Today, I will explain in detail about "out of stock", which is one of the common failures when exporting products without stock from Amazon.
Some of you may not have experienced an out-of-stock situation yet, but
it's a good idea to prepare now so that you can respond appropriately when you actually come across one.
First, let's start with a very simple explanation of what an out-of-stock item is.
1.What is out-of-stock in non-stock sales?
When you hear the word "out of stock," you think that the item is simply out of stock.
The idea is completely different when it comes to non-stock sales.
In the first place, we sell without inventory, so we basically don't have any inventory on hand.
The biggest advantage of no-stock sales is that you don't have to keep any inventory.
However, it is somewhat confusing that it is out of stock even though it is out of stock...
Out of stock in non-stock sales
refers to a situation where, after an order has been confirmed, the product cannot be found even if you search online to purchase it.
If a new product comes out and an old model is discontinued without us noticing, this can lead to out-of-stock items.
In addition, popular items may not be available depending on the timing.
2. What not to do when out of stock
When something goes out of stock, if you don't know anything about it, you
may feel a little panicked and don't know what to do.
There are some things you should not do when you are out of stock.
This means canceling the order at the seller's discretion.
2-1. It is not okay to cancel the order immediately
If the seller cancels the order due to the seller's convenience, the account rating will drop.
You can also select buyer convenience as the reason for cancellation, but
if you repeat this without contacting the buyer, it will affect your account rating.
Your account rating is very important, and if it goes down, you won't be able to sell it, and
in the worst case scenario, your account will be suspended or even permanently suspended.
To cancel an order without lowering your account rating, you
must ask the buyer to cancel the order.
Click here for the article regarding account review
Let's take a look at how to get the buyer to cancel the order.
3. What to do when out of stock
What you should not do when an item is out of stock is to cancel due to the buyer's convenience, but
we will check how to actually respond.
3-1. Search all over other shopping sites and physical stores
Regardless of the buyer's circumstances or the seller's circumstances, it is best if you can avoid canceling the order.
Don't give up right away just because you can't buy it on Amazon or Rakuten; search all over the internet.
You probably usually buy from Amazon, Rakuten, or Yahoo Shopping.
There are many other shopping sites these days.
The first thing we recommend is doing a Google search using the product name + model number.
When you switch to the shopping tab, you will see a list of relevant products.
I was able to successfully find a product that was out of stock on Amazon.
In addition to the shopping tab, personal online shopping sites are often found as search results.
What you need to be careful about here
is that products that look very similar but have different model numbers may come up in your search.
If you are not careful, you may end up purchasing the wrong product, so be sure to double check.
If you still can't find it, try looking to see if it's listed on a flea market app.
When you think of a flea market, you may think of second-hand products, but there are actually many new and unused products on sale.
The price is also quite low, so there's no reason not to use it.
When purchasing from flea market apps such as Mercari or Rakuma, you need to pay attention to
the seller's reputation and personality.
Mercari has a huge number of users.
Of course, the user base is wide-ranging, ranging from people who can't hold a proper conversation to people who impose their own rules on them.
Be careful when purchasing from flea market apps.
3-2. Have the buyer take the cancellation procedure
As I explained earlier, if you cancel it yourself, it will affect your account rating.
Therefore, you will need to ask the buyer to cancel the order.
What should I do first?
In order to contact buyers, you will need to follow the steps below:
First, search for the product in question from the order confirmation screen in Amazon Seller Central.
Once you find the item, click on the buyer's name. (Part of the name is mosaiced.)
Clicking on the buyer's name will display a screen like the one below.
Check the checkbox to confirm order details, compose your message, and click the "Send" button.
This time, as an apology for the inconvenience, we are issuing a coupon and posting the code.
This increases the possibility that the buyer will cancel the order.
Furthermore, if you use the coupon to purchase other products, you can kill two birds with one stone.
I would like to explain how to issue coupons in the next article.
The following is an example sentence, so
feel free to use it by adapting it in your own way.
—Example Sentence—
Dear XXX(Name)
We are writing about the order(order number 112-XXXXX-XXXXXXX).
Unfortunately, the item you ordered is currently out of stock.
We are really sorry.
It would be helpful if you could cancel the order.
You can cancel it on the next page.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=595034
We apologize for the inconvenience.
For compensation, we give a coupon to you.
Coupon code: XXXX-XXXXX-XXXXXX
For your convenience, I have included a simple translation for your reference.
—Example Translation—
Mr. XXX
This is an email regarding order number 112-XXXXX-XXXXXXX.
Unfortunately, the item you ordered is now out of stock.
We are very sorry, but we would appreciate it if you could cancel the order.
You can cancel from the page below.
URL omitted
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.
We will issue you a coupon as an apology.
Coupon code: XXXX-XXXXX-XXXXXX
4.To avoid stockouts
So far, we have explained what to do when out of stock occurs, but
what can we do to prevent it from happening in the first place?
Utilize inventory management tools
The most useful method is to use external tools.
Especially when selling without stock, the number of listings becomes enormous.
It would be almost impossible to manually manage a huge number of products and even keep track of inventory.
I haven't actually done it myself, but I think it's enough work to do it all in one day.
Amazon officially has a function that changes the product price to match the lowest price of other sellers, but it
does not link to the online shop's inventory.
Please refer to the article below for information on which tools are best to use and a comparison of external tools.
・Comparison and recommendations of Amazon export tools
Even if you use an external tool, if the settings are incorrect, stock-outs may occur, so be careful.
summary
・What exactly is out-of-stock in Amazon no-stock sales?
We have looked at what to do and what not to do when a stockout occurs
, and ways to prevent a stockout from occurring
"Out of stock" is something we have to deal with as it is inseparable from Amazon out of stock exports, but
did you understand that it can be a big problem if you don't handle it correctly?
“Out of stock” can be said to be one of the biggest risks in out-of-stock sales.
It is a bad idea to react in haste when something like this happens out of stock.
Be sure to know what to do and what not to do and respond calmly.
For those who have been taking the cancellation process lightly, please proceed with caution from now on.
