How bad will a "Out of stock or damaged" cancellation hurt me?

[inhawaii]

I'm right now frantically still looking for the item, 

but if I can't find it, how much will a "out of stock" cancellation hurt me?

It's been years and hundreds if not thousands of sales since i've had one.

[dbfolks166mt]

     One defect probably will not hurt that badly but the buyer may leave you negative feedback, if that is possible. When eBay does your monthly seller evaluation it probably will not effect your stats. 

[candd205]

Take a break from looking for it. Try to relax, then later you might have better luck looking for it.

[luckythewinner]

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@inhawaii wrote:

I'm right now frantically still looking for the item, 

but if I can't find it, how much will a "out of stock" cancellation hurt me?

It's been years and hundreds if not thousands of sales since i've had one.

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It is a transaction defect.

How "bad" a transaction defect hurts you depends entirely on how many other transaction defects you have.

In order to find out how many you have, you will need to look at your seller dashboard because we cannot see it for you.

Once you look at your seller dashboard, it will show you exactly how "bad" it will hurt you.

[rosszonebricks]

That is an outright painful experience when you 'can't find' something you have listed.    I go through it often despite my best organization. Fortunately, it's rare I truly don't have the item to send the customer.   

It seems you do enough volume that 1 transaction should not put you over the 0.50% 'transaction defect' rating.

As for the buyer leaving negative, that's usually up to how well you explain and apologize for the out-of-stock mistake.   For what I sell, maybe they bought 100 pieces and I only have 40 left, so not what they ordered and have to cancel due to out of stock, but I message them and explain this and say I'm giving them a full refund but am going to send them the 40 I do have at no charge.    Costs me 1) losing the sale, and 2) about another $5.... but I've had customers that I do this for not leave negative feedback, and have even been a repeat buyer after that.

[lonebuck-books]

Like candd205 said, take a break and look for it later.  You would be surprised how many times I have lost an item, took a break and then came back and found it in minutes.  Also, if you have someone else who lives with you, have them look.  When I was selling books (had over 15,000 book in my inventory) and couldn't find it, my wife would go out and look.  I can't tell you how many times she would walk back in to me in under 5 minutes with the book in her hand.  Sometimes a different set of eyes will find something you just can't see.

[inhawaii]

@luckythewinner 

Is this it?

[dhbookds]

on a "can't find it item"........I've often found it by going back to where I originally thought it was.......and looking again in that box or around that very area.....  in the adjacent boxes/shelves.....if you are "sure it wasn't wrapped up"....open the wrapped stuff....  If you use numbers for locations......and it's supposed to be in Box 87, check box 78......

Amazing how often I find it in the original place.....where "I know it isn't there"......

[lakefor94]

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@dhbookds wrote:

on a "can't find it item"........I've often found it by going back to where I originally thought it was.......and looking again in that box or around that very area.....  in the adjacent boxes/shelves.....if you are "sure it wasn't wrapped up"....open the wrapped stuff....  If you use numbers for locations......and it's supposed to be in Box 87, check box 78......

Amazing how often I find it in the original place.....where "I know it isn't there"......

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This scenario exactly. Every time it is right where it is supposed to be or very nearby, in my experiences.

Good luck.

[inhawaii]

3:20 AM and I still can't find it.

I would normally be shipping it out in the morning.

I have one more day to find it and meet my 2 days shipping deadline.

I'm usually so meticulous that everything is where it 's supposed to be.

Thanks for everyone's input.

[gotta-have-it-collectables]

OOS Opps on You! 

Get ready for 5% additional fees !

[luckythewinner]

Is this it?

Yes.

Since your Defect Rate is 0%, it will not affect your selling status. But there was no way for us to tell you that without seeing your numbers.

If you expand the "Transaction Defect Rate" section, it shows you what the threshold is that would drop your from "Top Rated" to "Above Standard", and from "Above Standard" to "Below Standard".

If one additional transaction defect pushed you over one of those thresholds, it could hurt you. A drop to "Above Standard" can hurt a little by affecting Best Match placement, and a drop to "Below Standard" can hurt real bad by increasing your fees and jeopardizing your ability to sell.

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

Was it one of those Stihl blades? You posted recently about a buyer saying you sent the wrong variation, which you didn't but you refunded and the buyer reordered which means that buyer has 2 models, unless you received one back or are still waiting. Anyway, what I guess I'm asking, is the item possibly sold, waiting to come back?

[buyselljack2016]

OP is clearly waaaaaay away from the point where one (1) defect will cause any seller performance (lack there of) increase in fees.

[buyselljack2016]

@inhawaii 

Take all your time if needed.

I had one that I could not spot looking 3-4 times. Apologized to the buyer, cancelled and refunded.

Next day I found the item (right where it was supposed to be), relisted, and sold to that same buyer.

I will be wearing that defect for a year.