A supplier says an item is available but your team needs to know whether any quantity is actually held.
The useful bits
- Item and intended quantity
- Availability-check timestamp
- The reply should define whether a hold exists and the conditions governing it.
Before you write
Use this example when a supplier says an item is available but your team needs to know whether any quantity is actually held. Gather the details below so the recipient can act without asking you to reconstruct the situation.
- Item and intended quantity
- Availability-check timestamp
- Reservation terms and authorized order route
An email you can adapt
The subject “Availability versus reservation for [item]” identifies the request. Replace each bracketed field with a checked detail and remove any sentence that does not describe your situation.
Subject: Availability versus reservation for [item] Hi [name], Thank you for checking availability of [item]. Please clarify whether the quoted quantity is only currently available or has been reserved for us, and identify any expiry or ordering condition. We have not assumed a hold exists. [Purchasing owner] will review the current terms before placing an authorized order. If stock is not reserved, please state that clearly so we do not promise a delivery based on the earlier check alone. Best, [sender]
Check the boundary
Current availability can change and is different from a confirmed allocation under an accepted order.
What a useful reply should settle
The reply should define whether a hold exists and the conditions governing it.
Recheck the actual order confirmation rather than relying indefinitely on the original availability message.
About this guide
Prepared with AI assistance for the BITTU Mail editorial library. Check important details against your original messages and current account settings. Product access depends on your role, plan and provisioning state. Provider interfaces and requirements can change.
View current plans · Security information · Suggest a correction