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Hi, everyone!

Thanks for making your way over to the Etsy Success section. We hope you’ve had a chance to review Josh’s Announcement on how we’re making it easier for US shoppers to find items that ship free. We know many of you may have questions and we're here to help!

Today and tomorrow, Madison, Bryan, Perry, Michele, and Nathan from the Etsy team will be hosting a Q&A on offering a free shipping guarantee. What questions do you have about this new guarantee?

Here are the Q&A details:
- Share your questions about this change in this thread from now until Wednesday, July 10. We will close the thread that evening at 9pm ET.
- Etsy staff will answer questions by 5pm ET on Thursday, July 11.
- It is unlikely we will be able to answer all questions, so be sure to read through what others have asked before posting your own. If yours has already been asked, give it a Like! We want to ensure that we answer the questions that matter most to you, so with that in mind, we will prioritize answering questions with the most Likes.

And a few housekeeping notes:
- This Q&A is to address questions about how we’re making it easier for shoppers in the US to find items that ship free. Please remember that all comments should remain on topic and in line with our community policies. Any comments that violate our policies will be removed.
- If you have feedback to share, we encourage you to fill out our seller survey form. We are collecting feedback and suggestions from the community here, and the team is actively reviewing it over the next couple of weeks.

One last note: if you are unable to make this Q&A, the team will be back next week to answer your questions about the new smart pricing tool that is designed to help you offer a free shipping to your US buyers and recover shipping costs. The tool should be available to all US sellers with items $35 and over next week, and all other sellers in August.

Thanks, all. We're looking forward to your questions!

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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@GRITSGirlz wrote:

Dear Etsy-

I use Calculated Shipping so it's fair shipping prices for all and charge a minimal $0.50 handling fee.  Please explain how I would price breakables (usually glass) that ship in a 12x12x12 cube mailing box at the 5lb rate.

Currently my items in this class would ship (including my minimal $0.50 handling fee):
+ $9.62 Chicago
+ $16.17 Denver
+ $20.90 Los Angeles
+ $10.83 New York

My largest markets THIS YEAR have been TX, CA, NY in this order.  I ship from the southern east coast.

I'm saddened to see that Etsy has resorted to such punitive measures.  Free shipping works for items that easily ship First Class Package and weigh in ounces.

So do I incorporate the shipping price for CA of $21 and reap the extra $ if someone closer to me purchases?  Doesn't seem very fair does it.  On the other hand, I don't sell on Etsy to finance the buyer's shipping, so I don't plan on taking a loss should someone in CA purchase and that happens frequently even on my largest shipments.

With Etsy's vast shipping knowledge, please advise how the above should be handled.  This is easily 90% of my items.

 


Hi Kathi, many thanks for your question. Ultimately, it's up to each individual seller to determine how to price their items. We  cover shipping strategies that you can consider for things like heavy items here: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/strategies-for-shipping-challenging/541425680646 

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GRITSGirlz
Conversation Maker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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@StrikeUpTheBandsaw Ah, yes, I read said article in depth.  So the solution is to do away with Calculated shipping, use the price your postage calculator to obtain the price to the furthest shipping zone and incorporate that shipping price into item price.  Wow, takes me back to the dark ages of fixed shipping prices on Etsy before Calculated shipping was possible.  And, of course, forgot to mention that the Vintage seller in your linked article only averages 14 sales a year.  My question is how can I leverage free shipping to improve my sales?

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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So who wins if the buyer decides to return the item. Not me. My guest would be Etsy

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Mycyberattic
Conversation Maker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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I think instead of Etsy promotions since only free shipping will get ranked higher, I might have to drop this for google promotions.  I know I spend alot of effort with social media but that effort is also being thwarted because once I get someone to my shop, Etsy surrounds it by people who undercut our prices with their promoted listings.  All my efforts go to under cutters who drive the prices down.    I bring in alot of guest to Etsy and I am rewarded by their pesty promotions of unlike items and lower prices.  No wonder so many sellers are branching off to other places.  I cant be competitive with both lower prices and free shipping.  Come on. 

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ViaDonna
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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So lets sum all this up...
Etsy is not FORCING anyone to use the "Free" shipping option, thus option.

All they are doing is telling us that if we don't we'll be penalized by not having our listings and shops show up first in the search rankings.  So do this... or you suffer the consequences.  Etsy is hurting their sellers.

Etsy wants us to "hide" our shipping costs  (which are not "free", by any means) by raising our prices, and passing it on to the customer. Etsy is telling us to lie to our customers.

If we raise our prices, Etsy gets more of a cut because they take a percentage of the price of the item.  Then they charge us a fee to print a shipping label. Even if the shipping was listed as "free" it's not.  Etsy still gets more money. 

Seller's need to eat costs or risk not selling as well as in the past because of raised prices.  Etsy hurts sellers.

Hmmm, nothing I have seen in all these comments has been a positive reaction to the news, but most of it is complaining about having to raise prices and how shipping costs vary depending on how far it has to ship.  We don't have to accept the "free" shipping, it's optional, but if we don't Etsy hurts us by lowering our chances of being seen.

Conclusion: Etsy doesn't care much about their sellers anymore. All they care about is the bottom line.  So where are people  moving their shops to?  I would be interested in knowing.

 

 

 

 

 

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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I sell on other sites but focus on my independent wordpress website. for many years I have wanted creative small businesses to join forces and create a website that promotes INDEPENDENT websites....a list of indie handmade websites so customers can easily find the small businesses & buy DIRECT from the maker :)  really wish someone would make that happen so we can all leave Etsy and other sites like it in the dust :)

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modestly
Crafty Poster

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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'All they care about is the bottom line' - that's it in nutshell - I cannot think where I can platform my handmade books now. They'll just disappear. Etsy as a platform for crafted items is a dying animal. 

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TireCoverCentral
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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We will be able to pick which sections of the country we can ship "FREE" to? Some areas like Alaska, HI, CA, ID, WA are alot higher shipping than the rest of the country (we are based in KY).

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Somewhere in this thread yesterday "Amazon Handmade" was mentioned- a separate Amazon site for handmade only. Anyone have experience with this site? 

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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I think you summed this up perfectly!! I mysef have not sold alot (20 items). Most of these have been machine embroidered tea towels at a price of $9 to $22.50 each. I don't feel right adding an extra $5 on the price so I can say Free Shipping. I'm a senior on a set income. I do the minimum $1.00 a day just to get the advertising. I would also like to know where people are moving their shops to.  

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PodushkaStudio
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Hi! I'm Michele and I'm based in our London office where I work as part of Etsy's International team. Our team focuses on sellers based outside the US, including attracting new sellers to the marketplace and helping those already on Etsy thrive. I'm always thinking about and advocating for the unique needs of our amazing sellers in all corners of the world, with a special focus on sellers in the UK. When I'm not dreaming up seller growth projects, you can find me curled up with a cosy knitting project, out for a run in the park or on the tube with my nose stuck in a book.

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LiteraryLodge
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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I’m afraid this will not help at all. The problem will not be fixed by a tool. If I price a cushion to include UK shipping at 20.99, that item costs £3 to ship in the UK. To ship that to the US it will cost me £13.50. If I raise the price by £10 to include free US delivery, that will make item 30.99 which means it will not sell in the UK. If I leave it the same price and ship for free to the US I will not make a profit.

The problem becomes worse if I multiple ship - two cushions to the US will cost £30 shipping as they have to go via Parcelforce.

As I said, this is going to kill my shop in US. It does feel as though Etsy is prioritising US sellers as free shipping was offered to them when it was introduced there.

If you’re marketing more at the UK market, it probably isn’t a good idea to introduce policies that are going to drive UK sellers out of business, as this is what will happen.

Etsy really shouldn’t be getting involved in any shipping and pricing issues - you are a marketplace, that is all. We all pay the same fees so we should be getting the same service regardless of whether we offer free shipping or not.

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Thanks for your stock introduction - but what can you SAY to all these negative and fearful comments? IS ETSY HEARING US? I am a USA seller - and can't afford to absorb "free shipping" - ETSY could PROVIDE ALL US SELLERS FREE SHIPPING LABELS and we would ALL gladly jump on board!

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Hi Podushka,

Do you know If Ill be able to set my product prices seperately for US buyers? If I inflate my prices to include shipping to the US this will make my prices very uncompetative for UK buyers. If I dont Ill lose sales in the US. Not a great situation as a seller.

Jamie

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Hi Michelle, So how are sellers based outside the US expected to compete with this new policy?  What was your team's input to this change? 

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modestly
Crafty Poster

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Good luck with attracting new sellers - this old seller is very upset with the increased fees now charged, and the change in policies which affe ct visibility. It is becoming increasingly challenging to be seen on Etsy as a handmade (genuinely) seller. What was a place for unique items is now beginning to look like a mall, and whilst I see the attraction to the Etsy management, there is an ever  decreasing incentive for me to continue to use Etsy as my platform to sell my craft. I am very sad to see Etsy go down this rabbit hole. 

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Instaokviri
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Dear PodushkaStudio,

 

 

Does it mean physical items with free shipping will have more priority on US search results than digital items?

 

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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no. way.  I'm not changing to free shipping. It will inflate my prices and really mess with international shipping. I charge exactly what shipping costs, and lose money on the boxes and packing materials.  Good luck to all doing 'free' shipping.  Like other venues, it is just absorbed into your listed prices. I'm keeping it fair.  No hidden costs. And I will write that in my descriptions!  To everyone who is unhappy about this, add in your descriptions, 'actual shipping prices added in check out'  'no hidden costs'  

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Thanks for the boilerplate response. How about actually addressing everyone's concerns????? Shame on you, Etsy!!

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JehnCeramics
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Why don't you answer some questions instead of writing this? 

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delisaboutique
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Dear Michelle,

I would like the following points answered please:

1) EU sellers will not receive good placement in search to US buyers UNLESS they offer free shipping? And will this also be the case to EU buyers?

2) I am based in the EU and as such, any and all customers have an automatic 14 days 'cooling off' period to change their minds. So in the event someone purchases, receives and then requests a return of their purchase, i am currently obliged to refund them minus postage. The new way of inflating prices to cover shipping will leave me and all EU sellers out of pocket (shipping isn't free, contrary to Etsy's desire)

3) If prices are inflated to offer free shipping to US buyers (which most of us will HAVE to do to stay competitive - most of my buyers are US based) then our domestic buyers will be paying too much. Are you not concerned that these inflated prices will make your progress in the EU market become SQUASHED as we fail to be competitive and become over priced?

4) Are you not concerned that 'FREE SHIPPING' will simply attract even more Aliexpress resellers, I am seeing many categories, including mine (hats) being flooded with cheap 'not handmade' factory made products and listed in the handmade section. If this problem isn't resolved then no amount of free-shipping will restore Etsys reputation for being a truely handmade and vintage site.

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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I decided not to offer free shipping when Etsy made other detrimental changes to me as a UK seller.  When you sell quality handmade products internationally, I honestly do not believe it is good business practice or ethical to make domestic customers subsidise the cost of international shipping.  Customers want to see transparent and fair pricing.  I have not changed my mind today. 

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Dear Podoshuska Studio - 

And this piece of information helps how?  Nothing in here but your job and hobbies.  Nothing of substance.

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EliteLC
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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Why is this marked as a solution to the post? Lol

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Re: Q&A with Etsy admin: Offering a free shipping guarantee

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How can a UK seller make this work for them? Telling us to incorporate the shipping cost into the price of an item is all very well but the cost of shipping to the US is hugely different from shipping to the UK. It doesn’t seem fair that our UK customers will now have to pay a huge amount more for their item to cover the cost of us sending to the US. Is Etsy trying to phase UK sellers out? 

Will sellers from the UK be given priority in the UK for offering free domestic shipping?

This all seems very one sided and feels as though sellers from the UK are being let down by Etsy. We do still pay the same amount in listing fees and commission.... shouldn’t we be treated the same way? Or are our fees going to be reduced to reflect the unfair new system?

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