Do to low stock I cancelled one order, now my performance has been affected locking me out.

[dreamsewingsupplies]

Due to some delivery disruptions in regards to COVID lockdowns my new stock was delayed. I had to therefore cancel a customers order because of low stock issue and this affected my performance. I am now unable to edit my current active items altering things like stock level leaving me with no alternative but to delete the item from my store. I have gone form 167 active items down to approx.  20 . I can not see how this is going to help improve my performance, all it has done is form me to spend more time driving customer to my own website online store. I think there should be some consideration as cancelling and order should not be classified as a return due to a faulty product or not as described. As limiting my account means I can not edit my inventory, so if I need to adjust stock levels I can not as the same thing could happen. My only option is to remove the product all together from my Ebay store.

Regards

Anthony Sandford

[papermoon.lady]

We are only normal members here, not eBay staff, so we cannot change the situation.

You could try live chat (from the Help page) and explain that delivery disruptions caused delays in the supply of new stock.

As I am not a seller, I don't know if there are any rules concerning this situation at the moment, but you could try. They are aware of the situation of course and have already extended delivery frames (for buyers), so they might have some understanding.

[p9games]

Having to cancel an order due to lack or stock, damaged stock etc is considered a defect.  It's my understanding that defect rates are measured against a benchmark of what is considered acceptable compared to sellers in the category you sell in.  If you only get a few sales a week, then a single defect is a significant % of your total and your account will be impacted.  Your seller fees can go up if your defect rate is too high.  

In your seller dashboard you can see your defect and late shipment rates.  

Definitely consult with the ebay support team via chat.

[jellybirddesigns]

For future reference, cancelling an order with the reason "problem with buyers address" is the ONLY one which will not incur a defect.

[sugar249]

Don't list items you don't have in your inventory, then this wont happen.   Your own fault really,  why try to sell something you don't have.

[daydreams_12]

You must know when your stock levels are getting low.  That is the time to remove them, not just wait until someone buys something and you cannot supply.  At the moment you would not be the only one having a problem getting deliveries so it really is up to you how you handle it.  I would not be happy if a seller advertised something I want/need and then find out No Stock.

[*sons_and_daughters*]

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@daydreams_12 wrote:

  I would not be happy if a seller advertised something I want/need and then find out No Stock.

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I agree.

I ordered an item a good 6 months ago. 2 weeks after ordering I'd not been notified of postage, or tracking (it wasn't an item that could be sent as a letter). Being a reasonable person, I gave it another week and still had not heard anything. 

I sent the seller a message asking if there was an issue and heard nothing. A week later I opened a dispute and then copped the most disgusting abuse from this seller, saying he was waiting for stock to arrive blah blah blah. He sent words to get around the swear censors.

At the end of the day, all he had to do was send me a reply saying he was waiting for a shipment from his supplier, that has been delayed for whatever reason (probably covid), and it wouldn't have been a problem. Instead, he ignored me until I opened a dispute and then abused me using some pretty savoury language (the F and C words, but disguised to bypass the swear filter).

If you are out of stock you are out of stock. Remove that item from being an active listing. Otherwise, you will find yourself in the position you are in. While I am a reasonable buyer and happy to wait, most aren't. If they don't have their item by the ETA, they open a dispute. As you can't prove the item has been sent, you lose, and get a defect for their efforts. As you have found, that defect restricts your account. Learn from it and move on, if you can. If not, you'll have to wait 12 months for the defect to drop off.