Sellers shouldn't list items that are not in stock in their inventory.

[psalmsome]

I ordered a $40 paint brush on May 29th. The expected ship date statedJune 6-9th. The fact that this seller listed a sale on Ebay made me believe that she had the brush in stock in her own personal/business inventory. When in fact, she was waiting for someone to purchase it before she ordered it from the main company. She knew that the company had many back orders. I don't believe that she should have listed an item that she didn't actually have. I could have ordered from another retailer who actually had the brush in stock or from the company directly. Thanks for listening to me whine here.

Is this a standard Ebay policy? I guess I'll find out when I am able to dispute the sale on the 18th. 

[bonjourami]

Drop shipping is allowed, unfortunately. You can usually tell its a drop shipper by the stock photos.

[fishcampfloat]

A few things to consider...

First, you indicated the expected ship date was June 6 - 9. We have passed that window, so now you have the option of asking the buyer to cancel the order if you don't want to continue waiting. If you don't get the response you like from the seller, open a resolution case with eBay and you'll have your money back in a few days, and the seller will earn a defect on their selling account. If they get enough defects, they may wise up and be more conservative with their listings, inventory, and shipping estimates.

Second, do check the expected ship date before you purchase, as sellers may list items that are not in-stock via a presale. In this case, eBay requires the seller to indicate "Pre-sale" on both the listing title and description, the actual future ship date in the item description, and a shipping handling time that corresponds with the future ship date. While this scenario does not apply to your purchase, I felt like it was worth noting, in case it applies to a potential purchase in the future.

Good luck with resolving your issue and getting your paintbrushes!

[psalmsome]

Thank you. Yes, pres-sale should have been noted. I requested a refund and the seller was prompt to provide me with one. 

[psalmsome]

The seller provided me with a quick refund when I requested.

[7606dennis]

Alas!  Sellers that drop ship are often not informed by their suppliers of inventory shortages until it is too late.  It is one of the more detrimental factors of drop shipping.

Of course, even ordering directly from authorized suppliers has recently been somewhat iffy with regard to shipping delays.  My last order from a major online art supply dealer and owing to the effects of the pandemic it took almost three weeks for what usually takes four or five days to arrive.