Ideal Solution: Replace? Why?

[PhenomenalWomenShop]

Etsy,

Why is it that when a buyer writes to me with a question - I see this?

Message: You need help with: I want to message the seller about something else

Your ideal resolution: replace

?? I don't understand. She was asking me about her ship date, why does Etsy encourage her to "Replace?" Why is that? I have been a Star Seller for 37 months

Nancy

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Our Etsy is just naturally suspicious.

Don't take it personally.

[hopeandjoystudios]

Maybe the choices are limited? or maybe she just picked the wrong one?

[ThePurplePuppy]

@hopeandjoystudios 

The last time I used the help request as a buyer I was only given 2 choices--replace or  refund and all I was asking about was shipping. You have to check one or the other or you cannot proceed.

[TimeSpanTreasures]

Because the buyer has to select something, and Etsy doesn't like to offer selections that make sense.

[NancyQstudio]

This....The buyers are given very limited selections.  It's very likely she picked a random choice because none were relevant and she couldn't contact you without choosing one. 

[timelapse]

BINGO!

[audreytherese]

Etsy makes it hard to message a seller after a purchase is made without sending a help request. Help requests require the customer to choose either replace or refund. It's definitely just a flaw in their system. 

[irmaKdesigns]

I recently got help request I want to message the seller about something else

and no line for resolution, just

Note for seller: [buyer's message].

So it looks like if no resolution is selected, then that line is missing. I think buyers assume they must select refund or replace for their message to go through.

[audreytherese]

Interesting. I've never seen it not filled in, so it definitely appears that people think they can't continue without choosing an option. Most of my help requests actually start with, 'I don't have a problem and not looking for a replacement/refund, I just have a question about....'

[hopeandjoystudios]

Yeah and don't forget that starts the 48 hour case clock ticking! Even if they just had a question or said say "please use paper wrap not plastic bubble wrap" or something.

[moonbeamgifts]

I'm guessing it's Etsy's default selection.    They don't really get descriptive - same with the fact that there's no "buyer made a mistake" option to select when canceling an order.    Your only other choice is 'buyer and seller agree to cancel' - but really, I had nothing to do with it.    I often wonder if that's deliberate because Etsy knows how easy it is to mistakenly order from the wrong seller in the cart now and just doesn't want to put the shame onto the buyer.

[CanningCrafts]

The first time I saw the "Replace" & "Refund" text on help requests, I sort of panicked. I thought, wow, that's blunt. But they are just the drop down choices on Etsy, so it's just something the buyer has to select from a limited list.

Last week I got a help request & the buyer sent a brief message & a photo of her dog. She said Etsy MADE her attach an image before she could send the message??? Never heard of that before.

[PhenomenalWomenShop]

Forgive me to the sellers that replied....I originally thought about posting this in "Managing my Shop," like I have in the past.

Then---I remembered being scolded by sellers who say that question does not belong here... it belongs in "Technical Issues."

That said -- I need an answer from Etsy technical or a content manager, as I have already thought of the things you said it might be. 

Thank you, but my question was directed to Etsy.

Nancy

[Adorabilities]

Etsy doesn't answer questions here, though. So all we can do is give you our best guesses. Etsy makes customers choose a "solution" when messaging a seller, because they assume there is a problem with the order.

[michellepatterns]

Etsy won't be replying to you here.

Other sellers have given the answer--the person has to select something in order to send the message and the choices are limited.  

Forget about the "replace" part because it's meaningless in this instance and address what they wrote.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

"Thank you, but my question was directed to Etsy."

If you want to contact Etsy ....

Get Help

... contact Etsy.

[ThePurplePuppy]

@PhenomenalWomenShop 

As I have said many mnay times--I don't know WHY I try to help in here when I am not wanted--but again--here I am

SO SORRY

[PrimFun]

@PhenomenalWomenShop   Etsy is not here.  They won't answer.

You got the answer above which is limited choice given to the buyer.  This is the case as I recently had to do this and it was limited.

Unfortunately not all buyers realized what the Help request is really for and if they have issues that require a simple answer such as shipping time that they should send a normal message.  

[CatarinaBattista]

Hello,

I am an ETSY seller, but I am also an ETSY client. I live in Switzerland.

When I buy from other countries, it had happened that I contact the seller to give him my phone number to write on the package, or something like this, simple things to assure that everything is in order.

Normally there is not another way to communicate with the vendor than through “Help request”, if I want to say something.

There is a multiple choice that comes up, and you need to put something in to continue.

Normally I choose “I want to message the seller about something else”. Like you saw in your message, and then there is a space to write my message. But when you, the vendor, receive the message Etsy is giving you an automatic solution, trying to help you if the client is not happy. Just ignore it, this doesn’t mean anything. It is an automatic answer from Etsy to you, the client does not see this. Etsy is not encouraging the client. Don’t worry about it. It is nothing.

[KnitKaleidoscope · Accepted solution]

This conversation is interesting, and timely.  I had wondered why a recent client had sent her message as a "help request"  now I understand.  How odd.  If you click to view your item that you purchased, and are able to navigate back to the listing and/or the shop you purchased from, then you can just message the seller in the normal way.  So I wonder why Etsy complicates it from the purchased items page?  Good to know.  I was on the forums looking for a different topic.  Glad I found this conversation, as this clears up my wondering on this topic as well.  Thanks!

[CatarinaBattista]

 @KnitKaleidoscope:

There is a reason. When you ask for a help request, the message goes directly with your receipt number, information, and so on. You don’t have to look for what it is. Etsy is telling you who the client is and what this person bought. It is very practical. You are informed. It is direct and precise.

The message from the Shop that you are saying is more of a general message that can inform from anything to anyone.

The help request is very practical and used a lot to communicate between client and seller.

[KnitKaleidoscope]

That does make sense.  Thank you Catarina.

[AnnaleasFinest]

@PhenomenalWomenShop 

Etsy asks 2 questions, when a buyer tries to contact the seller in their order, and buyers often don't know they can skip the 2nd question.

[FineCharacterCharm]

I always start a message thread with my customers just after I have dropped their order with the carrier. I tell them who I have shipped it with and a realistic day/portion of the upcoming week to expect it. 99.9 % of my customers use the started thread to acknowledge and/or ask questions. I am not a high volume seller so I do have time to send messages and monitor tracking on all my sales.

That said, it does keep customers from utilizing the “I need help” path which it is my understanding begins their 48 hour wait period to open a case with Etsy. An innocent question can turn into an Etsy decision on an unrelated subject very quickly.