Review purchases that have not arrived before closure
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Review outstanding purchases before the receiving point closes. Establish what was ordered, what the supplier accepted and what is now expected to arrive. A purchase order marked open does not explain whether goods are made, dispatched, delayed or still awaiting a decision.
Closure does not itself establish a right to cancel or redirect a purchase. Use the agreement, supplier response and appropriate advice to decide the next instruction.
Follow each commitment from order to arrival
Prepare one review for each unresolved purchase:
| Question | Evidence to gather |
|---|---|
| What was requested? | Original order, specification and authorised changes |
| What did the supplier accept? | Actual acknowledgement and any later qualification |
| What has been paid? | Deposit or payment references, checked by finance |
| What is the current delivery position? | Supplier confirmation, dispatch evidence or unresolved date |
| Can the business still receive it? | Current authorised receiving arrangement |
| What decision is needed? | Continue, propose a change, enquire about cancellation or obtain advice |
Use the statement reconciliation guide where invoice and payment records do not match the purchase history. Do not equate an unpaid invoice with an unaccepted order.
Ask the supplier about the actual stage
A general cancellation email may be too vague if the purchase has changed since it was placed. Identify the order and ask what has happened. Keep a proposed alternative destination separate from an agreed change to delivery.
For a fictional example, office supplies were ordered for a location that will stop receiving goods next week. The buyer believes the order is delayed; the supplier’s latest message says it has been dispatched. The immediate task is to establish the current position and authorised options, not delete the purchase from the internal system.
Check who controls receipt at any proposed destination. Do not direct goods to a home, another business or a vacated site without the necessary agreement and handling arrangements.
Record the supplier’s answer and the business decision
State what is confirmed and what remains proposed. Preserve agreed changes and their scope with the original order. If goods have already arrived and a return is being considered, use the stock return proposal; it addresses a different stage of the relationship.
Check whether the order is one instance of a recurring arrangement. The automatic replenishment review prevents the same issue appearing again after this order is resolved.
Tell UK Auction Group about any confirmed incoming purchase that changes the disposal scope or equipment release plan. Keep ownership and finance questions visible before treating newly arrived goods as surplus. An item arriving after trading stops still needs an authorised business decision about its destination.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.