Duplicate and accidental orders continue

[YarnShop4U]

The title pretty much sums it up. Out of say 30 orders at least 2 are duplicate orders and at least one results in a 'please cancel, I didn't mean to order this' message. 

Is Etsy padding their sales on the backs of the buyers and sellers with duplicates? Many times the buyer orders 1 item, then they order 2 or more of the same thing within minutes and seem completely oblivious to the fact that they have made 2, 3 or 4 consecutive orders for the same item(s).

What's up with requests to cancel? I guess if the person has stuff in their cart and they don't untick it and checkout that is the result. I question the cart checkout format and really wonder why people don't look over their cart before paying to 1) know what they are ordering and 2) know how much the shipping is and 3) look over the shipping address they are submitting. Seems Etsy is not making these things apparent.

Sometimes I cancel duplicates, other times I don't see them and other times, I'm just tired of cleaning up the buyer/Etsy mess and ship what's ordered as in "not my problem" since all the extra communication and inventory changes get weary.

Marlene, the fixer of Etsy and buyer mistakes

[MaynardMillinery]

Are you being asked to cancel the second orders, or are you doing off your own bat? Because thats never a good idea.

[YarnShop4U]

There is no win-win with duplicate orders. Yes, I cancel them and every single one I've cancelled the buyer has been happy that I caught that they placed a duplicate order. The only backlash I've gotten is when I haven't cancelled them and somehow the star rating becomes adjusted in a negative fashion as if the shop had something to do with multiple orders being placed.

It sounds as if you aren't having issues with people placing multiple orders by mistake.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

"It sounds as if you aren't having issues with people placing multiple orders by mistake."

I can't say that I am either.

I send out an average of maybe 10 to 15 orders a week and I have had 0 cancellations and 1 duplicate purchase in the last year.

[MaynardMillinery]

Nope, don’t think I’ve had a duplicate “mistake” order in 17 years. I’ve had the odd second order within minutes, because they didn’t realise they could add more than one item to the cart at a time, but never a mistake.

You’re only selling balls of wool, it stands to reason that someone could buy one ball, then suddenly realise that their pattern called for two or three so immediately go back and rectify their mistake. It’s not like you’re selling solitaire diamond rings, where two orders back to back would be cause for concern.

[ArtDollsbyJD]

It's on the buyer to check their cart.  If they don't then they are at fault.  The order system is simple enough.  I see my address, my order and all the information that accompanies.  I am responsible for checking the amount I ordered and the cost of that order.  And if I make a mistake that is on me, not the seller.  I appreciate it if a seller helps me out if I request to cancel any duplicate but I have also accepted I made a mistake when the order is already shipped and it would be too expensive to fix.  

[YarnShop4U]

Must be just me then. In the 814 orders that were placed in the past 30 days, 3% were duplicate orders and were cancelled. That percentage seems pretty high especially when considering that several of the buyers who placed duplicate orders are 1) repeat buyers making them familiar with Etsy or 2) have their own Etsy shop making them familiar with Etsy.

Usually the buyer is unaware that they even placed a duplicate order; I have a saved message snippet now to cancel duplicates... "Hello XXX This looks like a duplicate order since you ordered the same exact item(s) just minutes ago so we're cancelling this 2nd order. If this was cancelled in error, please accept our sincerest apology and resubmit the 2nd order."

• I only ordered one. NOT 3!
• Thank you so much for letting me know. I did not know there was a 2nd order
• I ordered country blue, blue fog, rich grass, honey teal, and pine. 5 in all!! Not just ONE color!!
• Thank you very much for noticing my error! Yes, I just needed one set of 5” No. 6 DPNs.
• Thank you, My mistake in duplicating the order. Etsy's shop cart info confuses me.

... and on and on and on.... there definitely seems to be a problem. Someone told me once that after they placed what they thought was their complete order that Etsy told them they still had items in their cart so they went back and placed the order again. The issue *could* be that Etsy is not always clearing out the buyer's cart after the order is placed. 

[SmudgePlant]

@YarnShop4U  I was going to say I have had a "You left this in your cart" (or something) pop up right after I have placed an order in the past. I bet this is what could be happening. 

[VogueVixens]

Yup, this can be a problem when you have multiples available. Since purchasing 1 means the item hasn't sold out, it can still be in the buyers cart.

Rarely happens to us because most if our listings have a quantity of 1.

[theprincessandpea]

I have had several duplicate orders last week.  Sometime the same item purchased 3 times.  The buyer told me that the items are not removed from the shopping cart after purchase, so each time they check out with another shops purchase the item is added again and again.

[CreativeDesignsbyAmi]

I believe there is some kind of Etsy glitch as I have had duplicate orders happen and the customer says they did not place them; sometimes even days after the first order and sometimes up to six duplicate orders for one customer.