Translation issue, English to Dutch

[PappasBland]

Hello, we have a big problem. Any guidance would be helpful. All of our photography prints are unframed prints. Our first variant dropdown menu is where you choose your size, 12x18 unframed print, 16x24 unframed print, all the way to 30x45 unframed print etc. However, when a customer is shopping in the Nederlands language, the auto-translation is inexplicably translating our final variant as being framed, not unframed. This is across every print listing in our shop and is a bug in either Etsy's implementation of Google Translate, or Google Translate itself. Given that everything is correctly translated into Dutch with the exception of the final variant, I find it hard to believe Google Translate is at fault here, and an Etsy bug seems more likely.

We had no idea of this problem until a customer in the Netherlands ordered what she thought was a 30x45 framed print – thanks to Etsy's faulty translation that described it as such. Naturally she was expecting a framed piece, and now she has to cover the expense of getting the print we sent to her framed locally. Fortunately, she knows we're not at fault. Unfortunately though Etsy are pretending there is no issue here and not being at all helpful.

Our customer opened a case clearly explaining the issue and asking for a partial refund from Etsy, but Etsy keep closing it claiming there's no case to be made. It's very frustrating and we feel for our customer.

Any ideas on what we should do next?

[JJewellerySuppliesUK]

You could make the partial refund via Paypal. 

For the listing variation, I don't know what you can do if it is an Etsy bug.  Either don't sell to the Netherlands or remove that variation or put in a disclaimer in the description for Dutch buyers.

Someone might have a better idea!

[PappasBland]

I shouldn't need to make any refund, it's Etsy's fault here.

And removing that variation won't help because the bug applies to whatever is the last variation in our dropdown menu.

Disclaimers can't be relied upon – from my experience hardly any customers read the item descriptions.

[JJewellerySuppliesUK]

@PappasBland Well sorry I tried to help you!  If you know all the answers, why ask for help?  

[PappasBland]

@JJewellerySuppliesUK I guess I was looking more for guidance on how to pursue this with Etsy, rather than how to edit listings. And I'm still amazed such a problem can occur and that Etsy would skirt responsibility for it. But thanks for your suggestions and taking the time to reply.

[VogueVixens]

@PappasBland How about changing "unframed" to "NOT framed".  Since "Not" is a simple negative word, it would likely be translated correctly. 

Its unfortunate that sellers have to come up with "Work-arounds" when there are changes and problems with Etsy's site.  But we're the ones who have to deal with upset customers, so it's better to adjust what we can control to minimize issues.

[PappasBland]

@VogueVixens The 20 character limits don't allow us to write '30x45 print not framed'.

This is another hugely frustrating problem, if Etsy could increase the character limits just slightly we'd have so much more flexibility.

[VogueVixens]

@PappasBland You actually have a longer character limit for the type of variation, so put more info ther

So change it to;

PAPER SIZE of PRINT (in Inches)

or PRINT PAPER SIZE (in Inches)

Then one of the variations would be

-35x40 Not Framed

[ZenCatPottery]

I would add something in your listings that all your items are unframed and if the drop-down menu offers a framed option, it is a translation glitch.  You could mark it ***Attention International Customers*** or something like that. @PappasBland 

[AnniebelloPaper]

You don't appear to sell any of your prints in a frame. I would remove the 'unframed' from your variation choices. Only one of your photos has the item unframed and it looks like showing the border width, and it's way in the back. I would move it to the second/third slot and show the whole thing unframed, as the buyer would receive it. If it's unframed, are you shipping in a tube. If so, that's the photo you want to show.

Also make sure UNFRAMED is in a few places. Perhaps try 'this item is not offered with a frame but contact us if you would like to discuss this option'. It might be that the word 'unframed' is problematic. One of the options on the second variation is 'discuss framing' and 'unsure - lets talk'. I would remove both of those to avoid any more confusion.

[PappasBland]

@AnniebelloPaper
Thank you, those are valid points, but we need to show the images of our prints framed to help buyers visualize our prints in their space. Leading with the framed image definitely led to an increase in sales for us. Showing a photo of a rolled print is a good idea though.

Removing our 'Discuss framing' variation might be wise too. 'Unsure – let's talk' has been very useful though. Buyers are often not sure whether to get a print with a white border or not.

We do talk about the prints being unframed through the item description, but from our experience buyers don't often read the descriptions. We get so many questions that are already answered in the descriptions...

Thanks for your suggestions!

[LaVieDivine]

I have the same since a couple of weeks now... Custom dropdown variations were never translated on etsy and since a week or 2 I've been getting messages of people not understanding what size and color something is. I've checked and it makes really weird translations to french and dutch (i'm from Belgium, but my etsy and my shop is in english)

For example: I sell horse-items like halters... horse sizes are FULL, COB, PONY and SHETLAND. we also use these names in dutch etc. but now all of a sudden 'FULL' is being translated to 'Volledig' or 'Complet' and even worse... COB is 'maiskolf' in dutch.

And there is no option to manually translate the variations either... So i cannot fix this either?

So my only fix currently is to ask customers to click on the globe icon to view in original language... 

[VogueVixens]

You could create an Infographic - so words within a visual file, that you put in photo slot #2, explaining the problem, with a clear translation in French and Dutch. People are more likely to look at photos, than read descriptions, so you have a better chance of having the information seen by buyers and potential buyers.  

[RueDeLouvain]

That's awful! I'm in Belgium too - going to check my listings asap. 

You can turn off auto translation and do it manually. In practice that's not really do-able. You'd have to write everyting three times if you want EN/FR/NL.  And you still won't have the other languages...

[RueDeLouvain]

It is a glitch in the translation software. "unframed print" in English will translate (in Google translate) to "ingelijste afdruk" in Dutch, meaning exactly the opposite i.e. framed print. If you change to "without frame" instead of unframed, you'll be fine, it will translate to "zonder lijst". 

[PappasBland]

@RueDeLouvain The 20 character limit in the variations menu won't allow that, but '30x45 print no frame' does fit. It's definitely not as elegant as '30x45 unframed print' but it might be the best solution here. Thanks for that suggestion!

[LaVieDivine]

@RueDeLouvain nope sorry.... I was considering translating everything in 4 languages indeed but there is no option to translate your variations... sooo nevermind