Does an item get marked sold once it has been bought?

osaunt · Posts: 4

Hi, All: I'm brand new and haven't listed yet-here. If you sell something does it automatically get marked sold? It looks like you have to mark it sold--what if I only have one or one more of something and two people buy it? Hope this makes sense. TIA!

acread · moderator Posts: 11986

please read the following topics from the FAQ and Solutions section of the community page ( http://www.ecrater.com/community/viewforum.php?f=13 ):
http://www.ecrater.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=3759
http://www.ecrater.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=4895

osaunt · Posts: 4

Thanks--I did not find that section on inventory control. However, it looks like if the buyer does not choose to pay instantly they can lose the item if someone else comes along and does choose that option?

acread · moderator Posts: 11986

Whether you set the inventory control or not depends on what kind of stuff you are going to sell on your store.

If your items are one of a kind or in limited quantity that you may not be able to get more of them. Then you set up the inventory control. When the item sell (and the customer pays with instant payment) the listing get's hidden. If the customer pays with e-Check or money order or check, the inventory control does not hide it (you'll need to hide it manually). But your order is there and you will need to fulfill it. If someone else makes a purchase at that time you will be obligated to send the second buyer as well.

If you are selling stuff that you have large quantities of and will be easily able to replenish you do NOT enable the inventory control. Thus the listing stays and the quantity does not go down.

osaunt · Posts: 4

Does the quanity go down if they do not pay instantly? My concern is that if it does not an item I only have one of could sell twice. I just went to my store and enabled quanity controls.

acread · moderator Posts: 11986

What inventory control means when there is the right type of order (payed with instant payment) eCrater automatically decreases the quantity by one (I think after 15 minutes). If you have 1 in the quantity box it will go down to 0 and get hidden.

But if it is not instant payment you will need to edit the product listing manually to change the quantity (reduce it by one) and/or hide it (if you don't have any more to sell) when you get an e-mail notice of the order or see it in the "Orders" section of your store.

osaunt · Posts: 4

That is what I thought--I don't like that. It concerns me that something--because it Could be sold twice. I sold something on another site today--she is sending me a money order. However, the item is gone from my store. If she does not some through I will have to put it back--but I'd rather have that problem then not coming through for someone.

Thanks for your replys to my question.

acread · moderator Posts: 11986

Right now you have nothing in your store. I can't see what type of items you are selling. So it is very tough to advise you.

One thing is for sure: the seller that come here to say two customers bought the same item before they had a chance to hide it are very rare.

You could always contact the second buyer and state that they purchsed it before the inventory was updated. And return that ones money. It is not a big deal.

You could also state in your listings how many of that item you have and that only the first payer will get it (maybe put it a bit more polite and craftier than that).

If you want solutions there are always solutions.