How to avoid out-of-stock surprises
Jan 5, 2025
Why Out-of-Stock Surprises Happen
Running out of stock unexpectedly is a common headache for new resellers. Whether you’re listing products on eBay, Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, or your own shop, nothing frustrates buyers (and yourself) more than having to cancel a sale because the item isn’t actually available. Fortunately, with some simple habits and basic systems, you can keep your inventory in sync, your team on the same page, and your customers happy.
Step 1: Centralize Your Inventory Tracking
The #1 cause of out-of-stock errors is tracking inventory separately for each selling platform—or worse, not tracking it at all. To avoid this, use one central inventory system that manages your stock levels no matter where you sell.
Start simple: A spreadsheet (like Google Sheets) is better than nothing! List all your items, how many you have, and where you’ve listed them. Update it every time you make a sale or add new stock.
Level up: Use inventory management tools that sync with multiple marketplaces. Gavelbase is designed for resellers and makes it easy to keep stock and listings synced automatically. Other options include Sellar, Ecomdash, and SkuVault.
Whenever you make a sale on any platform, update your central system right away—this prevents accidental double-selling and customer disappointment.
Step 2: Keep Listings in Sync Across Sites
If you list the same item on multiple sites (say, eBay and Mercari), you must remove or update that listing everywhere as soon as it sells somewhere else. Here’s how you can do this easily:
Manual method: After a sale, immediately pull up your central inventory and mark the item as sold. Then, remove or mark as sold the listing on every other marketplace.
Automated method: Inventory tools like Gavelbase can automatically end or update listings on all connected accounts when an item sells.
Set a daily routine—even if you’re a one-person show: check all selling platforms and your central inventory at least once a day to catch any missed updates.
Step 3: Assign Basic Team Roles (Even If It's Just You)
If you have any help—even a family member—set clear, simple roles to avoid confusion:
Who updates the inventory tracker after a sale?
Who manages shipping or pickup?
Who removes sold listings from other platforms?
If you’re solo, make a checklist and stick to it after each sale: Update inventory, update listings, process shipping or pickup.
Step 4: Track Sales, Fees, and Profits
Accurate tracking helps you know what’s really in stock and what’s actually making you money. Here’s how to keep things simple:
Record every sale: Log the date, item, sale price, platform, and buyer info.
Note all fees: Each marketplace takes a cut—record these so your profit is clear.
Update your inventory count: Every sale should immediately reduce your stock in the central system.
Tools like Gavelbase and spreadsheet templates (like those from Reselling Revealed) make this easy for beginners.
Step 5: Ship or Handle Pickup Smoothly
Shipping mix-ups can also create out-of-stock problems. Keep things flowing:
Ship items as soon as possible after a sale to avoid confusion about what’s still available.
For local pickups, mark the item as "pending pickup" in your tracker so you don’t re-list or double-sell by mistake.
Confirm shipment or pickup in your system once complete.
Check out resources like Pirate Ship for discounted shipping labels and USPS for scheduling pickups.
Bonus: Create a Simple Out-of-Stock Response Plan
No system is perfect, so if you do run out of stock unexpectedly:
Contact the buyer immediately and apologize—honesty goes a long way.
Offer a refund or a substitute if possible.
Review what went wrong and update your checklist or system to keep it from happening again.
Quick Checklist: Out-of-Stock Prevention Steps
Centralize your inventory tracking
Keep listings synced across all sites
Assign (and follow) basic team roles
Track every sale, fee, and profit
Handle shipping and pickups clearly
Have a plan for rare out-of-stock situations
Final Thoughts
Getting organized now saves you headaches later. Start with a simple spreadsheet and a daily routine, or try an inventory system like Gavelbase as your business grows. Consistency is the real secret to avoiding out-of-stock surprises—so pick a method that fits your style and stick with it!