Not an
uncommon question. That and the request
to window shop Etsy. Of course my girls
like my shop, but they really love other people’s shops more. They have become just as addicted to the
online marketplace as I have!
At first I
was skeptical. I am not a naturally
trusting person. My husband has had bad
luck with buying things from Amazon and Ebay, so I wasn’t sure Etsy would be
any different. But I like selling things
there, so why not buy things there, too? I mean, I am an honest person, so why not
assume that other sellers are as well? I
have had a few bad experiences (cranky sellers, really late delivery, and two
items have turned out the wrong color). But
I learned from those bad choices and from the blog Etsy itself puts out for
sellers to learn how to identify low risk, reliable shops. Here are a few of my favorite shops and tips
for what to look for.
get it here
Friendly
Sales People
Read
profiles. Really. It is a good clue as to whether or not a
seller takes pride in his/her craft. And
it lets you know how serious they are about being a good seller. When I read Chez Marmota’s profile, I loved
that she was dedicated to reusing, creating, and supporting the preschool she
was working at. The fact that she was
selling a sweatshirt with a walrus was just the final straw and I had to shop. The back and forth pleasant chatting that
happened after the sale made me feel confident I had made the right choice. I wasn’t just shopping a big box store, giving
my money to some far away man who had nothing to do with his products. I was giving my money to someone like me. I now have a long list of things to buy from
her shop in the future.
get it here
Shop
Policies
There is
nothing like getting a junky product and then realizing you can’t return it. While Etsy encourages sellers to fill in their
shop policies, not everyone does. That’s
a red flag that they are going to handle issues in a professional manner. Yes, people shop Etsy like a craft show or
flea market, but the sellers still need to be serious, professional business
people with plans for how to handle any problems which may arise and plans for
how to keep customers informed. WilsonGraphics, another of my favorite shops (my older daughter has a large
chalkboard decal, and my younger daughter has two portholes with views of outer
space), did a great job filling in their shop policies. You can tell this family is doing this as a
serious and legit business. I was 100%
happy with the level of communication, service, and product I received. No question was left unanswered. And I knew exactly what to expect.
get it here
Read
Feedback
On Etsy, it
really is rare to find negative feedback. If a shop has a low percentage of positive
feedback, be forewarned. Read through
what the complaints are. Are they
related to the product you want to purchase? Do they seem like legitimate complaints or
just people being unreasonable? I shop
on Etsy a lot and have only not left positive feedback twice. It is so worth it to check first. Want an example of positive feedback? Check out Enchanted Designer. She earned that 100% happy customer
rating. Her products are well made,
shipping is fast, descriptions are accurate, and her customers appreciate it.
Finally,
Live and Learn
Find a shop
you like? Stick with them. Here are a few shops I have multiple products from:
hannapt
and of course, my shop ;)
thanks so much for the feature! this is a great blog!
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