Problem with 'unpaid' order - buyer was able to review this incomplete order

[PaperhoodCo]

Hi there,

I have an order pending that came in on January 14 and it is marked unpaid. It has not changed since then.

The buyer asked to cancel this order, but there is no option for me to do so, since it is not a complete transaction. Now the buyer has been given the option to review this purchase, even though he has not paid for it. How is that possible?

Unfortunately, the buyer chose to review it with 3 stars which unfairly affects my rating, since this whole situation is totally out of my control. I flagged the review to Etsy, but Etsy replied saying everything is in order, which tells me they actually haven't looked at my case.

I'm really upset at how little support or protection for this is for sellers from Etsy.

Is there any way to get this review removed, as well as the unpaid order?

Thank you.

[JMOldeVintage]

@PaperhoodCo  - For the review, if you can respond to the email reply from Etsy, do so. Tell them your issue is not resolved. Often bots are used to send generic replies and a real person has not read your help ticket.

You can consider contacting Etsy with a new help ticket about the open order - it is nearing 30 days since the original purchase date - and explain that the order is still pending the approval of Etsy's payment processor. You could also mention that a review has been left & that this entire scenario is confusing at best. Annoying at worst. (Okay, maybe "scenario" isn't a polite word to use, lol) Then if all you receive is a generic response, reply to that email that your issue is not resolved. Opening new tickets will only place you to the end of the line.

But definitely something like this should not happen. Yes, the item is still being reserved for the buyer so that IF their payment ever gets approved the item will be there for them. But they should not have the ability to leave a review for something that they really haven't paid for. 

[PaperhoodCo]

I actually couldn't find anywhere to open a help ticket. I'm just getting directed to the standard troubleshoot pages but nowhere that I can actually point out this specific issue.

Do you have a link for creating help tickets?

Unfortunately it is a noreply email that I got as a response when I flagged the review.

[PillowDetails]

Ridiculous.  That should not have happened.  Come back to let us know what Support does.

[WitticismsRus]

@PaperhoodCo 

How to contact etsy support for sellers

There is a direct link to the support ticket page in every shops shop manager - Just go to Shop manager > Community & help > Contact us

That will open the page to start a support ticket.

Once there select 'selling on etsy' then select issues.

Depending on the issue, they offer email, phone and/or chat support. Note that the phone support option recently changed to a request a call back system. There is no direct number sellers can call for etsy phone support. You can only request that they call you back.
You will need to click around a bit to get to the actual page with the contact options and at times it feels like endless maze loop of clicking and getting nowhere other than faq's that do not address your issues. You will need to get creative and click on options that may not match your issue completely. When you see 'I still need help' at the bottom of a page then click that....it will take you straight to the page with the available contact options.

Keep in mind that the phone support and live chat folks are just a call center and can only handle a limited list of issues. Everything outside of that they will bump up the support chain to someone who works for etsy proper to handle. Live chat and phone call back are only available sometimes it seems and the availability changes throughout the day.

Remember...the key is to click 'I still need help' when you see it. 

[PaperhoodCo]

Thank you for this! I just had a chat with someone, but it was completely useless, he was not addressing or understanding the issue at all. After I asked to talk to a supervisor he just left the chat. 

I will try again. 

[WitticismsRus]

@PaperhoodCo 

Yes unfortunately that sounds very typical of the live chat help. They can only handle very minor issues and often just disconnect if it's out of their scope. You may need to just use the email option for the issue instead of live chat or phone call back since those are just a call center. The email option usually gets to an actual etsy support person faster. Sadly "faster" in etsy email support time can often be many days or weeks for actual help. Just be sure to reply with "I still need help" if the initial email reply you receive doesn't address the issue which is likely won't. I know it's frustrating and completely ridiculous that it takes this much work to get actual help from support here. I hope your issue is resolved soon!

[HeatherJordanJewelry]

Try this: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?segment=selling#issue_sell_manage_listings-callback 

[ReplacementHardware]

does anyone remember 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest'..... {sorry, No Dark Chocolate this morning.....}

[EnergyPeace]

Did you get that review removed?

I don't understand how they could possible get a review window to open when they didn't purchase anything!

Another typical technical issue on Etsy...brought on by bad programming.

[FunkyJunkyVintage]

The fact that etsy practices and condones its own pretzel logic makes it extremely difficult to correct these types of cases. The fact that etsy tells us not to ship pending orders until payment processes, then allows the review window to open, and then further cements the insanity by not looking into the situation, then tops it off with the fact that it's not possible to cancel a pending order? What else can it be?

"Pretzel logic is an expression used to describe someone’s “twisted reasoning.”

A classic pretzel is circular, full of holes, and twists in on itself—just like faulty reasoning. Hence the (delicious) expression, pretzel logic.

Pretzel logic is used to describe inconsistent, illogical thinking that, once scrutinized, doesn’t stand up."

[bohemians]

"After I asked to talk to a supervisor he just left the chat."  ... WOW ... that is awful. I get really stabby when someone - whose sole PAID role is communicating with people - can't even be civil. I thought better 'customer' service was supposed to be part of the rate hike??!

I don't have any different recommendations than other posters have offered, but I hope you are able to get some help from a person who can at least understand the situation you're in.