Said It Here

What to do when an online seller stops responding after purchase

Buyers are left anxious and unsure what to do when a seller stops responding to messages and their shop disappears after an order is placed. This lack of communication prevents customers from getting updates on their items or knowing whether their order will be fulfilled.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    opening a help ticket with the seller
  2. 2
    looking for the seller on alternative social media platforms like Instagram
  3. 3
    opening an official case with the platform for a refund
  4. 4
    Buying from the shop blindly without waiting for answers
  5. 5
    Waiting indefinitely until the seller finally responds
  6. 6
    Looking at alternative shops with similar products
  7. 7
    Purchasing an Etsy gift certificate for oneself to handle gift card balances
  8. 8
    Using the Help with order link on the platform
  9. 9
    Opening a case against the seller if they do not respond after 48 hours

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

“I haven't seen any movement on my order and I'm getting kind of anxious.”source ↗

“I continued to check in with no response back all the way until September 3rd, because i saw i couldn't see their shop anymore and was trying to get in contact.”source ↗

“i then checked back in the 11th, 13th, and 15th with no response and I'm not sure what to do.”source ↗

Soggy-Otter3051 · r/Etsy

“So there's an Etsy shop owner I messaged and they initially responded to my first couple of messages and said they'd be there when I'm ready to purchase. I now have the money (a prepaid Mastercard gift card that expires in 6 months) and I reached back out and asked them a few questions about their product which I'm genuinely interested in but they haven't replied and it's been a while.”source ↗

“But the Etsy shop owner isn't responding to my last couple of messages and that makes me weary to order from them even though they have what I need and even though they did respond to my first couple of messages.”source ↗

“I prefer to have my questions answered before making a purchase, by the way. Instead of just going in blindly and buying something.”source ↗

PoeticPeacenik · r/Etsy

“I ordered an item, I got a message saying they didn't have it in stock, and that was the entirety of the message, I had to message to ask if I was getting a refund, no reply.”source ↗

“So I sent another message asking what had been sent if it wasn't in stock and asking for the actual tracking number.”source ↗

“I've never sold on Etsy, I'm trying not to be too jaded but I'm assuming as a seller you would have to input the tracking info and manually confirm an items sent - am I incorrect? Am I getting scammed here please?”source ↗

iAmManchee · r/Etsy

Where this came up

r/Etsycustomer servicecustomer supportecommerceonline shoppingrefunds

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