Online shops selling equipment they don't have

[Astrobserver99]

This has become a plague when shopping online...online astronomy shops selling equipment they don't have or can't get. They even get you to pay up front with your credit card, or worse still...direct deposit. I am sure a lot of us have fallen into these traps.

I wonder how the law stands in this regard?

Obviously, it's always best to contact the shop owner to check if the item is available.

[snowyskiesau]

And not just astronomy shops either!
I rang a computer supplier the other day for some SD cards - urgent need, do you have them in stock - Yes they replied.
Place an online order, credit card is debited and then the email, 'sorry these won't be in stock until (sometime next month)', Cancelled the order but I bet they wont be a quick to credit my card.
Still looking for the cards :mad2:

[M110]

Was there anyone particular you were talking about Rob? Anyone we should know about?

[barx1963]

My only experience of this with a well known astro retailer (Bintel) they didn't charge my credit card until they shipped. It was a large order needing 3 different shipments.

[erick]

I also purchased astro gear from an Australian supplier which required some manufacturing over some weeks. My credit card was not debited until shipping. I thought that was appropriate, but was pleased to see anyway.

[Jeffkop]

Its a curse isnt it !!!! They even have online inventory that you goto and make sure they have stock of the item. So you order it and THEN find out they actually DONT have it and are told that the inventory information is wrong. So in the ensuing week/weeks that you wait for your item you waste some time and go and look at the same item you ordered .. and guess what ... they STILL have stocks. So they tell you Bull#$%t from the start. And oh dont they get upset when you mention to someone that even though they are aware that the inventory information is incorrect ... it doesnt get amended, just simply left as is to invite the next sucker !!!!
Its normally at that time I cancel the order and tell them I will shop elsewhere, pay more if I have to but at least I will be dealing with someone a little more honest ... And they dont care at all!!!!!

[space oddity]

Holding stock of goods is expensive, both in storage and having to pay for the stock which may not sell. This then makes drop shipping the way to go. This is how it works. The goods are made in the factory, packaged on site and posted directly to the consumer, bypassing wholesalers. Often a batch is made/ injection moulded when sufficient orders are there.The retailer/online seller merely gets the customers through advertising/ catalogues and gets a cut of the sale for finding the customer. I call it the spotter's fee.
2 lots of shipping is inefficient as are multiple middlemen. If you need the service of sales staff who know the product and can show it to you, then of course you must expect to pay significantly more because of the value added. If you already have done your research online and know exactly what you want, then you can save money buying online this way.Service is by definition going to be compromised, but look at the savings.The online seller usually gets discounts for volume of sales, so typically the average consumer cannot get access to the savings of direct purchase straight from the factory.
Moral of the story, manufacturers, be in an industry where your product is amenable to drop shipping where the main middleman is the postman.

[Jeffkop]

Think you missed the point of the thread. No ones debating the mechanics of this ... simply that its a bugger when one of these online stores says that they HAVE an item in stock ... when infact they dont and as your reply suggests .. someone else does. There are plenty of online sellers that list stock levels as EG. at supplier, ship within 2 days .. a true and accurate stock assessment, rather than list say 16 in stock when infact they dont have that at all.

[Barrykgerdes]

Yes I think it is downright dishonest.

The problem of on line selling of goods not in stock is an on going problem that is not going to go away no matter what laws are passed. In fact it will get worse as more and more people find out that you can get away with it.

The problem will only be minimal when purchasing on line from established retail industries that are just adding this facility to a normal trading establishment but other organisations with no capital invested are going to find that there are lots of suckers out there waiting to be fleeced.

Personally on line shopping does not appeal to me because I like to browse and "feel the quality" but there are some items from O/S supplies that can only be bought this way and it finallly comes down to trust.

I find that buying in person from the local resllers is far more satisfying even if the prices are higher and the well established firms are not all that much dearer than O/S sellers when you look at the other advantages.

Barry

[Screwdriverone]

Yes, I have noticed this with the items in stock listing under each item, I never trust that it's accurate without a phone call to verify first.

Another lovely trick is to ask for you to sign up before purchase, get you to fill out all your personal info such as address, email etc, and then take you to a page that says......OUT OF STOCK, or shows you the item is say $10 AUD with $75AUD shipping, OR the clanger "we ONLY ship to US/Canada"

This is AFTER they show you all the costs in $AUD and NOW they have all your personal details etc......Arrgh!

The online stock issue also reminds me of when I was in Hong Kong and was shopping for a DSLR camera. EVERY shop I went into in Kowloon had the camera I wanted in the window!, I spent 3 mins as a customer talking price and features and then when we agreed, they sat me down for 15-20 MINUTES and ignored me completely while they said they were "going" to the "warehouse" upstairs or round the corner or down the street etc, to get the item. I often angrily told them that I wanted the one in window, here is my money, I want to buy it NOW and they just end up treating you like garbage. One of them even asked me for $500 HKD (about $80 AUD at the time) to "secure" the product from one of their suppliers before they went to get it......I walked out.

I got so frustrated and disillusioned after being subjected to this after 5-6 hours of looking, that I ended up giving up completely....and people reckon the shopping in Hong Kong is great......NOT!

Not going back.....ever

Cheers

Chris

[snowyskiesau]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been trying to get some SD cards.
I placed an online order with my usual supplier and made a note that I needed them by a certain date. I got a call from them advising the ETA , order cancelled, no credit card charges made.
The second place I ordered online after confirming on the phone that they had them in stock. Credit card hit straight away and I've spent the last week trying to get a straight answer from them on delivery.

[koputai]

Name and shame, please!

Save the rest of us from dealing with these scoundrels!

Cheers,
Jason.

[toc]

Are not exactly great examples of Web based commerce, lets be frank. :D

(and some are downright embarrassing)

I doubt it is intentional, just probably a breakdown of process that manages the store front end, and the corresponding stock database that is at the backend of the site.

A lot of places have sites build for them by outside contractors, and might not have the technical skills to be able to manage all that stuff properly.