I had a simliar problem with Lochness Ferry Company Clothing.
They do state good are shipped in 24 hours if in stock or they will be shipped in 3-4 days and you will be notified
I placed the online order knowing if they were not in stock I would be updated - after all they will ship in 24 hours if in stock...right?
Not so. 2 days later they mailed to say NOT in stock.That meant my weeknd use was not going to happen. The end of the world NO... but as I get out on the hill so rarley since my wifes illness still a BIG deal for me.
IMO opinion offering goods for sale which you do not have should be *clearly indicated* After all there are financial benefits to NOT holding stock Customers should be able to make an informed decision.
To me it seems fraudulent to enter into a contract based on having stock & it being shipped and then not being able to do so.
I've used Rutland quite a lot and I have never had any issues about stock or late delivery. This thread has surprised and saddened me as, if asked before it appeared, I would have rated their service as 'very good'.
I find Uttings are quite good, if a bit limited in range for our purposes. They have stock indicators on their website and are pleasant to deal with by phone.
As an independent outdoor retailer with an online website, I can see many aspects of the views posted. At Chevin Trek, our website is manually updated as products are sold and delivered - we just can't afford an "all-singing, all-dancing" automated website like many of the multiples. We try to keep our online stock as uptodate as humanly possible - so unless something has just been sold in the shop to a customer, then if it is showing online we should have it in stock. If you really want to check because it is vital to get a product by a particular time, then just give us a ring & speak to us. So I do understand how the retailer mentioned may have just not got their manually updated website up to date on that particular product.
There is no law against showing stock online but not actually stocking it - although many suppliers are now refusing to deal with online retailers who operate bigtime in this way as they are obviously not buying in up front. Any retailer who does continue to operate in this way should, I agree, be named and shamed. But I don't think that would be the case here.
I think that the key to online buying is communication - I think most retailers would try to satisfy a customer's needs by communicating by phone or email. Believe it or not, the independents do still get a buzz out of getting the right product to a customer - we're all outdoor enthusiasts too!
I have just taken a delivery of Meindl Borneo boots from Ruland. Frankly I cannot fault their service. The boots were size 14 and they had to be specially ordered in. I took the trouble to phone them before I ordered on the internet. As opposed to many internet companies I could easily get through and spoke to someone who told me the expected delivery of 10 days. They kept me informed by email throughout that time and delivered at a good price within their stated time.
And no I do not have anything to do with this company just feel it fair to put a different experience in writing.
