Nick80 Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 I ordered a guitar stand online last week, and as with all online purchases, I checked with my bank to see whether my account had been debited or not. Since it had been debited, I assumed the item had been dispatched. However, having rung the shop, I found out the item hadn't even reached their distributor yet! Is it normal for an onlne retailer to take your money for an Item they show as available when they don't even have it in stock yet!? Any other internet retailer I have had dealings with will only debit my account when they have the item in their hands and ready to be sent out. This makes sense surely. I don't want to "name and shame" as I've phoned them up and am willing to give them a chance, but I will be furious if It doesn't arrive before the end of the week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 HA, I ordered and paid for a Roland D-Bass 2x10 combo online last year. The payment went through and I waited for delivery. I then recieved a phone call from the online company telling me the amp would not be delivered to them by Roland until December, a full two months after I had paid for it. Needless to say, I got my money back and went elsewhere. Selling stuff you don't actually have in stock is out of order in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer61 Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 [quote name='Rayman' post='638030' date='Oct 27 2009, 03:28 PM']HA, I ordered and paid for a Roland D-Bass 2x10 combo online last year. The payment went through and I waited for delivery. I then recieved a phone call from the online company telling me the amp would not be delivered to them by Roland until December, a full two months after I had paid for it. Needless to say, I got my money back and went elsewhere. Selling stuff you don't actually have in stock is out of order in my opinion.[/quote] Had and did exactly the same with a Fender Jazz from Dawson's, got the cash back quickly though in their defence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 I tried to buy a DVD HD recorder via Amazon at a really good price a couple of years back. I got fobbed off three times until they finally came clean and said they were still expecting the shipment and it could take as much as 6 MONTHS. They'd obviously completely cocked up their pricing on the item and were now reneging on every order placed for that item. Got a full refund and ended buying a similar model (half the memory size but at same price as the one on Amazon) from a high street shop I could have got it from 6 weeks earlier before the whole debacle began. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 It is normal I'm afraid. I always phone and do a stock check first these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eight Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 [quote name='Nick80' post='638018' date='Oct 27 2009, 03:20 PM']Is it normal for an onlne retailer to take your money for an Item they show as available when they don't even have it in stock yet!?[/quote] Very normal and especially common with online musical instrument retailers. I've ranted many times on the subject so will resist the temptation to get worked up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 i have had two distinct ordering situations where the money is taken...from a visa card credit account and then the folks email me and say out of stock...do i want a refund or...what? rearrange these letters into a well known word sye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arsenic Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 (edited) [quote name='BurritoBass' post='638295' date='Oct 27 2009, 06:34 PM']It is normal I'm afraid. I always phone and do a stock check first these days[/quote] +1. I always do a stock check these days, especially after seeing something as in stock on a web site, placing an order, and getting an e-mail at the end of the "Usually despatched in x days", time period, to say they had sold out and would contact me "when" it came back in stock. nearly two weeks of arguing to get the money back, because they kept trying to fob me off with the old, "don't worry, it will be back in stock tomorrow" c**p. I eventually had to phone and demand to speak to the manager, and argue for nearly half an hour to get any kind of result. Personally I think that taking money for something that is out of stock is unethical T Edited October 27, 2009 by arsenic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalmoore Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 I think the money should only be taken once the item is ready to leave. Also if there is going to be any forseen delay i would like to know straight away. I bought a Traben off of GAK and although they never took my money they did change the shipping date every week to the next week. I would have much prefered "We dont have it but we WILL have it on xx/xx/xx" I wouldnt mind being told it will take 2 months as long as i knew from the start. In the end i emailed them about it and they told me they didnt know when it would get to them so i cancelled it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick80 Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share Posted October 28, 2009 [quote name='arsenic' post='638463' date='Oct 27 2009, 08:46 PM']Personally I think that taking money for something that is out of stock is unethical[/quote] I wholeheartedly agree, totally unethical. But apparently normal for online music retailers then. I talked about this practise with Alex at the Gallery once, he said something about robbing Peter to pay Paul, I hope this isn't the case this time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I think you'll find this doesn't just apply to online music shops..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick80 Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share Posted October 28, 2009 [quote name='crez5150' post='638826' date='Oct 28 2009, 09:55 AM']I think you'll find this doesn't just apply to online music shops.....[/quote] Well you see that's the funny thing, the other online retailers I regularly use only ever take my money when they are just about to ship my order and not before. It seems to me to be the logical, honest thing to do. But enough of my ranting! I will wait and see if my order arrives by this Friday as I was promised over the phone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 [quote name='Rayman' post='638030' date='Oct 27 2009, 03:28 PM']Selling stuff you don't actually have in stock is out of order in my opinion.[/quote] Most furniture shops sell you stuff that hasn't even been MADE yet so you can't really criticise music retailers for engaging in what is effectively normal practice in the retail sector (for reference, the 'make it to order' business model means that considerably less storage space is required). Or do you actually believe that GAK have all of that stuff in their Brighton shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdgrsr400 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Certainly if the retailer shows the product explicitly as "In Stock" and it isn't then I'd say that is definitely misrepresentation and should not be legal. However, proving a case against them could be a problem. Airlines are regularly sell more seats on a flight than actually exist... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick80 Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share Posted October 28, 2009 [quote name='bilbo230763' post='638848' date='Oct 28 2009, 10:16 AM']Most furniture shops sell you stuff that hasn't even been MADE yet so you can't really criticise music retailers for engaging in what is effectively normal practice in the retail sector[/quote] I totally understand that, but in my case I wasn't ordering a made to measure item and it was indicated as available on the website, slightly different thing imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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