Why let you purchase when you don't have stock!?!

agg25
agg25 Posts: 619
edited May 2012 in MTB general
What is with online bike shops advertising something as being in stock, letting you buy it, giving no indication of any delays...until after the delivery date comes and you ring up to find out where it is and they say "oh we don't have this is stock, it's on back order" !!!

It's cost me 3 weeks waiting for a set of £600 wheels that I've had to cancel now, cost me 2 weeks waiting for a front derailleur that won't be in stock for another 2 weeks. Since cancelling the derailleur, I've rung 5 shops who've had it listed as being available online, all wanting to take my money for something which they won't have till the end of the month.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, SHOPS, DON'T BLOODY WELL SELL IT!!!

/rant over

Comments

  • .blitz
    .blitz Posts: 6,197
    There was an epic thread about this on another forum. Apparently the store's stock control system required the stock to be 'frozen' for 48hrs for stock-taking (!) but the webshop carried on selling stock that had already been sold.

    A proppa stock control system in a proppa business would be able to stock take dynamically but of course a solution like this is expensive.

    Even so there are a surprising number of medium-sized online stores that ime carry hardly any stock. The webshops are basically a list of items they could get if you placed an order and the distributor has them in stock.
  • agg25
    agg25 Posts: 619
    Yeah, I don't mind if they list what they "could" get, if they had a date indicating when they/you would get them, not by misleading you into thinking they have them in stock.
    Chain Reaction is the best as far as stock management go in my opinion.
  • felix.london
    felix.london Posts: 4,067
    I've never encountered this problem but it would definitely p1ss me right off!

    Rose are good. They have a clear indication on each item to whether it's available immediately, in limited quantities or if it's not in stock they say when it will be - all before you 'add to basket'
    "Why have that extra tooth if you're not using it?" - Brian Lopes

    Votec V.SX Enduro 'Alpine Thug' 2012/2013 build

    Trek Session 8
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    .blitz wrote:
    Even so there are a surprising number of medium-sized online stores that ime carry hardly any stock. The webshops are basically a list of items they could get if you placed an order and the distributor has them in stock.
    Expensive to carry stock in the off chance someone might order it. Big warehouse sites like CRC, Merlin, Wiggle, have, well, big warehouses.

    Small to medium stores are often a small warehouse or just even offices in a trading estate, or a bike shop that has a related website. The tricky bit is ensuring you have the right stock that you think will be ordered that week, but for online stores it's essential they have an accurate web site with live stock data. Many have cheap off the shelf web sites and non too accurate links to their stock. Some don't have the stock themselves but rely on getting it from a supplier quickly and so they quote it as in stock and deliver within a few days. When the supplier lets them down, then they have to own up and say it's not in stock.

    Still, in the old days you just went to the local a shop, browse, and if you wanted something special they'd have to order it in. Generally you weren't aware of much else on offer than what was in the shop or maybe another shop nearby had the thing you wanted.
  • .blitz
    .blitz Posts: 6,197
    The point is that a number of medium-size stores are averse to the phrase 'out of stock' because they know that's a lost sale.

    They use ambiguous phrases such as 'available in 2-5 days' and 'ships in 2-5 days' etc. What this means is that after you've put your order in they will put an order in with the distributor who may or may not have the item in stock.

    Then there are the stores that the OP refers to who blatantly state they have an item in stock but what they really mean is that the item could be in stock at the distributors
  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Over the past 2 - 3 weeks, I've bought everything for a complete build from at least 8 different suppliers and on the whole, everything was delivered very quickly, or exactly when I expected it to be.
    There was only one part which "slipped" a couple of times, and on the last time I chased it and they had finally recieved it themselves, they put it on an upgraded (free) AM delivery - saturday as well and it arrived at 9am.
    So all in all can't complain.
    All though at the time I was getting pee'd off. Mainly as i'm an impatient so and so :)
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    agg25 wrote:
    It's cost me 3 weeks waiting
    What's that in actual money?
    My photos
  • agg25
    agg25 Posts: 619
    3 weeks at my wages?? at least £5!
  • baznav73
    baznav73 Posts: 111
    This pratice should not be allowed, if the shop dosn't have it it should say out of stock full stop.
    Our shop website has IN STOCK for immediate despatch OUT OF STOCK we don't have any when we get some more it will say IN STOCK for immediate despatch, and AVAILABLE IN 3-5 DAYS, any item with this means we are linked with our suppliers stock records and they have it in stock for us to order and it should be with us and then to you in 3-5 DAYS, if it's out of stock with supplier it will say OUT OF STOCK on our website, how simple can it be.

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