Would you find it weird...

[MoonthrallTarot]

To get a coupon from a seller you shopped with in 2009?

I just reached 200 sales and want to offer some past customers a special coupon, plus get in touch with them. Who wouldn't like a coupon? These are repeat customers and those who were happy with their purchase. They're just from way back and I never send emails out.

Besides announcing the news and upcoming vacation, they'll have a few months to use it. So it'll be good long enough for holiday shopping.

Thanks!
-Svet

[heartsabustin]

How are you contacting them, first of all? You're not supposed to do it through Etsy - so if you do it, you'll need to dig up all those email addresses and send a newsletter.

[Former_Member]

I keep a list of all customers emails, so that I can offer them a discount with New Year wishes at the beginning of the year. I hate spam myself so put an option at the bottom to be deleted off my list and I reckon once a year is ok.

[MoonthrallTarot]

Erin- Yes, I'm collecting their emails and sending it that way.

Annyse- That's a great idea. I'll do the once a year thing, too. I've never kept in contact with customers regularly and it's about time I do.
Thanks.

[Former_Member]

That is a great idea i hadnt thought of of even doing this but think it may be a good idea especially if you were to put a 'unsubscribe'
link at the bottom

[maydaylabels]

Is it Etsy legal to use a customer's email address for something not related to the specific sale? (Unless they have voluntarily given you their address for other purposes)

[WilliamsGiftshop]

Keeping your customer's e-mail address, or other personal info, so you can contact them later is a big nono!
You were given this info for the sole purpose of fulfilling their order.

What you could do (for future reference) is ask your customers (and your social networking contacts) to sign up to your newsletter. And if they do (only then!) you could contact them again.
Otherwise you would be spamming them.

[CarolBradley]

Besides the Etsy spam rules, you might be breaking the US spam laws. It is against the law to send unsolicited emails. In other words, the customer has to voluntarily sign up to be on your mailing list before you can send them advertising-type emails.

This info from Constant Contact (a mailing list management software service) explains what is and isn't legal when emailing customers or potential customers: http://www.constantcontact.com/legal/anti-spam