"Returns Not Accepted"

[#1]

Once again, I come bearing bad news about a new Etsy test feature. Each and every listing is now showing a prominent "Returns Not Accepted" message underneath the item title. The words are underlined inside a pale blue oval. ETA: This is on the item page itself. I have not noticed if it's happening in search or anywhere on the shop homepage.

It's true that I don't accept returns, since most of my items are under $10 and the postage and packaging costs (and high risk of damage to items that are shipped back improperly) aren't worth the hassle. That is not, however, the most important thing I want shoppers to notice about the listing. Oy vey.

ETA: For shops that DO accept returns, I'm seeing the same blue bubble with 'Returns Accepted.' The hover-over text says "Shop comfortably knowing you can return this item."

[PillowDetails]

@MoonstruckCottage  I checked one of your items - there's the baby blue lozenge right under the title -  Returns Not Accepted

and when you hover your cursor over it, it says "This seller doesn't accept returns."

[MoonstruckCottage]

@PillowDetails  Ugh! So they took away the other sentence. How stupid. I don't accept returns on vintage items for a few reasons, which I won't get into now. But, of course, I will accept a return if I made an error in the listing description. And there may be other valid reasons that I would accept a return. Without that other sentence, the "test" just sounds too cut and dried and off-putting.

Thanks for checking!

[TheCollectaholic]

It just says "Returns Not Accepts" in blue and underlined. 

[boygirlboygirldesign]

I accept returns but I am not seeing it in my shop. I can see it in other shops. I agree with PysankybyTracy. I don't know if I want that highlighted. Ugh.

[SunnytyDE]

Does anyone know if it’s true that the consumer protection law is changing in the US next year like someone mentioned in this forum a while back? They said it would be similar to the European law in that the consumer has 30 days to return an item without having to say why. They just have to notify you within 14 days of the date of sale. 
And if you don’t have a compliant policy in place they have up to 1 year and 14 days to return without a reason. 
I have tried to look it up but I can’t find any info on that. Maybe someone here knows more about this? 
If there is such a law being proposed I can see that Etsy may be preparing us for that!?! And maybe it explains the many posts from sellers about Etsy refunding on their behalf without  hearing both sides of the story? 

[SheWhoPlaysWithGlass]

Guess I have  to google this one.

[IndigoandLuxe]

Well, if it does change, people are just going to double their prices to cover their risk.

[leinweberstudio]

I follow the news pretty closely and haven't seen this mentioned anywhere yet.

Hmmm.

If true, I can see this being more damaging to small biz (of course) than large companies, because large companies tend to have very generous return policies already, and they are better able to deal with/absorb returns. 

But I expect this will not fly here. There are no returns in the wedding/formal gown industry, and I don't see anyone being able to enforce it, otherwise that entire business model will turn into a "rental".

[CraftyCornishMaids]

I think it's a great Idea, I hope they'll roll it out to everyone soon.

One of the few things Etsy has done recently, that I think is absolutely moving in the right direction.

[MistMetalAndStone]

Too bad that I see "returns not accepted" on shops who actually accept returns (and if you check their policies it is clear that they DO accept them), so until this is fixed it is total garbage and I definitely hope they do not roll out to everyone yet

[CraftyCornishMaids]

I see it on items in shops, that exclude personalised items, and the item has the personalised box

but for their non-personalised items, it says they accept returns

I wonder if there is more than 1 test going on

[MistMetalAndStone]

Unfortunately I am talking about non-personalized items as well, with no personalization box in the listing. On the listing it says that returns are accepted, but if you put it in the cart and go to checkout it says "not accepted".

[MetroRetroVintage]

I'm not seeing it, but don't mind it.  The second option of '...knowing you can return this item', sounds overly encouraging and soliciting, ala Amazon.

[howtobooksandmore]

If this is a test, asking etsy will probably not get you any information because they always test a multitude of variations before they adopt one.  Since not accepting returns usually violates consumer protection laws unless it is a custom made (and not made to order) item, this is redundant in my opinion.  But then there are a lot of sellers that think they can enforce this type of policy and etsy is probably getting tired of dealing with cases opened because of this policy from sellers.  And a buyer really needs to know this before they buy since it is usually buried in the policies where you have to hunt for it before you buy.  As a buyer, that would put me off more than having it in my face.

[PattensAtticTreasure]

I think it might depend on the device/browser you are on. I'm finding it but I had to scroll well down below the description and it was not in a color bubble just some larger sized capital letters down by the shipping details. I'm on laptop using Chrome.

[TheLyfSoShort]

It sounds like you're not in the test. You're seeing the return policy information that has always been displayed. As someone else noted above, that language was also much better - "Contact me if you need help" etc

[SheWhoPlaysWithGlass]

IDK but sometimes, especially on the phone apps, finding return policies is hard.  I tend to not buy from shops with a no return policy (unless it is a custom order), so for me I think I am ok with it.

[PinkLemonadeDuxbury]

To have such a vague blurb "This shop does not accept returns" without more of an explanation could be damaging to a store.  Many items of a particular nature cannot be returned for very pertinent reasons.

However, including that one can somehow "shop comfortably" knowing some shops do accept returns could present a negative impact as well.  I get convos pretty regularly (especially around holidays where professional photos are popular, Santa, Easter Bunny, school, etc.) from customers asking "I can return this right?" before they even purchase.  It's pretty common for customers (some, not all) to want to "rent" certain items without actually saying that is what they're doing.  If they are going to tell my customers to shop comfortably, I'd appreciate it if they would then direct them to my return/exchange policies - and back me up on it when I uphold them!

[PieceByNumberQuilts]

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@PinkLemonadeDuxbury wrote:

To have such a vague blurb "This shop does not accept returns" without more of an explanation could be damaging to a store.  Many items of a particular nature cannot be returned for very pertinent reasons.

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Exactly!  I sell all digital downloads, which is one of the general exempted categories for not accepting returns not just at Etsy, but pretty much anywhere.  However, the message Etsy displays now on my shop items when hovering over "Returns not accepted" is "This seller doesn't accept returns" as if this is somehow my unique policy.  They could at least adapt the wording for digital items.  I really hope this doesn't get implemented as it's showing right now.  

[JMOldeVintage]

I'm on a Laptop/W10/Chrome.

On @TheLyfSoShort  I see the blue outlined sentence "Returns not accepted" directly below the listing title.

On @fineartstoneware I see "returns accepted", outlined in blue directly under the listing title.

On @boygirlboygirldesign listings I see nothing different. 

While I think I understand Etsy's reasoning for doing this, the declaration "returns accepted" could end up causing issues for Shops that do true customized work. After all, not everything in the Shop may be truly customized but for those items that are the "no returns" statement needs to be shown. Also, Etsy does have the option to show "no returns on customized items" built into their boiler plate policies. So this could be confusing & end up creating problems.

Now, if Etsy suddenly decided that all Shops had to have Policies in place (& "Country legal") by "This Date, 2022" and would not allow a new Shop to open without having Policies in place, I'd say that was a step forward. 

This change or "test" does not seem to have a specific goal in mind, but then again who knows.

[boygirlboygirldesign]

@JMOldeVintage 

Thanks for checking for me.

[CostumeCoutureNaomi]

I completely agree.

No shop should be allowed to go live without proper policies in place, as well as correct Tax ID info for their country.

I do wish that Etsy would refine their return policies.  Around 85% of what I sell is both custom and intimate, and therefore non returnable.  Most of the remaining 15% is non returnable due to the items being intimate, for similar reasons as swimsuits and lingerie.   

My solution is to select the "no returns but please contact me..." option, then address return questions with each individual customer.  It would be helpful to have the option to add a customized return policy to each individual listing.  As it is now, the best option is to select the most restrictive return policy that aligns with my custom items, and communicate with individual customers if there are questions about non intimate, non custom items.

I also think Etsy should add a pop up to the return policies, so if a seller selects no returns, Etsy emphasizes to the seller that many items are not allowed to be non returnable, and will not be supported if a customer requests a chargeback.

I think many sellers of non custom, non intimate, etc items are taken by surprise when Etsy initiates a charge back in spite of selecting that the shop doesn't take returns.

[howtobooksandmore]

So many shops have/had no policies when they opened that etsy filled the policies in for them.  Then they didn't tell shops these policies have to be customized for the shop and the country the shop is in or ships to.  Then etsy makes it all but impossible to find where to customize the policies.  Talk about not helping new shops ...

[JustMeToo]

This subject is prompting me to ask a question that I've wondered about for a while.  If a shop has no returns, no refunds "but contact us if you have a problem", what exactly is left that they will do?  I can't return the problem item, I can't get my money back, so what's left, other than tell me they're sorry I'm not happy.  I'm sure I must be missing something! lol.

[TheLyfSoShort]

Like most 'no returns' shops, I've accepted returns for buyer error (e.g. customer bought item in wrong dollhouse scale). I've also issued a refund for an item that appears to have been damaged in the USPS mail sorter. I am happy to resolve problems with an order, I just don't want to be a decor rental shop.