> Documentation index: https://www.xekta.com/llms.txt

# Missing items

> When a shop is short on something, the buyer decides. What the choices are and what happens if nobody answers.

## The buyer decides

When a shop can fill only part of an order, the order appears under `pending_decisions` in [`user.orders.status`](https://www.xekta.com/docs/tools/user-orders-status.md) and stays there until the buyer decides. Nothing is handed over or charged while the decision is pending.

| `decision` | Meaning |
| - | - |
| `proceed` | Keep the order without the missing item. |
| `substitute` | Swap the missing item for one of the substitutes offered, from the same shop's stock, at or below the original price. |
| `cancel` | Cancel the order. |

The assistant records the choice with [`user.order.confirm_partial`](https://www.xekta.com/docs/tools/user-order-confirm-partial.md).

## The 10-minute clock

The buyer has 10 minutes to answer. With no answer, the order goes ahead without the missing item. It is cancelled only if that would leave nothing to hand over.

Nothing is charged for what the buyer did not get.

## Before the order: unavailable items

When an item is unavailable while building a cart, [`substitution_suggest`](https://www.xekta.com/docs/tools/substitution-suggest.md) proposes alternatives from live catalogs. It only suggests; nothing is added to the cart until the buyer picks.

`PRODUCT_UNAVAILABLE` at checkout means an offer is no longer purchasable and no order was created. Rebuild the cart without it, or offer a substitute.