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Updated 12/22 - Holiday shipping concerns
Hi all,
We’ve heard your concerns around US shipping carriers and holiday packages being delivered in time for the holidays and this process being out of your control.
Due to the impact of COVID and increased holiday shipping needs, US shipping carriers are facing delays. This means that holiday delivery timelines may be a few days longer than expected. While you feel like you are doing everything you can to get your item to arrive on time for the holidays, these other factors may push the arrival of buyers’ items beyond what they expected.
We wanted to provide an update around some actions we are taking on our end to help support you during this time:
Giving your buyers a heads up via email
This month we started emailing buyers where we’re seeing potential for shipping delays. The emails let buyers know their order has been shipped by the seller they purchased from and is on the way, but it may arrive a little later than expected due to holiday postal service delays, and of course, that we appreciate them supporting a small business this holiday season. You may hear from your buyers in response to this email.
Messaging potential US shipping carrier delays across our site
We’ve also included information about the impact of potential shipping carrier delays for US buyers across their shopping experience on Etsy and in their post-purchase confirmation emails. We’ve put out these messages to help ensure that buyers are aware of these delays in shipping carriers’ operations. Adjusting buyer expectations can help support customer satisfaction and help you from receiving messages from buyers about unforeseen shipping carrier issues.
Updates to estimated delivery dates buffers
We made updates to the estimated delivery dates feature to ensure displayed dates are more accurate following recent delays. We’re looking at how long USPS packages are taking to arrive between zip codes. If there are delays on that specific route, we’re updating estimated delivery dates on listings that use calculated shipping profiles to let your customers know. Showing these delivery estimates at the listing level means we can help give shoppers the most up to date estimated info they need before making their purchase without turning away holiday shoppers who aren’t seeing delays in their zip code. Note: these updates to estimated delivery dates also delay a buyer’s review window and the review notifications we send them.
Click here to learn more about updates to estimated delivery dates.
Regarding Reviews
We also hear your concerns about reviews. Keep in mind, reviews that are solely about things outside of the seller’s control, such as the actions of a shipping carrier, Etsy, or a third party, may be in violation of our policies.
If you receive a review that you believe violates Etsy’s policies, please be sure to report it.
Click here to learn more about Etsy’s Review System for sellers.
We will continue monitoring the situation and keep our community updated. For tips on shipping and customer service during this time, check out our Seller Handbook article here.
Thanks, everyone!
Admin