Etsy is nearly doubling the number of humans reviewing Purchase Protection cases as it rolls out changes to the program. The marketplace told sellers it’s making the changes “to give you clearer expectations about how the program works, while improving how we support you when issues come up.”
It’s impossible to know the impact of that particular change, since Etsy did not disclose how many cases had been receiving human attention prior to the change (versus cases its system automatically decided). “We heard from sellers that you’d like more opportunities to weigh in – especially when eligibility isn’t clear,” it said. “That’s why we’re expanding human review by nearly doubling the number of people reviewing cases, so complex cases receive additional review for both you and your buyers.”
But Etsy made clear the change would not mean every case would be reviewed by a human. “As a global marketplace with millions of buyers and sellers, there are some cases where we still need to rely on automated reviews. Our goal is to ensure that especially complex issues receive additional review and consideration so that you and your buyers get the support you need, in the moments that matter most.”
Etsy also described other changes to the program. Previously, Etsy Purchase Protection applied only to orders totaling $250; now, all eligible orders can receive up to $250 in coverage. “For example, if a $400 order is eligible and the buyer receives a refund due to an issue outside of your control, Etsy will cover $250 USD of that refund.”
One seller responded positively to that change in a post on Reddit: “I especially like the coverage up to $250. I occasionally sell quilts above this amount and it irked me that there was no protection for them. Fortunately I’ve not had an issue, but now at least I have partial coverage on these higher priced items should something get lost in the mail.”
Etsy said it will also give buyers a shorter window to open cases – up to 30 days after the estimated delivery date instead of 100 days.
And Etsy Purchase Protection will now cover orders that arrive late: “An order is considered late if it arrives 7 or more days after the estimated delivery date. This buffer helps account for carrier delays outside your control. During high-volume periods, like holidays, we may expand late delivery coverage to give buyers more confidence their order will arrive on time.”
Etsy also said it was providing “clearer eligibility expectations” to sellers that it described in detail in the announcement, including requiring sellers to meet Etsy’s minimum customer service standards; respond to Help with Order messages within 48 hours; and ship orders on time.
Sellers on the Reddit thread generally viewed the changes positively, though some had reservations about the implementation, taking a wait-and-see approach. Ecommerce consultant Cindy Baldassi weighed in on the changes on her Patreon.
