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

[MyOrganisedHome]

The problem is Etsy offering the buyer a discount coupon after 5 minutes whilst simultaneously telling the seller they don’t send out coupons until 24 hours after the item has been added to the cart.

Why the (deliberate) misinformation?

[EccentricHandbags]

Because if they explained it then people wouldn't like it or sign up for it. 

[hopeandjoystudios]

THIS An email after 24 hours is NOT an immediate notification WITH AN IMMEDIATELY APPLICABLE  coupon code

[EccentricHandbags]

Reading peoples acceptance of this practice makes me think it really isn't any wonder Etsy does the things they do.  It is comparable to a seller offering a 10 percent sale and Etsy changing it to 15 on their behalf in order to boost sales.  Seller makes sales and a profit.  So they should be happy?  It's about the same thing.  If the abandoned cart coupon is imediate then you are at times missing out on full price sales.   

[TickleYourWitch]

Right? People seem pretty easy going about this. If they will do this, what else will they do without letting us know? When it changes your bottom line we have a right to know IN ADVANCE!

I figured this was a doable coupon for me. And it was. Hardly anyone used it and now I've had tons of people using it. That affects my $$ and I was given no opportunity to decide if I wanted to leave it active if it's going to be sent to everyone. 

[Adorabilities]

I didn't see many comments that said the seller should be happy.

Obviously they shouldn't change the policy without letting anyone know. And obviously it makes no sense to offer an abandoned cart coupon earlier than 24 hours after the item has been added.

Those coupons could always be used on the entire shop, and those types of coupon codes can be found elsewhere. Plus they can be used over and over again. They were never about giving one person a discount on one item, one time. So, best not to use them at all here.

@TickleYourWitch I turned mine off as well, when I noticed that they were being used more than should normally be the case.

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

its not the same thing. No one as to accept it as you don't have to offer the codes but if you you have to realis with or without etsy there are ways for buyers to get codes without having to even abended a cart. Also that it as always applied to all your shop so if some as a code from an abended cart  they can then use it to buy an item even one you only listed a few minuets ago. there for even if we where to get etsy some how to not send codes for 24 hours what happen with the op can still very easly happen. 

[hopeandjoystudios]

If a shopper has an item from your shop in their cart for more than 24 hours, they’ll get an email offering them a discount for that item 24 hours after they abandoned it in their cart.

A shopper can receive this type of targeted offer email once every two days. We’ll include up to 12 different discounts per offer email. If a shopper adds an item to their cart and then removes the item within 24 hours, they won’t receive an offer for your shop in a targeted offer email. 

It says ON THAT ITEM. It says 24 hours later an email will be sent. It does NOT SAY it will be applied to any items in your shop. It does not say a pop up notification code will be immediately available for use.

How to Set Up Sales and Discounts for Your Shop – Etsy Help

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

IT also doesn't say that the code can be used by anyone not just the person it's sent to or  anyone who as it can use it as often as they like as long as the shop is using that code. Yet they where things that could always happen. 

[Adorabilities]

I'm just going by what I can see on my end as a buyer. I just looked at one shop I got the abandoned coupon for.  The notice allows me to "apply to cart," and everything in my cart gets the coupon. Even if I add something new to the cart, the coupon gets applied to it.

I tried to use the same coupon in this account/shop (not where I had originally carted the item.) It was accepted there too.

[hopeandjoystudios]

Singular coupons can be open ended or have an end date. whatever the seller CHOOSES. This is different. Yes people share or guess (easy) coupon codes but that is not ETSY doing it so again not the same. @SmallthingsbyAmanda

[Adorabilities]

@hopeandjoystudios 
In case it's not clear from how I write (quite possible,) I'm not disagreeing with you.
My point was that the way they say it works (and the way it logically should work) isn't the same as how it actually works, in my experience.

[hopeandjoystudios]

@Adorabilities  I should have @ed Amanda. Fixed it.

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

“Singular coupons can be open ended or have an end date. whatever the seller CHOOSES. This is different. Yes people share or guess (easy) coupon codes but that is not ETSY doing it so again not the same. @SmallthingsbyAmanda” Sorry because there are so many comments now I am not sure what comment I made  that you where replying to. What is not the same as what ?

[hopeandjoystudios]

@SmallthingsbyAmanda  Lol..sorry I may have misunderstood your post. I thought you meant that regular codes set by sellers can be used  over and over and shared. Yes..but that is not Etsy's doing and this is was my point. I give up. I am done ..I need to go pack stuff.

[JJewellerySuppliesUK]

It's not half as bad as making us pay for offsite ads!!

[ColorfulCastAndCrew]

In the past couple of years I've noticed numerous companies are doing this pretty quickly, sometimes within the hour. I came upon it by accident as I had added a few items to my cart on a womens clothing website, then got busy doing something and wasn't able to complete my purchase until that evening. In the meantime the company emailed me a discount code. I had every intention of purchasing the items at the original prices. Moral of the story, I never purchase anything, other than essentials, straight away. I add to my cart and then wait. I just needed to buy a whole bunch of large boxes for my business, I added to my cart and left. This morning I received a 10% off discount code. Companies are training their buyers well!

I don't use Etsy's abandoned cart option but from the sounds of this thread it obviously shouldn't be used unless your okay with all your buyers getting the discount.

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

“obviously shouldn't be used unless you're okay with all your buyers getting the discount.” yes you're correct but that applies to any code you are using as there are so many ways buyers can get colds so buyers you never intended to be able to use a code can use them. Therefore any discount you might offer should be part of your pricing. Etsy should make it clear how they will give out codes but if they did it will not stop buyers getting them from other places.  

[Adorabilities]

How long do they wait to send a "repeat customer" coupon? I seem to remember those were sent pretty quickly too, which is annoying to anyone who just purchased at full price.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

that says 24 hours too

[Adorabilities]

That really shouldn't be sent out until their first order was marked as delivered. At least, that's how I'd set it up if I wanted to do so for my website.

[NoFrogsAllowed]

@Adorabilities 

My perspective is a little skewed since I sell digital.  My thank you coupons go out immediately, because I have had quite a few customers buy something and within 5 minutes buy something else with my thank you coupon code.  I'm always thrilled when they do this.

[Adorabilities]

@NoFrogsAllowed 
That would make sense to me, because your items were already delivered.

[TickleYourWitch]

I just don't get why they can't communicate. Like @GlassyFields said, what good can come of continually eroding seller trust? Why piss off your brand ambassadors?

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Is 'brand ambassador' the same thing as 'churn'?