[jjgilz]

Does anyone have a problem with offering pre-orders without having to capture the card? The way our CC processing works is that we have to capture the card within 30 days. However, many models that we offer for pre-order are not shipped until 45-90 days later. Does anyone have a compliant work around for this issue? Right now we are charging the card and offering a refund at anytime they request it. Ideally we would like to just charge the card when we are ready to ship.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Aaron Hats]

When a customer pre-orders an item we charge them right away. By doing this we are saying to the customer that they have purchased the item and it won't be sold to anybody else. Say I have three black hats in size XL on order. If the customer pre-orders they are guaranteed one of the three. Once the three are sold that's it we don't take any more orders.

Aaron

[NickR]

Same problem here.

It seems that the most consumer friendly way to do it is to not charge the card until shipment (that is how many video game sites handle it) however, there is that 30 day problem.

I'm thinking that it can be handled with the Merchant Bank. Did you try speaking with them?

If other companies are doing it then there must be a way.

[Lightning2000]

This has been an age-old problem that crops up from time to time. We dont charge the customer until the item ships. If we were to charge them at the time the order was placed, we would have alot of unhappy customers, even though the airlines, for one, charge a customer at the time the tickets are booked.

I guess each site has to guage their own situation and formulate their own plan of action that takes into account the customer's reaction and your own cash flow. What I truly hate is when a customer pre-orders an item, then decides they dont want it once the item is ready for shipment. Unless they're a good customer, we usually block their account so that they dont think they can do this repeatedly without repercussion.

[PeteA]

For the pre-orders we do (DVDs), we'll capture immediately if the DVD won't be shipping for over 30 days. We have big notices on our product pages that we are doing this, as well as on the "order finished" field. For under 30 days, we capture only at shipping. One thing we've done that reduces customer inquiries is to state that buying at the pre-order price *guarantees* that the customer receives the product at that price and it ships as soon as it is available. Our regular price goes up after the pre-order phase is over.

[NickR]

Originally Posted by Lightning2000

This has been an age-old problem that crops up from time to time. We dont charge the customer until the item ships. If we were to charge them at the time the order was placed, we would have alot of unhappy customers, even though the airlines, for one, charge a customer at the time the tickets are booked....*snip*.

Thanks Lightning2000. How do you accomplish this? Are all of your pre-orders under 30 days?

[Aaron Hats]

Here's an example of how we handle pre-orders and special orders that ship over 30 days away. Note the use of the radio button option which the customer must select. This lets us know the customer knows the delivery time and protects us against a potential future chargeback. We used to use just the Availability option but found some people didn't read it then would call a week later asking where their order is.

Aaron

[vintagerv]

We have some products that take 6 weeks to make. We wait until about 29 days and then we reauthorize the card. If it can't be reauthorized, we capture. If we can reauthorize, we void the initial authorization immediately. We know there is a day or two when the amount has been authorized twice, but no complaints so far.

[museumwholesale]

How do you know when the 29 days are approaching? Do you create a report?

[Patti]

We usually just charge the cards when they place their order.

In the past we didn't do that, and then when the product came in and was ready to ship we'd have problems with the customers thinking they were being charged twice. We had some very unhappy customers.

Also, many more people are using debit cards now, and they get upset when they order something in February, think they already paid for it (or forget about it), and then the money is taken out in June, causing them to bounce checks.

If someone complains, we'll gladly refund their money, but NOT charging cards was causing so many more problems than charging them did.

Oh - and then there are the credit cards that expire or the ones that are no longer valid, too.