For Sale: Pre Order Items

The convenience of online shopping has gotten many Pinoys hooked into the cyber mall. Prices are competitive and goods bought online arrive within a couple of days, or even overnight. But some products sourced from other countries like Korea, Hong Kong and USA may take a little longer to be ordered and delivered, and so these items are sold on a pre-order basis.

Resellers usually sell pre-order items to save money on import shipping costs. Local orders are pooled for a certain period (two weeks to a month) before an order is placed to the overseas supplier. Pre-orders and product requests are also offered by resellers traveling abroad to shop, usually in the US.

How Do Pre-Orders Work?

Pre-order items are usually listed as regular items for sale, except that orders are accepted for a limited time only. The ordering period should be indicated in the description. Product
photos mostly come from the supplier’s catalog, which a reseller posts
on her online shop. Buying a pre-order item is much like putting it on
reserve.

A pre-order ad must also indicate when the items are expected to arrive, and be ready for delivery. In the case of imports, this is usually about a month. On the other hand, sellers who went on a buying trip abroad may indicate when they (or the balikbayan box) will arrive with the goods.

Partial payment is required to secure your order. However, some sellers might straight out ask for 100% payment. What ever the case may be, it’s very important to read the seller’s terms before committing to buy, particularly product returns, exchanges or order cancellations.

Should You Buy Pre-Orders?

Pre-order selling is a legit business. It is popular among resellers because it requires little to no overhead cost. It’s basically a sell-and-buy business, the reverse of buy-and-sell. They don’t need to keep any inventory because the products are ordered upon demand.

Much like buying anything else online, make certain that you are buying from a reputable seller. Pre-orders may test your patience over a shopping frenzy, so it is also important to set your expectations when entering a pre-order transaction.