Pre-order
Category: E-commerce
Also searched as: Pre-order
Definition (plain English)
A sale or reservation accepted before stock is available for normal fulfillment.
Why it matters commercially
Pre-orders can validate demand and fund stock, but they create customer-promise, refund, payment, ETA, and compliance obligations.
Example
A brand opened pre-orders for a container launch only after confirming production release, vessel booking, import permits, and refund rules.
Common mistake
Using pre-orders to hide uncertain supply instead of clearly stating ETA, payment capture, cancellation, allocation, and delay policy.
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