Etsy has its sellers’ backs. That’s according to Julian Wong, a member of the company’s Marketplace Integrity and Trust & Safety team, who announced Esty’s new Seller Protection Program on Wednesday.
The optional program guarantees that sellers’ accounts won’t be affected if a buyer reports a problem with a sale. Brittany Williams, product marketing manager at Esty, adds that the program will work on a transaction-by-transaction basis. For purchases that qualify, Etsy will guarantee an item’s purchase price, plus the original cost of shipping, up to $1,000, for sales paid through direct checkout.
The Seller Protection Program will be available to all sellers, including international sellers. However, merchants must meet certain requirements to participate, the marketplace reports. These include:
- “We’re working to make sure every purchase from here to the holidays has a happy ending”
- posting return, exchange and customer order polices on stores’ Policy pages
- communicating with buyers via Etsy’s conversation feature
- accurately photographing and describing items
- providing a ship date for orders
- stating a ship-to address on Etsy receipts
- marking items as shipped on the site
- providing proof of shipping, that includes using “a trackable shipping method that provides signature confirmation”
- responding to dispute cases and buyer messages within seven days
- and responding to Etsy’s request for more information in seven days.
The program also has some restrictions, Etsy notes. For instance, only items that were not delivered or are said to be not as described will be eligible for the Seller Protection Program. Digital goods, or other items delivered electronically do not qualify, and sellers’ accounts must be in good standing to participate in the program.
“With our new transaction dispute system and our comprehensive Seller Protection Plan, we’re working to make sure every purchase from here to the holidays has a happy ending,” Williams adds.
Wong reports that most Etsy transactions “go off without a snag,” but sometimes there are issues, and at that time “it’s crucial to know that Etsy has your back.”
“With this new program, we’re creating a safer buying environment and making it easier for our sellers to address and resolve any problem with confidence,” he adds.
