Power Sellers Unite

moonMAJiC · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 272

Yesterday I had an order come through google co for 4 of one item I had listed on eCRATER. I only had 3 of the item in stock.

So, I emailed the buyer and explained this, told her I was going to cancel the order and send her an invoice for 3 and combine shipping costs for her (she had already submitted her cc info to google and never asked for a combine s&h invoice so was planning to pay over 18.00 in shipping!).

I haven't heard from her since I did this however. It's still early in the transaction and she may not have even gotten and read the email I sent her yet or the new and revised invoice.

But for future knowledge, has this happened to anyone else and how should I have handled this situation?

I didn't have listed in the description how many were available on this particular item. I have had others email and ask me if I had a certain quantity available to purchase, but I've never had someone order a quantity without seeing if that many were available first.

**Own opinion here - when you check out on eCRATER, the invoice tool, form, process, whatever, does ask quantity wanted. As a buyer I would take it that I could order however many I wanted/needed of an item. My own opinion, if eCRATER is not going to implement some way to allow sellers to specify a quantity available so buyers can't order more than a person has in inventory, they should allow for multiple listings so it's taken for granted that 1 listing = 1 item available and take off the option for the buyer to fill in quantity ordered.

Anyway, back to the original question - how would/should this have been handled?

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Sarah - I've had this happen a couple of times. I did very similar to what you did -

1. Sent a note sharing what quantity I did have.
2. Offered a discount to compensate for 'low inventory'.
3. Refunded their money to them.
4. Waited to hear if they desired the quantity I had or if they wanted to look elsewhere.

In all of mine, the buyers were understanding and took what I had in stock. I was fortunate that they were 'email users' and answered pretty quickly! I'm hopeful yours will turn out too!

I've started to put into my description the quantity remaining! Have to think like a store, and I do understand how buyers might think there are multiples - ya know?

Best of efforts to ya!! :D

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Darn it - I forgot to congratulate you on the Sale!!! :D :D

moonMAJiC · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 272

Thanks for the congrats Erin! Hope it still goes through too!!! I'll tell ya - people are finding me and purchasing from me on eCRATER what was never found when listed on eBay! I'm so impressed with this store builder now!

I think I'm going through and listing quantities available now in all my listings there... oh is my toosh gonna hate me! LOL!

DaKine · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 21 Location: Hawaii

Did you have your max quanitity set for 3?

From what I understand - if you did the customer shouldn't have been able to order more than that.

If it was set for 3 and she was able to order more I'd let D know in case there's a glitch in the system.

And congrats on the sale. :)

moonMAJiC · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 272

Dang it! No I sure didn't! I was told eCRATER had no way to do inventory control so thought that box was just for sellers to use to keep track of their items? I didn't have a clue that once a product was added by filling it that box allowed a max. number to be ordered!

Learn something new every day and now I've gotta go and revise all my listings! :oops: Thank you though - that's is a VERY helpful tidbit of knowledge to have!!!

Happy to say the woman completed the order for the 3 pins and thanked me for combining shipping for her... so all went well!

Now, off to revise.... :shock:

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Congrats. Sarah - I too need a major 'overhaul' on my items to account for the quantity!!! :roll: :roll:

Need more time in a day - for sure!!! :D 8)

BigT · Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 305

Quote: › docWrite("quote")I was told eCRATER had no way to do inventory control so thought that box was just for sellers to use to keep track of their items?
This is TRUE! eCRATER.com has NO INVENTORY control. That box HOWEVER, would have prevented this from happening.
The max quantity box is like a LIMIT box. The seller enters the number that one buyer can buy at one time.
It will NOT deduct anything sold. But if you had a 3 in there, she could have only bought 3 at that time. Now, she could have bought them, paid and then went back and got 3 more.

As for how I handle it -- I send an email explaining I only have XX amount available and immediately refund the difference and ship what I have. Then I am done! Now, if it's paid other then google, I will call them because I have a phone number but google don't think that sellers need that information from their buyers and we don't get it. It sucks, but that's how google works.