Chapter 5
Buy and Buy: Finding and Purchasing Items on Etsy
In This Chapter
Discovering Etsy’s allure for buyers
Searching for items on Etsy
Understanding how transactions work
Leaving feedback after a purchase
You’ve set up your Etsy account. You’ve gotten your bearings on the Etsy home page. You’ve explored the ins and outs of using the Your Account and Your Shop areas of the site. After all that work, you deserve a break! You know as well as we do that there’s no better way to recharge than to engage in a little retail therapy. And there’s no better way to engage in a little retail therapy than to shop — you guessed it — on Etsy. In this chapter, you discover how, and why, to buy on Etsy.
Gimme One Reason: Understanding Why You Should Buy on Etsy
Why buy on Etsy? Simple: Where else are you going to find a handmade bracelet featuring images of The Golden Girls cast in resin? Of course, even if you don’t maintain a shrine to Rue McClanahan in your foyer, you can find plenty of compelling reasons to buy on Etsy. Consider just a few:
Etsy features unique, one-of-a-kind handmade and vintage items — goodies you simply can’t find anywhere else.
Etsy offers an incredible breadth of items for sale, from accessories to ceramics, from jewelry to quilts, and everything in between.
If you’re in the market for craft supplies, Etsy is for you. At last count, Etsy’s Supplies category listed more than 2.5 million items, including beads, buttons, fabric, yarn, paper, stamps, and more.
Because there’s no middleman — you buy directly from artists and craftspeople — prices on Etsy are generally very reasonable. At the same time, your purchase can help these skilled artisans earn a living wage.
Buying on Etsy can make you a savvier seller. As a customer, you’ll develop an eye for which selling practices work and which don’t.
Go Fish: Using Etsy’s Search Tool
If you’ve landed on Etsy with the idea of finding a specific item or certain items that relate to a particular theme — say, aardvarks — you’ll be grateful for the site’s robust Search tool. With the Search tool, you can search for handmade items, vintage items, and supplies. You can also use it to locate a particular shop, and to search among items and shops you’ve hearted.
To use the Search tool, follow these steps:
1. From Etsy’s home page, type a keyword or phrase in the Search field, located in the center of the header bar.
As you type your keyword or phrase, Etsy displays Search Suggestions — that is, links for items, sections, or shop names that may constitute a good match (see Figure 5-1). Etsy culls these suggestions from recent searches performed by other folks on the site. If one of these Search Suggestions matches what you’re looking for, simply click it to view a list of relevant items.
Figure 5-1: Type a keyword or phrase in the Search field.
2. Click the Search button or press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard.
Etsy returns a list of items that match your criteria (see Figure 5-2).
Figure 5-2: Etsy displays your search results.
3. If you want, sort the search results by clicking the Sort By down arrow and choosing Most Recent, Relevancy, Highest Price, or Lowest Price.
To narrow your search results to handmade items, vintage items, or craft supplies, click the appropriate option button on the left side of the screen. To view only results in a particular category (say, Jewelry), click the category link on the left side of the screen (refer to Figure 5-2).
4. Click an item in the list to view the item’s listing. Alternatively, click the shop name, listed below the item name (next to the price) to view other items in the seller’s shop.
If your search efforts fail to yield useful results — for example, Etsy returns too many matches — try these techniques:
To search for a specific phrase, surround it with quotation marks. For example, suppose that you want to find items related to the movie Roman Holiday. Searching for the phrase Roman Holiday, without quotation marks, returns pages that contain the phrase Roman Holiday. However, it also returns pages that simply contain the individual words Roman and holiday, which likely have nothing whatsoever to do with Audrey Hepburn’s romp across Roma. Enclosing the phrase in quotation marks (“Roman Holiday”) limits the results to pages that contain that phrase only.
To exclude pages with a certain word from your results, precede the word you want to exclude with a hyphen. For example, suppose that you want to find listings that pertain to mustangs (as in, the horses). To omit listings that relate to the Ford Mustang automobile, you could add -Ford to the search string. (Note: There is no space between the hyphen and the word.)
Searching is great when you have some idea of what you’re looking for. But what if you just want to poke around the site? In that case, you’ll enjoy Etsy’s many browsing-related features. These include Browse Pages, Categories, Handpicked Items, Recently Listed items, Colors, Treasury, and Shop Local. You can access these tools from Etsy’s home page. For help in using these tools, refer to Chapter 3.
Transactions Speak Louder Than Words: Delving into Transaction Details
As you browse or search the gazillion items available for sale on Etsy, you’re bound to find a thing or two (or 7,968) that you simply can’t live without. Fortunately, Etsy makes buying a breeze. As you find out in the following sections, all you do is add the item to your cart, check out, arrange for payment, and submit your order.
Before you buy, take a moment to view the seller’s feedback score. To do so, click the Feedback link in the shop’s home page or on the seller’s public profile. If the seller boasts positive feedback, you can feel confident buying from him. If not, you may want to reconsider your purchase. (You find out more about feedback later in this chapter.)
Also, check the store’s policies by clicking the Policies link that appears on the store’s main page. To gain a little more confidence in the seller, you can find out more about her by viewing her shop’s About page (you can access this page, assuming the seller has filled one out, by clicking the About link on the left side of the store’s main page) and her public profile (click the seller’s name, near her avatar, from any page in the seller’s shop).
Affairs of the cart: Adding an item to your cart and checking out
To add an item to your cart and check out, follow these steps:
1. Click the Add to Cart button found on the listing page for the item you want to buy (see Figure 5-3).
Etsy displays your shopping cart (see Figure 5-4).
2. If you want to continue shopping, click the Keep Shopping button. (If you click Keep Shopping, you can return to your cart at any time by clicking the Cart link along the top of every Etsy page.)
Got cold feet? No worries. You can remove the item from your cart by clicking the Remove link. You can also click the Contact Shop Owner link to launch a convo with the shop owner. This option is helpful if you have questions about the item. (Flip to Chapter 17 for the scoop on convos.)
3. Under How You’ll Pay, indicate how you want to pay for the item.
Note that the options available here may differ by shop. Options include gift card or credit card (what Etsy refers to as “Direct Checkout”), PayPal, check, and money order.
Figure 5-3: Click the Add to Cart button to add an item to your Etsy shopping cart.
Figure 5-4: The item appears in your shopping cart.
Some Etsy sellers issue coupon codes for their shops. When a seller issues a coupon code, a special Shop Coupon Code field appears on the page that’s shown in Figure 5-4. If you have a coupon code for the shop you’re buying from (maybe you grabbed a coupon code from a blog, or the seller posted it in his Etsy shop), you enter it in the Shop Coupon Code field and click the Apply button. Etsy updates your Order Total information.
4. If you want, type a note to the seller in the Notes section.
Adding a note is important if you want to make a special request or you have a unique specification. In addition, in their item descriptions, some sellers request that you leave specifics about your order here — for example, personalization information.
Note: When you purchase some items, you’ll be prompted to supply additional information, such as size, quantity, or color.
5. Click the Proceed to Checkout button.
Note that the exact verbiage on this button differs depending on which payment method you choose in Step 3.
Pays of our lives: Paying for your item
What happens after you add an item to your card and check out depends on which payment option you choose — credit card or gift card, PayPal, check, or money order. (As we mention earlier, not all sellers accept all the forms of payment covered here.) The following sections describe these options in more detail.
If your shopping cart contains items from multiple shops, you must pay each seller individually. You have to complete the checkout process for each shop separately.
Paying via credit card or gift card
Paying via credit card or gift card, or what Etsy calls “Direct Checkout,” is a breeze. Just follow these steps:
1. Choose a shipping address.
If the address you want to use is shown on the screen (see Figure 5-5), click the Ship to This Address button that appears above it. Otherwise, enter a new address in the fields provided and click the Ship to This Address button that appears underneath.
Figure 5-5: Choose a shipping address.
2. Select the credit card you want to use or, in the case of a gift card, enter the redemption code and click the Redeem Now button (see Figure 5-6); then click Continue.
If you haven’t yet entered a credit card number for use on Etsy, you’ll be prompted to do so.
A page that enables you to review and submit your order appears.
Paying with PayPal
If you choose to pay via PayPal, a PayPal window opens where you can log in to your PayPal account. Follow these steps:
1. Verify your shipping address.
To change the address, click the Change link and choose from the list of alternate addresses that appears. To add a new address, click the Add a New Address link and follow the onscreen instructions.
2. Choose your method of funding.
3. Review your information and click Continue.
PayPal returns you to the Etsy site. To find out how to submit your order, read on.
Figure 5-6: Select a credit card or enter a gift card redemption code.
Don’t have a PayPal account? Don’t worry. Setting one up is as easy as pie. You can even do it from Etsy during the checkout process. Simply choose PayPal as your payment method, and click the Check Out with PayPal button. Then, when you’re prompted to pay, follow the onscreen instructions to register for a PayPal account.
Note that, in some cases, you may also be able to use PayPal to pay for your purchase with a credit card — for example, if the seller doesn’t offer Direct Checkout. To do so, again choose PayPal as your payment method and click the Check Out with PayPal button. Then, when you’re prompted to pay, click the Continue Checkout link on the left side of the page and follow the prompts.
Paying via check or money order
If you opted to pay via check or money order, you’ll want to convo the seller to make the appropriate arrangements. (See Chapter 17 for the full scoop on convos.)
Submissionary position: Submitting your order
Before you submit your order, take a moment to review the order summary:
If the shipping address shown isn’t correct, click the Change Shipping Address link and click your preferred address in the list that appears. If the address you want doesn’t appear in the list, enter the desired address in the fields provided and click the Ship to This Address button underneath.
If something related to your payment details is out of order, click the How You’ll Pay link and/or click the Back button in your browser window and choose the desired payment option.
If all the order details are error free, click the Submit Order button to submit your order (see Figure 5-7). In addition to displaying a special confirmation screen, Etsy e-mails you to confirm your order. All you have left to do is install yourself in the proximity of your mailbox until your item arrives.
As you wait for your purchase to arrive, you may need to review your order information. To do so, simply sign in to your Etsy account, click the Your Account link along the top of any Etsy page, and click Purchases. Your item will be listed among other purchases you’ve made, with helpful information about the status of the transaction — for example, whether it has been shipped. Note that the item’s listing in the Purchases screen also includes a Contact button, which you can click to contact the seller should the need arise.
Figure 5-7: Submit your order by clicking the Submit Order button.
Feedback Is Forever: Leaving Feedback After You Buy
After you receive your item, take a moment to leave feedback about the transaction. When you leave feedback about a sale, you indicate whether the experience was positive, negative, or neutral. You also have the opportunity to share your comments about the transaction. Other Etsy users can then view this feedback to determine whether a particular seller is reliable.
Your feedback affects your seller’s feedback score — and, by extension, her reputation on the site. It’s super-important that you issue feedback consistently, fairly, and honestly.
Although leaving feedback is purely optional, doing so is a good idea; it helps ensure that everyone feels safe shopping on Etsy. Note that you have 120 days to leave feedback after the conclusion of a sale.
To leave feedback, follow these steps:
1. While signed in to your Etsy account, click the Your Account link along the top of any Etsy page.
2. Click the Feedback link on the left side of the screen.
The Feedback page opens, with the Items Awaiting Feedback tab displayed (see Figure 5-8).
3. Click the Positive, Neutral, or Negative option button under the transaction you want to rate.
If you’ve had a negative experience with a seller, first see if you can hammer out whatever issue is bothering you via e-mail or a convo. Often, conflicts on Etsy are simply the result of a misunderstanding.
Figure 5-8: Leave feedback on this page.
4. If you want, type a comment about the transaction or the seller.
If the transaction was fantastic, why not make the seller’s day by saying something extra-nice in the comment field?
5. If you want, upload an appreciation photo for the seller.
This photo may be an image of you wearing the item you bought, a photo of the item in its new home, or simply something silly to make your seller smile. Appreciation photos are a great way to share a little love on Etsy! To upload an appreciation photo, just click the Browse button; then locate and select the photo on your computer.
6. Click Submit.
Etsy posts your feedback on the site.
Case in Point: Lodging a Case Against a Seller
If you have a problem with an Etsy seller — specifically, you didn’t receive the item you ordered, or the item didn’t match its description — you can report the problem by lodging a case against that seller (although Etsy urges you to attempt to work out the problem directly with the seller first).
To file a case, follow these steps:
1. While logged in to your Etsy account, hover your mouse pointer over the Your Account link that appears along the top of any Etsy page and click the Purchases link that appears.
2. Hover your mouse pointer over the Report an Issue link; then choose I Did Not Receive an Item or An Item Does Not Match Its Description, depending on your situation.
Don’t see a Report an Issue link? It could be that it’s too early — or too late — to file a case. If the seller specified a processing time, you can file a case up to 45 days after the Ships On date or after the order is marked as shipped, whichever comes first. If no processing time was specified, you can file a case seven days after you placed the order, for up to 75 days.
3. Indicate the item with which you’re having a problem, describe the issue, and suggest a resolution — for example, “I would like a refund” or “I would like the item.”
Etsy opens the case against the seller.
To view the case, click the Your Account link that appears along the top of every Etsy page and then click the Cases link on the left side of the page (see Figure 5-9). Click the link for the case to view details about the case (see Figure 5-10).
Figure 5-9: View your cases here.
You can use the Add Comment box to communicate directly with the seller about the case — something Etsy suggests you do. In addition, Etsy will communicate with the seller on your behalf by sending him a warning each week the case is open.
If you and the seller come to an agreement that is amenable to you, you can close your case. To do so, simply click the Close Case button on the case’s page. Etsy asks you to confirm that you want to close the case; simply click the Submit button to proceed. When you do, both you and the seller will receive an e-mail confirming that the case is closed.
If, after a certain period of time (seven days if you purchased the item via Direct Checkout; two weeks if you paid via a different method), the case remains unresolved, you have the option to escalate the case. Alternatively, you can wait for Etsy to escalate it for you, which happens automatically after two weeks (if you purchased the item via Direct Checkout) or three weeks (if you paid via a different method). When a case is escalated, it means that it Etsy’s Safety & Trust team will review it and take what actions it deems necessary.
Note: Although the Etsy Safety & Trust team can refund your money if you paid using Etsy’s Direct Checkout system, it can’t if you paid via, say, PayPal. In that case, you may want to contact PayPal directly for help.
Figure 5-10: Click a case’s link to view details about it.