Handling a product shortage in a curated box

A missing advertised item can leave a curated box short of what the customer was promised. Confirm whether stock can arrive before packing, then choose a clear remedy: complete the box, offer a replacement or substitute, delay the shipment by agreement, or arrange partial fulfilment with an appropriate refund. Check the subscription terms and Australian Consumer Law obligations before communicating the decision.

Confirm the shortage

Count sellable units of the missing product at each location and compare them with boxes due before a reliable replenishment date. Account for stock already reserved or promised elsewhere.

Check whether the problem is a delayed inbound shipment, a stock-record error or a genuine shortage. Do not count a purchase order that has not arrived as available stock.

Calculate how many complete boxes can be packed with the remaining components. Capacity is limited by the scarcest required item.

Identify affected subscribers and charge dates, including any size or flavour selections. Record the expected contents of each affected box so fulfilment and support work from the same information.

Choose an explicit remedy

If confirmed replenishment will arrive before the packing cutoff, reserve it to complete the boxes. If it will not, compare the available options with the advertised box, subscription terms and customer selections.

Offer a replacement of the missing product when it can be supplied later. Offer a different substitute only if it fits the box promise; similar retail prices alone do not make two products equivalent, so explain the change and obtain the subscriber’s agreement.

Delay shipment only where the subscription terms allow it and the subscriber agrees. If the subscriber prefers the remaining contents now, agree on partial fulfilment, state what is missing, and confirm whether the agreed resolution is a replacement or refund.

The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) requires goods to match their description and promises. If goods do not meet a consumer guarantee, customers may ask for a refund, replacement or repair; the ACCC says a major problem may entitle a consumer to a replacement or refund.

Recharge documents a partial order fulfilment option for orders containing out-of-stock items. Treat partial fulfilment as the way to handle the shipment, not as a substitute for agreeing with the customer what happens to the missing item.

Recharge’s bulk swaps guidance covers managing customer bundle content with bulk swaps. Confirm the available operation in the merchant’s setup and check the final contents of each affected order.

Shopify product bundles are not compatible with purchase options, including subscriptions, or with the Shopify Subscriptions app. Do not rely on Shopify bundles to change the contents of a subscription box.

Tell customers what changes

Where feasible, contact subscribers before charging or shipment. State the missing product, the remedy offered, any price consequence and what choice the subscriber needs to make.

Check the affected order and subscription terms before promising a refund amount. Record the customer’s decision and give the support team the same final box-content record used by fulfilment.

After the cycle, record which component ran short, the remedy used and the customer response.