The Good Guys want to reneg on camera Nikon D3200 bought on eBay 20% off due to no stock - Trying to sell what they don't have?

Lgarage sale on 01/07/2015 - 22:53
Last edited 01/07/2015 - 23:28 by 1 other user

I bought a Nikon camera D3200 on the EOFY Ebay 20% sale. Interesting how the discount works, looks like Ebay subsidise the deal and paid the 20%.
So I ring the store and ask "when is the camera shipping?"
They replied due to unprecedented demand there is no stock in any of the stores and Nikon aren't expecting any for 4-6 weeks !!!
Hmmm, so they are selling what they don't have in stock, is this in hope of quick turn over, e.g get in stock for guaranteed sale ???
So I said if other suppliers could update the site for "sold out" it doesn't seem to be a technology issue but more the business model, e.g sell stock you don't have.
I said so I pressume you will substitute with next model up which they do have in stock, they said no, they will refund, and I miss out on the 20% off.
Other issue is during the sale I also bought accessories from other sellers, spare battery, case, filters, spare charger, which I'm stuck with if I can cancel because they have arrived.

I would have thought they would have just given me a substitute and say "sorry for the inconvenience, we will wear the $60 difference for the stuff up, hope we get our systems fixed and do better next time"

Nope …… I can wait 4-6 weeks, longer then Kogan from Hong Kong for what the Good Guys advertise as local stock.

Take a refund now that the 20% off sale is finished and pay full retail …… but then I'm stuck with the accessories ($110 worth) and need to buy camera at full price from another retailer.

Should I just persist and get them to give me an equivalent model e.g instead of the D3200, the D3300, after all they stuffed up, and should be advertising and taking orders for what they don't have, if other retailers mangled to post "out of stock", I'm sure the Good Guys could also.

Tried to escalate to head office but they don't have phone or Email details, and the customer service people, well they won't escalate to supervisor.

I feel that now it has become a matter off principle, I want them to fix their processes so it doesn't happen again, and give me the camera they took the money for so I'm not stuck with the accessories.

Anybody had similar problems as retailers try to move to online but can't get the customer service model right.

Electrical & Electronics Camera DSLR Nikon

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Comments

  • Unorthodox on 02/07/2015 - 00:05
    +3

    They can't necessarily update for live stock levels.

    Has happened in the past and will happen again in the future.

    Either take the refund or wait.

  • garage sale on 02/07/2015 - 00:22

    Target were able to update stock levels for consoles live, missed out on the Xbox one :-(, and other retailers were also updating stock levels live.

    Also Good guys had click and collect with some stores showing stock and some none, and that changed over the weekend, so they have some sort of stock interface.

    Seems that they take order s centrally, then ship the order slip to a store who should have stock, and they get a courier. to send to customer, If the store shows wrong inventory, they don't seem to be geared for fixing orders.

    Also seems that the "display, demo" shows as stock when they are down to 1 item remaining, thought their software developers would have been smart enough to work out "if stock -1=0 then no stock as last unit = demo" ….. I work in IT so I see these substandard software packages often.

    Problem with taking refund, is then I also need to try and get refund for accessories from the other retailers, and pay return postages.

    Wait for stock …. called Nikon, they said 4-6 weeks but they are not sure, and on their USA web site it says discontinued ……. I'm disappointed a major retailer can't get this sort of thing right, or have a plan in place to remediate their stuff ups, e.g will send substitute.

    Will it happen in the future ….. probably if people don't bring it to their attention.

  • llama on 02/07/2015 - 00:25
    -2

    Hmmm, so they are selling what they don't have in stock,

    That is what most retailers do. Car dealerships do it as well.

    I would have thought they would have just given me a substitute and say "sorry for the inconvenience, we will wear the $60 difference for the stuff up, hope we get our systems fixed and do better next time"

    ROFL. Yeah, right. Did you expect the Easter bunny to deliver the item too?

    I can wait 4-6 weeks, longer then Kogan from Hong Kong for what the Good Guys advertise as local stock.

    Excellent that Good Guys have offered to back order for you.

    Just this week I missed out on the AEG drill deal because I also waited too long (just the same as you did) and Bunnings ran out of stock. Guess what? Too bad, they are all gone!

    Take a refund now that the 20% off sale is finished and pay full retail …… but then I'm stuck with the accessories ($110 worth) and need to buy camera at full price from another retailer.

    Gawd - I shudder to think how much ranting must go on if your toilet paper runs out.

    Stop moaning and bitching. Make a decision and move on. You waited too long on ordering the camera and missed out, so now you have to wait a bit longer.

    It's only an impulse buy, and you have done without for years so you can wait a few weeks surely? You can use your Canon D700 to take photos in the meantime.

  • Geewhizz on 02/07/2015 - 06:23

    So your two choices are, cancel it or wait. At least you do have the choice. Why you'd think you were entitled to a free upgrade is a bit beyond me.

    Telling you if you want it, you have to wait, isn't reneging.

    • garage sale on 02/07/2015 - 06:59

      the delivery terms they listed were 2-6 business days, now they are saying 4 weeks… had they said 4 weeks I would have used other retailer during the eBay 20% subsidy sale even at a higher price.

      I actually offered to pay extra for the upgrade if they had it in stock by splitting the difference, so I didn't think I was entitled to an upgrade , I had hoped they wanted to fix the situation and protect their brand.

  • garage sale on 02/07/2015 - 06:43

    what sours it is that eBay actually pay the 20% off, so if I take the refund, eBay get their 20% back, $90, if good guys said no stock like other sellers did when they run out, I would have bought of another seller, still gotten the eBay subsidy, no if I take refunding loose the $90

    I hate retailers who create honey pots for stuff they don't have, especially if they quote 2-5 business days for delivery and then they can't do it……. at least Kogan quote 30 days for delivery if it will take 30 days.

    yep will keep sharing the canon and tell my son he has to wait for his birthday present until they have stock.

    Bunnings no stock…. not sure about your AEG, because it's a Bunnings exclusive, but when they said they had a Makita battery in stock, and I went to get it they didn't find it, they offered me a 4amp instead of the 3 for stuffing me around. So I guess good experiences set an expectation and the bar that you expect other retailers to match, you compare to other experiences.

    Selling stock not on hand, it's a model used by some retailers so they turn over stock with their 14 or 30 days terms of credit and your money sits in their bank account, until they pay their invoice. Hope this doesn't become their norm.

    normally I find good guys are great to deal with at a shop floor buying level, this is the first time I have used them online and it seems their system isn't as mature as other online retailers who I use a lot for click and collect eg DSE, Target, Myers , Woolworth, Office Works, HN. Might be because the other retailers are part of a company and very protective of the brand of their company ( HN is exception it's franchise) good guys are part of a franchise so the franchisee probably isn't as concerned about the brand overall, though head office might be.

    guess it's sit back and wait and hope in 4-6 weeks they don't say " discontinued model sorry for the wait"

  • holdenmg on 02/07/2015 - 08:55
    +3

    Looking at TGG website they currently list:

    Nikon D3200 Single Lens Kit (18-55mm)
    Model No. VBK330ZA
    http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/nikon-d3200-single-lens-kit-18…
    as Usually ships in 3 - 5 business days.

    That said, checking Local Store Stock says:
    SA Yes - Hectorville
    SA Yes - Gepps Cross

    Also:
    WA Yes - Osborne Park
    WA Yes - Malaga
    WA Yes - Midland
    QLD Yes - Ipswich
    QLD Yes - Helensvale

    Can't Head Office direct your order be fulfilled by sourcing said Camera from these Locations currenty with Stock and Courier it to you at their expense?

    • garage sale on 02/07/2015 - 17:45

      thanks will give it a go, I'm even happy to pay for the extra courier costs, I couldn't find any in Melbourne

  • dny on 02/07/2015 - 09:36
    +4

    You seem hell bent on the idea that they were out to deceive you. Have you ever considered that like many other times there's a huge sale that it was a legitimate mistake on their part? They have already acknowledged that "due to unprecedented demand" they were not prepared for the volume of orders that they received.

    I actually offered to pay extra for the upgrade if they had it in stock by splitting the difference, so I didn't think I was entitled to an upgrade , I had hoped they wanted to fix the situation and protect their brand.

    I would have thought they would have just given me a substitute and say "sorry for the inconvenience, we will wear the $60 difference for the stuff up, hope we get our systems fixed and do better next time"

    Sounds like you were expecting a free upgrade or some kind of compensation to me.

    Also the fact that you've purchased a bunch of accessories before your camera arrived really isn't their problem.

    They could have simply cancelled your order and given you a refund without even offering to back fill your order if they wanted to.

  • Nutrino on 02/07/2015 - 11:57
    -1

    you new bro?

  • garage sale on 02/07/2015 - 19:00

    no wasn't expecting free upgrade or compensation, happy to pay difference to get to a similar model they have in stock, at their sale price ( not back to rec retail) their systems can't do it it seems, online is different to their store front in regards to empowerment for their staff to make decisions.

    fact that I bought accessories before camera arrived, it's for my son, and without a filter and case there is the possibility of damage.

    I just want them to get their online inventory, employee empowerment and support processes on par with OW, Myers etc so this doesn't happen again when I might need a necessity rather then discretionary purchase, it's part of process improvement. They probably have a bunch of consultants who run their portal providing reports who might not be aware on what could be improved.

    • Ughhh on 03/07/2015 - 12:58

      But…

      I would have thought they would have just given me a substitute and say "sorry for the inconvenience, we will wear the $60 difference for the stuff up, hope we get our systems fixed and do better next time"

  • umoddbro on 03/07/2015 - 03:20

    Be glad that they are willing to do a back order for you, they could always just provide you with a refund like a lot of other retailers. I had a few items that I wanted to buy that were 'out of stock', I would've gladly waited for it though. At least you have a choice here.

  • imahapyboy on 30/11/2015 - 11:46

    it's normal, not only tgg, also ds & bw

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