Backordered: How Long to Wait, When to Cancel, Where to Look Instead
There is no fixed length for a backorder. A U.S. store must ship by the date it gave you, or within 30 days if it gave none. If it cannot, it has to let you cancel for a prompt refund.
A backorder has no fixed length. It lasts until the store gets new stock, which can be a few days or a few months. What is fixed is your side of it. Under the FTC rule for online, mail and phone orders, a U.S. store must ship within the time it stated, or within 30 days if it stated no time. If it cannot, it has to offer you a choice: agree to the delay, or cancel and get your money back. So the real question is not how long the backorder takes. It is how long you are willing to wait, and what the store promised.
What "backordered" means
Backordered means the store took your order for an item it does not have right now and expects to get. It is not the same as these:
- Out of stock. You cannot order at all. The button is gone or says "notify me".
- Pre-order. The item is not out yet. A release date is usually printed on the page.
- Backordered. The item exists, the store sold more than it had, and your order waits in line for the next delivery from the maker or the warehouse.
Most pages that explain backorders are written for warehouses and sellers. This one is for the person who clicked "buy" and now sees "backordered" on the order page.
How long a backorder usually lasts
There is no standard length. It depends on the item and the season. A popular size of a common shirt may come back in a week. A sofa made overseas, a part for an appliance or a toy in December can take months. The store's page sometimes shows an estimate such as "ships in 4 to 6 weeks". Treat that as a guess the store is allowed to make only if it has a reasonable basis for it.
That last part is the law, not a figure of speech.
The 30-day rule for online orders
The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule sets the clock for orders placed online, by phone or by mail in the U.S. In plain terms:
- The store must have a reasonable basis to expect it can ship within the time it stated. If it stated no time, the limit is 30 days after it gets your completed order. If you apply for the store's credit to pay, it is 50 days.
- If it cannot ship in time, it must tell you before that time runs out and offer you a choice: agree to the delay, or cancel the order and get a prompt refund. The notice must give a new shipping date, or say that the store cannot tell how long the delay will be.
- If the new date is 30 days or less past the original time, saying nothing counts as agreeing. You can still cancel before the item ships.
- If the delay is longer than that, or the store gives no new date, your order is treated as canceled unless you say yes to the wait.
- A prompt refund means the store sends the refund, or the credit to your card company, within 7 working days. If you paid with the store's own credit account, it has one billing cycle. The credit can take a little longer to show on your statement.
The rule does not make the item arrive faster. It makes sure you are not stuck waiting without a way out.
Wait, cancel or buy it somewhere else?
A backorder is a decision, and it helps to make it on purpose instead of waiting by default. Three questions settle most cases:
- Do you need it by a date? A gift, a school start, a trip. If the store's new date is after that, the backorder has already failed you.
- Is it in stock somewhere else? Check the brand's own site and one or two other stores for the same model number and size. Our guide on how to get notified when a product is back in stock covers the alerts stores offer.
- Is the price you locked in worth the wait? If you ordered during a sale, the backorder may still be the cheapest way to get it. If the price is the same everywhere, waiting buys you nothing.
If you decide to wait, write down the date the store gave you. That is the date you check again. If you decide to buy elsewhere, cancel the backorder first and keep the cancellation email. Do not let both orders run, or you may end up with two and a return to manage.
If the refund does not come
Most stores refund a canceled backorder without trouble. If yours does not, you have two steps left.
First, contact the store with the order number and the date you canceled. Ask when the refund was sent and how.
Second, if you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer. Under Regulation Z, a charge for goods that were not delivered as agreed counts as a billing error. Your written notice has to reach the issuer no later than 60 days after it sent the first statement showing the charge. That is a real deadline, so do not wait for the backorder to sort itself out.
Many stores charge your card when the item ships rather than when you order, but some charge right away. Check your statement either way. Keep the order email, the backorder notice and the cancellation together. Our list of what receipts to keep from online orders explains which papers matter if something goes wrong.
Hand the waiting to Tracy
The hard part of a backorder is the waiting. You check the order page every few days, then forget for two weeks, then the date the store promised has passed and you did not notice. Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, takes that part.
Forward her the order confirmation or the backorder email from Telegram, iMessage, Chrome or the web, or send a screenshot of the order page. She keeps the item, the order number and the date the store gave you, or the 30-day mark if it gave none, and reminds you before that day so you can decide.
If you want a backup, send her a link to the same item at another store and ask her to watch it. She checks the page and messages you when it is back in stock or the price changes. She does not cancel or place orders for you, and she does not log in to the store. You decide, she makes sure you have the dates in front of you when it matters.
Frequently asked questions
How long can an item be on backorder?
There is no legal maximum on the backorder itself. What the law limits is how long the store can keep your money without your say. It must ship in the time it stated, or within 30 days if it stated none, or offer you the choice to cancel.
Can I cancel a backordered order?
Yes. Under the FTC rule, if the store cannot ship in time it must offer you the option to cancel and get a prompt refund. Many stores also let you cancel from the order page any time before the item ships.
Will I be charged for a backordered item?
It depends on the store. Many charge when the item ships, and some charge when you order or place a hold on your card. Check your statement, and if you cancel, check that the refund or released hold shows up.
Is backordered better than out of stock?
In a way. Backordered means the store expects the item and has your place in line. Out of stock often means you have to come back and order again later, if it returns at all.