Stock control or lack of it .

SniperDude

SniperDude

SniperDude

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2 Oct 2008
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379
Everytime I try to make a PC component purchase shops take my money then
a day later you get the dreaded email saying stocking error our of stock or some other excuse for not having it I can honestly say this only ever happens with PC retailers never had a single issue with any other shop

today was OCUK but I have had the same with all the main online retailers


surely this isn't something that happens just to me?


this is part rant but its really disappointing every time I want tech....it puts me off all the drama.
 
It all my years of shopping online I think I've had this happen once maybe twice, you're obviously just unlucky.
 
It surely depends on the specific site and theie stock control system.

Some less scrupulous retailers list lots of stock for products, yet don't actually have them (or don't stock hold and buy from a distributor).

Some basket systems work differently and don't necessarily reserve stock whilst it is added to your basket (e.g. so several people can basket the same item, but it may still allow you to check out).

In OcUK's case though, the only time I have ever heard of issues is with B-Grade stock (which by it's nature is limited).
 
I don't think I've ever had this happen to me in all the years of online shopping. I do only shop with companies I trust such as OCUK, Rain forest company and other larger high street retailers.

Maybe you've just had bad luck but this is not common practise with major retailers.
 
I don't buy tech much any more but when I do this almost always happens on one thing in my list :(

Maybe I'm unlucky but it never happens with anything other pc components lol

5 showing in stock when I order then they say they don't have any
 
Most have a cut-off time, after which they go home.
If you and someone else both order after the cut-off, then next morning they will process the orders in chronological order.
If the other guy ordered first and they only had one left in stock, then you're getting an email...

If they have a backlog, then there could be 20 guys who ordered before you, but you're still getting an email...
 
ttaskmaster said:
Most have a cut-off time, after which they go home.
If you and someone else both order after the cut-off, then next morning they will process the orders in chronological order.
If the other guy ordered first and they only had one left in stock, then you're getting an email...

If they have a backlog, then there could be 20 guys who ordered before you, but you're still getting an email...
Click to expand...

Shouldn't really happen these days with modern stock systems.

In my experience 9 times out of 10 this happens due to individuals who are too lazy to do the basic bits of their job properly and result in easily avoidable out of stock issues. (Edits out massive rant).
 
Stock control is a complicated system purely because it involves humans, and humans do make mistakes.

I spent over 10 years in that kind of environment, from a small family business with backwards techniques to stock control to massive national companies selling food that not only involves stock control but stock rotation.

To the customer its simple, they order one, it comes off the stock and a new total is shown to everyone else. But it only takes one wrong label or a picker not paying attention to select the wrong part and it throws it all out. Doing a full stock take even monthly is a massive task for bigger companies or ones that hold lots of products.

I've had it happen to me, but it's not something that I really let bother me as I know how easily it can happen.
 
There is a well known computer shop in Coventry who's name is like the moon passing in front of the sun.

Their website shows virtually everything in stock but when you actually enquire, they have hardly anything they advertise.

I've wasted many visits to them over the years.
 
Rroff said:
Shouldn't really happen these days with modern stock systems.

In my experience 9 times out of 10 this happens due to individuals who are too lazy to do the basic bits of their job properly and result in easily avoidable out of stock issues. (Edits out massive rant).
Click to expand...

As has been said even modern stock control systems have human limits...

Also if the store sells online and in a physical store there is the chance for someone to order something that is showing in stock online, but someone has gone to pick it up from the warehouse for an in person customer (unless they mark it as sold before going to pick it up from the warehouse there will be a few minutes when the system doesn't realise that it's one down).

IIRC a lot of smaller retailers especially don't use a fully computorised stock control system that is in "real time" as it's a fairly major exercise and cost to set up, and if you don't start with it, it then becomes a huge job to implement when your sales are such that it's required (you might have to shut down sales for a few days to let you do a full stock take and set it up).
 
Unfortunately the STX Soundcard appears to be a stock error according to our warehouse manager meaning he has had to remove the stock.


I don't get this message lol
 
Werewolf said:
Also if the store sells online and in a physical store there is the chance for someone to order something that is showing in stock online, but someone has gone to pick it up from the warehouse for an in person customer (unless they mark it as sold before going to pick it up from the warehouse there will be a few minutes when the system doesn't realise that it's one down).
Click to expand...

One of the things I was typing out in a massive rant was related to that - where stuff like that is an additional step on the system and people are too lazy to do it resulting in a period of time where stock is effectively sold but not removed from saleable stock.

About half my working life has been in retail distribution/stock control.
 
I've had this once when I was trying to buy some Warhammer miniatures from a retailer however it was well known their stock system was very poor so kind of expected it. Apart from that never had an issue really.
 
SniperDude said:
Unfortunately the STX Soundcard appears to be a stock error according to our warehouse manager meaning he has had to remove the stock.


I don't get this message lol
Click to expand...

My guess would be the system is showing there is stock when infact there isn't, so the warehouse manager is having to remove the stock listing on the website to reflect the no holding of stock?
 
SniperDude said:
Unfortunately the STX Soundcard appears to be a stock error according to our warehouse manager meaning he has had to remove the stock.


I don't get this message lol
Click to expand...

As above really.

System is showing as it's in stock but it isn't, either due to human error picking or has been damaged and not removed.

The manager is now having to manually correct the stock system with the new information.
 
This is one of many reasons why almost all of my online purchases are sourced from Amazon. It's rare that I'll find another e-tailer cheaper, and when I do, I'll still buy it from Amazon as I get the benefit of Amazon's amazing customer service and super fast Prime shipping. I once had an issue where a Prime order was delayed by a single day, so I spoke with Amazon Customer Services about my resulting dismay, and was given a $15 gift voucher for my trouble. If the purchase is still cheaper from one of Amazon's competitors a few days later, and the difference is fairly sizable, I can apply for a refund of the difference from my credit card company. :)
 
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I use Amazon and OcUK and never had a problem with anything. Not even from stuff sold by other companies on Amazon's website (although I do prefer to buy from Amazon itself).

Last bunch of stuff from OcUK arrived 20 hours after ordering, with free delivery and 3 bags of free sweeties. Can't ask for more than that. Even Amazon isn't that quick and they don't give free sweeties.

The OP must be spectacularly unlucky if they're unable to ever buy any PC kit online because it's out of stock every time. Or maybe they're being targetted by the Illuminati!
 
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