Important surprising info on abandoned cart coupon (freshly after Etsy chat) FUMING

[#1]

I have listed a dress literally less than 14 hours ago. Etsy has sent "abandoned cart" offer to a buyer in less than 24 hours of the item even being on the site. Buyer applied coupon and purchased. Thing is, I was convinced that there must be at least 24 hrs for item being carted for this to even happen. I contacted Etsy via chat and after being pushy and not letting go, the customer service ADMITTED that now there is no time limitation for this type of discount anymore! Quote:[This content has been removed by Moderation. We ask that you please review Section 1, Item 2 of our Community Policies prior to posting.] Oh wow. Shouldn't such info be available so that you know precisely what you get your shop into?? But guys, keep reading, it only gets better. 

 I kept being pushy calling them out on absolute lack of transparency and it only got better from there... Here comes literal quote from the chat about the ABANDONED CART OFFER:[This content has been removed by Moderation. We ask that you please review Section 1, Item 2 of our Community Policies prior to posting.]. This made me lose my mind. I have sent them literal quote from my dashboard [This content has been removed by Moderation. We ask that you please review Section 1, Item 2 of our Community Policies prior to posting.] And I asked how on earth am I suppose to conclude from this dashboard info that offer ISN'T IN REAL abandoned basket but something entirely else ?! And can be sent out by Etsy randomly, not just in case of abandoned basket as stated ?! THIS IS LITERALLY MIND BLOWING. They have forwarded my case to specialists who should reach out to me via email. I will update this thread when I receive such email.

This is absolutely horrendous case of misinformation and I am not just leaving it like this. Especially that they had audacity to tell me I should be happy item sold. It would have sold full price and I know it but it isn't even about that anymore. It's the principals. How is it even legal? Even though I'm reading this forum daily and am aware of much worse things going on recently (refunds of delivered items make my skin crawl), I am still shocked. It's like they told me "yeah, we say it is A but in real it is B, sorry for confusion, hehe, ciao". U N R E A L

[hopeandjoystudios]

[This content has been removed by Moderation. We ask that you please review Section 1, Item 2 of our Community Policies prior to posting.]

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

the thing with etsy customer service  is you can get 10 different answers from 10 different staff  infect if you keep asking questions you can get different answers from same staff and I have actually had that happened. I  was told one thing when I questioned it told something different and when I questioned it more they went to ask someone and came back with another very different answer and all of them wrong. 

[Adorabilities]

@hopeandjoystudios 
What were you saying here? It was gone before I could read it. (Assuming it's a reply to my post.)

[hopeandjoystudios]

It was a copy paste from the OP that they apparently removed after I copy pasted. It was what chat told them so I apparently can't repeat it.

[Adorabilities]

So I guess they actually said there was a change to the policy (and seemed to know what they were talking about.)

I was just pointing out that there are other ways the customer could have gotten the coupon.

I wonder if, when those coupons are turned off, there's a time period when those who have received them can still use them.
Do they just stop being sent out, or is the coupon disabled?
I turned mine off a couple of months ago.

[ChantillyAvenue]

Isn't it funny that they don't want people quoting them when they tell someone how things actually work?

[OneEyeCatStudio]

It's an embarrassment.

Given a choice, who wants the place they work to be known as ..........  dishonest?

[ChantillyAvenue]

Etsy is like a serial cheater.  Does anyone think that leopard will ever change its spots?

[HauteGemsDallas]

@ChantillyAvenue 

I was wondering about that, too. I understand not being able to share communications with buyers or other sellers, but it seems like direct info from Etsy should be shareable. 

[ChantillyAvenue]

What I find interesting is the lightning speed certain things get removed at.

[EccentricHandbags]

As far as lack of transparancy, I think we should expect it.  Not to derail the thread, but hasn't the latest policy change with purchase protection taught us about this?  Not to get into discussion about it here, but the written policy is ambiguous and did not clearly explain how it would be emplemented.  Everyone was surprised by what happened. It isn't any wonder that moral is at a low and trust in Etsy is eroding.  

[hopeandjoystudios]

Why should they not be held to the same accountability standards as they hold sellers to? I get "historically" expecting it as "SSDD" but really why should we not expect them to do what they say? They go on about seller transparency but there is little on their own end. Yes I know I should not be surprised or bothered by their "historical" actions but some days it just gets you.

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

Oh yes if we could get them to reply to us in 24 hours imagen that.  

[ParchmentPosies · Accepted solution]

The sticking point here is that it is not an abandoned cart discount. If shoppers get an immediate discount upon carting an item, then essentially, you are discounting your shop for every item, to every buyer, for every sale. The seller has no opportunity to sell to the buyer at full price. 

[BlackSheepDyeworks]

Exactly, @ParchmentPosies , the issue is that Etsy has redefined "abandoned", without mentioning that to sellers ... a buyer walking away for a moment to get their credit card has now abandoned their cart.

[hopeandjoystudios]

THIS.

[TheUglyJumperClub]

@ParchmentPosies   Exactly what I tried to say here. Thank you 

[ForeverWindingWool]

@ParchmentPosies 

Well, not to be the Devil's advocate, but as others have asked, at what point does a cart become abandoned?  Is it when you've clicked off the Etsy site and still have the items in your cart, or is it when you've carted the item and gone onto another shop without buying right away?   I'm SURE Etsy has studied this and found that customers won't check out after a certain action.

This may or may not be why the policy change happened, but through cookies, Etsy sees that once people leave the site, they don't return very often within the 24-hour time limit.  They want to encourage a sale before the customer's A.D.D. kicks in, and they head over to Instagram or YouTube for the next hour, then realize they still need to think of what to have for supper, and it's 6 PM.
*shrugs*

[hopeandjoystudios]

When is "handmade" handmade?  It would have been fine if they were making it an instant coupon to say "Our data shows after 24 hours buyers do not return so this will now be an instantly available discount coupon" so the ones using it were informed and could opt out as the terms definitely changed.

[ParchmentPosies]

@ForeverWindingWool 

A cart should be considered abandoned at the time that Etsy tells us it will be considered abandoned. That's up to Etsy.

The problem is as @BlackSheepDyeworks said, Etsy has an obligation to its customers (the sellers here) to inform them of services they are receiving, so sellers can make mutually beneficial business decisions.

[EccentricHandbags]

@ParchmentPosies Exactly!!  Those that think the OP should be happy as long as she made a sale are missing the point.  You should be made aware of exactly what you are signing up for.  

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

“The problem is as @BlackSheepDyeworks said, Etsy has an obligation to its customers (the sellers here) to inform them of services they are receiving, so sellers can make mutually beneficial business decisions” 

I dont disagree but when making that decision you need to think about more then what etsy dos. People who have never shopped on etsy let alone put anything in there cart can get the codes sellers set up so even if etsy was not sending them so quickly a buyer could use one without even abandoning there cart. There for you need to either not use codes or price allowing for the cods no mater if etsy sends them after minutes , hours ,days or weeks.  We also have learnt over the years that etsy changes things with no warning redefines  the meaning of things and dos not stick to what it says. We  accept that or dont use etsy. Sometimes we do need to try and stand up to etsy with some of the really big things but fighting every little battle is a waste of time and energy and in most cases will change nothing. I am not saying dont tell them you are not happy with something just dont expect them to care.  

[ReImagineBrewing]

In other words...it is a coupon immediately sent to customers when they add items to their cart.

Per Etsy's research customers prefer sales and lower priced items. So, they are giving them both to get the sale.

What a joke...

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Like BlackSheepDyeworks said ...

"the issue is that Etsy has redefined "abandoned", without mentioning that to sellers"

YES!
Like I said before, this is the equivalent of us, in our Etsy shops, selling something to a buyer that is SNAD: Signigficantly Not As Described.

And, if we do this, Etsy will make us refund the buyer. Including shipping.

[EmbellishMyWorld]

I had the same problem. I listed a product and within 24 hours, a customer used the coupon so it didn't even have time to sell at regular price. They should have it in their cart for at least 2 weeks in my opinion before any offer comes to them. Also, the shoppers know this trick and will leave the items in the cart because they figure some sellers will offer a discount.