it finally happened--can't find something

[evry1nositswindy]

After 10 years of selling, the inevitable has happened.  I sold something last night and can't find it.  I have a bin number/shelf number on everything, and it isn't in the bin.  I ripped my office apart and can't find this very small item.  I spent a few hours and it didn't turn up.

I messaged the buyer last night, but didn't hear back.  Rather than cancel, I am sending the buyer a replacement, similar but not the same.  Then I am going to refund.  Anything else I should do to try and minimize the damage to my account?  I figured a cancellation would be worse than sending a replacement and refunding, but I would like to avoid my first negative.  I guess I can't control that.

Usually my account is on vacation right now, and I take inventory.  Ironic, right?  

[powell-memorabilia]

perfect actions to make things right.  

[inhawaii]

It happens to the best of us.

[soh.maryl]

And you're absolutely positive that you had not actually sold it previously? 

[laststopgeneralstore]

Ahh the ol' can't find it! It's bound to happen to all of us. It's happened to me about a half dozen times last year. First thing I do is message the buyer immediately and tell them that I'm refunding them regardless and then tell them if they see anything else in my store that they like to let me know the item number and that I will ship it to them free of charge. Has worked so far for every single one except for 2 people who weren't mad about it but disappointed, obviously since they wanted the item. So for them, I just give them a 80% off private coupon that I specifically made for this reason that is tailored to the amount that they originally spent. It may also help that I'm a niche store but who knows.

It's all about customer service. At the end of the day, were just bags of chemicals(as my biology teacher used to say) that roam the earth and we all make mistakes. Big deal, deal with it and continue on. If they get mad and leave a negative then so be it. Negatives are very very easy to remove.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@evry1nositswindy 

Are they the little needle threaders? Look around that bin and on floor, did you stick them in a small bag? Inside a book by mistake?

[evry1nositswindy]

@silverstatetreasureboxes  Yeah, those little red needle threaders.  They were in a little bag and in a box on the shelf.  I had some flat advertising needle threaders I sent in their place, but they aren't the same.  @soh.maryl No, I haven't sold them previously.   

[luckythewinner]

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@powell-memorabilia wrote:

perfect actions to make things right.  

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Shipping the wrong item to avoid a defect is cynical and misleading. So is buying a label and not using it and then accepting the INR dispute to avoid losing the cost of shipping 🤔

[toysaver]

When I can't find something I look again in a few hours and start at the opposite end of the spectrum.    If I'm supposed be looking for a Priority branded box I'll look at others.  If it should be in the toy department I'll check the silverware section.  

[evry1nositswindy]

@luckythewinner I wasn't trying to avoid a defect--I don't have any on my account, so 1 wouldn't kill me.  I didn't want to disappoint the buyer.  She ordered 4 plastic needle threaders and I sent 6 metal needle threaders, both vintage.  She just messaged me back and was very kind.  I'm still looking!   

[dhbookds]

7 out of 10 times.........looking for "lost" items.........I find them in/near where they should be.......  small stuff inside a larger item (so they won't get lost, lol) or in box 78 instead of 87, or in 86 or 88.  Behind, underneath the box/shelf unit. 

just my experience.............

[luckythewinner]

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@evry1nositswindy wrote:

@luckythewinner I wasn't trying to avoid a defect--I don't have any on my account, so 1 wouldn't kill me.  I didn't want to disappoint the buyer.  She ordered 4 plastic needle threaders and I sent 6 metal needle threaders, both vintage.  She just messaged me back and was very kind.  I'm still looking!   

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Sorry, I misinterpreted your question "Anything else I should do to try and minimize the damage to my account?"

[dy60609]

This is a "classic" example of weaseling out of a "deserved" account defect and as such the instructions outlining how to do so should not be posted here. 

[onefootflipper1]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@powell-memorabilia wrote:

perfect actions to make things right.  

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Shipping the wrong item to avoid a defect is cynical and misleading. So is buying a label and not using it and then accepting the INR dispute to avoid losing the cost of shipping 🤔

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The ebay rules are not a religion. The level of punishment ebay dishes out for out of stock is so high that it can easily force sellers into situations where they do anything to avoid that. Lets say you somehow already had a few of these. Would you risk just permanently having your family business shut down over a counting error or a missing $2 item or would you do anything to avoid cancelling for out of stock?

Original poster, don't refund the order until it arrives. Several years ago I tried doing the same thing on my trading card store, sending them something similar and then immediately refunding and I still got hit with the out of stock. I am quite lucky in that it has been a few years since anything has gone missing for me.

[evry1nositswindy]

I don't care if I get out of stock.  As I stated, I have 0 defects and 1 won't kill me.  It's about making the buyer happy.  @luckythewinner I am more worried about a negative.