Store Invalidating Coupon Because of its Own Inventory Issues?

Just curious if others have encountered this problem, and how they feel
about it.

I recently ordered two dresses on deep discount from Kiyonna. When
placing my order, I used a coupon for $20 off orders over $100. Both
dresses were listed as in stock. About a week later, I received an
email indicating that one dress was out of stock. Moreover, because
the order was now under $100, my coupon was invalid.

Leigh Melton...

I would expect the coupon to be honored. So far it always has been
honored when this has happened to me (and it has, a few times).

If the store offers $20 off $100, and you order $100 worth of goods,
you have fulfilled your end of the coupon bargain. It's not your
fault they did not have the item in stock.

Even on free shipping I expect it to be honored if *I* meet the
requirement and they don't. Last year sometime I ordered about $100
worth of stuff from Neobeauty. When they examined the inventory they
found that one thing I wanted was mis-marked in their inventory and no
longer had it (say, they had only a skincare set for oily skin when I
ordered combination skin). My order fell below their $75 cutoff for
free shipping but they shipped it at no cost to me anyway. While I
appreciated their integrity, I would have been very disappointed had
they not done it.

I'm quite angry. My feeling is that since its their inventory problem
(their site indicated that the dress was available), good customer
service requires that they honor the coupon, or at least honor it pro
rata (giving me $10 off the remaining dress).

Leigh Melton...

I agree with you.

I know that if you order 2 dresses at $50 each and one of them in no
longer in stock, that might be a heavy hit to the retailer to still
take $20 off the dress they did have. Well, I hate it for ya but
tough. Maintain a better inventory and if your current system does
not allow you to do that, change it. Mistakes happen, sure, but if
it's more than a once-in-a-blue-moon problem that's easily absorbed,
then it's a systemic problem. Fix it and have happy customers or
don't fix it, save some money in the short term and have ticked off
customers who will never shop there again.

IMO etc.

I am curious as to whether others have encountered this issue, and how
other etailers have handled it. (I have attempted to cancel my order.)

ahmward...

What's unfair IMO is that the dress was in stock at the time of the
order but yes, I have had it happen when my purchase didn't meet the
minimum and said item was out of stock after I placed the order. I
think the only thing you can do is to cancel it.

Barbara...

Sorry, I was unclear. I wouldn't have been upset if they had denied
the coupon because I didn't order $100 of goods, even if that was
because they were out of my size in certain items. But I DID order;
they only notified me that the goods were unavailable days later. Plus
the sale is now over, so I'd have to pay full price on another item.

cofarb...

It's your last sentence above that bothers me most. It seems like they want
it both ways--or maybe even all three ways. If they couldn't make good on
the original offer after you'd ordered, I think they should have given you
access to the sale prices, at the very least. Did you complain? Did you
ask for a supervisor? I think they should renew your coupon AND give you
free shipping on your next order.