Rant

[JEccles]

Would someone remind me why I though starting my own e-commerce site would be a good idea? I have problems, one after another, with the drop shipping companies I am using. The latest is with a site that will remain nameless (:cough: :cough: River Stone) that does not inform you when products are no longer available, still shows those products on their site And buries their contact information so far into the site that it takes forever to find it.

I shouldn't pick on them, except for the contact problem (which really is a lack of common sense I think), I am having the same problem with all but 2 of my drop shippers. It is very frustrating to me, and more importantly to my customers also.

Is this week over yet

[roban]

Sorry to hear about your drop shippers M8. I always have to download the latest product list from mine. Trying to explain to a customer that the product they have paid for is no longer available doesn't do the old credibility much good.

I like the site (home decor) BTW and if I can be of any help just let me know.

[JEccles]

Well since I pick and choose what products I am going to offer, from each vendor, downloading isn't practical. Plus, most of them don't offer that.

On the up side, my business partner and I are going to the International Home show at McCormick Place in March. Will hopefully be able to make some good contacts there.

[IdahoPuma]

Sorry to hear about your drop shippers M8. I always have to download the latest product list from mine. Trying to explain to a customer that the product they have paid for is no longer available doesn't do the old credibility much good.

I like the site (home decor) BTW and if I can be of any help just let me know.

We manufacturer home decor at my farm and just begun drop shipping for a couple E sites a couple months ago . I like it
They usually select items they would like to drop ship and then we go over list eliminating those prone to delays or going out of stock . We also have good relationship with our e-commerce people and try to notify them a week or so in advance to remove certain items from their site that are about to go out of stock .

[opensourceforce]

If the supplier cannot provide updated or correct product details then that is a major problem. If you can market your products then you have to have a supplier that if nothing else can tell you when a product is in stock or alert you to changes.

http://inventorysource.com/ offers data services for drop ship suppliers so if you find a supplier in the free directory that you want to work with a data service can be added so you get updated files or the updates applied to your site automatically so you can just focus on orders and marketing your site rather then dealing with P&A lists and other supplier issues.