Queries, Questions, Chit Chat

[#1]

If anyone has any problems or questions then please feel free to reach out here. And I hope if anyone knows anything that would be useful then please comment.

[Kissisjustakiss]

Kate:
I will pray for your husband's brother. I understand the stress of surgeries and sickness. I takes a total on the love ones around them. We are helpless and want to help. Please take care of yourself. It's the most important thing you can do. xoxoxox From this side of the pond. Gena

[VintageVogueTreasure]

Oh Kate, that is so sad! Cancer is such an awful disease that takes its toll on the whole family. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. God bless! xo

[OurBoudoir]

Katrina would like to know if any of you can help her identify the following jewelry

https://img0.etsystatic.com/102/0/17785497/icm_fullxfull.70178960_2sf5y8g29racwcw4ksk8.jpg

So start sleuthing!

[OurBoudoir]

Thanks Gena and Mary Ellen

By brother in law had his surgery but unfortunately the cancer has spread to his lymph nodes so he has started chemotherapy this week.

He has lost a vast amount of weight over a very short period of time.

It seems pancreatic cancer does not have a great survival rate unfortunately (British understatement)

I dont really know what his wife will do. My daughter says that her aunt has aged considerably with all the stress and sudden shock.

[Kissisjustakiss]

Kate:
i am so sorry to hear this!!! My prayers are with you. This is an awful disease. I have lots lots of friends it!!
xoxoxo Gena

[OurBoudoir]

Hi Everyone

Mary Higley has kindly agreed to become a Leader on Vintage Vogue.

Mary has oodles of experience as she is also a Leader on TeamLove and will be sprinkling her expertise across our promos! Mary will also be developing a new thread along the lines of the US Show Let's Make a Deal! So if any of you are interested in offering discounts to fellow teamies and buy vintage as well then please speak to Mary.

Mary has always been a great teamie, very supportive,

[YoursOccasionally]

I am glad to be part of the leadership of this wonderful team!

The Deal or No Deal thread that was set up by Kate has a wonderful concept. The more you buy from fellow team members [as well as from other shops on etsy - why shop anywhere else for gifts???] - the more you will sell, not just to team members, but to customers as well!! So, I am taking her concept, refining it a bit, and renaming it. Have not decided on a name yet, so will definitely announce it here once the thread is up and ready for business. I invite you to read through the old concept instructions to get a feel for the thread and then offer your suggestion for a new name. So far the suggestions have been Lets Make a Deal and Buy to Sell. Send me your suggestions in a convo to my shop!

[Kissisjustakiss]

Mary Congrats on being a leader !! oxoxoxo Gena

[PlumsandHoney]

Kate ~ my heart goes out to you and your family.

So happy to see Mary on the leadership team!

[PlumsandHoney]

@Mary ~ Just a question about your comment that buying more on Etsy leads to sales. How does that work?

[bohemiantrading]

Welcome to Vogue team leadership, Mary! You are a wonderful teammate!

[bohemiantrading]

Kate, always sorry to hear of a loved one's sudden illness and downward spiral. You sister and family are in my thoughts.

[bohemiantrading]

Betty, the theory is that sales beget sales. That there is something in Etsy's algorithm that heightens relevancy with one sale, leading to more.

[VintageVogueTreasure]

So sorry Kate, our thoughts and prayers go out to your family. Welcome to our team Mary! So happy to have you and looking forward to your thread!

[LaNormandyBoutique]

Dear Kate,

I am so sorry for your sad news, your brother in law will certainly be in my prayers today, having come across this heartbreaking news this morning.
I would also like to add a special "Thank you Kate" for being so enthusiastic and tenacious with the amount of work and time you put into this team.

Love Rachel - xoxox

[LaNormandyBoutique]

Congratulations to Mary on her role as new team leader !

[OurBoudoir · Accepted solution]

Can everyone please look out for Shop Updates which is offered by Etsy to those who use Etsy on Sale on our mobiles.

I am a little concerned that this feature may sway the algorithm. Etsy says that each Shop Update is featured in ALL our previous customers' activity feeds. So ETSY as the marketplace is adding a burden (happy burden?) to its promotional resources which means something must go.

Many shops were reporting quieter sales this month. Now that maybe as people prepare for the expenditure needed over the winter or it could be the annual tinkering that ETSY does. ETSY also wants to prepare and increase sales over the high season. So we must be vigilant and follow its path.

So be prudent and if you have a mobile device then add ETSY ON SALE then use the Chrome app to add a Shop Update.

[HighHatCouture]

I just started posting to my Tumblr account finally! Anyone else on tumblr???

[YoursOccasionally]

Lynne - thanks for answering Betty's question about the sales within etsy begetting sales. The new thread is up: https://www.etsy.com/teams/20462/vintage-vogue/discuss/16940534/page/1?post_id=298263366
Sign up for the first round ends tomorrow around 2 pm EDT in US. Already have several people giving it a try! Hope you will join us!

Thanks to all who have welcomed me to the leadership of the team. I hope I can live up to all those who are already leaders!

[OurBoudoir]

I am not sure how effective Tumblr is Kary

I urge everyone to give Blogger a go as it is closely akin to google and therefore will feature high on the search engine. You can use the team blog as a model.

[OurBoudoir]

Blogger is very comprehensive so you can have an interesting blog about anything you desire and simple listings/links to your shop. You can design it how you wish and add powerful tools to it.

Here is mine

http://ourboudoir.blogspot.co.uk/

I haven't had time to update it and the item is sold! Say no more.

[Kissisjustakiss]

I am here but will be in and out. My 81 year old father is in ICU right now.

[OurBoudoir]

Can you please all be vigilant when shipping. Various people have reported problems.

If you are shipping high value items then take photos of them at various stages of wrapping/posting and make sure labels are clearly identifiable in the pictures including the weight.

Update all your store policies to make sure you are covered for various outcomes such as postage choices, shipping delays an d custom charges.

Add premium shipping charges to your listings so that buyers choose what suits them. Insurance for example.

If you have a claim and you are not happy then resort to Etsy and PayPal. They will protect you if the buyer has any unusual history.

Do not discuss individual shops or buyer accounts as this is against Etsy community guidelines. Etsy promotes positive respectful dialogue.

Remember, if you cannot resolve it then act professionally and then move on. You cannot get adverse feedback if you have righted the situation. Most buyers are honest and very interested in their purchase, remember that.

Please add any tips that you can provide to make Etsy a safe environment, but please state it positively and do not mention any shops/buyers.

[bohemiantrading]

Kate, I agree, we need to discuss this sort of thing, and share our customer service experiences here.

With the new USPS postal rate increases, I have added insurance to ALL of my International shipping profiles. It is worth the cost, and since the buyer is almost never aware whether an item is insured or not, it is best for our own protection, regardless of value.

I have had two packages to France not reach the buyers. One was insured ($35.00), the other wasn't ($25.00). I insured the $35 one because it was going to Paris just before Christmas (insured at my cost). The $25 item had been negotiated down in price, and I didn't feel it required insurance because of its lower value, and it's in my Policies. We went through the claims process with U-PIC (Endicia's insurer), and the $35 was returned to me. Though I think the customer expected her shipping to be returned, I did not do it. The money was spent in good faith, and it was in France (not the US) that it was "lost." (my rationale). Throughout the process she was polite, once she understood how long, etc. it would take. Needless to say, the $25 buyer was extremely disappointed, even though it explained in my policies that items under $50 were not insured. And why, I now insure Internationally, for any value.

If you use Etsy's International shipping system from the US, I suggest you also look at the countries that are excluded from being insured. Russia is one of them, for example. I have cancelled one transaction to Russia, as a result. Who needs the hassle?

Anyone else out there with customer service issues?

[bohemiantrading]

P.S. Do not insure with USPS insurance Internationally, as it NEVER covers the package once it hits the ground in that country.

If not U-PIC, there are other third party insurers on the Internet (not cheap, but worth it for peace of mind).