Mandatory phone number request for international shipping - would you like it too?

[#1]

Hi. I have been selling on Etsy for some time now, almost 5-6 years in total. And i kept asking Etsy for a feature, but no reply was granted asside from: we will take it into consideration...

Now, i do not know about shipping companies in the US or other countries, but in Europe, without a phone number and address you can not fill a shipping document. And DHL express, which is my main shipping services provider does not accept to complete the export papaers without a phone number. 
Why is it so hard for Etsy to add a simple checkbox where we can request a mandatory phone number of the consignee for shipping purposes? I mean, they do have DHL in their shiping company list, so they do know DHL asks for phone numbers, right? And most companies do, onlythe postal services do nor have it as a mandatory field, althow recently they started asking for a phone number too... 

Using personalization form to request for phone numbers is not ok, because most customers start writing there their personalization request, that i was planning to charge for, not offer it for free. Even though i wrote there: please provide your phone number for shipping purposes, many people do not read that and only request a personalized message in that field. 

Please reply to this thread if you would like to have a"mandatory phone number" field in the listing option, maby if we show Etsy that many sellers request it they would implement it. It is a simple field, it should not be that hard.   

[BeautifulArtPosters]

I have suggested a similar solution several times in the forum. I would even add the option for the individual seller to activate this option or to not activate the option. 

The answer pattern for the phone number question is always very similar. Europeans (with the notable exception of Crafty) are usually in favour, US against. 

As the main market for Etsy is the US and they seem to focus on domestic trade in future anyway there is not much hope that we will have this option soon (as opposed to Ebay where providing the buyers phonenumber to the seller is standart)

[Marmalady]

"Europeans (with the notable exception of Crafty) are usually in favour"

Not true

Many UK_based sellers are against the mandatory collection of phone numbers

It is mostly sellers (wherever based) that use couriers that are in favour and those that use the postal system are against

[QuirkyMiniatures]

I use a courier and get around the issue by adding my phone number, I wouldn’t want Etsy to be demanding phone numbers.

[TheoBDesign]

Hi everyone,

I agree that it could really help both sellers and buyers: having the option to add a phone number (or at least a strongly recommended field).

I know some people are hesitant to share their number, and I completely understand that. It shouldn’t be mandatory, but especially for international shipments, having a phone number can make all the difference. I live in Switzerland and here, every courier service (DPD, Planzer, Post, DHL, etc.) relies heavily on phone numbers. They send SMS updates when a package is on its way, links to reschedule delivery times, pickup notifications, or even call directly if they can’t find an address or access an apartment. Without a phone number, those steps simply don’t happen.

I’ve been selling on Etsy for 3 years now, and I’ve run into many delivery issues that could have been avoided if the courier had been able to contact the customer by phone. Examples:

• Packages marked as “address not found” even though the customer swears the address exists and never had issues before.

• Deliveries ending up at a pickup station because the courier couldn’t reach the customer. The tracking shows the customer was notified several times, yet they say they never got any info.

• Orders returned to sender because the parcel was never collected.

These situations create frustration for the both of us, customer and myself, and honestly, most could be solved with a simple phone call or SMS.

I’ve seen comments saying “I’ve never been called by a courier,” please, let’s not generalize personal experience. Just because it hasn’t happened to you doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen elsewhere. In many countries, it’s the standard.

As for the concern about harassment or misuse of phone numbers: of course, that’s always a risk in life, but in reality these cases are rare, and we already have systems to deal with them (local authorities, blocking numbers, etc.). The benefit of avoiding lost or returned packages far outweighs that small risk.

Let’s be honest, most customers don’t check Etsy messages or even emails regularly. But everyone carries a phone.

So, yes I think it's quite simple: Etsy should add a phone number field at checkout that’s optional, but strongly recommended, especially for international shipping. This would protect both sellers and buyers and reduce a lot of unnecessary headaches.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

Royal mail never call - ever, or send sms - ever

the seller has my e-mail address, that should be enough

I have no mobile signal where I live anyway, so sms would not work

1 , 2  and 3 have never happened to me

if I am not in when it is tried to be delivered, we get a card, where we can reschedule delivery for when we are in.

[RueDeLouvain]

I agree that a number is needed. The shippers I use all ask for a phone number- not to call the recipient or to harrass them but to send them a text message about delivery times, and whatever others may write here,  they really do that. For example, I use  Mondial Relay a lot (for EU) and the only times a parcel did not get delivered smoothly is when I did not have the correct phone number of the buyer and they didn’t get an SMS. I am using the Personalisation field in listings now to ask a number (optional). 

[PrimFun]

You know the constant request for emails and phone numbers just leaves me so cold that is one of the many reasons I no longer buy internationally.

No reason is needed to have them as no shipper ever calls.  It's just a nuisance promulgated by shippers who find ways to abuse the information. 

[ImogensImagination]

As the new Royal Mail shipping option for the US includes mandatory phone and email addresses - I guess I'll be updating ALL my "personalisation" boxes to gather this information.

I predict a LOT of extra messages and extended dispatch dates if Etsy keeps insisting on hiding the personalisation box in listings #hardeyeroll