coupon codes not working giving customer invalid message.

[WhiteRavensDesigns]

Hello All,

I have had a customer contact me to let me know the coupon codes I have set up for my shop are not working. They get an "invalid" message.

I had a sale the day before with a discount code so this is something that has happened in the past 24 hours.

I have checked my "sales and discounts" and all discount codes appear normal there.

Anyone else experiencing this or have any insight as to why my codes are not working?

Thank you, Nita.

[TBQSC]

Is this happening with any of the promo codes you set up for Faves, Abandoned Cart, Thank you?  These discounts are now being limited by Etsy on how and when they can actually be used, and by who!  Some can only be used once per buyer, per year ... some are only good for 60 days.  I have noticed my promo codes all say invalid now too (tested via incognito mode), so unfortunately none of my buyers are even able to use any of them, and there is no way for me to delete or stop sending them.  I would be VERY careful about what offers you are creating now! 

There was an announcement about this by Etsy, don't remember where (dashboard?), but here is a summary of what is happening ...

Thank You Promo -- This offer expires 1 year after it’s sent. Buyers can be sent a thank you offer again if they don’t have one that’s active. Buyers can only use each offer once, and can’t share their code.

Abandoned Cart Promo -- This offer expires 60 days after it’s sent. Buyers can be sent an abandoned cart offer again if they don’t have one that’s active, and it’s been 30 days since they redeemed this offer. Buyers can only use each offer once, and can’t share their code.

Favorited Item Promo -- When an eligible shopper favorites your item but doesn’t buy it, they’ll get an email with your offer. Eligible shoppers have opted in to receive Etsy marketing emails. (I believe this is the ONLY one that is not limited to time or use).

[WhiteRavensDesigns]

This is happening with both abandoned cart and thank you codes.

My thank you code is printed on a card I include in my order parcels and NOT auto sent by Etsy. I just had another look at my codes and it appears I can not edit the "emails sent" part of the codes. I have a feeling that my thank you cards are useless now.

[TBQSC]

These are OUR codes that we set up for OUR customers under OUR rules ... Etsy should have NO say in how, when or who uses them ... or when & if we want to edit OUR own codes!!!  Makes no sense!!

[NoFrogsAllowed]

These are OUR codes that we set up for OUR customers under OUR rules

Not true.  There would be no thank you, cart and favorite coupons without Etsy as they are the only ones that know who is opted in.  They are granting us the opportunity to contact these potential buyers in a way that we would not legally be able to on our own.

I agree they have no right to mess with the coupons that we personally set up and distribute and they haven't unless accidentally by their rank programming incompetence.

The only thing they did was add expiration dates to coupons they send out and supposedly make them single use, neither of which would have happened if sellers hadn't been complaining for the last 5+ years.

[TBQSC]

@NoFrogsAllowed We can agree to disagree! 

[CarpetCollectionAU]

@TBQSC "These are OUR codes that we set up for OUR customers under OUR rules"  

This is wrong. There are rules which apply to Sales Events, Promo Codes and Automated Etsy Offers which are not "OUR rules"

Sale Events are limited to a 30 day timeframe, after which we must set these up again. This is due to RULES about Sale Event duration in many Countries

Automated Etsy Offers are based on RULES relating to unsolicited contact from on-line marketplaces. Etsy monitors Buyers who have opted in to receiving Promotional Offers and Information.

Lastly, whilst you may have your own RULES re your discount and sale codes. Etsy also sets the boundaries about who these are sent to and how often.

[DaysofYoreTreasures]

Implementing expiry dates and single use would be a large and complex project.
I imagine they would have to build a new database that records the code, date, user account & seller account each time a code is sent. Then mark each record when the code is used, plus expire the remaining records on the correct date. The database would also have to be checked each time before a code is issued to make sure the buyer doesn't already have an active code (or that it was issued >30 days ago).

What could possibly go wrong?
- what about all the existing codes that were sent out before the new implementation?
- everyone gets the same code per offer per shop. They are not unique. I would guess more than one shop has used the same suggested codes of COMEBACK & THANKYOU
- I don't know if it still happens but I have had the THANKYOU code pop-up when I visit a shop I have purchased from and others report the COMEBACK code popping up shortly after carting an item. Has every one of these buyer accounts been sent an email beforehand with the correct information recorded in the database?

Plenty of room for error unless the project was well planned, well documented and well tested.

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

I just put a few items from my shop in my cart in an incognito window. I’m happy to see that the 10% coupon code I created 2 years ago has finally been deactivated. I’ve been complaining for the past couple of weeks that I wasn’t able to deactivate it myself. Some buyers have used it on rather large orders and I wanted to put a stop to that. I stopped my abandoned cart and favorites coupons even though the abandoned cart coupon has been doing well. The only active code I have at the moment is printed on a card that I include with some orders. I’m the one who decides who gets it. 

[DaysofYoreTreasures]

@PiecesOfMePaperCraft 
I'm pretty sure the coupon codes are only sent when you are logged in.

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

@DaysofYoreTreasures 

I tested my active coupons in the cart while incognito. They all worked except the one I had been wanting to deactivate so I was happy about that. I've since deactivated all but one so I can control who gets it.