My first "reported case"

[WildRoseHerbs]

Hello! I'm seeking some wisdom about reported cases and what they can mean for your shop. I'm hoping the customer opened the case because they thought that was the only way to contact me...

The order was placed on Dec 1st, Shipped on December 5th (well within my estimated shipping time for this product, clearly stated at the top of the listing). This is going to Canada, and my mistake was not sending an email notification to let the buyer know I had shipped (I have literally gotten hundreds of international orders in the last few weeks so I didn't have time. But, no matter how busy I am I'll always send a notification now!). And yesterday, without any prior contact, I get an email saying this case has been opened. I politely responded with my clearly stated shipping times (which have been VERY long for international lately, just wrote another thread about this) and the customs # for proof of shipment (but I have never seen this updated, not even after delivery). What I'm wondering is can reported cases affect your feedback? Can potential customers see that a case has been opened against you? I read that these can "escalate" if you don't respond within five weeks, but given the 4-8 weeks it's been taking for international delivery I fear this will affect my shop. I kindly asked that the case be closed given that not enough time has lapsed for delivery and that my policies clearly state a refund will be gladly given for packages not received. Any advice here?

Thank you so much!

[Former_Member]

I would be interested in knowing how people have handled this...

[starflycreations]

When you shipped, did you click the little SHIPPED box on your Sold Order under Open Orders? It's always good practice to at least do that much. Also, Etsy has an easy notification system now. When you click shipped a window should pop up that asks if you would like to notify sender of shipment. You can set the text the way you like and just click that every time. It's also a great way to keep track of what you have shipped and what is still open.

I would contact the buyer and apologize for not contacting her sooner to inform her that the package has shipped and provide the shipping date.

Etsy is a learning process. Fortunately, we all learn from each other's mistakes so we don't have to make every mistake out there.

Good luck getting it resolved.

[Former_Member]

Communication at every turn is crucial. Folks need to know that you've sent their item.

As a buyer here on etsy it makes me boilin' mad to have to contact the seller to ask where my item is. Especially when shipping time is not listed in their policy. As a seller I know how long parcels take to arrive....from my home to the east coast or down south.

I want more communication from those I purchase from.

[WildRoseHerbs]

Yep, invoice reads marked as shipped on December 6th. Very clear shipping policies, sent a polite message reiterating my policies once case was opened. I still think it's a little much for a Canadian customer to open a case not even two weeks after shipment during the holidays. I really hope this person just didn't realize they could have just asked me through email/convo.

What I am wondering is how this can affect a person's shop. Does anyone have experience with this? With all the scams going around, is there any protection for the seller in these cases?
My feedback is 320+, 100% positive, all but a handful from happy customers. I've never had an issue with any seller, domestic or international until this holiday season.

[Former_Member]

I hope it is just a customer with "jitters"
and I am sure all will turn out well.
With your amount of feedback, I would not worry too much.
I know, easier said than done.
Hope and trust that all will work out.
Please keep us updated so we can all learn from this!

[Former_Member]

I had a customer do that in 1madwoman - I think she didn't know she could just convo me. We hashed it out and I'm making her a new clutch, and she closed the case and left a very nice note about how easy I was to work with.

Just be polite and as professional as possible, and I'm sure it will turn out all right.

[WildRoseHerbs]

Thanks again everyone. I was thinking about it this morning and even in the worst case scenario, I would still need like 3-4 negative feedbacks before my percentage is affected. Not that I wont try my hardest to work this out in a polite way, but sometimes there's only so much you can do! Southern, do you know if there are any bad effects of a reported case? Does it stand as a bad mark against your shop in any way? I know reported cases in paypal don't look good at all. I hope it's not the same for Etsy!

[GreenOrchidDS]

I just went on my "shipped" item and added a note after reading this thread, it's so crazy this time of year I almost forgot! Thanks for sharing your story.

[HBMUSE]

I also send shipping notification via email through shipping company..never had a problem..but this is a good reminder to have shipping guidelines clearly stated - I need to go in and update.

Have you tried sending a note directly to the Admin/Help team to see if they can assist in getting this resolved quicker and maybe removed?

Oh another thing that I always do in most of my postings is to say that they can convo or email me - as I think a lot of new users have no idea what a convo is...

[Former_Member]

I don't think it's possible for customers to see how many cases have been opened against you.