Customer charged three times for one order

[GillianMcMurray]

I have just had a customer order one digital download. Unfortunately the customer was charged three times and I have three orders in my order manager. I have refunded two of them but the customer only ordered once. Has anyone else seen this before.

[Adorabilities]

I have had a handful of double (and one triple) placed orders over the past few weeks. The customers never know it has happened. I’ve had to be the one to reach out to them.

[GillianMcMurray]

Thanks @Adorabilities As soon as I saw the triple order I cancelled two and messaged the customer. However the email Etsy sent asking her to pick the Etsy credit or refund to credit card isn't working either. So there is no immediate refund. It's terribly frustrating for both of us.

[SurnamePro]

Did they each have the same order number or different order numbers? Just curious.

[GillianMcMurray]

@SurnamePro  They all had different order numbers.

[SurnamePro]

If they all had different order numbers they are different orders. The buyer expects 3 different orders from you. Even if they are the same product. Did they make a mistake? That is between Etsy and the buyer. Seller protection should safeguard you. If Etsy shows 3 different order numbers from the same buyer fulfill the orders as requested by the buyer.  IMO

[Adorabilities]

@SurnamePro 

This has happened to me (as a seller) about 5 times over the past month. None of the buyers had placed duplicate orders on purpose. So it's a good thing I checked with them, or else I'd have a lot of returns coming back to me. (Or Etsy-covered PPP cases, which would not be good either.)

[SurnamePro]

Adorabilites writes: "None of the buyers had placed duplicate orders on purpose." If they have different order numbers then yes they placed different orders not duplicate orders. Duplicate orders have the SAME order number.

[Adorabilities]

By duplicate, I mean the same item was purchased by the same customer, shipping to the same address. The orders come in within minutes of each other. The order numbers are different. In any case, the buyers did not know it happened, or intend for it to happen.

Duplicate order content, not duplicate order numbers.

[GillianMcMurray]

@SurnameProThanks for the suggestion. However the buyer did not order three times deliberately. She only placed one order but Etsy's system picked up three separate orders instead of one. However it happened, I am happy to refund the extra orders. It was a mistake.

Now the problem is that the email from Etsy asking the customer to choose Etsy credit or a refund to card is not working. So the refunds are not being processed properly by Etsy. From what I have read in the forums, the refund will automatically go back to the customer's card in 48 hours if they do not choose. But this has just made more worry for my customer and extra work for me. If there's a way to complicate things, Etsy will find it.

[PristinityJewelry]

I think once in a great while a customer's computer might glitch. Their computer "hangs"...the order actually went through, but the page freezes, or doesn't load the next page. So they hit the "back" button, trying multiple times, not realizing the order is going through each time they try.

[BirthdayGoodiesShop]

I also think it's just a glitch or issue with their internet connection at the time of completing their purchase 

[GillianMcMurray]

@PristinityJewelry  @BirthdayGoodiesShop  Thanks both. The email Etsy sent asking her to pick an Etsy credit or refund to credit card isn't working either. So she still hasn't got her refund. I am starting to really hate technology - LOL.

[PristinityJewelry]

@GillianMcMurray  @BirthdayGoodiesShop 

I saw a sign/meme on someone's desk a while back...

"To err is human, but it takes a computer to really screw things up."

[TenGramsDesign]

" the page freezes, or doesn't load the next page. So they hit the "back" button, trying multiple times"

Exactly what I got while making a partial refund. Hopefully I made only 2 attempts, otherwise the customer would have gotten a free item, free shipping plus a small bonus  

[DivineCrossings]

I wonder if this is related to the shopping cart problem? What a mess.

[GillianMcMurray]

@DivineCrossings  It may be. I have seen people mention a few problems with shopping carts this week. 

[BootifulLabels]

Have you considered that it may simply be a scrupulously honest buyer?  She may have purchased one for herself and two more for friends or family members she thought would like them.  Admittedly many/most people would just buy one and give their friends a copy, but I know if I am buying a digital file I think a friend would like I would either send them a link to the shop so they can buy it themself, or purchase an extra copy to gift.  I am pretty sure you have to order separately because you can't purchase more than one of the same digital item in the one order, and legally, the license only covers one user.  I like to think I am not the only person who voluntarily buys additional licenses instead of sharing....

[GillianMcMurray]

@BootifulLabels  Funnily enough, I did wonder if she had bought for family members or friends. But I had been chatting with her last week and felt that was not the reason. Sure enough, just after I messaged her she wrote back and mentioned that she hadn't placed three orders, just one - so that was a relief. I will need to check in with her tomorrow to make sure the refund went through though. Etsy has complicated things by adding the option to choose credit instead of a refund to card.

[LynnsLittleShop]

Yesterday I had 2 people order 2 patterns each, separately. Of course I refunded the money for the second shipping cost as I could combine them in one package. A while ago I read that when you go to refund as I did the postage, the wheel comes up and just spins, but the refund goes through. So when I saw that, I just clicked out of it and sure enough the refund was showing on the ask for a refund page. 

There's always something going on with Etsy to make you shake your head.   

[GillianMcMurray]

Thanks @LynnsLittleShop  It seems to be problem after problem on Etsy these days. Hopefully it is not something that will be a long term issue.