Exists ≠ Available
An item may exist but be reserved, picked, in QC, on hold, outbound or return pending.
Support Central · Storage & Inventory
The Item Exists Physically—but Seller Central Shows the Wrong Quantity, Location or Identity
Use this guide when stored inventory is missing, shown in the wrong place, has a quantity mismatch, cannot be found by QR/SKU, has an incorrect storage assignment, or its movement/history does not match what physically happened.
Do not edit stock, location or identity simply to make the screen look correct. First establish the physical truth, then compare it with the Seller Central record.
Storage troubleshooting path
Find → identify → locate → reconcile → escalate
Find → identify → locate → reconcile → escalate
01
Can the item be identified?
Search by the safest available identity: Storage QR, Catalogue QR/SKU, item reference or known request/task relationship.
Can the item be identified?
Search by the safest available identity: Storage QR, Catalogue QR/SKU, item reference or known request/task relationship.
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02
Does physical quantity match?
Compare the counted physical units with the inventory record without changing either value merely to force agreement.
Does physical quantity match?
Compare the counted physical units with the inventory record without changing either value merely to force agreement.
03
Does the location match?
Warehouse → zone → rack → shelf/bin/peti/rail/slot should describe where the item actually is now.
Does the location match?
Warehouse → zone → rack → shelf/bin/peti/rail/slot should describe where the item actually is now.
04
Can movement history explain the difference?
If identity, count or location still disagree, stop further movement and open one Storage & Inventory ticket.
Can movement history explain the difference?
If identity, count or location still disagree, stop further movement and open one Storage & Inventory ticket.
Item identity ≠ storage location · assigned location ≠ physically verified location.
Verify before correcting
Verify before correcting
01
Start with physical truth
Start with physical truth
What Is Wrong: Identity, Quantity, Location or Movement History?
Those are separate inventory dimensions. Correcting one does not automatically correct the others.
Safe checks
Search the item, scan the existing identity, physically count it, inspect the currently labelled location and review activity/history.
Search the item, scan the existing identity, physically count it, inspect the currently labelled location and review activity/history.
Stop conditions
Do not create a new QR, increase/decrease stock, move the item or overwrite location/history while the identity itself is uncertain.
Do not create a new QR, increase/decrease stock, move the item or overwrite location/history while the identity itself is uncertain.
A. Can Seller Central find the item?No → search by alternate known identity/reference before creating anything new.
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B. Does physical count match system quantity?No → recount and preserve discrepancy; do not edit stock merely to make it agree.
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C. Is the item physically in the recorded location?No → check recent movement/history before assigning a new location.
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D. Does movement history explain the current state?No → treat as custody/location exception rather than performing another silent move.
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E. Still inconsistent?Open one Storage & Inventory ticket with item identity, physical state, recorded state and sanitised evidence.
02
Problem: inventory is missing from My Vault Inventory
Problem: inventory is missing from My Vault Inventory
Search by Identity and State before Assuming the Item Record Is Gone
An item may exist but be hidden by account, status, filter, route or location context. Do not create a replacement item until you have ruled out an existing record.
- Clear filters and search by the known Storage QR, Catalogue QR/SKU or item title/reference.
- Confirm the correct seller/client account context.
- Check whether the item is still in intake, QC, hold, outbound, return or another non-available state.
- Check whether the item belongs to another lot/request relationship.
- If an existing record is found, do not create a duplicate.
Available ≠ existsAn item can exist in Seller Central without being currently available for allocation, rent, sale or outbound.
Do not duplicateIf the identity already exists anywhere in the system, fix visibility/state rather than creating another item record.
My Vault Inventory search & filtersScreenshot slot SI-01
Highlight: search + filters + account context + item status/availability.
Use a fictional item and seller/client account.Show the filter/search sequence that proves the item record exists before any recreation attempt.
03
Problem: system quantity does not match physical stock
Problem: system quantity does not match physical stock
Recount Once, Identify the Unit of Count and Preserve the Discrepancy
Quantity mismatch can come from incomplete intake, unrecorded movement, outbound reservation/pick, return pending, damaged/hold state or a real loss/discrepancy. Changing the number alone does not explain the cause.
- Physically recount using the same unit the record represents.
- Check reserved/picked/outbound/return quantities if applicable.
- Check recent intake and return activity.
- Check whether part of the quantity is in exception/hold.
- Record discrepancy rather than silently overwriting quantity.
ExampleSystem 12 / physical 10 does not automatically mean “set stock to 10.” First identify where the other 2 are recorded.
Shared quantity riskIf a quantity adjustment could affect an active outbound, reservation or return, stop and escalate before changing it.
Inventory quantity / status viewScreenshot slot SI-02
Highlight: on-hand + reserved/picked/hold/return state + physical count note.
Use demo quantities only.Show the quantity components needed to explain why “available” may differ from total physical stock.
04
Problem: recorded storage location is wrong
Problem: recorded storage location is wrong
Verify the Physical Location before Recording Another Move
Location should describe where the item is actually stored now. A new assignment should not be used to erase uncertainty about the previous move.
- Physically locate the item first if possible.
- Read the current recorded hierarchy: warehouse → zone → aisle/lane → rack → shelf/bin/peti/rail/slot.
- Check recent movement/history for the last recorded transfer.
- If the item is found elsewhere, record the correction/move using the proper movement workflow.
- If the item cannot be found at either current or previous location, treat it as an exception.
Assigned ≠ verifiedA database location assignment is not proof that the item was physically placed there.
Unknown locationDo not keep moving the digital record through likely locations while physically searching. Preserve the last known state.
Current storage location hierarchyScreenshot slot SI-03
Highlight: warehouse → zone → rack → final physical slot/container.
Use fictional warehouse/location names.Do not expose real security-sensitive facility maps or exact restricted-storage locations.
05
Problem: Storage QR, Catalogue QR or SKU does not match
Problem: Storage QR, Catalogue QR or SKU does not match
Do Not Replace Identity until You Know Which Identifier Is Wrong
Seller Central can use different identifiers for custody/storage and commercial/catalogue purposes. They are related but not interchangeable.
- Scan/read the existing physical label.
- Identify whether it is Storage QR, Catalogue QR/SKU or container QR.
- Search the code exactly as printed/scanned.
- Confirm which item record the system resolves.
- If the code resolves to another item/client/lot, isolate and escalate rather than relabelling immediately.
Storage QRPermanent custody/storage identity where item-level tracking is used.
Catalogue QR / SKUCommercial/catalogue identity used for listing/marketplace workflows.
Container QROuter box/peti/trunk identity. It does not automatically identify each item inside.
Wrong identity matchDo not print a new QR merely because the existing one resolves incorrectly. Preserve the evidence and ticket the identity conflict.
Inventory identity / QR lookupScreenshot slot SI-04
Highlight: scanned code + code type + resolved item identity + owner/account.
Use fictional QR/SKU values.Show enough of the resolved record to verify identity without exposing real client stock.
06
Problem: movement/history does not match what happened
Problem: movement/history does not match what happened
Use Activity History to Reconstruct the Last Known Good Custody State
Movement history should answer who moved the item, when, from where and to where. Missing or contradictory history is itself an exception.
- Open item activity/history.
- Find the last confirmed location/movement record.
- Compare timestamp/user/action with the physical handover or warehouse movement.
- Check whether an outbound/return/repack operation explains the move.
- If a move occurred physically but not digitally, do not fabricate a historical timestamp/user.
History is evidenceIt should describe actual operational events, not be rewritten after the fact to make the record tidy.
Unexplained custody gapIf no activity explains the current physical location, stop further movement until the exception is reviewed.
Item activity / movement historyScreenshot slot SI-05
Highlight: timestamp + actor + action + from/to location + related task/reference.
Use fictional user names and locations.Show the audit pattern, not real staff/security-sensitive movement details.
07
Problem: Storage Allocation cannot be completed
Problem: Storage Allocation cannot be completed
Assign a Valid Physical Location that Matches the Storage Model and Available Capacity
Storage Allocation should place an item/container into an actual warehouse hierarchy. It should not create a location that exists only to satisfy the form.
- Confirm the correct warehouse/site.
- Confirm the intended storage type: rack/shelf/bin/peti/rail/floor slot or other configured location.
- Confirm capacity/assignment is available where the system enforces it.
- Confirm the item/container actually moved to that location.
- Record the allocation once and verify the resulting location.
Client-managed storageWhere approved, the client may manage physical arrangement, but Seller Central should still retain the agreed visibility/custody/location model.
Capacity/location conflictIf the location is full, unavailable or assigned to another controlled use, do not force allocation there.
Storage Allocation / location selectorScreenshot slot SI-06
Highlight: hierarchy selection + capacity/availability + final allocation action.
Use a fictional warehouse hierarchy.Do not expose real restricted/security-hold or sensitive facility coordinates.
Inventory state boundaries
Keep Identity, Quantity, Location, Availability and Custody Separate
One correct field does not prove the entire inventory record is correct.
↔ Swipe through inventory state boundaries
Identity ≠ Location
A correct QR proves which record is being referenced, not where the item is physically stored.
Assigned ≠ Verified
A location stored in the database is not proof that the item is physically there now.
On-hand ≠ Available
Reserved, picked, hold or return states can reduce what is available without changing total physical count.
Storage QR ≠ Catalogue QR
Custody/storage identity and commercial/catalogue identity serve different workflow purposes.
Moved ≠ Recorded
A physical move is not fully traceable until the authorised movement is also recorded in Seller Central.
Still inconsistent?
Open One Storage & Inventory Ticket with the Physical State and Seller Central State Side by Side
The ticket should make the discrepancy obvious without asking support to infer what “wrong inventory” means.
Good ticket
Item: DEMO-ST-000184
Storage QR: DEMO-QR-0184
Physical quantity: 1
System quantity: 1
Physical location: Demo Warehouse → Zone B → Rail 04
Recorded location: Demo Warehouse → Zone A → Rack 12
Last known move: 3 Aug, approx. 16:20
Evidence: Sanitised item/location screenshot + activity history
Bad ticket
“Inventory is wrong. Please correct the location and stock.”
No item identity, no physical count, no recorded location and no evidence of the last known movement.