap different from classic stone listing sites?

A listings site is a catalogue; MarbleMap is a demand market — that is the core difference. On a listings site you scan ads one by one, email firms separately and build your own comparison sheet. Here you state your need once and the offers come to you. Where it differs: - Need, not catalogue: with New Demand you spell out stone type, quantity, delivery terms and budget; sourcing starts from your need, not a product listing. - Qualified suppliers, not random ads: your demand appears in the Marketplace only to operator-approved, verified businesses whose category matches. - Sealed bids, not open haggling: no supplier sees rival offers, their prices, or even how many offers arrived — and buyers cannot see each other either. - One screen, not scattered quotes: offers are compared on a common EUR basis and the best one is flagged automatically — the final call stays with you. - Subscription, not commission: no cut is taken from any sale; the platform earns from subscriptions only. Buyers start free with 2 active demands. - Two languages, not one: in-demand messaging is bilingual — no shared language needed. In short, a listings site leaves the searching to you; MarbleMap owns the process end to end. Also asked as: How are you different from other stone listing sites? · Why use MarbleMap instead of a marble classifieds site? · How do you differ from competitors? · Is MarbleMap just another stone directory?

Last updated on Jul 29, 2026

Are the companies on the platform actually vetted?

Yes — our team reviews every company before granting access, and a company whose application isn't approved never gets into the marketplace. Sign-up takes three steps and ends on the Review your application screen, which lists what you provided: company name, country, website and contact details. Suppliers also state the stone categories they work with and their primary sourcing region. The website field is asked for precisely because it helps our team verify the company. Once you press Submit application, the account moves to Under review. During the Admin review step our team verifies your company details; most applications are reviewed within 1 business day and the outcome arrives by email. Approved companies reach the Access granted step — and only then do they see the marketplace. If an application isn't approved, the account stays closed: a sign-in attempt returns "Your application wasn't approved." So the supplier bidding on your demand, or the buyer whose profile you're reading, isn't someone who signed themselves in — it's a business that passed operator approval. The review concerns whether the company is real. Stone quality, shipping and payment terms are agreed between buyer and supplier. Company profiles can additionally carry a separate Verified business badge. Also asked as: Are the companies on MarbleMap real? · Who gets accepted onto the platform? · Is there a risk of fake companies? · Who approves memberships?

Last updated on Jul 29, 2026

Does MarbleMap handle shipping and customs?

No — MarbleMap does not move freight or clear customs; we are not a carrier, a forwarder or a customs broker. What the platform does is make it clear from the outset who carries that responsibility. The work itself sits with the buyer and the supplier. Your demand states the terms, so freight is priced rather than guessed. The Delivery step requires a Delivery country and a Delivery point (city / port) — haulage to one port costs differently from another. Your delivery term comes from the full Incoterms® 2020 rule set, which sets where shipping, insurance and customs responsibility passes from seller to buyer; Accepted Incoterms (a Pro field) hints suppliers rather than binding their offer. On each product line, Export information takes an optional GTIP / HS Code and Origin so the supplier can price duties correctly. The payoff comes at comparison time: Incoterms appears alongside the offers, so you know which quote includes transport and clearance before you decide. Anything left open you can ask the supplier directly in the demand's bilingual messaging. Shipment, clearance, insurance and invoicing belong to the commercial relationship between buyer and supplier; MarbleMap is not a party to it. Our part is making sealed offers comparable on one shared EUR basis and on the same delivery term. Also asked as: Do you ship the material? · Who arranges freight and clears customs? · Does MarbleMap book the transport? · Is freight included in an offer? · Is MarbleMap a freight forwarder?

Last updated on Jul 29, 2026