Quotes: no item in quote

Aladine

I got my first quote request. The email had a list of items, but said that I should answer via the quote page of my store. But the same quote in my quote page has not items!

Lawrence

Well that one has me a bit confused. The quotes page shows the current cart, whereas the e-mail shows you the cart as it was when they requested the quote.

There are three ways I believe that the cart could have it items removed.

The user can individually remove items from their cart
The user can empty their cart
The seller can delete the lots that were in the cart

So, if you have not removed the items from your inventory, maybe you could message the customer to ask if they removed the items from their cart after they requested the quote?

DadsAfol

That opens the question - once the quote is returned from the seller, is the cart "locked"? If a buyer can add to the cart after a quote is returned, that could be an issue.

Maybe something simple like a buyer change to a cart automatically deletes an unanswered quote request. You can display a message to the buyer like "You have altered your cart contents and will need to re-request your shipping quote"

Lawrence

There is a message on every page warning them not to modify their cart. If they do the quote is wiped.

DadsAfol

So shouldn't the OP's quote have been wiped (assuming it was the buyer, not the seller that deleted the items)?

Lawrence

There was no quote to wipe, as it had not yet been quoted

walstib

I got my first quote request. The email had a list of items, but said that I should answer via the quote page of my store. But the same quote in my quote page has not items!

Sounds like a good one to offer free shipping.

Aladine

I asked the buyer. He deleted the cart after having sent the quote request (he just wanted totest)
And that makes me think: what about having a message field in the quote request (where a buyer could ask for a special shipping method which is not in the list or where he could specify special wrapping/packing)

Lawrence

Sounds a good idea, I have added it to the list

Aladine

After a quote is sent, how long is it in effect? If I don't misunderstand, the items quoted are blocked and no more available for other buyers. This could be a problem if the buyer doesn't proceed to checkout in a reasonable lapse of time.

Lawrence

There is no time limit, the items are not reserved for the person

Aladine

ok. So I think, I'll better delete de request method. I do not want unhappy customers who get a quote and when they want to checkout later (maybe because there's a time difference) might find the item gone. I remember buyers complaining on BL about items sold to s.o. else while they were in their shopping cart. And while this is normal (and easy to explain) with shopping carts, it's different when there's a quote which a buyer could take for a sort of reservation (the more if not from an English speaking country).

Lawrence

Okay, when I make the quote system more powerful I will consider making an option to allow the items to be reserved

Aladine

Thank you. So I'll enable it again when there is that option.

Masterbuilder1

I would not want that to happen and wouldn't use a quote if it can. I have had problems with customers keeping orders open for too long and then when the price has come down because the set has been on general release not going ahead and I've then not sold the pieces for ages. However I don't think you can offer sellers the choice of quotes with reservation or without reservation because it would be confusing for buyers. I am happy to remove the quote option from my store if I am in the minority.

Alison

Thor

I agree with Alison. Please do NOT offer sellers the option for buyers to reserve or hold items that are the subject of a Request for Shipping quote. Having some quote requests hold items and some not hold items will only confuse buyers and make them upset at sellers who don't reserve the items and then the items get bought by another buyer.

Money talks. Sellers should not have their inventory tied up by indecisive or slow acting buyers. ESPECIALLY for hot in-demand just released items. If a buyer knows that another buyer could buy the items the first buyer has sent a quote request for, that buyer is much more likely to act more quickly and decisively after getting a shipping quote. Thus, NOT holding items makes the quote request system actually work better and faster, while minimizing buyer confusion.

Thor

Aladine

I do agree (that's why I asked for how long a quote will be valid). But to avoid problems with buyers thinking that a quote automatically reserves the item for them (and this will happen as already happened before on BL), please add a note (automatic, official) to each quote, warning the customer that such quote is not a reservation and valid under reserve of item(s) being sold before check out is proceeded.