Launched 8/1: Etsy’s Purchase Protection program

[FidosFlowers]

Hi sellers, 

Earlier this year we let you know that we’ll be investing in our continued growth to help bring you more buyers, and keep Etsy a beloved and trusted marketplace. Today, we’re excited to announce a new program that directly invests in our sellers: Etsy Purchase Protection.

With this new program, for qualifying orders up to $250 USD (or the equivalent of your local currency) including shipping and taxes, Etsy will refund buyers and you’ll keep your earnings if:

• A buyer never received their package (for example, if it was lost in transit)
• Their item arrived damaged (for the first instance per calendar year)

Also, if a buyer’s item matches the listing description and photos, but they claim it does not, you will not be responsible for this.

To learn more about how we designed Etsy’s Purchase Protection program with you in mind, hear from Etsy’s Chief Operating Officer, Raina Moskowitz here.

Additionally, we know that you probably have some questions, so here are some answers! 

Q: What do sellers have to do to be eligible for Etsy Purchase Protection?

A: Sellers don’t have to take any action to participate in Etsy Purchase Protection. Your orders just need to meet the program eligibility criteria, including:

• Have valid tracking information and/or have been shipped using a shipping label purchased on Etsy. In countries where shipping labels are available, purchasing a shipping label on Etsy is a great way to help ensure your order’s eligibility.
• Have an estimated delivery date. 
• Be shipped on time (within your stated processing times). 
• Be packaged carefully before shipping. 
• Use accurate photos and descriptions within the item listing. 

See the full list of eligibility criteria here. 

Q: Does Etsy Purchase Protection cost sellers anything? 

A: Sellers don’t need to pay anything to participate in Etsy Purchase Protection. While we believe the criteria outlined above follows best practices for packaging and shipping your items, participating in Etsy Purchase Protection is completely optional.

Q: What if my order is $250 USD (including shipping and taxes) or more?

A: Orders over $250 USD are not eligible for Etsy Purchase Protection. Etsy Purchase Protection eligibility is based on the full order amount and does not apply to partial amounts of orders. For example, an order of $300 would not be eligible for Etsy Purchase Protection. Because of this, we strongly recommend purchasing insurance when fulfilling your orders over $250.

Q: What does Etsy Purchase Protection mean for buyers?

A: With Etsy’s Purchase Protection program, buyers will get a full refund if their item doesn’t arrive, arrives damaged, or isn’t as described. We’ve heard from buyers that trust is an important factor that drives their decision making. We want them to shop confidently on Etsy knowing that if something goes wrong with their order, they can easily get the help they need. Etsy’s Purchase Protection program is not an insurance policy, a warranty, nor a guarantee. We believe Etsy Purchase Protection will give buyers more peace of mind, and could result in increased orders to your shop. And for sellers, we want to help your business run with more confidence on Etsy–especially when something happens that is outside your control. Learn more about the buyer program here. 

Q: Is Etsy managing buyer fraud? 

A: Yes, we’ll monitor for buyer abuse of Etsy Purchase Protection to protect the seller community. Buyers who abuse the program could lose access to Etsy Purchase Protection.

Q: How does Etsy Purchase Protection work?

A: Learn more here.

To learn more about Etsy Purchase Protection, check out this article in the Seller Handbook. 

Your feedback is crucial for helping us improve the seller experience. Share your thoughts about theEtsy’s Purchase Protection program and let us know what you would like to see from it in the future in this brief survey here.

[FidosFlowers]

Hi sellers,

We're excited about the new Etsy Purchase Protection program and appreciate the thoughtful questions we've seen from the community so far. To help clarify a few things, we’ve addressed some additional questions below.

Q: How does Etsy Purchase Protection work when I have 3rd party insurance?

• A: If a buyer experiences an issue with their order, as a first step to getting help, they’ll need to reach out to you via a message from the ‘Help with order’ page before they can ask Etsy to step in to help reach a fair resolution. If Etsy steps in and you have 3rd party insurance, the 3rd party insurance provider who provides your primary coverage is the best place for you to start a claim. In certain instances where the primary coverage provider does not provide coverage, Etsy may request that sellers provide proof of 3rd party declined coverage in order to be eligible for Etsy Purchase Protection. If your primary coverage provider does not provide coverage, sellers should contact Etsy and if the order qualifies, Etsy will refund the buyer, and you’ll keep your earnings. Based on your feedback, we clarified this in the Etsy Purchase Protection policy.

Q: Do I have to purchase a shipping label on Etsy to be eligible for Etsy Purchase Protection?

• A: You don’t have to purchase a shipping label on Etsy to be eligible for Etsy Purchase Protection. In countries where shipping labels are available, purchasing a shipping label on Etsy is a great way to help ensure your order’s eligibility; however, adding a valid tracking number to an order, regardless of whether the label was purchased on Etsy, also counts toward the eligibility criteria. Etsy’s goal is to work with carrier partners to bring you discounts when you purchase labels on Etsy. However, if neither of these options work for your business, keep in mind that participating in Etsy Purchase Protection is completely optional.

Q: Tracking is expensive. What can I do to be eligible?

• A: We know that in certain markets, tracking is expensive and may not be worth adding to an order when taking the price of the item into consideration. In those instances, labels purchased on Etsy (if available in your market) may be a better option in order to make your order eligible for Etsy Purchase Protection. If both tracking and labels purchased on Etsy are either too expensive or not available for that particular order or item, that’s okay–Etsy Purchase Protection is always optional. We know that as a small business, sellers have unique needs that might change even from order to order. That’s why we’re working to offer sellers more flexibility - and also have your back in the rare instance that issues arise. 

Q: I already pay for insurance through carriers; how is Etsy Purchase Protection relevant to me? 

• A: We know that other carriers may offer insurance coverage, but sometimes carrier coverage may not be available, or appropriately cover your loss. Etsy Purchase Protection isn't intended to be insurance coverage, but is intended to be one more way that Etsy can help when something goes wrong for qualifying orders. 

Q: How does Etsy Purchase Protection work? 

A: Today’s process for resolving order issues with your customers isn’t changing. We believe it’s important to maintain the human element of customer service, which is why we want you to be able to connect with the buyer directly if there’s an issue. That’s why buyers will still be required to reach out to you before they are able to ask Etsy to step in. In other words, buyers won’t be able to circumvent you with Etsy Purchase Protection.