Why do online sellers ask for my phone number and email?
Independent marketplace sellers often request phone numbers and email addresses directly for customs shipping forms or outside messaging like mockups. This makes buyers uncomfortable because platforms usually handle communication securely, leaving buyers unsure if sharing personal contact details outside the site is safe.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Sellers input their own phone number instead of asking the buyer
- 2Communicating exclusively through the platform messaging system
- 3Keeping all communication strictly within the platform messaging system
- 4Refusing to share the phone number and questioning the seller's motives
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“First time buying on Etsy so I was a little thrown by the question.”source ↗
“Asking for my name makes sense, but shouldn't they already have my email? Also what about my phone number would make shipping easier?”source ↗
“Shipping I totally understand as I mentioned in the OP but asking for it for a mock up? I've always been sent mock ups via Etsy messaging.”source ↗
“I'm interested in purchasing a custom order from a seller who has asked for my phone number which has made me uncomfortable.”source ↗
“The seller has stated this is for texting mockups which has never happened to me on Etsy before. I think it's safest to keep everything on Etsy.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to automatically deliver digital files to buyers on Amazon and eBay
- 4How to hide my home address on e-commerce shipping labels
- 2Is it safe to send photos of my ID to a private host?
- 5How do I spot scams as a new seller on online marketplaces?
- 4Hardware vendors cold calling my clients behind my back
- 2Seller shipping from a different country than listed