UK Domestic Delivery Options - Missing options

[#1]

My delivery options for domestic UK are extremely limited in the drop-down option. It states "We're asking for an update from your previous choice of "Other" to help give buyers more accurate delivery dates. This won't change your dispatch-by-dates, and could mean more sales for you!" This is incorrect as the delivery timescales provided in the drop-down options are not realistic.

I am only being given for Royal Mail the choices of :

• Royal Mail 1st Class (1 business day) - in reality, this is a minimum of 1 - 3 business days, longer if there are postal delays.
• Royal Mail Signed For 1st Class (1 business day) - again in reality, this is a minimum of 1 - 3 business days.
• Royal Mail 2nd Class (2 - 3 business days) - takes longer than stated in reality
• Royal Mail Signed For 2nd Class (2 - 3 business days) - takes longer than stated in reality
• Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm (1 business day)

There are more options sellers use than these, there is a Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am service, plus also things like RM24 and RM48 etc that are not included in my options.

I also have some Collect+ and DHL Express options. I've not used these services so don't know whether they are a limited list of options for those carriers.

I also have some options for Hermesworld. Hermesworld no longer exists they rebranded to Evri. Again I've not used this delivery company so don't know whether there is a limited list of options for them.

There are no other options to choose from for delivery providers. There are additional delivery companies UK sellers use, so please provide back the "Other" delivery company option to allow sellers the ability to choose and set the appropriate service and estimation of delivery times to "give buyers more accurate delivery dates" that Etsy states that it wants. The changes made provide MORE INACCURATE delivery dates. Please allow us sellers who know how long the services we use ACTUALLY TAKE to inform our customers of the CORRECT delivery information.

[SteampunkCreativeEng]

They rebranded in the UK to try to get some distance between them and the bad name they had…

Polls are open for what Etsy would rebrand as in the UK.. 80)

[MyOrganisedHome]

And they’re Evri bit as bad as they were under the Hermes brand…

[Lampposted]

Etsy needs to update the options, I send most my local items 48h from RM's Click and Drop as it's the most competitive.

Feature request!

[YarnOtterHandmade]

I'm in the US and I have the same thing happening.  I had "Other" selected and now I'm forced to choose USPS, UPS or Fed Ex.  I do use USPS, but I wanted the control over delivery estimates.  I don't welcome this continuous meddling in my business!

[millyandpip]

I have spoken to Etsy chat today (15th May) and they just said "the option "Other" is not available any more, so that is why this is not allowing you select this option".

What a nightmare, what are we supposed to do if we use another delivery provider or service, or if we use one of the delivery providers and services, but the delivery timescale is too short. For example, 1 business day delivery for Royal Mail 1st class is VERY optimistic, in fact approx only 70% of 1st class mail is delivered in 1 business day :0(

[ElleBeeDesignUK]

This is so ridiculous but honestly not surprised as Etsy have previous for these uncommunicated, ill thought out changes.

Must have spent a good 1-2 hours on chat with them today - the first agent immediately disconnected the chat after giving one of the worst politician's responses I've ever heard. Reconnected, had to start completely from scratch.

Why these people that do the support get no information is beyond me - they could have answered my question in 2 minutes had they actually been informed.

But in the wedding invitations business, we have listings up on our store for samples only which we send using standard Royal Mail, so that's ok. If a customer likes a sample and comes back to us via Etsy for a full order, then we create a custom listing which means we then send via Tracked 24 or Tracked 48, which have never been available but we've been able to use "other" so not a problem. Now we can no longer do that.

I have a customer that I need to create a custom order for now and whilst it's always massively beneficial to all parties for them to come to us directly outside of the Etsy ecosystem, for the fear of being penalised for "fee avoidance" when customers do message us on Etsy, we stick to Etsy and create a custom listing.

But, given that we don't actually have active listings for "full", personalised wedding orders, I'm wondering if we just bite the bullet and say sorry, we don't do full orders via Etsy. As I don't have an accurate way of actually creating the listing anymore, I'm wondering where we would stand with regards to seller Ts & Cs... 

[Arcalliq]

Well Etsy, you have outdone yourselves again! I think I'm going to up my domestic shipping prices to ridiculous amounts and just diplomatically direct my UK customers to my standalone. Way to do a business Etsy! Way to do a business!

[millyandpip]

Just thought I'd update this thread. I have spoken to Etsy and they've just said that going forward the 'other' option will not be available anymore and we HAVE to select one of the options on their list.

I asked them what happens if we don't actually send our orders using any of their options (ie we use Parcelforce, DPD etc) and they said 'Ermmmmmm, I'll send you a feedback form for you to fill in."

So there you go, I have no words at how rubbish this is :0(

[MaddyVintageHostess]

I am going to put an announcement  about my estimated delivery dates and that Etsys are not realistic and l will also put something in a message to new  customers when they order. What else can we do? I had a feeling Other Options was going to be scuppered eventually. Some clever clogs decided it a good idea. Not.

[Arcalliq]

problem with announcements is that nobody reads them. I'd suggest to put and image annoucement and use it as one of your pictures. 

It's still not bullet-proof but so far it has worked best for me for any important annoucements.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@MaddyVintageHostess 

you ae in the UK, you have a policies section - terms and conditions

I have this in mine

Agreed Time for Delivery of Goods (as per regulation 42 of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013) shall be:
- 3 weeks from order date for delivery to UK addresses
- 8 weeks from order date for delivery to addresses outside UK

whatever would happen if I had to wave it under etsy's nose, I don't know

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

@CraftyCornishMaids But is the date on the listing not the date you are using in the contract  you make with the buyer so the date you legally have to deliver by ?  

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@SmallthingsbyAmanda 

this is part of my "right to withdraw", and it is in the contract to the buyer, when they buy, as I have it in the message to buyer too. 

so it's in the contract, as part of the "right to withdraw",
as required by the Consumer Contracts legislation, (which is the right to withdraw legislation for online selling)

but as I say, whether it will hold water with Etsy bots, or an Etsy appeal process, I don't know

It might depend on how persistent I am - and I can be !

As I have only ever had 1 case opened against me, which I won anyway, I'm not sure if it will ever come into play.
If it does, I will report on it here.

[TheAtticRooms]

@MaddyVintageHostess

I've had to basically choose another option as I always send Tracked 24/48 and so I've popped a message in my announcements reassuring people I send Tracked 24 and if they see 2nd class via Royal Mail it is an Etsy anomaly.  What else are we supposed to do? Etsy wants tracking but don't have Tracked 24 or 48! I'll continue to send Tracked. It's just one thing after another lately with Etsy. 

[FoxesOnBoxes]

I've still got 'Other' on my shipping profiles but they're rolling it out in batches.
They've confirmed it's not a glitch and it's meant to be removed.

I've sent them an email this morning to complain. Let us run our businesses how we see fit! 1 working day for RM 1st class is hugely unrealistic and is going to cause customers to get annoyed when it doesn't arrive the next day, more admin for sellers who will receive loads of 'not received' messages... Etsy will prompt the buyers to open cases, which are closed by bots in 0.0028 of a second without any knowledge of the order itself!

[purplewyvernjewels]

I did eventually receive a message back, not addressing the issues that I had with the "Other" option being removed. I'm still awaiting a response back from my reply.

I've now got the "Other" option back again. I saw someone else post elsewhere that they had it back and checked in my shop and for the time being it's back again. (I had no notification from Etsy that they had returned the "Other" option). So if anyone lost the option and haven't checked recently it might be worth checking to see whether you have it again.

[KlasikStudio]

I have the same problem. I use Royal Mail 24 hour Tracked and Signed postage. I'm either going to have to:

1. Choose one of the other postage options which will be giving the seller the wrong information

2. Change my postage (although the other options aren't suitable).

Or 3. Stop selling on Etsy.

[TheAtticRooms]

@KlasikStudio Same for me. I use Tracked 24 which I buy online. I'm carrying on sending this way and have had to choose Royal Mail 2nd class but I put a message in my announcements that all orders will absolutely be sent tracked and if they see anything else it's an Etsy anomaly. What else can we do? Etsy want us sending tracked for star seller and then exclude the tracked postage options! 

[SVGRox]

It's possibly Etsy carrying out testing which becomes a live change without communication to sellers

[Enroutenails]

This is so frustrating! I dont want to use royal mail anymore as everything is taking so long but thats all the options I have. NO other courier options coming up 

[ShopAntico]

Really annoyed about this. I've now got to amend over 400 listings as all my UK delivery option was set to OTHER as I use DPD domestically. Now there is no option for this service. Every time Etsy tweak things it just makes extra work. 

[AdoredGiftsGB]

I've started using Amazon Logistics which offer a 24h & 48h option including Saturday & Sunday deliveries. Just come to create a listing and no option to add it.... Any idea's how to handle this ?