Quite often agents on live chat are dealing with several customers at once. Sometimes you have to remind them of what was said 5 or 10 minutes ago, because they can't keep enough context in their head at once. (they could read the scrollback, but don't)
It is less annoying to other people who are in the same room though, as they don't have to listen to your half of the conversation.
Theo
I'd say that when you order, you have a defined delivery date, usually pay in full and can claim payment back if it is not delivered within 28 days of that date.
A pre-order is far more vague on delivery date, often only requires a deposit (and in some cases, not even that), does not have any sort of deadline, and often can be cancelled at any point without penalty. Once manufacturing is given the go ahead, it firms up into an order.
I know that is not a real definition, but it does have some logic as an easy term to distinguish between different types of order - just as we distinguish between schools and pre-schools, when both still do teach.
Yeah I have had a few reasonable experiences with it... sometimes they follow up the chat with a email log that you can then reply to can carry on that way.
Best recent result was with nVidea, which they handled very well even though arguably the problem was not really theirs (i.e. it was relating to a graphics card with one of their chips on it, but it was not an nVidea branded card).
Typically for an order there is stock allocated to you - they have N units in the warehouse so they accept N orders.
A preorder just means you're getting in the queue for stock - they might not know how many are coming in next week (because the factory hasn't made them, the distributor hasn't delivered them, they don't know when the ship will arrive, etc) but they will fulfill preorders before putting the remainder of stock on general sale.
Typically you can exit the queue before stock is available without any detriment (everyone else just shuffles one place forwards), whereas with an order you can't cancel once it has been processed (because the goods are already out the door).
Theo
But you are preordering when it is certain that it can not be supplied when you order it. We have different words for different situations. Can't imagine why for the life of me.
Plenty of words are ambiguous like flammable and inflammable, but what matters is that its obvious to anyone but a nit picker what pre-order means.
Pre-order may make sense from a manufacturer attempting to establish if there is demand for a product. I.e. please place a pre-order and we will assess the interest, if there is some, we will make the product and convert those pre-orders to actual orders when its ready.
The term "back order" also seems common in these cases.
Bit like buying a house "off plan". Are you buying a house and you don't even know where it is going to be?
Pre- order to me means a product has been announced but is not yet in production and available for delivery.
Back order to me means the retailer has no stock but has placed an order with the manufacturer for further stock. Manufacturers tend to make things in batches so may wait for sufficient orders before starting a production run.
I'd say 'back order' is a thing that the supplier has run out of, but is awaiting further stock. 'Pre order' is a thing that the supplier has never had any stock of because it's a new product. There isn't a huge amount of difference between the two, but I would expect a pre-order to have less precise timelines (eg because the factory isn't fully up and running yet), while a back order may have a more precise delivery date (lead time on the part is 26 weeks - order now for delivery in August)
Theo
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