To complain on Etsy?

[naemates]

I purchased an item on Etsy on 22nd Nov to go in Dec 1st boxes. The estimated delivery date was 25-27th Nov, the seller dispatched on the 27th which moved the estimated delivery day to 1st Dec and still hasn't arrived.

If it was a real shop, I'd be asking for the refund, as it's too late to be used as intended, although it is food so could still be used. I do feel bad though, given it's just someone trying to make a bit of cash baking at home (also unsure about the hygiene regs for this?)

The woman selling has 59 sales and just one review (I maybe should have thought about that before ordering tbf). How guns blazing would you go?

None. It’s the chance you take ordering close to the date you need something for, regardless of the estimated delivery dates.

I wouldn't have considered that close to the date to be honest, if I had had concerns about that I would have ordered somewhere else and had it within a day or two rather than relying on the sellers guidance.

Do you not think that dispatching it after it was due to arrive is bad service? I appreciate she can't control the couriers, but she's in charge of her own part of the transaction.

Thanks for your response none the less, I am genuinely unsure if I'm BU - or I would have demanded a refund already!

I wouldn’t go guns blazing at all? The RM are really busy, if she is posting fresh baking she was probably right to hold off so it would be fresh? Please don’t compromise her small business over it

Did you try communicating with the seller when it was delayed?

The post has been horrendous. I had a 2nd class parcel take 10 days to get to me from the date the seller posted. Was it an estimated delivery date or estimated posting date?

I'd email her on Etsy and explain and see what she says. If you get nowhere, you can raise a claim with Etsy

I think that’s also the risk you take from buying from a private seller at the moment. They can have family issues, self isolation crop up at any minute like the rest of us and don’t have the employees to take up the slack.

I shop local as much as I can but if I wanted to get something quickly and be sure to get it in time, then I wouldn’t use someone on Etsy.

Although I don’t think there is any harm in asking for a refund on your delivery cost.

If I need something for a specific date I always check with the seller before purchasing as the estimated times are just that, an estimation, many don’t update their dispatch dates throughout the year and when circumstances change.
Usually if you tell them you need it for a certain date they can accommodate you, but if they can’t then you can look elsewhere.

Are you expecting a full refund or refund on delivery?

I think it depends what it is to some extent. Is it something she's made specifically for you or premade?

Equally, delays happen but there's no excuse for poor communication

I'd not be totally happy but have had some real issues at work with courier services this year, parcels not collected as booked and so on. Understandably with so much more business happening by mail this year, but still. So I would maybe go a bit easy this time round.

I sell on Etsy.

There have been massive issues with postal delays the last few weeks.

I would contact the seller and see if there is tracking (all parcels have basic tracking using Royal Mail) and see what she says.

I've recently refunded when things haven't arrived within 10 days or so. Irritating but nothing anyone can do.

I wouldn't be overly happy but I also wouldn't leave it so close to when I wanted the item if I was ordering from an independent seller.

I would message the seller and let her know your issue. Maybe she's fairly new to selling and needs a bit of advice (and a kick up the arse about getting things out asap) but I wouldn't want to complain to Etsy as you don't know what the outcome could be.

But then I'm possibly a bit too soft.

As someone who sells on Etsy, the estimated delivery date is something that Etsy estimates on behalf of the seller and it may very well not be accurate. For some reason it doesn't show up on my shop maybe because I have my estimated dispatch time set to 3-5 business days rather than 1-2 business days? She dispatched within 4 business days of your order so I guess whether you have the right to be annoyed depends on what the processing time was stated as - it should say the dispatch by date on your invoice.

Tbh when buying from Etsy I'd always message the seller if it was time sensitive.

I would also say I've had orders from H&M etc be very delayed or get cancelled after a week so it's not an issue that is unique to smaller sellers.

This happened to me a few weeks ago with Etsy, but I didn't complain because I knew it was my own fault for ordering with just over a weeks notice. With lockdowns and everything going on at the moment I know the Royal Mail & couriers are really busy and it was a risk I took when I ordered it.

The estimated delivery date was 25-27th Nov, the seller dispatched on the 27th

yes, for that I would complain!

if you decide to sell something, it's up to you to be realistic with your dispatch times. I have just bought something on etsy, it's clearly written that my item will not be made before the New Year as they are full for Christmas. It's fine. They are honest about it.

I messaged her on the last expected delivery date because I noticed it hadn't been dispatched yet and wondered if she maybe just hadn't clicked to say 'dispatched' and she replied to say she had just dropped it off, no apology.

I don't especially want my money back, I want her to provide the service she's offering. I don't want to leave a bad review and have people put off, but I think people should know not to expect it when it says you should expect it iyswim?

It's put me off using Etsy and I will probably use Amazon in future, which is a bit rubbish really. I will probably just leave it and fume quietly to myself when (if?) it arrives. Then have a lovely hot chocolate with my family and get over it.

I also sell on etsy and ebay.

So it took her 5 days to despatch the item. The only way that could be considered acceptable i would say is if it was a made to order item.

Yes, there are problems with the post currently, all the more reason to despatch quickly.

I am an online retailer and I am just about at breaking point with "why hasn't my stuff arrived yet" emails. I'm running a week behind my usual dispatch times and royal mail are taking up to two weeks to deliver. Seriously, go easy on this seller.
As for hygiene etc, perhaps you should have considered that before purchasing.

I sell on Etsy. Definitely contact the seller before complaining - give her a chance to defend herself! If she's unprofessional in her response, then fair enough. Please don't switch to Amazon after one bad experience, there are thousands of fantastic small businesses on Etsy, plenty with loads of good feedback. Or have a look at Folksy - it's UK based, a bit more 'craft fair' than Etsy, but doesn't have the same problem with mass produced stuff being passed off as handmade.

I'm still trying to figure out what Dec 1st boxes are? Is it something like a Christmas Eve box (which I think are ridiculous and just another commercial novelty)?

What on earth is a December 1st box??

Don't let a bad seller put you off the entire platform. There are plenty of helpful and very good sellers on etsy.

Amazon can have delays too unfortunately.

You can leave her an honest review, that the item was dispatched on the last day it was scheduled to arrive, so others are warned.

It's basic: never promise more than you can offer. You can't seriously run a business and sending everything late, you KNOW there are enough delays once you've actually sent your items!

Ah I think this is the Etsy platform being misleading about dispatch and delivery times actually - just reviewed my own settings. Here's a recent order confirmation which clearly shows the processing time set to 3-5 days (that's 3-5 days before I dispatch as most of my stuff is made to order and I have a full time job alongside Etsy). Yet Etsy somehow extrapolates that into 3-5 days to delivery even though I use second class registered post and there's no way to change what they display 🤦🏼‍♀️ I really clearly state in my item descriptions what to expect but I can see why buyers and sellers get caught out by this.

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