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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU about refund from Etsy?

126 replies

JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 07:28

Just need some advice really!

I use Etsy ALL the time, I get the majority of gifts/things for my house from there and always use a uk seller. I do this because a) Etsy promote supporting uk sellers and b) Delivery times are quicker (usually).

So I ordered an item on the 17th January. The shop stated it was uk seller and was based it London. The item is quite large and cost 60 quid. The delivery time was set from the 1st-3rd Feb, all good and ordered. It was dispatched on the 18th.

So the 3rd came and went a no sign of my item. As it’s quite a large item I had to provide my number so the delivery company could contact me to arrange a delivery date. Once it didn’t arrive I contacted the seller who was very nice and said he would look into it. He then messaged again saying the item was stuck in customs. I was very confused so asked for the tracking number which stated the item was coming from Italy!!! I obviously queried this with him and he explained HE is based in London and therefore the business is a Uk business but the actual product is made in Italy and that this is made clear on his Etsy page. I had another look at the Etsy page and found that right down at the bottom, under all the reviews, delivery dates etc, it mentions the dispatcher in Italy. BUT that is right at the bottom, I’ve never scrolled that far down and plus it is stated twice at the top of the page that it is a uk seller. Anyway so I asked for a refund and he’s said it clearly states in his terms & conditions that he is no responsible for delays with customs.

The tracking states it has been with customs for days but was finally released yesterday but I have checked again this morning and now it says AGAIN that it’s delayed at customs Confused.

So aibu asking for a refund?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Tarararara · 04/02/2021 08:14

I'm with you OP. Etsy make a big thing about being able to shop local.

delilahbucket · 04/02/2021 08:14

Just because the production partner is listed as being in Italy does not mean you would expect it to be coming from Italy. What does the item description say? If it is all mentioned in there and you didn't read it, then the onus is on you. If it isn't in the description then you are right to request a refund, but you need to refuse delivery so it goes back to him.
That bit about customs charges is standard blurb on all listings.

TitusPullo · 04/02/2021 08:14

YANBU. I would assume that a UK seller was holding stock in the UK. Otherwise them being in the UK is irrelevant. I don’t care where the person I am emailing is sat. I agree he is misleading people to get more sales and would reflect that in my review. He has done the website equivalent of burying it in the small print.

I’ve also seen this a lot on eBay, claim to be a UK seller as they’ve paid to have a business address here but then goods arrive with Chinese customs stamps all over it.

DorisDances · 04/02/2021 08:15

I think the seller is technically correct but not in the spirit of Etsy. I do the same as you in terms of filtering for uk sellers and would easily have been caught the same way. Thanks for highlighting OP

TheSockMonster · 04/02/2021 08:15

I think the listing is intentionally misleading and would be very annoyed.

I would expect that an Italian “delivery partner” would be part of the production chain, not the sales chain. So like if I buy a sofa from Next I expect it to be dispatched from the UK, even though it might be manufactured in the EU.

The fact that this item dispatches from outside the UK should be made clear in the listing. Particularly now we are outside of the EU and subject to extra charges and clearances.

Original poster
JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 08:20

Just been back on to check the item description in case it was blatantly there and The item says dispatches from
United Kingdom Hmm. I’m just going to ask for my money back and if it does ever arrive I’ll send it back to him in London

AIBU about refund from Etsy?
OP posts:
VinterKvinna · 04/02/2021 08:20

I'm with you as well op, this is misleading and manipulation

Report to Etsy

SinkGirl · 04/02/2021 08:20

He hadn’t given all of the information. It doesn’t explicitly say it will be dispatched from Italy, just the item is produced in Italy or rather that the production partner is based there. And that’s not easily accessible.

I will bet if it was on the listings he has removed it since Brexit.

SinkGirl · 04/02/2021 08:21

Well that’s completely misleading and unacceptable.

VettiyaIruken · 04/02/2021 08:22

@JoanneCofton

Just been back on to check the item description in case it was blatantly there and The item says dispatches from United Kingdom Hmm. I’m just going to ask for my money back and if it does ever arrive I’ll send it back to him in London
So it does. In that case Etsy will likely agree with you.
Mrstwiddle · 04/02/2021 08:23

Wow, can’t believe athat this is almost 50/50, of course he’s in the wrong!

Mrstwiddle · 04/02/2021 08:24

And I thought that even before reading the latest update. Would definitely contact Etsy too and let them know.

Original poster
JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 08:26

I’ve just messaged him
To say I will give it another couple of days but if it hasn’t arrive by Monday I will be requesting a refund and that I wouldn’t have ordered it if I’d have known it was coming from outside the uk and that I feel it’s misleading that his shop states it’s in London AND it says it’ll be dispatched from the uk so I will see what he says. The tracking currently says this

AIBU about refund from Etsy?
OP posts:
Bigwaves · 04/02/2021 08:29

I’d be annoyed too, how realistic that you go to the sellers page to check where his delivery partner is outside the UK. Etsy need to be very careful about this as pp have said the EU charges will stop people wanting to shop with them. I use eBay and Amazon for generic things but Etsy for homemade crafted goods that I’m willing to pay a premium for. All that will happen is people will stop using them.

tinierclanger · 04/02/2021 08:29

Very shady. And your last update shows it’s deliberately misleading. Raise it with Etsy!

alienspiderbee · 04/02/2021 08:34

Etsy is already ruined from what it was. Buy local is ridiculous if it just means an individual has bought a load of stuff from China/elsewhere and is selling it from their house rather than a shop

IcedLimes · 04/02/2021 08:39

Yanbu. He has put on his page that it dispatches from the UK which is untrue

Original poster
JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 08:40

Yeah exactly Etsy and have some beautiful, unique things from there over the years. It’s my go to place whenever I want to buy anything for my house or for a present and have never ever had an issue before. In fact I had 2 deliveries of things I had gotten off Etsy just yesterday Blush . But this has left a sour taste in my mouth to be honest with the deliberate misleading information. Well
Actually not misleading, outright lying 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 08:40

Sorry that’s supposed to say I love Etsy

OP posts:
Chanandlerbong01 · 04/02/2021 08:42

So reading the full info I agree with you and he’s misled on purpose. The custom fees section to me reads as if people from out the uk are purchasing - as he has made clear he is a London seller. The production partner bit doesn’t specify they are making your order and sending it over, if I was looking at it as someone buying it I would think it’s the same company doing the same thing for Italian customers.

Original poster
JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 08:42

He has replied and said that items that are not personalised are sent from the UK but orders that are personalised (which I’d imagine is 99.9% of the orders due to the nature of it) are sent from Italy but Etsy does not allow for more than one dispatch location to be set.

OP posts:
ilikefastcars · 04/02/2021 08:42

Are you sure it's not stuck at customs waiting for you to pay a release fee?
I had this in December with an item from Switzerland, cost £50 for them to release it, and don't you now have to pay vat as we are no longer EU?

Original poster
JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 08:44

However this is not stated in the description at all and the description says something like: pick what colour you want, then in the box below write what font you want, what wording etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
JoanneCofton · 04/02/2021 08:46

@ilikefastcars I have absolutely no idea. I tried to speak to the online chat but as I am not the seller they wouldn’t speak to me. If that was the case would I be notified? I am hundreds of miles away from Kingsbury (well that’s what Google says anyway, I’d never heard of it 😂)

OP posts:
TalskiddyTreacleMiner · 04/02/2021 08:49

I'm with you OP. That's deliberately misleading and I'd be very unhappy if that happened to me. I hope Etsy sort it out for you.