"In Stock" - as defined by Dabs

I ordered a couple of injet cartridges and some CD-Rs from Dabs at 2pm
Thursday. All were in stock with 3 figure quantites. I got suspicious
when Next Day Delivery wasn't available as an option at checkout, but
went ahead anyway since, IME, they ship stuff Next Day even for their
standard 1-3 day delivery.

Almost immediately two items showed a Allocated but the third, one of
the inkjet cartridges, showed as Processing Order and the whole order
status was Awaiting Stock. Huh? Everything is in stock....checked...yep,
all in stock.

I sent a message using their Contact Us system and eventually, Friday
morning, got a reply that bore no real relation to my query so replied
restating the problem. Friday afternoon (with the order still showing
the same status) I got this reply:

"Because dabs.com uses multiple warehouses, please bear in mind that
very occasionally, a slight delay may occur as stock is transferred
between warehouse locations and this may add an extra day or so to the
process. Conversely, it's also possible that you will receive your
goods well before 3 days from the date of your order."

I thought that Dabs were based solely in Westhoughton, near Bolton, but
obviously not.

So it seems that "In stock" means that all the items are in stock, just
not necessarily all at the warehouse they are going to despatch you
order from. It also explains I guess why their standard 1-3 day delivery
gets shipped Next Working Day.

Now, over 24 hours since I placed my order, the status is still showing
the same so it looks like it's not going to be despatched this side of
the weekend. If I'd have known this I would have ordered from elsewhere,
even if it cost more, as both cartridges on my printer decided to run
out at the same time.

Something to bear in mind when ordering from Dabs.

Parish

"Parish" wrote in message
...
I ordered a couple of injet cartridges and some CD-Rs from Dabs at 2pm
Thursday. All were in stock with 3 figure quantites. I got suspicious
when Next Day Delivery wasn't available as an option at checkout, but
went ahead anyway since, IME, they ship stuff Next Day even for their
standard 1-3 day delivery.

Almost immediately two items showed a Allocated but the third, one of
the inkjet cartridges, showed as Processing Order and the whole order
status was Awaiting Stock. Huh? Everything is in stock....checked...yep,
all in stock.

I sent a message using their Contact Us system and eventually, Friday
morning, got a reply that bore no real relation to my query so replied
restating the problem. Friday afternoon (with the order still showing
the same status) I got this reply:

"Because dabs.com uses multiple warehouses, please bear in mind that
very occasionally, a slight delay may occur as stock is transferred
between warehouse locations and this may add an extra day or so to the
process. Conversely, it's also possible that you will receive your
goods well before 3 days from the date of your order."

I thought that Dabs were based solely in Westhoughton, near Bolton, but
obviously not.

So it seems that "In stock" means that all the items are in stock, just
not necessarily all at the warehouse they are going to despatch you
order from. It also explains I guess why their standard 1-3 day delivery
gets shipped Next Working Day.

Now, over 24 hours since I placed my order, the status is still showing
the same so it looks like it's not going to be despatched this side of
the weekend. If I'd have known this I would have ordered from elsewhere,
even if it cost more, as both cartridges on my printer decided to run
out at the same time.

Something to bear in mind when ordering from Dabs.

Parish

See thread DON'T TOUCH DABS ..... . It's all a very old story. Buy elsewhere

"Parish" wrote in message
...
I ordered a couple of injet cartridges and some CD-Rs from Dabs at 2pm
Thursday. All were in stock with 3 figure quantites. I got suspicious
when Next Day Delivery wasn't available as an option at checkout, but
went ahead anyway since, IME, they ship stuff Next Day even for their
standard 1-3 day delivery.

Almost immediately two items showed a Allocated but the third, one of
the inkjet cartridges, showed as Processing Order and the whole order
status was Awaiting Stock. Huh? Everything is in stock....checked...yep,
all in stock.

I sent a message using their Contact Us system and eventually, Friday
morning, got a reply that bore no real relation to my query so replied
restating the problem. Friday afternoon (with the order still showing
the same status) I got this reply:

"Because dabs.com uses multiple warehouses, please bear in mind that
very occasionally, a slight delay may occur as stock is transferred
between warehouse locations and this may add an extra day or so to the
process. Conversely, it's also possible that you will receive your
goods well before 3 days from the date of your order."

I thought that Dabs were based solely in Westhoughton, near Bolton, but
obviously not.

So it seems that "In stock" means that all the items are in stock, just
not necessarily all at the warehouse they are going to despatch you
order from. It also explains I guess why their standard 1-3 day delivery
gets shipped Next Working Day.

Now, over 24 hours since I placed my order, the status is still showing
the same so it looks like it's not going to be despatched this side of
the weekend. If I'd have known this I would have ordered from elsewhere,
even if it cost more, as both cartridges on my printer decided to run
out at the same time.

Something to bear in mind when ordering from Dabs.

Parish

Like many companies, Dabs dropship items, i.e. they never have the items in
a dabs warehouse, and send them directly from their distributors. This is
why they seem to have 'multiple warehouses' to ship from.

G.




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"Parish" wrote in message
...
I ordered a couple of injet cartridges and some CD-Rs from Dabs at 2pm
Parish

I didn't realise anyone from this group still used dabs

Might I suggest keeping a couple of spare cartridges for such eventualities?

"G." wrote:

[...]

Like many companies, Dabs dropship items, i.e. they never have the items in
a dabs warehouse, and send them directly from their distributors. This is
why they seem to have 'multiple warehouses' to ship from.

Yes, and the downside of this system is that 'available' stock level info is
only indirect.

They will ship from their own wareouse if its cost effective to have the
stock on site , drop shippng a memory card would negate the point of selling
it, same with ink carts they will all come from their own warehouse which is
not virtual.

Anything bulky that would not have been cheaper to order into stock in
quantity would be drop shipped.
They have 2 stock levels to say which is at their site and which is the
total of avaliable uk stock from all supliers that could be used.

However as with most automated shippng systems the order is locked toether
so if one part was say damaged when it came to ship or simply not there the
other tems that were to go nto the pre-specified box would be cancelled not
sent manually .

Unlike ebuyer who do seem to be completely virtual. but you never know these
days.


D


"Steve O" wrote in message
...
Might I suggest keeping a couple of spare cartridges for such
eventualities?

Johannes H Andersen wrote:

"G." wrote:

[...]

Like many companies, Dabs dropship items, i.e. they never have the items in
a dabs warehouse, and send them directly from their distributors. This is
why they seem to have 'multiple warehouses' to ship from.

Yes, and the downside of this system is that 'available' stock level info is
only indirect.

I can understand, and accept, that with high value items - laptops for
instance - but IME it's never happened with low value, high turnover
items. I always make a point of only ever ordering if the items are in
stock and up until now stuff has always been despatched the same day -
or the day after if I order late in the day.

This is why I'm ****ed off about this; I would have thought inkjet
cartridges would be a high-turnover item.

BTW, it's now 15:30 Monday and it's still showing Awaiting Stock.

****ed off Parish

Mike wrote:
"Parish" wrote in message
...
I ordered a couple of injet cartridges and some CD-Rs from Dabs at 2pm
Parish

I didn't realise anyone from this group still used dabs



Maybe not after this :-)

I've read all the criticism of Dabs here but, to be fair to them, _I_
have never had a problem until now.

Parish

David Adams wrote:
They will ship from their own wareouse if its cost effective to have the
stock on site , drop shippng a memory card would negate the point of selling
it, same with ink carts they will all come from their own warehouse which is
not virtual.


That's what's so annoying, and a bit puzzling, the carts are for the
same printer and they have the black in stock (it shows as allocated)
but not the colour, which is Awaiting Stock.

Parish