Last few days I have had more than my fair share of this - web sites saying they have stock and then not having stock. Had one that says 5-7 days, last Tuesday, and now says "maybe end of this week". Arrrrg!
It is sooooooo annoying. We have so much nanny state legislation for so many things, why not this?
I did ponder though how it could be done. You could make it that you can claim a standard minimum like £50 for any such instance, but all that would happen is that (a) sites outside UK would laugh, and (b) sites would say "maybe" in stock.
I can't see how you would do it. How to make people accountable?
Maybe if it was not legal to do this then trading standards could cause people problems and fine them. Maybe that would work.
As I found with our friends(!) DHL, expectation management is key. Tell me it is in stock for next day delivery and it better damn well be in stock or I will get pissed.
I see no solutions apart from name and shame.... Wex photographic, and The Pen Shop, to name two this week. Oh, and thanks wex for tripping barclays fraud dept - numpties blocked my card - another hour of my life wasted!
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In some cases (eg Misco and their stock of Crucial RAM) the stock level they state is the stock level at their suppliers who direct ship to the end customer. However these suppliers also supply other companies and don't necessarily have live stock feed.
ReplyDeleteOn the Barclays fraud front: I did a new transaction to a site in the US and Barclaycard decided that the next transaction which was a recurring charge running without change for >2yrs was fraudulent. "Barc"ing mad!
I find WEX always pretty pricey. Try www.camerapricebuster first - assume it's new a lens? :-) http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/cat5.html
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ReplyDeleteMost online retailers of Computers and associated Electronic equipment don't actually hold any stock themselves and seem to drop ship from places like Computer 2000.
ReplyDeleteor am I wrong?
Speak with you dollars -- shop at places that deliver on their word.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite encounter with a card provider's fraud department was when my then credit card provider (now cancelled) decided off the back of their profiling that I was (a) technically illiterate, and (b) never going to buy anything computer related.
ReplyDeleteIt took quite a bit of time to convince them that me spending £1,000 on a laptop was not only the sort of thing I might do, but actually a serious underspend because I'd agreed a budget with my wife, and that I was probably more technically literate than anyone in the fraud department.
Last Christmas, my wife ordered 27 items on the M&S website - presents etc - all shown as "in stock" and delivery by Christmas. Within 24 hours, about 5 of those had been rejected as "out of stock until new year". I think in the end she received about 10 of the original 27. I have had the same kind of problem with M&S as well, out of peak season.
ReplyDeleteSo if you're naming and shaming, then M&S, I name you!
It's not even easy with sites that do keep their stock levels up to date... sometimes, something available in three colours will suddenly go out of stock in all three and stay that way for a week, despite being "expected tomorrow" all week. Sometimes that puts jobs you need it for back a whole week, if it fails to arrive by Friday of any given week, say.
ReplyDeleteAs for the fraud departments, don't get me started on those!
Can I suggest that you buy me something nice instead of trying to buy things for you and maybe the item will be in stock and your card not block lol xxxxxx
ReplyDelete