Can't fulfill order. Best Practices?

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

Question for the community:

A buyer made an order I can't fulfill. The item they purchased is missing in the storeroom. 3 weeks have been spent trying to find it and it does not want to be found.

This is annoying and unacceptable for both parties. But it is also the reality. Today they were refunded in full with a sincere apology. In good faith we further offered 30% discount off any future purchase and gave a $10 good faith bonus above the refund.

The buyer responded with a soft item not received message and the words "BS".

This situation was discussed with eBay Support and eBay agrees we are acting in good faith and that our position is legitimate. eBay stated should the buyer escalate in any manner (included a neg. FB) eBay acknowledges the reality of the position and our efforts to make it good.

What would the community recommend is the best course of action?

[ichopshop]

3 weeks?

Ian

[recped]

Best course of action would be not to wait 3 weeks!

In any event, there is no course of action, you sold something you can't ship, that's it that's all, if you get a neg so be it, if eBay hands you a defect so be it.

These things happen, had a similar one in December, such is life, it's not the end of the world. One thing for sure, I would not be calling eBay and wasting their time (and mine).

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

They were notified immediately after the purchase and previously responded.

They wanted the item and I wanted to make this sale. I couldn't ship anyway until our ACE application was completed and accepted. Customs point of contact wasn't answering questions and it wasn't until this last week I found the amazing help in this forum on how to apply properly.

To be exact, 11 days were spent searching through boxes in storage and trying to find the proper information on how to apply and file for the ACE portal.  Once I could ship the sale was cancelled . It is my responsibility to do the best I can to fulfill an order (search boxes every evening for 11 days) and to refund all monies for an order I cannot fulfill. On top of a refund I gave $10 in good faith.  They were aware every step of the way.

How do others deal with a situation where an order cannot be fulfilled. Good buyer or bad?

It happens infrequently but it does happen.

[ricarmic]

This is the form letter I've written in advance of the day that this happens to me.

So very fortunately, I have not had to use it yet so it is untested.....note that the XX will probably be double the missing item price up to a limit, again untested so far!

==========================================================

Hi! Thank you very much for your purchase!

I humbly apologize because I cannot find the item you have purchased.

I can provide a number of options to resolve this:

-I have a similar item. I can send it instead, with a free bonus to make up for the fact that it won’t be exactly the same as the item you purchased

Or

-if you see any other lots in my store that you are interested in that are valued anywhere up to $XX I can send it instead. (please just advise me of the title and item number you do not need to purchase it)

Or

-if you see an item that is worth more than $XX send me a question about that lot and I will send you an offer reducing the price by $XX which you can accept and then follow the normal payment process

Or

-I can provide a full refund

I apologize again for being unable to provide the item, let me know which option above you prefer when you have a chance. Thank you very much for your understanding and have a great day!!

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

@ricarmic Your constructive input is appreciated.

Your suggestion to offer choice stands out. It offers a breath of fresh-air and the buyer can retain sure footing and the feeling that the outcome is still an extension of their own actions.

All our items are unique therefore a 2nd item cannot be offered. We can offer the choice of another item. And it makes more sense to say have a look at XX or XXXX than offering a blanket discount.

Up to now we've started with a full refund first, but now that you mention it it is the last thing either of us want but grammatically the most important.

[ricarmic]

I've always tried to put as much "control" of the resolution for situations like this, or not as described, MIA items etc, as is sensible in the hands of the buyer.

In my experience to date (in other resolutions) this approach has tended to make the resolution more successful, and in many cases I end up with a satisfied buyer. Having said this in some (rare in my experience so far) cases it costs more than I would prefer but that is part of the risk of this approach.

[rose-dee]

I do like 'ricarmic's'  suggestions a lot.  I think a seller in the position of not being able to fulfill an order needs to offer the buyer some options other than just "sorry, I'll have to refund".  This is particularly important if you're selling OOAK or vintage items where identical substitution is generally unrealistic.  But equivalent or better substitution is sometimes possible, plus perhaps a future credit.  I agree with the others here who say there is no point wasting time involving eBay customer service.  

The fact is, eBay considers inability to fulfill an order as the #1 sin of sellers, and you will get a defect no matter what you do.  From eBay's point of view, inventory management and organization is the seller's complete responsibility, and it's one of those things which really has no excuse.  However, there is sometimes an opportunity to turn a deeply disappointed, upset buyer into at best, a buyer who might consider coming back.  That doesn't obviate the defect, but it may at least prevent your losing a good buyer forever.  

Unfortunately, from what you've said it doesn't sound as if this particular buyer believed your story, for whatever reason.  All you can do at this point is just move on and try to ensure you don't find yourself in this position again by reviewing your inventory management and organization system.  Too many of these sorts of defects and you'll get into real trouble with eBay.  

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

I never thought I'd say this... but in eBay's defense they have been extremely helpful when any disruption in service is not the fault of the seller. Especially when a buyer is aware of the situation and even more so when a buyer has been advised of any delays prior to their actual purchase.

(This particular issue is a compound and complex one, the details of which do not need to be shared in this forum. The buyer is a respected customer and one I hope to continue to business with in the future.)

My reason for bringing it up is because i genuinely wanted to know what best practices where in general. Perhaps, I should have been more vague and objective in the original question.

Once again, thank you @ricarmic.

"However, there is sometimes an opportunity to turn a deeply disappointed, upset buyer into at best, a buyer who might consider coming back. That doesn't obviate the defect, but it may at least prevent your losing a good buyer forever." -- Extremely important.

And @rose-dee... what's an "OOAK"?

[pocomocomputing]

OOAK = One Of A Kind

[rose-dee]

To answer your question about 'best practices', I think a top priority for every seller must be proper, reliable inventory organization.  A numbering system that you can correlate with a digital record is probably best, but there are many methods.   You simply don't want to have to look to 'best practices' to deal after the fact with inability to fulfill an order. 

Perhaps this is very clear to me because as a buyer on eBay, I've had this situation occur.  It can be very upsetting, especially if the buyer has invested time and energy in searching for "just the right" item, and even more so if it's intended as a gift.  Quite frankly, as an eBay buyer I find this error on a seller's part hard to forgive, unless perhaps it was a seller I'd dealt with frequently and had come to trust, and particularly if the seller offered options such as those suggested by 'ricarmic'.  But again, this should never become a matter of something to deal with when it arises, like slow shipping.  By that point, it's too late.  A seller really needs to do everything they possibly can to ensure that the situation never occurs in the first place.  

That said, don't take eBay customer service's pleasant conversation over the phone as any indication of where you stand in this regard.  Generally customer service people are not fully versed in eBay policy, and work in platitudes.  Their main objective usually seems to be to placate upset sellers with understanding words and get them off the phone and on their way. 

Unfortunately there is no "backing out" of a non-fulfillment situation without a defect from eBay.  Having been a long-time buyer on eBay myself, as well as a seller, it is one of the few policy positions on eBay that I find fully justified.   As I said, I think the main thing you can do is ensure this doesn't arise in future.  Take a good, hard look at your inventory arrangements and see if there are ways you can improve them -- or at the least determine where the problem areas might be.  

Oh yes, and "OOAK" is the seller short-form here for "One of a Kind".  🙂

[femmefan1946]

I couldn't ship anyway until our ACE application was completed and accepted.

Well hindsight is 20/20 but.

Don't list anything you cannot ship.

But as I understand it, there was nothing stopping you from shipping without the ACE forms, just that once you had them it would be easier or possibly cheaper for you.

Love how the website does not actually say what ACE is and what it does. Not even the basic criterion of not using an acronym or abbreviation until after you have used the full name of the programme.

In my own experience, and from many posts here and on the dotCOM Boards, it is not unusual for eBay to relist previously Sold items months after they were ended by the seller.

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

@pocomocomputer & @rose-dee

OOAK = One Of A Kind

*facepalm* Of course it is.

@femmefan1946

"In my own experience, and from many posts here and on the dotCOM Boards, it is not unusual for eBay to relist previously Sold items months after they were ended by the seller."

Anyone have any issues with eBay relisting an item at the sale price rather than at the asking price before the sale?

Because I swear my asking prices are being lowered on random listings...

[femmefan1946]

It's not unheard of.

And the complaints are mighty and viscious.

It seems to happen when an item has been listed for a 'long' time.

However, I have a lot of slow selling listings and all I have seen personally is the '16 months with no sales' notice.