Mint ordering process, why is it a big secret?

INXS

Since this whole ordering process is computerized the Mint does or should know exactly how many sets are sold by the simple push of a button at any given time. After all it an inventory control system not someone sitting there with an abacus. There should be no reason that they cannot communicate this to the public. I really dont see an advantage to them wanting to keep this a secret. They create a waiting list and those people get the returns or CC expirations but how many do you put on this list? Does anyone know why the Mint does not communicate the number of orders taken to the public? This is not once but twice so far once with the AGE XX sets and now again with the ASE XX sets.

EricSan

On web pages of "good" companies that I deal with, they indicate the total number of a product in stock when you place your order. Is it too hard for the mint to dipaly the total mintage limit minus the number already sold on their web page? Imagine having real-time numbers available... Oh right, this is the mint...

Eric

kranky

Numismatic News carries sales figures every week for items the Mint is selling. Perhaps they don't see a need to have real time data available to the ordertakers. And as you mention, there's a waiting list anyway and I suspect quite a few of those people do receive the product.

You pointed out CC problems and returns, and with more and more people using the free return privilege as arbitrage, any real time data is kind of meaningless anyway.

19Lyds

If they had a realtime update on the number of orders they wouldn't be able to over-sell their product. Like they did with the 20th Anniversary AGE. In my opinion, the US Mint did not fully anticipate the impact that their web site has on sales and as such it was poorly designed. They are still dependent upon snail mail orders and their overall system reflects that.

Hyperion

depends completely on the systems involved, it's probably not a high priority for them to have upfront sales figures queued up for public consumption, so why bother bending over backwards to provide information which at best might be conjecture ? btw, depending on the architecture, a large portion of on-line systems dont run real-time inventory figures anyway.
you have systems backing systems, information being fed back and forth. remember, people who are SELLING you stuff have it in mind to make sure your order is accepted and take your money (or at least a credit card authorization), if later the item goes on backorder, they'll fill it for you as fast as they can and ship it out, but it was more important to take your order and stop you from looking at the next seller.

that being said, you're not talking about a normal seller, you're talking about a production company who may or may not have caps on certain items. I think in most cases they're selling item whose inventory hasn't been created yet, technically, there's nothing to display but a backorder. throw in conditional credit card failures on "previous orders". there are a myriad of issues which make the request infeasible.

it's complex. be happy they have a web interface at ALL and that you dont have to sit on the phone with them

Conder101

And don't forget that the orders are being taken online (which may or may not be interfaced with the mints own computers, by a bank of phone order takers who coud be located who knows where, and who knows how their orders are sent to the mint. Real time? (Same internet site that we can access?) Or daily in batches? (As many chain retailers used to do and possibly still do with their daily sales figures. Store closes and the store computer calls up the home office computer and uploads the daily sales figures.) And then somewhere there is another group processing the mail orders and entering those. (Does an order that came in yesterday but which hasn't been entered into the system yet take precedence over an online order that is placed the next day? The mail in order arrived first after all. It might if they have a way of entering the date the order arrived.) How are these mail orders entered? the website? or directly into the mints computer?

EricSan

Ok, so I wasn't thinking about returns, and other related things that need to be taken into account. Still, it doesn't seem all that hard to accomplish. When mail orders arrive, someone has to enter them into the computer, which would automatically adjust available inventory. When they receieve returns, someone has to enter them into the computer... Seems that whatever is done, it needs to be entered into the computer... Guess I'm just jaded by my profession (information systems).

Eric