Out of stock items

[Comfortzone]

AIBU to say to online retailers, please please please, if your product is OUT OF STOCK, just simply remove it from the webpage!

Especially Next and Boots...

Anyone else find this very frustrating? Or maybe I'm just turning into a grumpy old lady

If a shelf is empty in a store, then that's fine. We know they prob have stock in a box out the back and can ask a store assistant and they'll check.

Online they should have a feature which automatically REMOVES the item from buyer view of it sells out in that particular distribution area according to the buyer website location

Surely they have clever people who could add this function in a week or less? Would really help consumers to stay on their website and not leave that retailer to look elsewhere

Yep dunelm. They actually took my money and 2 days later got email to tell me was actually out of stock. Took another few days for my refund. Annoying!

Yes it’s frustrating.

Even if they don’t want to remove the item altogether (expecting more stock in or whatever), it would be massively helpful if they could give the customer the option of selecting filters that screen out any out of stock items.

YES!!!!! I am so so fed up of everything we want or need being out of stock.

George @ Asda is terrible for low stock levels. As is Emma Bridgewater! - My bitter face

Next have an in stock filter option. They also have a Back in stock filter option.

M&S are really bad for this too. An item comes up on email, you look for it and discover there’s one left in a size that isn’t yours. Such a waste of time.

Sorry not Dunelm was actually The Range!

Argos is the worst for this. They will let you get all the way through an order, before you find out that it isn't available locally, or online. I don't bother shopping there now, because it is so frustrating!

And Zara. They literally let you add it to your basket sometimes and then only tell you when it's time to pay. So annoying!!

Yes it's very annoying. I ordered some trainers for my DS yesterday from JDSports, they were £70. They took the money, order was processed, and ten minutes later I got an email to say they were out of stock and it'd take 5 days for a refund 😡 So now I have to wait for the refund before I can reorder some trainers. So annoying.

@Comfortzone

If a shelf is empty in a store, then that's fine. We know they prob have stock in a box out the back and can ask a store assistant and they'll check.

Online they should have a feature which automatically REMOVES the item from buyer view of it sells out in that particular distribution area according to the buyer website location

Surely they have clever people who could add this function in a week or less? Would really help consumers to stay on their website and not leave that retailer to look elsewhere

A don't show 'out of stock'option would be ok for those who wish to use it

However, I don't want items to routinely not show just because they're currently not in stock. I like to know who usually stocks certain items. IF they're currently 'out of stock' I can set up a notification for when it's back in stock or I can keep checking. If it doesn't show up, then I need to start looking where else I could buy it from, which is annoying when I'd happily just wait.

@Comfortzone

If a shelf is empty in a store, then that's fine. We know they prob have stock in a box out the back and can ask a store assistant and they'll check.

Online they should have a feature which automatically REMOVES the item from buyer view of it sells out in that particular distribution area according to the buyer website location

Surely they have clever people who could add this function in a week or less? Would really help consumers to stay on their website and not leave that retailer to look elsewhere

Exactly. Their computer already knows that it's out of stock. So why can't they incorporate that information into their online store and give you the option to show in-stock items only? If some retailers can manage it, then the rest should be able to do it as well. It's not rocket science.

Some of these retailers need to update their shoddy practices!! It shouldn't allow you to put an OOS item in your basket.

Oh god yes to Argos being the worst! I no longer shop there any more due to the website being so shockingly shit.

Or when you add a pair of socks for £3 to your order so you can escape the high delivery charges, and then they tell you the thing you really wanted was OOS, but they'll be sending the socks...plus the £5.95 DELIVERY CHARGE.

Yes to all this, and especially the cropped sweatshirt/jumper thing! The number of items I've sent back because on the smiling leaning forward model its a reasonable length (or super sneaky is the tucked-it-in method), open up my parcel and it's a crop top