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

[TheUglyJumperClub]

Because it isn't abandoned cart discount anymore in this case. It is cart and get discount just for carting an item, I never opted in for that. It was supposed to work as a "reminder/ do you still want it" etc, not as an INSTANT  discount. It is falsely presented by Etsy and that's my issue. 

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

A cart is technically abandoned as soon as a buyer adds items but leaves and dos not check out for whatever reason. 

[TheUglyJumperClub]

If so then why is there 24 hours policy in place? What for ? Why is it written out there if it doesn't matter

[hopeandjoystudios]

If they SAY 24 hours it should BE 24 hours..not an instant discount. If it was an "If someone carts your item do you want to give them a  discount code" coupon I doubt as many would sign up as obviously the majority of those carting are fine with the full price and are buying. It is not recovering indecisive shoppers it is handing out discounts willy nilly and NOT what people signed up for. Say how you are going to run the program and stick to it!

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

the longer you are on etsy the less you are surprised by anything. You can say the same about why do etsy say only handmade vintage supply's and party items can be sold but you can find plenty of items that are just new items seller bought did not change in anyway and is now selling on etsy.

[hopeandjoystudios]

Just because we are jaded and down trodden doesn't mean we should  accept them saying one thing and doing another without any outcry, But yes..my above Hah! was in response to expecting Etsy to do what they say they will do. 

[bradgoodell]

I agree with @JJewellerySuppliesUK 

[TickleYourWitch]

Because it is dishonest. I was wondering why I had more of these in the last few weeks than I've had in three years. It's bogus. I guess I'll turn it off. 

[OneEyeCatStudio]

@JJewellerySuppliesUK   I know very, very few people who, when they find out that they are being lied to, are happy with it.

If the discount is a 'shopwide discount' then Etsy should effing call it that, not tell us it's an 'abandoned cart' discount.

And don't print a paragraph of lies about it in their Help Center trying to fool us into using it.

[TickleYourWitch]

It's like offsite ads. You can't see it coming. I had a $425 custom order that I'd already given the customer a discount on and lo and behold she got an extra $42 bucks off because of this. 

[EDCCollective]

As someone who has been reading this thread with interest as to both sides of the fence on this issue, I think one thing got lost by the responders who said what's the difference between waiting 24 hours and getting the sale almost immediately with the coupon? The listing was less than a day old according to the OP. The person who ultimately bought the dress asked a question about pricing shortly after it was posted. By not waiting the 24 hours that Etsy still had in its policies (yes they change things without notice but should update their policies before implementing those changes) then another customer did not have the chance to purchase the brand new listing at full price while the other person had the item in their cart waiting to get a coupon in 24 hours. If customers get used to carting something and getting a quick turnaround coupon so they don't have to pay full price, they won't tend to pay full price ever.

And yes, we get to decide whether to use the coupons or not and price accordingly. I just wanted to point out that there is a legitimate reason IMO for someone to be upset that something sold with a coupon before that coupon should have been applied according to the site's TOUs.

[TheUglyJumperClub]

@EDCCollective THANK YOU 

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

"By not waiting the 24 hours that Etsy still had in its policies (yes they change things without notice but should update their policies before implementing those changes) then another customer did not have the chance to purchase the brand new listing at full price while the other person had the item in their cart waiting to get a coupon in 24 hours. If customers get used to carting something and getting a quick turnaround coupon so they don't have to pay full price, they won't tend to pay full price ever." That is exactly why why in any business discounts should be built into pricing. If it sells with discount that's your full price if it sells without a discount you made a little bones. It is just normal good business  practise. 

[hopeandjoystudios]

But you may price with the expectation of an occasional AC discount not that every item carted will equal an immediate coupon code for all items. If they have changed the timeframe on this they need to be very clear and upfront about it..not just DO it when their own policy/description of the program says 24 hours and Email. ALSO if this is a shop wide coupon code it should be stated. It says "For that item" not "anything in your shop in perpetuity"

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@hopeandjoystudios 

It's been coming through notifications for quite a while,

I have a coupon "basket" notification from 5 weeks ago, but they only go back 7 weeks, so I can't see if I have any prior to that

[DOKOcreations]

@EDCCollective I agree completely! That’s why I never turned abandoned cart coupons on. I don’t want to participate in training users that putting something in their cart is how they’ll get a discount. I’d rather they cart it and just buy it. If they want to think about it for a while, fine. But my prices are clearly stated, and I’m sick of these coupon games. If I want to put on a sale, i’ll do so (which is very rarely!).

[GlassyFields]

I totally agree about the lack of transparency. It baffles me that Etsy does things that erode seller confidence. In this case, a decision to make these coupons available immediately is a relatively small change but the lack of an announcement of any kind is major. And they have to know that sellers will figure it out and once again be disappointed in the lack of transparency.

I've offered thank you and abandoned cart coupons for ages and they do get used.

I've always assumed that these coupons apply to the whole shop - although when I've created coupons there are some options for specifying details like what it applies to, minimum amount, $ amount or percentage. I'm going to go back and see what options I have creating abandoned cart and thank you coupons. 

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

I also agree about the lack of transparency but i stopped being baffled or surprised by it years ago infect I now expect it. I don't like it or agree with it but learnt if I am going to stay on etsy its what will happen.  I have been over the years been involved with some of the bigger battles with etsy that after much time and effort we got changed like when etsy where over charging EU sellers on there fees it tuck a long time but eventually etsy did change and refund sellers. I dont waste mt energy on the smaller things as its just not worth it most of the time. 

[EccentricHandbags]

I understand the difference.  If the coupons are imediate then this is the same as Etsy just lowering the price on your item right away.  Even though I don't like using these coupons as a seller and won't use them, I think I understand what abandoned cart is suppose to mean.  It is suppose to be a nudge to those that just can't bring themselves to buy it at the price you have it.  That is not everyone out there.  Etsy is turning an abandoned cart discount into a shop wide sale.  I think the sellers using these would at least like to sell some of their items at full price.  

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

if there items are priced correctly they dont need to sell any at full price and if they do then they made a bones.  The other way is as you say dont use them. 

[EccentricHandbags]

There is not an abandoned cart if the buyer gets the coupon imediately.  They haven't had time to abandon the cart. My point is that sellers are getting something from Etsy that is different than what they are lead to expect.  It has nothing to do with whether they still make a profit or not.

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

But as already pointed out buyers can get and use codes without ever being sent them by etsy or can have them from an item they had in cart weeks ago and use them on an item they just added. there is nothing new about any of that and so its something we should be allowing for. Its posable customer service got it wrong when they told op codes are sent before 24 hours they often give incorrect info. 

[hopeandjoystudios]

So Etsy can change policy with no updates (If they were going to change the 24 hour window they certainly could have sent a notification to those using the AC option) and they can tell you things via customer service that may not be true and we should just expect that? They can institute new policy (PPP) and be vague about the $250 "coverage" and never outright say that if it is over $250 and a case is opened it will be automatically refunded from your account..even if marked delivered..even if signed for. They were so vague many went for months not realizing new listings had to be manually added IN not that they were automatically added to the agreed to policy change. AND they didn't make it something you HAD to do before being allowed to publish for a few months. Sellers assumed they were covered when they were NOT.I know..resellers..counterfeiters..scam shops..but it is no reason for them to not DO BETTER. If people had not yelled about the PPP policy NOT being required before posting I doubt that would have ever changed.

[Adorabilities]

They shouldn't be sending abandoned cart coupons out earlier than 24 hours after the item has been carted.

But are you sure she didn't have the coupon already from carting another item previously? Those coupons apply to the whole shop. Or could she have found the coupon a different way, through one of the coupon-harvesting sites or with a google search? 

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

yes its posable some one coming to etsy for the first time could gat and use a code from one of the sits meany people add to there browser and where ever they checkout it will find available cods for them.