Why noel leeming refuses to answer stock availability requests?

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › Why noel leeming refuses to answer stock availability requests?

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#959052 30-Dec-2013 14:03

When I visited a NL store on 26Dec they had no problem telling me that a nearby store had stock. They told me they only had 2 "but that there was no guarantee that they were actually there and that they may have sold before I arrived" - this seemed a fair way to handle the enquiry.

sonyxperiageek

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#959056 30-Dec-2013 14:19

drajk: When I visited a NL store on 26Dec they had no problem telling me that a nearby store had stock. They told me they only had 2 "but that there was no guarantee that they were actually there and that they may have sold before I arrived" - this seemed a fair way to handle the enquiry.

Yes, that does seem like a fair way to handle this enquiry. But they were probably happy to tell you stock for a nearby store, firstly probably because you were most likely going to be walking in to that store (again, once you're in the store you may be tempted to buy something else), and secondly, you are already at the store, which is where they want you to be, as opposed to being at home and calling etc.

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sbiddle

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#959057 30-Dec-2013 14:22

surfisup1000:
Why would they do this? Some kind of secret squirrel spy stuff? Or, do they just not know?

It's an attempt to eliminate the practice of other retailers who will price match if a product is stock from ringing HN and being able to find out if a product is in stock or not.

Geektastic

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#959067 30-Dec-2013 14:39

surfisup1000: Phoned Noel leeming and asked if the local store has the Linksys EA6900 in stock.

The woman from noel leeming said they will not disclose stock availability for sale items and that i must visit the store. This is rather annoying.

Why would they do this? Some kind of secret squirrel spy stuff? Or, do they just not know?

In my case, it would be because they do not want the sale. The nearest NL is a 80km round trip and if they think I would do that on spec, then they are as mad as March hare.

maxeon

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#959071 30-Dec-2013 14:46

MaxLV:
Batwing: I'm sure they have their reasons but its more than a tad frustrating making the trip to buy something specific and in my experience they are out of stock half the time and make no attempt to offer to get anything in, not always for items on special either. Then there's the times you order online and literally never get a call to pick up, call the store and lo and behold "Its been sitting out back all week we didn't get round to it."

Or worse, you visit the website that says your local shop has stock available, but when you get to the shop they say they're out of stock, but we can order it for you.

My response: If I wanted and knew it would have to be ordered I would have done it myself online, at home, and wouldn't have had to waste my time coming to your shop...'

I find that I'm telling local shops this more often. They can get you the item you want, but they don't have any in the shop. NZ Retailers often complain about online shopping and buying by customers is not fair. I just say "if you want customers walking in off the street you need to have the products available for customers to buy there and then, not say you can 'order them in' when their potential customers can do that themselves from the comfort of their own home, without ever visiting your shop.

I know PBTech does show stock available in each branch before you walk in. But unsure how accurate they are.

sonyxperiageek

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#959072 30-Dec-2013 14:48

maxeon:
MaxLV:
Batwing: I'm sure they have their reasons but its more than a tad frustrating making the trip to buy something specific and in my experience they are out of stock half the time and make no attempt to offer to get anything in, not always for items on special either. Then there's the times you order online and literally never get a call to pick up, call the store and lo and behold "Its been sitting out back all week we didn't get round to it."

Or worse, you visit the website that says your local shop has stock available, but when you get to the shop they say they're out of stock, but we can order it for you.

My response: If I wanted and knew it would have to be ordered I would have done it myself online, at home, and wouldn't have had to waste my time coming to your shop...'

I find that I'm telling local shops this more often. They can get you the item you want, but they don't have any in the shop. NZ Retailers often complain about online shopping and buying by customers is not fair. I just say "if you want customers walking in off the street you need to have the products available for customers to buy there and then, not say you can 'order them in' when their potential customers can do that themselves from the comfort of their own home, without ever visiting your shop.

I know PBTech does show stock available in each branch before you walk in. But unsure how accurate they are.

Apparently, PB Tech's website's stock availability is in real-time. All the staff and admin people there use it to check up on stock items, the last I heard!

Sony

JimmyH

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#959128 30-Dec-2013 16:46

Geektastic:
surfisup1000: Phoned Noel leeming and asked if the local store has the Linksys EA6900 in stock.

The woman from noel leeming said they will not disclose stock availability for sale items and that i must visit the store. This is rather annoying.

Why would they do this? Some kind of secret squirrel spy stuff? Or, do they just not know?

In my case, it would be because they do not want the sale. The nearest NL is a 80km round trip and if they think I would do that on spec, then they are as mad as March hare.

Exactly! If I go to the trouble of ringing, then I'm unlikely to make a trip on the off-chance if they won't confirm they actually have what I want. It's a silly practice and a good way to lose my custom (on more than just sale items if they irritate me sufficiently).

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surfisup1000

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#959220 30-Dec-2013 18:13

I tried ringing the stores local number, but they cunningly forward you to their head office number.

Maybe I could have asked to be transferred to the local store but even then, not sure if they would tell me.

Anyway, this is a high end router so the chance they have this in stock was low so I didn't really want to waste my time. Click & collect does the trick!!!

Good price too, if anyone else is interested. The next cheapest Linksys EA6900 wifi AC router is around $350, NL are selling for $260 + flybuys.

Some reviews say it is the best, others give it middling , should do the trick for me.

sbiddle

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#959227 30-Dec-2013 18:43

surfisup1000:
Good price too, if anyone else is interested. The next cheapest Linksys EA6900 wifi AC router is around $350, NL are selling for $260 + flybuys.

Harvey Norman had the EA6700 for $209 (40% off all networking / NAS)

mattwnz

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#959236 30-Dec-2013 19:26

sbiddle:
surfisup1000:
Why would they do this? Some kind of secret squirrel spy stuff? Or, do they just not know?

It's an attempt to eliminate the practice of other retailers who will price match if a product is stock from ringing HN and being able to find out if a product is in stock or not.

If I was to phone a local retailer to find out if they had stock, and to possibly put one aside, and they refused to even tell me if they had stock, I would ask then for the exact reason. I am not sure if it is good for competition if that is the reason they are doing it. If the person refused, I would tell them that I wouldn't be happy if I made a trip to their store and they never had any in stock at the time of ringing them. It just sounds like really bad service if that is the reason, as ot means that the price matching policy may never be able to be honoured. I have found that they normally now refuse to price match anyway, and they won't price match if they don't have the product instore anyway, and many products they will never have instock. I would prefer to support a store, even if Ozzy owned, if they are the one who are actually the ones offering the goods at that price. Price matching is lazy for retailers.

sidefx

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#959248 30-Dec-2013 20:08

I've been told the same by the NL 0800 number, but when i expressed some incredulity that she wouldn't tell me the operator went on with "well ok, i shouldn't tell you but..." and told me that her system showed my local store had 3 in stock. So i guess if you get the right operator and\or they think they might lose a sale they will tell you.

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richms

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#959270 30-Dec-2013 21:13

maxeon:

I know PBTech does show stock available in each branch before you walk in. But unsure how accurate they are.

Very. Check stock on phone, says 2. Take one to the counter and buy it. Reload page and says 1. They do constant stock takes and know the actual location of items when they access the site from one of their logins.

This is one of the main reasons I like pbtech. None of this updated at 4 am crap of other retailers.

Richard rich.ms

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#959274 30-Dec-2013 21:18

I believe it's also so that they don't have all their sales items on a shelf 'on hold' for customers which may not even show to pick it up during the sale period as they are bargain hunting

Happened at DSE all the time

benmurphy66

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#959290 30-Dec-2013 21:43

Did you get their call centre? When they had Surface RT's on specical I called them and it went to their call center. I was told how many they had in stock but they said the store wouldn't hold one for me. I said can you put me onto the store anyway, the store themselves were more than happy to put one aside for me to collect that afternoon.

Dunnersfella

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#959311 30-Dec-2013 21:56

sbiddle:
surfisup1000:
Why would they do this? Some kind of secret squirrel spy stuff? Or, do they just not know?

It's an attempt to eliminate the practice of other retailers who will price match if a product is stock from ringing HN and being able to find out if a product is in stock or not.

If NL are trying to stop other retailers from finding out their stock holding, or indeed the cheapest price they will offer... it's pretty easy for them to solve the issue I guess.
The sales person needs to simply ask the customer if they can call them back on a LAND LINE with the answer in a few minutes time... they know another retailer simply can't be reached on a landline without giving away who they work for. After all, as soon as you ring them, they'll answer 'Welcome to ##### ##### how can I help you?'.

But ultimately, they do NOT have to give you stock amounts.
Their business, is, ultimately, their business. Not ours.

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