Etsy Buyers Get No Help When Orders Go Wrong
Ecommerce sellers are experiencing frustrating account suspensions, often related to compliance regulations like the INFORM Act, leading to significant delays and reactive troubleshooting. Simultaneously, they're battling fraudulent activity like bracket buying and returns, resulting in substantial financial losses and requiring manual auditing to identify and address. These issues highlight a lack of proactive protection and support.
SOURCES (60)
“I bought a $500 ring off Etsy believing I would be protected by Etsy policy if something was wrong. Well one of the gems in the ring looked like it was missing when we got it and when we inspected it we saw that the…”
“I ordered a pair of earrings from a shop on etsy. The earrings were not the ones I ordered so I requested to return them since I had no use for them and wanted my money back. The seller told me I will get the money back once they get the return but will not provide me with a return label. Is this normal? I find it rude that I would have to pay for their mistake. submitted by /u/Roof-Crafty [link] [comments]”
“That sucks. For this kind of situation, I’d keep the reply calm and factual, and make sure you preserve every bit of evidence now: package weight, label weight, order contents, fulfillment timestamp, any photos or packing notes if you have them, and the customer message. I’d also ask them for photos of the package, packing slip, and all items received. Even if they can fake part of it, it creates a paper trail and gives you something to include if a dispute happens. Going forward, the bigger win”
“This happened to me for the first time today. I checked my Etsy shop this morning and saw 3 new orders, but my Shop Stats show almost no views or visits. At first I thought it was my Wi-Fi or internet, but after refreshing it was still the same. Has anyone else experienced this today? Is it just a delay in Etsy Stats or some kind of bug? I'm just curious if it's only me. submitted by /u/ComprehensiveKey1337 [link] [comments]”
I’ve been selling for over a year on Etsy, and this is the first time I’ve had a package returned to me. I’m enclosing the pictures of the condition of the box,…
“Once you write down clear rules foe what gets refunded vs exchanged vs store credit, time per return will drop significantly. Before that, for us, it was just vibes every time.”
“Sigh... I shipped a package to Germany from the U.S. via USPS label purchased via Etsy with Shipsurance added, and it seems to be lost, as of July 5th there's been no update whatsoever, the customer is upset, it's a $280 item with Etsy's purchased insurance aka Shipsurance. So I go to file the claim... " If the shipment is sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS), and the claim is for loss the Insured must wait 20 calendar days (Domestic shipments) or 40 calendar days (I”
“I checked all the possibilities you mentioned. Nothing is missing or misaligned when it comes to product info.”
“In short, shipped wrong item to wrong customer. She is happy to return it, but she ordered as a guest so Etsy will not allow me to print a return label?? And if I print a return for the right customer, it will send that person the return label automatically. Finally is support down or buggy tonight because I can't even get the chat to pop up, I just get a page refresh every time 🙄 So I came here. Advice on proper course of action? Or a loophole/jury rig solution? submitted by /u”
“I wanted to put this out there just to see if others are dealing with the same thing, or to warn people before they buy. They were fast enough to take my money and ship out a Personalized Eye Photo Bracelet Silver for Valentine's Day. But the second something went wrong—the bracelet broke within days of opening, turning what was supposed to be a sentimental gift into total frustration—their support completely vanished. I reached out right away. Back in February, a support rep actually got ba”
“THIS IS CRAZY. ANY ADVICE? I'm being punished for "not picking up all my packages" on a route where the Route Sheet said the route has 43 packages, but the QR Code downloaded a route itinerary with only 16 packages to be delivered. The cart only had 16 packages on it. The station told me that I should always go with the QR Code and downloaded route. But Flex hits me with a strike saying I didn't pick up all my packages. I've appealed and appealed and they keep denying me. H”
“I had this problem because my agent wasn’t actually holding stock. They only ordered the product after I paid which added a few days. I switched those products to Zendrop and now I can see the order status and tracking myself instead of asking for updates every day. I’d test a couple of orders with them first.”
“zendrop took about 2-3 days for me when i was doing like 20 orders a week, not amazing but at least they actually ship when they say they will. your supplier stringing you along like that is the worst, had one guy tell me "tomorrow" for 2 weeks straight before i dropped him dsers is also decent if you're on aliexpress, they got a lot of warehouses in US now so shipping times are shorter than before”
“Customer bought a poster print clearly labeled as such in title, description, and photos (Premium Matte Art Paper, 'Poster', 'Print' all mentioned). Now claiming it was 'missold as mosaic wall art' and demanding a refund, threatening a negative review if I don't comply. Listing is very clear it's a paper print, even in the listing photos I have a "important information" photo telling some info about what they will receive. I've already answered to th”
“I have a customer who order a item and inputted the wrong shipping address. She did not catch it until she got a notification that the item was being returned to sender. Now she's berating me that I changed her address when I did not. I shipped to the address on file. I have sent screen shots of the order from my end, and informed her that I will reship when I receive the item back and she purchases a new shipping label. She said she's going to contact Etsy and basically tattle on me tha”
“Hey fellow Etsy sellers, I need some advice/validation on a situation that is starting to feel like borderline harassment. I’ve been open for years, but I’ve never had a buyer completely ignore a cancellation and force a repurchase like this. Here is the timeline of what happened over the weekend: Pre-Sale Inquiries: Buyer messages asking how many clutches are left because she needs one ASAP. I politely explain they are made-to-order. She immediately follows up asking about the lining and zipper”
“At $400–$600, I’d guess a lot of people aren’t just abandoning because of shipping. They may still have unanswered questions around setup, compatibility, warranty, returns, or whether the product will actually work for their home. Making delivery times visible earlier should help, but I’d also test offering a quick call or live product demo to people who reach checkout and hesitate. For a higher-ticket product from a smaller brand, speaking to someone for even five minutes can give buyers the co”
“Etsy says it has sent the deposit But I haven't received it What should I do submitted by /u/putsandcallsoption [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I recently got into a strange situation with a seller (I'm in the UK just for context) and need to escalate the issue to Etsy Support. It's the first time I've needed to do this and so I'm wondering if anyone can give any advice. So basically I bought this item from a seller and I absolutely checked when buying that returns/exchanges were allowed. After I received the item I realised it wasn't for me and so I messaged her saying I'll need a refund. I also che”
“I placed an order in late December 2025, for a custom piece of metal work (low value). Had active near daily discussion with the seller, over about a month and a half, where we spoke about tweaks and practicality of the item. Then delays begin: Seller advised they had supply chain issue as had an existing arrangement expire. This added a few weeks of delay. Then confirmed they had the material. Seller advised they need to arrange with a third party for some cutting and laser engraving as their u”
“I never knew there was a scammer problem on Etsy. Purchased for the first time, the seller cancelled the order without my knowledge, claims to have refunded the money but i got no money back on my bank accounts. Etsy is still investigating and "dealing" with the issue after 14 days. I was excited for my TADC plushie, i was buying a plushie after years and got nothing back. It's a shame things are taking so long even after i sent them all the proof and don't know if i will get m”
“Has anyone had any success getting Etsy to overturn a case decision? I had a buyer place an order worth over £175 for fully personalised items. The measurements were clearly shown in the listing images, but after receiving the order the buyer said everything was too small and claimed the sizing wasn’t mentioned anywhere. I sent them a screenshot of the listing, and they acknowledged that the measurements were there, apologised, and admitted they simply hadn’t noticed them before purchasing. Howe”
“By the loose interpretation of Etsy a plastic replica of a bullet is indeed a "weapon" and is considered a violation. Why are there so many swords and knives on the site? submitted by /u/sogwatchman [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone has been through something similar because I'm completely confused. I have an Etsy shop that has been active for quite some time, with 101 sales, 17 reviews and over 30 active listings . Recently, Etsy asked me to complete the new identity verification process. I submitted my valid Portuguese Citizen Card and completed the facial scan several times. Every single attempt failed with the message: "We couldn't verify your identity." I submitted”
“I have a small Etsy shop with about 1000 sales. In October 2025 I had a medical emergency and ended up with 3 "cases". The shop was then forcibly put on vacation mode, which was completely fair at the time! I appealed it and explained that it was due to a one-off medical emergency. The Etsy rep said they understood and restored my shop. I have had 0 cases before or after that. A few weeks ago a similar banner appeared out of the blue, but with no accompanying email or anything. It is o”
“Omg yes. What is up w that?! We don’t live in Japan. Our post service is internally and externally compromised”
“on my custom order listing i have stated that it takes 3 months to make an order, i dont do refunds and to please rethink carefully if you want to order. Customer requested something, bought listing. A month has passed, im in the middle of making the item, i bought pieces to make this order and customer writes to me that he wants a refund because i take too long. what do i do? the time of making is literally right in front of their eyes when they pruchase, they could buy order from someone that”
The tracking number reads as delivered - the carrier insurance will not pay out one single penny and the buyer needed to send a message to get a full refund??! submitted by…
“Please help! I have been back and forth with this customer on the spelling requested on their custom shirt. I have attached the conversation below. They haven’t been clear about what they want, and I don’t feel right printing something misspelled, I also don’t want a bad review/return request. How would you proceed? Rogue or Rouge? submitted by /u/P4stryQueen [link] [comments]”
“Lol...this happens ALL THE TIME. Friendly fraud is rampant. You have every right to cancel her order for any reason. You can tell her straight out or just ignore her, there's nothing she can do. She's just embarrassed that you caught on.”
“I’ve had it happen previously and found out later that there was glitch or something that day. So I gave it 24hours and it still doesn’t show in search. Then today I recreated a new listing for it and it still doesn’t show up in search. I literally copy-pasted the entire title and nothing. So now I’ve paid for 2 of the same exact listing and neither show up in search. My store is over a year old with over 1k in sales. Anyone else having issues? submitted by /u/MagnoliasandMums [link]”
“Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice from other Etsy sellers because I’m not sure if I have any realistic options left. I sell natural crystal jewelry. Recently, a buyer purchased a natural crystal pendant from my shop. After she received it she said it's not natural. But i am 100% it is. As soon as she contacted me, I offered: -A full refund upon return. -Later, I also offered to reimburse her return shipping costs. -I invited her to return the pendant so I could inspect it under polari”
“Same friction problem, different step. We were losing people at checkout because it was 6 steps and the price with shipping didn't appear until step 4. People assumed the worst and bailed. Loss aversion working against you, not for you. Cutting it to 3 steps and showing the full total upfront made a real difference in completions.”
“Hi, i can't seem to log in to my account. I get the message "You may be able to access your account", and the only way to contact them is by email but it has been 3 weeks now with silence, has anyone here experienced something similar and know how to get in touch with someone? submitted by /u/ChiggawithAttitude [link] [comments]”
“I'm a small D2C brand shipping kidswear, and I've noticed a few shipments through Delhivery being billed at 500 g+ , even though the packed parcel should weigh considerably less. I'm curious if this is something other sellers commonly face or if I should be auditing every shipment more closely. A few questions for those who ship regularly: How often do you see weight discrepancies? Do you raise disputes every time? Are the claims usually accepted? Any tips to avoid getting overcharge”
“Title: I would really appreciate any advice from sellers who have faced a similar issue. I opened an Etsy seller account from India. I successfully uploaded around 8 listings, and everything was working normally. However, as soon as I received my first sale, Etsy asked me to complete identity verification through Persona. The problem is that Persona would not accept either my PAN card or my Aadhaar card as government issues id. Every time I tried, it simply asked me to try a different ID, even t”
“I was expecting a marble table from a seller in Morocco. I just checked the status and it said that the seller was no longer selling? But the status still said that my table would arrive in August and I have not been notified anything? Why did that happen? I was expecting my table and didn’t even think there would be any problem. It’s my first time on Etsy and now I’m afraid of buying again submitted by /u/Hefty-Scallion7497 [link] [comments]”
“Buyer left a 1 star review saying they tried to contact us as etsy advised via contacting us via a reply to the email etsy sends and they would direct it to us. Never heard of this before and ive looked over previous purchases and no one has said respond to the email with click able links to contact seller in said emails. Anyone ever heard of this before as I cant find any info on it submitted by /u/UsualEnvironment9651 [link] [comments]”
“I’m confused is my shipping cost going through? I had a paid shipping profile on this and breakdown it doesn’t show the shipping in the subtotal above. If the item was $79 and Etsy credited me back for their coupon , shouldn’t the total revenue I make be higher? Or am I confused? This was the first time also I’ve seen one of these Etsy coupons/credits. submitted by /u/BeneficialTrust4512 [link] [comments]”
“Slow down. You need up address the root cause of this cancellation/return issue. Sounds horrendous. I’ve done around 400 orders since launching a new store a few months back and haven’t had a single cancellation.”
“I’ve been selling my art on Etsy for about a month now and my etsy account says it’s deposited my money into my paypal account, but the moneys not there. has anyone else dealt with this? what’s going on? submitted by /u/Coral4bi [link] [comments]”
“Has anyone had issues with etsys letter shipping tracking lately? Over the past month all of my orders are still in a pretransit status. I’ve contacted a few customers and they got their items but I’ve received so many help requests regarding orders because of this. It’s always been unreliable but it usually updates a few times. submitted by /u/FantasticDust9134 [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I just started my shop and I’m a little confused. I got a message saying an order was placed and there was an option to message the buyer. However it just says customer awaiting next steps. Now the message is gone and no order is placed. I did not message the buyer I’m not sure what to do now. Any advice would be appreciated. submitted by /u/Mermaid_skyes [link] [comments]”
“Hi folks. I am a craft artist and sell my work via a platform AND my own shop. I am puzzled by the following sequence of events. Could this be a scam? Order - Order placed via the platform - Customer (email): Person A - Recipient: Person A (Berlin) (However, neither Google nor the phone book lists Person A at that address) - Paid for by Person B - Ignored 2 emails regarding delivery issues - Cancellation -> Refund to B with a reference to the former emails (in the payment reference) Person A”
“Hi everyone, my google ads account was suspended yesterday for counterfeit products. We sell designer fragrances impressions but we have our own perfume names. So for eg, in the product title, we write [our perfume name] - inspired by [original designer perfume]. Does it fall under the counterfeit products policy? Can anyone help in resolving the issue? Thanks!! submitted by /u/BusinessArm3955 [link] [comments]”
“I posted here previously about a bracelet I ordered and it arrived with a chipped stone. I was advised to contact the seller to see what they can do for me. So I reached out to them showing the photos of the damage. The seller said they cannot send a replacement (or even return it then replace), and instead offered to send me a loose stone so that I can go get it replaced locally. I responded and expressed my concern that I do not have the proper tool or skill to do so without risking damage to”
“A listing of mine was wrongfully reported for IP infringement from a competitor. I filed a counter claim, and the 10 business days until my listing can be reactivated have passed. I'm wondering if Etsy will reactivate the listing for you or if you have to manually do it yourself? I didn't have the option to before, but I do now. Sorry if this is a stupid question, I just dont want to risk getting my etsy store banned. submitted by /u/Upstairs_Safety_1123 [link] [comment”
“Edit/Update: Well, they just asked me if I'd ship the item to another buyer (remembering that the item is damaged) in the US so I didn't have to pay for shipping back to Ukraine... Shipping at my cost btw, so they'd probably also pocket their shipping fees. I purchased a corset on Etsy and it came and looked nothing like the photo. Initially I contacted the seller and said that I wanted to return it. After several days I hadn't gotten a return address so I opened an Etsy case. Th”
“I have been shipping for at least 2 years internationally from the US to darn near anywhere else on two Etsy shops using their shipping. We would have the occasional issue and shipping typically takes 2-3 weeks. Over the past month or so I have had exceedingly more issues with shipping where it just doesn't show up in the delivery country. It usually would go dark for a few days but lately it just doesn't show up. And having to push people through the filing a case process through Etsy,”
“So, one month to the date now I ordered a phone case off of Etsy. About 7 hours later, I realize that’s not the case I’d like anymore, as I have found another one I prefer. I contact the seller at around 9pm that night (I’d placed the order at about 2:30). She gets back to me the next morning and expresses that orders begin to be processed 2 hours after placement. I went back to her shop, because I assume I missed that policy. But her cancellation policy says “cancellations allowed”. She express”
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