Business and Dealings

Online retailers selling items they do not keep in stock

Q: Online retailers often sell items that they don’t keep in stock. They conclude the sale and take payment immediately and thereafter acquire the item from the supplier and deliver it to you. Similarly, when hardware stores sell bricks to customers, they conclude the sale and accept payment immediately. Thereafter, they buy the bricks from the supplier and ask the supplier to deliver directly to the customer. Is it permissible to deal in this manner?

Item lost in postage

Q: I sell scarves and kaftans over the internet. I had a customer from another country who purchased scarves from me in September. She sent the money to me via internet transfer and I then sent her goods via Air Mail through the South African Post Office. She has since not received her goods and is asking for a refund. I received proof from the post office showing that the parcel was put onto an SAA flight to her country on 17 September 2013. However, when she went to the post office, they said that they have not received the goods. Who is responsible for the loss? I did as asked and sent the goods via post office which she paid for. She is asking for a full refund, but what about the loss to me for my stock?

Selling currencies on credit

Q:

1. I have a friend that buys euros from me. He usually buys from me because I give him facilities to pay. For example, I sell him 20 000 euros at 13 rand equal to R260 000 and he pays in 5 months cheques in rands.

2. This friend lives in a city 300km away and his neighbour also sells euros. Sometimes, when my friend wants euros, I sell them to him. Then I give him the rands to buy the euros on my behalf from his neighbour. My friend then pays me back for these euros later on. Is this allowed?

3. If I give him the rands to buy euros on my behalf, but he does not buy the euros and instead keeps the rands for other transactions, is it my responsibility?

Drop shipping

Q: Is the trading concept of ‘drop shipping’ permissible? In ‘drop shipping’, the trader does not keep stock of any item. Instead, he accepts payment for the goods and then forwards the customer’s details to the supplier who will deliver directly to the customer. ‘Drop shipping’ is commonly found in online shopping. Is this permissible?