Buyers come to Etsy for special, one-of-a-kind items and personalized shopping experiences with reliable customer service. Our Service Level Standards are designed to help sellers grow their businesses sustainably, ensuring they give every buyer excellent service, and Etsy remains a trusted marketplace.
Etsy’s Service Level Standards are defined in the sections below.
What are Etsy’s customer service expectations?
When a buyer makes a purchase on Etsy, they trust they'll receive their order in a timely manner, their item(s) will be as described in the listing, and they'll be provided a memorable customer service experience. By providing a great experience every time a customer engages with your shop, you’re more likely to receive more positive reviews, word of mouth promotion, and increased traffic from repeat buyers.
As a seller on Etsy, you’re expected to:
- Prepare and ship orders within your chosen processing times and “ship by” dates
- Set realistic expectations with accurate listing descriptions and images
- Respond to shoppers’ Messages promptly with resolution-focused customer service
- Treat shoppers and fellow sellers with respect and courtesy
How is a shop’s customer service performance measured?
We review shops holistically, considering several factors when performance is assessed. These factors include, and aren’t limited to, on-time shipping rate, communication in Messages, cases, reviews, and tenure. We monitor patterns that may lead to negative experiences for buyers, such as potentially unmanageable surges in order volume, late shipping, or lack of communication, and account for the possibility of isolated situations that may impact your shop.
We know some orders won’t go as expected despite your best efforts. Etsy's Purchase Protection Program offers support to eligible sellers as they manage difficult transactions.
We believe it’s important for you to work with your buyer when there’s an issue, even if the order qualifies for Etsy's Purchase Protection. For example, if a buyer’s order arrives damaged or seems lost in transit, you could assist them with filing a postal claim. If a buyer leaves an unfavorable review, you might propose a resolution that works for both of you. When a shop’s customer service is measured, we review how the seller addresses issues from a customer service standpoint as well as what's being done to prevent similar situations in the future.
What happens if my shop doesn’t meet Etsy’s Service Level Standards?
Our goal is to support sustainable shop growth by providing education and intervention to shops who need it.
If we determine your customer service is resulting - or likely to result - in negative experiences for buyers, we’ll be in touch via email. We may provide informational guidance or limit access to your account, depending on the urgency of the situation. These limitations can include Etsy removing your listings from search or other site features, placing your shop on pause, delaying disbursements to your Payment Account, and/or suspending your selling and buying privileges.
If your shop continues to fall short of our expectations after we contact you, we may permanently revoke your buying and selling privileges. Shops with little to no history of strong customer service may be permanently suspended at any time (this is rare, and most often applies to new shops who have received a high rate of complaints).
What resources are available to help me provide excellent customer service?
We encourage you to utilize the tools Etsy provides to support your shop’s success and growth. These features were created to save you time and make managing your shop easier:
- Etsy Shipping Labels. If Etsy Shipping Labels are available in your region, you can buy and print shipping labels from the comfort of your home. You’ll also have access to postage discounts from retail rates through our partnerships with certain shipping carriers. Learn more about Etsy Shipping Labels here.
- Saved Replies. Saved Replies are pre-written messages you can use to answer common questions or send standard information to buyers. Learn more about Saved Replies here.
- Shipping Profiles. Shipping Profiles allow you to set up shipping and processing information in one place so you can update the processing times on multiple listings at once. Learn more about Shipping Profiles here.
- Custom listings. You can create private listings in your Etsy shop to allow buyers to purchase made-to-order items, choosing a custom processing time based on the job. Learn more about custom listings here.
- Estimated Delivery Dates. When listing an item, you can set your own transit time to account for potential carrier delays. Learn more about Estimated Delivery Dates here.
- Vacation Mode. You can place your shop on hold if you need to catch up on orders or aren’t able to run your shop for a period of time. Learn more about Vacation Mode here.
We also have articles in our Help Center and Seller Handbook to help you deliver a successful customer service experience. Here are just a few:
- How to Effectively Communicate with Buyers provides advice for successful communication.
- How To Reliably Ship Your Orders has tips for establishing dependable shipping practices.
- How to Manage Your Shop in Case of Emergency explains how to operate your shop during difficult times.