Which Suppliers Do You Trust? Mislead by stock claims on website!

[leelive]

Been trying to buy an American DJ X-Scan LED Plus Scanner.

Very disappointed with lots of DJ websites that advertise that they have stock ready for next day delivery!

I have emailed 3 such shops to check before ordering.... turns out they didn't actually have the stock.

Also made the mistake of ordering from the following websites only to be told they don't have the stock that they claim they can provide on their websites!!
djstore.com
djdeals.co.uk

It makes no business senses. They are going to lose trust in the long-term... so why do they make such "in-stock ready to ship" claims!?

So, which websites do you trust to accurately report actual stock?

Lee

[djrobentertainment]

http://www.djkit.com/american-dj/american-dj-x-scan-plus.html

[WWDJ]

Having dealt with Phase 1 and Gear4DJ's, i've found them both to be honest when you get in touch by email. As they are both relatively small operations it must be difficult to accurately pinpoint when stock is available as some of their stock, particular niche items will be ordered in as needs be.

The information on the website will only be as good as the information presented to them by their suppliers and the frequency that they communicate with those suppliers.

[leelive]

http://www.djkit.com/american-dj/american-dj-x-scan-plus.html

Thanks. emailed them last week. They don't have stock either.
Lee

[DazzyD]

Funny you should mention this.

A few weeks ago, I ordered a couple of Par56 cans from a supplier I've used several times in the past. The website described them as "in stock" at the time of ordering and I needed them by that weekend so I put the order in online. After a few days of waiting I rang up to enquire about my order only to be told that they were out of stock. I didn't get them in time for my gig so now won't be buying online through that supplier's website anymore.

To be advertising goods as "in stock" when they're not is, quite possible, a breach of the Distance Selling Regulations as it could be deemed to be a misleading claim aimed at getting customers to buy an item they don't have.

But, from my point of view, it's particularly bad customer service!

[discoworld]

This is a very valid point and the reason is simple. If these companies are advertising thousands and thousands of products, there is no way every that they have them in stock and could ever carry them in stock themselves.

So they rely on either the supplier having stock, or maybe a distributor that will direct ship. It also means that they cannot control the products on there website for things such as changes in specification and prices.

You place your order, they pre-authorise the payment which will make you bank hold that payment, then they order from the supplier. If the supplier is out of stock - and most of them are regularly out of stock for several weeks then they may try to cross sell an item to you. They hope you will take something that is available.

It is a short term view, but one that works throughout the industry. In my opinion suppliers should do all they can to prevent this sort of trading and encourage shops to stock products. If websites where an actual representation of the shop it would be better - that way one company might do certain products another one doesn't have and visa-versa.

We have always used real up to date stock levels updated every 10 minutes for stock in our own warehouse and showroom. However, it bites us on the arse as we have never had unlimited cash flow to fund the stock - so who is in the wrong, because some of these companies doing the fake stock level indicators have a much larger turnover than the small guys doing it properly.

It's up to you the customer to make sure that you support the retailers doing it properly to keep them in business.

Finally, I think - and I could be wrong, that the X-Scan has been discontinued. This is possibly because of the arrival of the Inno Scan.

[DazzyD]

This is a very valid point and the reason is simple. If these companies are advertising thousands and thousands of products, there is no way every that they have them in stock and could ever carry them in stock themselves.

So they rely on either the supplier having stock, or maybe a distributor that will direct ship. It also means that they cannot control the products on there website for things such as changes in specification and prices.

You place your order, they pre-authorise the payment which will make you bank hold that payment, then they order from the supplier. If the supplier is out of stock - and most of them are regularly out of stock for several weeks then they may try to cross sell an item to you. They hope you will take something that is available.

It is a short term view, but one that works throughout the industry. In my opinion suppliers should do all they can to prevent this sort of trading and encourage shops to stock products. If websites where an actual representation of the shop it would be better - that way one company might do certain products another one doesn't have and visa-versa.

We have always used real up to date stock levels updated every 10 minutes for stock in our own warehouse and showroom. However, it bites us on the arse as we have never had unlimited cash flow to fund the stock - so who is in the wrong, because some of these companies doing the fake stock level indicators have a much larger turnover than the small guys doing it properly.

It's up to you the customer to make sure that you support the retailers doing it properly to keep them in business.

Finally, I think - and I could be wrong, that the X-Scan has been discontinued. This is possibly because of the arrival of the Inno Scan.

Or you could just abandon the internet altogether and go to a shop such as DiscoWorld in Hartlepool and have a chat with someone like Darren, who is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and will even give you a coffee whilst he demonstrates products for you! Could you imagine PC World staff giving that level of Customer Service?? Me: "Does this hard drive dock come with an IDE drive adaptor?" PCW Staff Member "Ah dunno. Have you read the box?" :eek:

To be fair, DiscoWorld has a decent website although a lot of the products are often described as "out of stock" but, like Darren said, it would be impossible for a smaller retailer like his company to stock everything all of the time. The fact that the website is honest is one of the reason's I chose to buy from DiscoWorld in the first place.

[MikeW]

I tend to phone the company first, to check availability. Then usually pay by card.
I have just used a company, Gear4music, and have been very impressed by them. (see the thread on QTX QR12pa)
I also trust Mike at Phase one, although on this occasion he was out of stock, but he did state that on his website.

[simonp]

Never trust HTFR, but that's another story :lol: - they are truly awful

[Larry B Entertainment]

Never trust HTFR, but that's another story :lol: - they are truly awful

+1

[leelive]

.............. I didn't get them in time for my gig so now won't be buying online through that supplier's website anymore.

To be advertising goods as "in stock" when they're not is, quite possible, a breach of the Distance Selling Regulations as it could be deemed to be a misleading claim aimed at getting customers to buy an item they don't have.

But, from my point of view, it's particularly bad customer service!

Agreed.