Online Shopping Disappointment

What a shame! From their perspective though, it was in the sale, so up for grabs.

I always assumed that once you had put them in your basket they were yours, whether you had checked out or not.

I have had items in a basket that have still been there weeks later. They send me emails to remind me that I haven't checked out.

I'm probably wrong

John Lewis online normally say how many they have left in stock, but I have been caught out a couple of times when I left my basket for a day or so before presenting it at the checkout. They are not yours until you pay.

I think it's fair to empty the basket after half an hour. It's a real problem for businesses to have stock tied up in online shopping baskets. And imagine if a competitor played dirty tricks by monopolising items with no intention of buying.

I ordered the same dress twice from Phase Eight over the phone and was told it had gone through. Three days later, both times, not in stock; apparently low stock means only one and it had been sold but not registered as such.
Very disappointing.

Sometimes depends if you have an account with the company and log in before you shop you can hold these items I often leave them a day or more. Unless of course they sell out then the items will be removed as you check out

I think it's normal for things to 'disappear' if you haven't checked out and somebody else wants them.

Some companies empty the baskets much more quickly than others. It’s so frustrating sometimes. I have had the opposite experience too, where I put something in the basket then decide not to buy, return to the site another day for something else, go to check out and find the original item still there - I didn’t realise until I saw the total was too high. Occasionally you find a company offers you a discount if you’ve left items in your basket but not often these days.

M & S used to be the worst - they'd empty your basket after you'd checked out. I don't know if they still do, but I once had four matching bra and pants sets ordered from their sale and ended up with one bra and a pair of pants from a different set.

It could be that someone else had bought the last of the stock, and therefore your basket was emptied automatically.

It was M& S and I have had that experience with them too of emptying or removing something from my basket after checkout. Or it says only one available and yet you can’t check it out! So frustrating. Also when picking up online order at local store I always check what’s in it before I leave because twice I have had someone else’s order in my name. And their customer service! well least said the better

Quite a common occurrence. Some companies warn you, others don't. Superdrug is dreadful. It lets you fill your basket with goods but when it comes to payment, you are told that many of the items aren't in stock. What a waste of time.

I think particularly if an item is on sale it’s fair game to give it to someone else if you haven’t paid for it. Uniqlo particularly make that clear. I have had a sale item in my basket, gone to the checkout page and still been beaten to it! If you want something badly enough, don’t delay! It’s not yours until you pay for it as it would be in a shop.

A minor one, but I ordered a pack of 6 brown toy safety eyes the other day - and received 4 black noses.
I won’t be using that company again.

Hate superdrug for that, not ordered from them for a bit cause of that.Also, delivery takes ages.And the 'order for half hour delivery' doesn't apply in my area.Apparently..M&S though are fond of the empty basket routine if you leave it too long.Maybe it's emptied quicker in the sales time? But make sure you log in first, then you should get a reminder, though maybe not in sale time.Once i found an M&S item i liked, (household) and thought I'd go back to it after choosing clothing, but when i went back, it had completely disappeared from their website! Totally. It simply was there anymore- not even to say its sold out! Didn't see it again for weeks, when i grabbed it straightaway, but still its a mystery where it went.??

Superdrug also have so many items that you can only buy if you getting click & collect instore, but not if you're having them delivered- its madness, by then you might as well just go to the blooming store to buy them anyway!

*you're?

SpringyChicken

I think it's fair to empty the basket after half an hour. It's a real problem for businesses to have stock tied up in online shopping baskets. And imagine if a competitor played dirty tricks by monopolising items with no intention of buying.

This seems fair to me too. I've had Amazon Warehouse deals vanish very quickly and think this is perfectly reasonable if you don't check out immediately.

Nannan2

Superdrug also have so many items that you can only buy if you getting click & collect instore, but not if you're having them delivered- its madness, by then you might as well just go to the blooming store to buy them anyway!

I think it is simply because they don't hold so much stock in their main warehouse. When you choose which store to visit they can check whether they have it there. Argos work in the same way and they tell you which local branches have stock. Much better than having to visit stores to see if they have stock.
Not all stores work like this though, many actually send the items to your branch for your order.
What irritates me is when they charge for click and collect, when they're obviously making regular deliveries to the store anyway

The shortest "make your mind up" time I know of is seven minutes. Sometimes, as in the seven minutes one, they will run a clock at the top of the page saying how long you have left.

It will depend on the business and how fast their stock moves. If you haven't paid you haven't completed the sale. If someone else is prepared to, selling is their business so they will make that possible. You can always go back and check if there is more stock but they do need it to be available for those who actually pay.

The superdrug sales model is one other companies use too. In some cases an item will only be available at certain stores.

Different companies have different policies. Asos for example have a '1 hour' policy. It's taken out of basket after this but they do send a reminder... Totally fair....

I like the companies that have a 'save for later' option. But sometimes when you return they are unavailable. But yes it is annoying when you spend ages choosing items only to find they are out of stock when you check out!

Having an item 'in your basket' online is not like being physically in the store where it is actually in your basket.
You have to think of it as though you've put a ticket on it saying you'd like it but if someone else does the same then pays for it before you, they get it, you miss out.

cc totally agree about charging for click and collect when they are obviously going to be making deliveries anyway. Cotton Traders do it, so I won't order from them now. Doubt they will notice though