MJH,

What you are talking about is e-commerce 101. I remember in the mid 90s when all these commercial websites were going active. There were issues with stock from brick and mortar locations, advance into the real late 90s and those issues were resolved linking the brick and mortar to the e-stores with real time active stock management.

What really puts sand in my pants is that we are now 20+ yrs with this tech. It is commonplace to link this information with not only the brick and mortar locations but distribution centers and suppliers to better aid the consumer. I personally have designed and built whole Point of Sales networks for some smaller shops which link all the fore mentioned. ScooterDespot or SunnySports or whatever name that they are calling themselves on the net has a large online mall with no substance and all flash.
they have currently 5 or more websites under different names offing the same inventory but the brick and mortar location has no insight to the e-stores. The service is substandard and they cannot deliver what is advertised. Be it the actual "working" product, support, or the claims listed for legality in certain states. Yet they remain in business because they will undercut the competition including other "Dealers" that they supply product to.
I have had a rough education with this, no one really carries the product and they rely on the distribution center to dropship. They do not carry readily available replacement parts to cover warranty issues and will drag out the consumer through a waiting game forcing you, the consumer, to handle all issues. For some that is fine and they are content with a basket case that they need to tinker with. the rest of us expect a product as stated at point of purchase.
Now granted people will vocalize and write when things do not go their way and you will hear and read more negative than positive, but so far everyone that I have had correspondence with or have spoken to have actually had more negative, with the company v the product, dealings than not.
i had a friend actually stop at their showroom in CA to do a bit of recon, and they actually tried to sell him non CA legal products Shows you the type of people and service that we, the consumer, have to deal with.

Okay I’m done rant over.