[pct-l] marmot driclime & ordering online

[blisterfree at isp01.net (Brett)]

>someone's not paying attention to business. You should have 
>gotten me
> one, since your website took my order twice, then waited 
> half a day to say,
> "oops - out of stock".


Many of the smaller web-based retailers simply don't have 
the resources to offer realtime inventory, which seems to be 
the crux of the problem with Sonoma you're describing.

Mountain Gear is another one. They've got a great selection 
in the catalog, and on the web, but you may not discover 
which items are out of stock until after placing your online 
order. In some cases, one may not even receive an email 
confirmation from the company unless the item(s) is in stock 
and ready to ship. Presumably it's our responsibility to 
call and figure out what's going on. Other times, part of 
the order may ship, with backordered goods noted on the 
receipt, again without any direct notification to the buyer. 
In most such cases, the items are indeed backordered, and 
not discountinued. Waiting usually suffices. But, 
admittedly, the customer is much happier knowing in advance 
what to expect.

One solution is to avoid ordering online, but instead to 
call the company just like old times. Sometimes, not always, 
the order taker knows more than the website indicates. You 
may be able to determine whether something is out of stock 
temporarily or otherwise, or at the very least whether an 
item is to be discontinued if and when it does run out.

On the plus side, quite a few online retailers are offering 
free shipping these days. It may take forever to arrive, but 
it sure takes the suspense out of the process, particularly 
when buying shoes and other "precision fit" products sight 
unseen. If they don't fit, you can return them parcel post, 
and justify the expense fairly readily, ordering anew even 
in advance of credit.

Many of these outfitters offer rock-bottom pricing as well. 
But even when not, free shipping goes a long way toward 
leveling the playing field, including with the neighborhood 
outfitter whose selection is, by nature, often less 
competitive.

- blisterfree
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