Q:
I want to limit a single shopper to only one of a given item per order. Can you do that?

A:
Yes. In the product "item" variable, add the prefix =MX1= to your partnumber field. Old number: xyz-1 New number: =MX1=xyz-1

That will limit the quantity in the cart of that item to one.

Q:
I am considering using Americart for my online store. However, I do have several concerns. I will be selling antique maps and prints, many of which are one of a kind. Is there some way I can control inventory so that I don't sell a product which is out of stock. Can I set some sort of stock setting to 6 and have Americart change that setting until it reaches 0 then post an out of stock sign? This is major concern to me, as I don't want to sell two items in 10 mins if I only own one.

A:
Americart does not support inventory control at this time. There are several good reasons to NOT implement inventory control in most cases.

1) Fraudulent or bogus orders
It often IS better to get those two orders in ten minutes for the same item you only have one of, so you can choose which shopper is the "least risky" to send it to. There's a lot of fraud out there. Be sure to read our Fraud FAQ,

Imagine missing selling that $1000 map to a legitimate collector just because a bogus order one hour earlier marked it as sold. Ouch!

2) Suggesting Alternates
If an item is ordered that is out of stock, you can often suggest to a shopper an alternate thing, or at least you'll have their email so you can contact them if you get another or similar item. If you just say "out of stock" you would not have gotten the order in the first place.

3) Partial Orders
Let's say the person wants three things. You've got two, but are out of stock on the third. Without inventory control, you get the order for all three items, and you can write to them about shipping a partial order which they probably accept. If they had known #3 wasn't around, you might have lost the order for the other two items.

4) Frustrated Shoppers
From a shopper's point of view, seeing the items available on your website, only to then add them to the cart and be told they are out of stock would be a frustrating experience. So, it's better to control inventory on the website itself that in the cart. Keep your site updated with what is currently available. Mark things "low stock" if need be, so shoppers might realize they might not get those items.

Are you convinced? Just be sure to put a disclaimer on your website that "In rare instances, some items may already be sold before the website reflects the change".