Typical GAK...returning to old ways? (wish I'd never started this....just having a rant and whoosh!)

underdog

@Yoseph this is a genuine question, how do other retailers manage it? Guitarguitar tell you how many are in stock, Thomann does to, and I'm sure they worry about Google as much as every other business does.

not_the_dj

Yoseph said:

That said, I'm up for feedback, and I'm happy to pass on suggestions if 'available to order' isn't obviously enough different from 'available next day'. Would changing it to 'available for pre-order' be better? I'd rather not end up in this situation so any feedback is welcome.

"Available for Pre-Order" doesn't work as you also use that term for items that are just plain old "out of stock" but that are available from your suppliers.

For me "Available to Order" is fine. It says you can get it, but you don't have it on the shelf right now.

I think the issue here is that whatever the item was originally shown as 'in stock', but the order couldn't be fulfilled, and so a part order was sent without any warning to the customer. 

As you said it could well have been the last one in stock and the OP was beaten to it by someone else placing a similar order or buying it in store, maybe just seconds ahead. These things happen and it's unfortunate.

It's a shame you're getting a bit of a bashing here, GAK has been very good to the forum and I'd like to see that continue.

Fortheloveofguitar

underdog;648964" said:

@Yoseph this is a genuine question, how do other retailers manage it? Guitarguitar tell you how many are in stock, Thomann does to, and I'm sure they worry about Google as much as every other business does.

Guitar guitar had an amp listed as having '4 in stock'

Was told after purchase that they had none. Their stock levels are often way out.

underdog

Fortheloveofguitar;648975" said:

[quote="underdog;648964"]@Yoseph this is a genuine question, how do other retailers manage it? Guitarguitar tell you how many are in stock, Thomann does to, and I'm sure they worry about Google as much as every other business does.

Guitar guitar had an amp listed as having '4 in stock'

Was told after purchase that they had none. Their stock levels are often way out. [/quote]

I don't know how reliable their system is was more asking about how they managed to list stock levels when GAK apparently can't.

Fortheloveofguitar

underdog;648981" said:

[quote="Fortheloveofguitar;648975"][quote="underdog;648964"]@Yoseph this is a genuine question, how do other retailers manage it? Guitarguitar tell you how many are in stock, Thomann does to, and I'm sure they worry about Google as much as every other business does.

Guitar guitar had an amp listed as having '4 in stock'

Was told after purchase that they had none. Their stock levels are often way out. [/quote]

I don't know how reliable their system is was more asking about how they managed to list stock levels when GAK apparently can't.

[/quote]

Guitar Guitar can't manage then either

underdog

Fortheloveofguitar;648994" said:

[quote="underdog;648981"][quote="Fortheloveofguitar;648975"][quote="underdog;648964"]@Yoseph this is a genuine question, how do other retailers manage it? Guitarguitar tell you how many are in stock, Thomann does to, and I'm sure they worry about Google as much as every other business does.

Guitar guitar had an amp listed as having '4 in stock'

Was told after purchase that they had none. Their stock levels are often way out. [/quote]

I don't know how reliable their system is was more asking about how they managed to list stock levels when GAK apparently can't.

[/quote]

Guitar Guitar can't manage then either [/quote]

For the purpose of this conversation they do, they manage to (incorrectly it seems) produce more information than available to order, which Google prevents GAK from doing.

Fiftyshadesofjay

@yoseph Okay, so the terminology was different, however when I ordered my items it did say next day delivery and I got an email from you guys apologising that you couldn't fulfill it.

Fair enough. However, withholding funds for up to five days is unacceptable as I had to source alternate items and couldn't due to this. I'm sure you'll blame the banking system etc, but to me as a customer I don't really care. If I paid the money instantly then I expect it back instantly. Especially when it's pretty much the only spare cash I have.

RaymondLin

What is obvious is that this is not the first time and the same problem keep arising. The terminology used on the site has been brought up many times so even though some people may understand, plenty others, potential customers will not. And we will be back to square 1 again.

So the question here is why is GAK keep on beating the same drums on the same note, but instead do something about the website. Harsh as it may, you got to treat the general public like idiots, don't give any ambiguity in your language so everything is clear from the get go. 

Or you can leave it as it is, and have another thread in a few weeks on the same thing.

crunchman

I had similar problems with GuitarGuitar and GAK earlier this month.

When the TC pedals all got reduced I ordered a Dark Matter from GuitarGuitar (whose website said they had 4 in stock).

I got an email the next day saying that they didn't have any and gave me the option of waiting for a new delivery or getting a refund.  I checked other websites and GAK listed them in stock so I phoned GuitarGuitar and arranged a refund.

I then ordered from the GAK website (which was definitely showing them in stock), and then 2 days later I got an email from them to say that they didn't have any.  I phoned them, and they said they would be getting a delivery mid to late May so I decided to wait rather than go elsewhere.  It's now late May and I haven't heard anything from them.

From the phone conversation with GuitarGuitar, the excuse was that someone in one of their shops had bought it.  If someone buys the one on the shop floor then the web customer loses out.  There will be a short window where someone is trying it out in the shop but hasn't yet bought it where this could be an issue but it should go off the inventory as soon as it is rung up on the till.  To show 4 in stock was just plain wrong.

I'd have to disagree with @yoseph about not putting expected dates on.  I don't want to add to the chorus beating UK dealers over the head with Thomann but if you look at their website it gives a due date for items that are out of stock.  The UK dealers have to up their game.

not_the_dj

crunchman said:

  I don't want to add to the chorus beating UK dealers over the head with Thomann but if you look at their website it gives a due date for items that are out of stock.  The UK dealers have to up their game.

Thomann aren't perfect. if you watch and track the dates on Thomann for some new or out of stock product you'll see them jumping around all over the place, and going back and back. 

Of course like other retailers they're at the mercy of the supplier/distributor.

crunchman

It does give you some idea though.  Available to Order could be next week or it could be November.  If it has an expected date that says next week then you at least have an idea.

Yoseph

RaymondLin said:

What is obvious is that this is not the first time and the same problem keep arising. The terminology used on the site has been brought up many times so even though some people may understand, plenty others, potential customers will not. And we will be back to square 1 again.

So the question here is why is GAK keep on beating the same drums on the same note, but instead do something about the website. Harsh as it may, you got to treat the general public like idiots, don't give any ambiguity in your language so everything is clear from the get go. 

Or you can leave it as it is, and have another thread in a few weeks on the same thing.

I imagine you're right. 

I'll be honest I'm not sure what I can say here, this thread is here to have a go about situations where peoples' expectations haven't been met, and my company isn't the only one being attacked.... so the news here is that people that buy lots of gear have had bad experiences at various shops occasionally...that's normally because mistakes happen, not because companies are big evil monsters. I'm really sorry for any bad experiences any of you have had with us. We're genuinely trying to make things as straight forward as possible. What would be the point otherwise.

@fiftyshadesofjay the truth is that online purchases do result in banks holding funds. I'm sure that as a customer you do want your money back...as would I, and believe me I'd rather you got your money back instantly, I don't want to deal with the misconception that we hold your money, but I can't prevent it, it's how online purchasing works.

We are actually in the process of designing a new website (I agree that ours has some bits that need more than a lick of paint) and a new back end and stock control. Maybe with that we'll be able to be more specific item by item, list stocked amounts, specify whether something is available through suppliers/old stock/a few days away. Right now the system that we have allows us two options, next day or available to order I'm sorry for it's simplicity, but my hands are tied.

We all get our stuff from the same distributors more or less, no-one gets exact dates, Thomann included. I'm sure they get just as much flack for giving deadlines that they can't always meet, but who knows.

Shark_Eyes

@Yoseph If you wanted to set up a feedback on the website thread like Guitar Village did, that would probably put a smidge of good will your way.

Personally I find your website hard to navigate and understand (and I'm a user experience designer!) so any improvement to that would potentially minimise the negative feedback you receive.

It's also frustrating to work with websites as many people think you can just press a button and fix all the problems, but often you're hamstrung by your content management system which may not have been designed to do the things that you require or that customers expect, and changing the underlying infrastructure isn't a quick or cheap process.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that while I think that perhaps communications from GAK to the customer could be improved, it's not all pitchforks on the forum, and I look forward to the new website.

Rockhopper

@Yoseph ; Strangely enough the problem wasn't so much that an item that I ordered was out of stock (although marked as 'in stock' when ordered). The real problem for me is that shipping half of the order was not helpful. I needed the two parts of the order together, one without the other was, for me, pointless.

If I had an email/call/text saying that everything was out of stock I would have just been disappointed, miffed but not really bothered. (I am usually pretty east going.) However to ship half the items ordered without contacting me first (especially as it is obvious they worked together) seemed absolutely ridiculous with no apparent thought for the intended use.

TonyR

@Yoseph, this is just a matter of interest for me.

I was recently looking for information about a Gretsch G6118T LTV 125th Anniversary and I came across one on the GAK website. In fact it's still there today.

Bearing in mind this guitar was available for the 125th Anniversary which was in 2008 how come its status on your website is "Available to Order"? I doubt whether 7 years down the line you would be able to order this particular model from Grestsch.

Sassafras

What's the point of a retailer giving an expected delivery date if their supplier then lets them down. I'd rather not be given an expected date which may or may not happen, I'd prefer to get it when I get it.

slate

TonyR;649230" said:

@Yoseph, this is just a matter of interest for me.

I was recently looking for information about a Gretsch G6118T LTV 125th Anniversary and I came across one on the GAK website. In fact it's still there today.

Bearing in mind this guitar was available for the 125th Anniversary which was in 2008 how come its status on your website is "Available to Order"? I doubt whether 7 years down the line you would be able to order this particular model from Grestsch.

I'm pretty sure they are still available. Mines a 2011....

TonyR

slate said:

TonyR;649230" said:

@Yoseph, this is just a matter of interest for me.

I was recently looking for information about a Gretsch G6118T LTV 125th Anniversary and I came across one on the GAK website. In fact it's still there today.

Bearing in mind this guitar was available for the 125th Anniversary which was in 2008 how come its status on your website is "Available to Order"? I doubt whether 7 years down the line you would be able to order this particular model from Grestsch.

I'm pretty sure they are still available. Mines a 2011....

Well that's me shot down in flames then!  ">

underdog

Sassafras;649239" said:

What's the point of a retailer giving an expected delivery date if their supplier then lets them down. I'd rather not be given an expected date which may or may not happen, I'd prefer to get it when I get it.

So what's the point in listing it as available to order when it could take a year to come in, if ever

usedtobe

underdog;648944" said:

[quote="usedtobe;648910"]underdog said:

Bogwhoppit;648886" said:usedtobe said:



 'available to order'











Available def : to be had, ready for use, at hand, to hand, at one's disposal, at one's fingertips, within easy reach,Order def : request (something) to be made, supplied, or servedIts available, but only if you order it

Or easily misconstrued by the shopper as its available for them to order from the web site












I always assumed it meant 'we can order it in'. It hadn't occurred to me that people might think it was in stock.. 

Easily misunderstood though when you look at it the other way isn't it? I don't see why it can't be updated with a delivery time/wait like Amazon, instead of available to order it could be delivered in 5 days or 21 days or whatever. I get the feeling businesses don't want to be that honest.
[/quote]

Indeed.