Misplaced Sold Item, What To Do?

[bigmotormania]

So in constantly having to rearrange my office space, which is where all my items are, I've misplaced an item that sold, and I've turned this place upside down looking for it, and I have to upload the tracking before tomorrow night, I'm hoping I find it before I get off work tomorrow but if I don't, what should I do?

Should I just take the OOS defect? It would be my second, the first rolls off in October (was caused by eBay's system relisting a variation that had sold and eBay basically told me to shove it), it's my fault, I'm fully aware of that, but I'm not sure how to handle the situation, I want to be honest with my buyer that I misplaced the item, but those defects are gnarly, and my office area has seen a lot of activity lately that has caused some boxes to be spilled and items placed in different areas than before.

Advice?

[a_c_green]

If all else fails, I'd fall on your sword, explain it to your buyer, refund in full, and swear on a stack of bibles that you'll send it to him for free if it ever resurfaces. Plan to do that, too; you know he'll be on the lookout for it in future listings, so don't even think of listing it again if you do find it.

[emerald40]

Can you possibly take the day off of work tomorrow and go through every inch of space where this item could have been misplaced into?

Or maybe pull an all nighter tonight looking for it?

Are you sure it has not previously sold?

Or just contact your buyer, be extremely apogetic and honest and refund his money - if you think your account can take a second hit.

I take it this is not an item you could go out and purchase another one of.

[bigmotormania]

If it comes to that, it comes to that, for now, I am trying desperately to find that item. Selling smaller items such as it sometimes feels like the bane of my existence, found a switch in a box about the size of my thumb one time after freaking out for 3 days and almost literally turning this building upside down like I was gonna shake the change out of it, just to find it had fallen behind a box in the corner.

I'm hoping it doesn't get that bad this time around.

[siayan]

Is it something you can buy elsewhere? This used to happen to me and I would buy it elsewhere and have it dropped shipped. This is when I had 20,000 books on the river and every once in a while this happened. 

It is a little bit of a gamble since you are under the gun but I have pleaded my case to another seller and they helped out with tracking.

Just an option. Otherwise you may have to bite the bullet.

[emerald40]

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@a_c_green wrote:

If all else fails, I'd fall on your sword, explain it to your buyer, refund in full, and swear on a stack of bibles that you'll send it to him for free if it ever resurfaces. Plan to do that, too; you know he'll be on the lookout for it in future listings, so don't even think of listing it again if you do find it.

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Going on with what A C Green saie, maybe even send him a coupon off his next purchase.

[bigmotormania]

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@emerald40 wrote:

Can you possibly take the day off of work tomorrow and go through every inch of space where this item could have been misplaced into?

Or maybe pull an all nighter tonight looking for it?

Are you sure it has not previously sold?

Or just contact your buyer, be extremely apogetic and honest and refund his money - if you think your account can take a second hit.

I take it this is not an item you could go out and purchase another one of.

---

I do eBay sales for a company, so taking off work would actually be detrimental to that, haha. Unfortunately I get off work at 3PM (which is in an hour and 45 minutes) so that's pretty much my time frame, I also have stuff to do outside of work once I leave so the longest I could probably stay is like 15 minutes.

I'm hoping I can find it soon...

If not I will definitely be informing my customer of the situation.

[bigmotormania]

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@siayan wrote:

Is it something you can buy elsewhere? This used to happen to me and I would buy it elsewhere and have it dropped shipped. This is when I had 20,000 books on the river and every once in a while this happened. 

It is a little bit of a gamble since you are under the gun but I have pleaded my case to another seller and they helped out with tracking.

Just an option. Otherwise you may have to bite the bullet.

---

Unfortunately this part was discontinued in 2008 and is not likely to be available from very many sources. Mine was the only one on eBay, far as I know, and I have never found another source for it.

This is why it makes me feel so bad, if it was something simple like a stand kicker or a filter, that would be different, but this is a turn signal mounting bracket, I'm sure aftermarket exists but I know a lot of people like genuine OEM parts.

[dtexley3]

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@bigmotormania wrote:

If it comes to that, it comes to that, for now, I am trying desperately to find that item. Selling smaller items such as it sometimes feels like the bane of my existence, found a switch in a box about the size of my thumb one time after freaking out for 3 days and almost literally turning this building upside down like I was gonna shake the change out of it, just to find it had fallen behind a box in the corner.

I'm hoping it doesn't get that bad this time around.

---

Been there, recently lost a small ornament.  I'm almost OCD about making sure smaller items are safely stored in tubs or boxes so then don't wander off.  I took this one out of the tub pulling items for another order and it fell behind something else on a shelf.  Found it a week after it was purchased... sigh.

[siayan]

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@bigmotormania wrote:

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@siayan wrote:

Is it something you can buy elsewhere? This used to happen to me and I would buy it elsewhere and have it dropped shipped. This is when I had 20,000 books on the river and every once in a while this happened. 

It is a little bit of a gamble since you are under the gun but I have pleaded my case to another seller and they helped out with tracking.

Just an option. Otherwise you may have to bite the bullet.

---

Unfortunately this part was discontinued in 2008 and is not likely to be available from very many sources. Mine was the only one on eBay, far as I know, and I have never found another source for it.

This is why it makes me feel so bad, if it was something simple like a stand kicker or a filter, that would be different, but this is a turn signal mounting bracket, I'm sure aftermarket exists but I know a lot of people like genuine OEM parts.

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That is a tough one. None anywhere. Try systematic search maybe with a second set of eyes. I found one I lost when I moved last time. Way down under the shelves.

[bigmotormania]

What bothers me the most is this item in particular was sitting on my desk for 8 months, right here in front of me. Bleh...

[a_c_green]

I hate to be writing about what you should be doing next time, so please don't think I'm piling on to your misfortune here, but just as a suggestion: I have a "live" box in one place in my basement which holds every item I have currently listed for sale. As soon as an item is photographed and uploaded, it goes in that box. Period.

If the item goes unsold, it's moved into another box sitting next to the first one, holding items that will be relisted in future, and when they are, they go back into the first box. 

That's the sum total of my system for Not Losing Stuff On Sale, and I've no problems with it to date. Good luck with your hunting. If your stuff doesn't generally get moved around all that much, hopefully you can narrow down your search area rather than widening it.

[bigmotormania]

I use a similar system, but I had to completely rearrange the entire office area for an inspection and I only had a few hours to do it, so that messed everything up. Then there's been some boxes that got knocked over and their contents scattered. For all I know it could have fallout of it's box and been kicked behind something. 

This is a circumstantial issue that doesn't really have much to do with my inventory system as it does a series of bad timing and unforeseen circumstances.

It's the after effect I'm worried about. But, since the OOS defect I already have rolls off in just a few days over a month, it shouldn't have too much of an impact on me if that ends up being the case. I just hope the customer accepts.

[shoppingbomc2014]

I did this with an item I just couldn't find. The buyer was very understanding.

[nowthatsjustducky]

On the rare cases this has happened to me, 99.9% of the time; simply finding a source elsewhere to emercengy drop ship a replacement solves the problem.