Why do (some) Astro vendors list unavailable items!?...

[parallaxerr]

Not for the first time, I have had an order cancelled this week due to an item being unavailable.

In this instance it was a Celestron Omni XLT102 refractor. I know these have been out of production for a few years, but having found one online, apparently in-stock and discounted thus suggesting it was clearance, I placed an order.

The vendors website allowed me to go through the full purchase process, card details etc. and order confirmed via e-mail. Only to receive a follow up mail a few hours later - "we're very sorry, but this scope is not in stock and is no longer available...."

I'm intrigued to understand 1) why they allow this to happen and 2) why it's still there for sale on their website having been highlighted by someone trying to purchase it!?

Harrumph

Edited March 5, 2020 by parallaxerr

[PeterCPC]

I just think that they are not keeping their web site up to date. But maybe they are also trying to gauge interest.

Peter

[bish]

Very annoying.

[DAVE AMENDALL]

Possible due to lethargy and inefficiency. Zero tolerance don't go back there in the future..........Dave

[banjaxed]

If the vendor is not keeping his records up to date it makes you wonder what his customer service is like ???

[parallaxerr]

Yes, agree with all. I suspect lack of website maintenance is the main issue, which is enough to prevent me going back. 

I've phoned two other vendors today about different scopes, all listed as "in-stock", only to find the same issue.

I understand some use "in-stock" to mean it is available from the manufacturer, but even that didn't seem to be the case today. 

I'm really struggling to spend my dosh a new scope, who'd have thunk it!?

[banjaxed]

I’m sure you will find someone to relieve you of your hard earned cash  😀

[Carbon Brush]

A lot of equipment offered by a retailer is not actually at his premises. It is often held at a central warehouse and is therefore available to multiple retailers.
Then when the retailer doesn't bother to update his site, he still gets orders.
This happens across retail online sales. It is not an astro only problem.

Having got your order, and more important money, he has the opportunity to offer you something for only a little(?) more money.

Maybe I'm cynical. But unless there is a good reason for a failure to supply, I ask for immediate refund and rarely go back to that retailer.
But there are some who will accept other goods the retailer offers.

HTH, David.

[parallaxerr]

Good grief, the curse strikes again. Ordered a set of eyepieces from an vendor online, only to receive a partial refund along with the dispatched notification. "Sorry, one of the items is out of stock". NOT ACCORDING TO YOUR BLEEDING WEBSITE IT ISN'T!

I wanted a full set too and I suspect they're discontinued now. Murphy's law, the one that's out of stock is the one I predicted to be the most used.

And can I get a response on the phone?...…..Can I heck

Grrr…...

Edited March 10, 2020 by parallaxerr

[John]

Sometimes items that are out of stock are still listed but at lowered prices. I think its a ploy used to make competitors look uncompetative.

 

[johninderby]

Items offered for sale online are often actually drop shipped from the distributor not the retailer and if the distributor has not updated stock levels the retailer may be going on the distributors out of date info. 

Hence buying from someone like FLO that actually stocks the items themselves and doesn’t use drop shipping. 

[Second Time Around]

Just now, johninderby said:

Items offered for sale online are often actually drop shipped from the distributor not the retailer and if the distributor has not updated stock levels the retailer may be going on the distributors out of date info. 

Hence buying from someone like FLO that actually stocks the items themselves and doesn’t use drop shipping. 

I didn't know that FLO actually hold stocks.  Another reason to add to the list as to why they're my first port of call.

[mikeDnight]

On 05/03/2020 at 14:01, parallaxerr said:

Yes, agree with all. I suspect lack of website maintenance is the main issue, which is enough to prevent me going back. 

I've phoned two other vendors today about different scopes, all listed as "in-stock", only to find the same issue.

I understand some use "in-stock" to mean it is available from the manufacturer, but even that didn't seem to be the case today. 

I'm really struggling to spend my dosh a new scope, who'd have thunk it!?

Give your dosh to me Jon, I'll spend it for you! 

[parallaxerr]

Oh well the good news is the EPs are not discontinued and are on order, so I'll get the full set eventually. There's just a manufacturing delay, probably coronavirus related.

[parallaxerr]

28 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Give your dosh to me Jon, I'll spend it for you! 

Problem is, it wouldn't go far knowing your tastes Mike!

[DaveS]

1 hour ago, Second Time Around said:

I didn't know that FLO actually hold stocks.  Another reason to add to the list as to why they're my first port of call.

 

[Second Time Around]

Thanks, Dave! I've not long returned to astronomy so wasn't aware of that thread. 

Like others I've had nothing but good service from FLO, and as I said I go to them first.  Only if they don't do what I'm after do I try elsewhere.

 

 

[FLO]

19 hours ago, Second Time Around said:

I didn't know that FLO actually hold stocks.  

😲😬😢

As I type this, FLO is listing 7000+ unique items and in her warehouse there are 9,650 individual items. In stock. On the shelves. Ready for dispatch. 

17 hours ago, Second Time Around said:

Like others I've had nothing but good service from FLO, and as I said I go to them first.  Only if they don't do what I'm after do I try elsewhere.

You are forgiven 😁 

Steve 

[spillage]

If you find that one or more items are out of stock and the retailer has just shipped out what they have then you are entitled to refuse/cancel the delivery of the goods and have a full refund. This then saves you having to purchase the missing items from another supplier and pay an additional shipping fee.

I think the above also relates to if you just change your mind after hitting that "buy" button.

[FLO]

On 10/03/2020 at 16:47, John said:

Sometimes items that are out of stock are still listed but at lowered prices. I think its a ploy used to make competitors look uncompetative.

In the trade those prices are called 'Spoilers'. It is an ungentlemanly tactic employed by weak retailers when they don't have stock (in the astro retail world I can think of only one retailer who does this). It is intended to spoil or take sales from those retailers who do have stock. FLO has never displayed spoiler prices but is often the victim of them. 

Steve 

[FLO]

22 hours ago, johninderby said:

Hence buying from someone like FLO that actually stocks the items themselves and doesn’t use drop shipping. 

Thank-you for your comments but whilst the majority of products are held at, and dispatched from, our warehouse we do still drop-ship where it makes sense.  I.e. large/heavy items like Dobsonian telescopes and mounts.  We do it because they then run the courier gauntlet only once. 

Steve 

[theropod]

Some online sellers also collect ad revenue derived from “hits” to their site whether a purchase is made or not. If that means misleading a customer by listing unavailable items so a Google search drives them to their site still makes them money. Even more disgusting is a trend for web designers is to creat pages with hundreds of hidden “keywords” or “tags” that search engines use, and said pages have nothing but dozens of ads, and not one iota of relevant content. I encountered four such sites yesterday while searching for Arduino code to enable a wifi driven remote control lawn mower. It seems the more obscure the search parameters the more likely one is to encounter this.