Delivery or Pick Up Affecting Star Seller

[PremiereCraftShop]

To save on shipping costs to local customers I offer pick up or delivery. But now that impacts my star seller as it says those orders dont have tracking information. This doesnt seem right! Is there any way to get that changed?

[CappuccinoLace · Accepted solution]

Nope.

"What if I offer local pick-up or delivery for my items?

At this time, orders that don't have tracking because they are delivered or picked up in person will be considered dispatched without tracking, and will not meet the Star Seller criteria for dispatch. "

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

[PremiereCraftShop]

Is there any way to get around this?

[LoraShelleyArt]

That is really messed up. The same thing happened to me. I just received Star Seller status for the first time in Nov. only to have it messed up because I was trying to accommodate a local buyer by offering pick up so her husband wouldn't see the package, as it is a surprise for Xmas. 

Etsy should really find a way to correct this. Just as someone stated here it has always been hard to mark a package as delivered via local pick up or drop off.

[BagmakerSupply]

@PremiereCraftShop: It has been that way since day one. If you have not yet done so, you might want to read https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000338067-How-to-Offer-Local-Pickup-or-Delivery?segment=s...

Will local pickup orders be part of my evaluation for a Star Seller badge?

All physical listing orders must include a valid tracking number or a shipping label purchased on Etsy to be considered for a Star Seller badge. At this time, we’re unable to make exceptions for local pickup orders.

This also applies to delivery orders.

[PremiereCraftShop]

So how do I get around this? Can I reopen the order and make a change? We worked really hard to meet the criteria for some time now and now we seemed to be screwed for the next 3 months because we dont sell enough to get over 85 percent. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@PremiereCraftShop: What would you change on the order? A fake tracking number won't help (AfterShip verifies tracking numbers) and if you added some sort of tracking now wouldn't the order be considered as shipped late?

[Marmalady]

"Is there any way to get around this?"

The only way to "get around" this is to ship with tracking.

No tracking = black mark for Star Seller metric, no matter if it is good customer service in every other respect

[LoraShelleyArt]

Why even offer this star seller badge if the criteria is flawed? Etsy needs to correct this. How do we let them know about this or other issues?

[dorothydomingo]

@LoraShelleyArt  Etsy knows all this; they just don't care. The majority of the metrics involved in SSP are flawed to some degree.

[LoraShelleyArt]

I agree. That stinks. How could they not care? It seems that that would be an easy fix for them. I guess I was just naive to think that they would care to keep their users happy. Thanks for your reply.

[YulaPottery]

The only way I sometimes work "around it" is by letting the customer pick up, and then just send a "Thank you" envelope with the cheapest shipping fee, just to have a tracking number. sucks! especially since Etsy should help us be environmentalists, and cut emissions if locals wish to pick up... 

[PWOriginals]

I look at your shop, and all I care to see is that you have a 5-star rating with great feedback, well presented products, and a wonderful "story" about how you started your business. There are way too many requirements of the SS program that are impossible for some successful shops to achieve to make it a really meaningful status symbol. I would not change anything as far as allowing local pickup because that customer's satisfaction is all that counts. It's YOUR business - just keep that 5-star rating and provide an easy transaction for your local customers.