Etsy Sellers Concerned about Increase in Cancelled Orders

Etsy sellers are reporting an increase in the number of cancelled orders. SilverCityBeads started a discussion noting that they had received 8 cancellations since signing up for "Direct Checkout," and wondered if that was a contributing factor. Prior to signing up for Direct Checkout, she had had a store for over 4 years and had never had to cancel an order.

The post grew to 20 pages. One seller said they believed it was due to Etsy adding a "cancel" button to buyers' receipts.

Another seller agreed, noting that the cancellation notices were "canned message." The seller continued, "I've had 3 cancellations in the past few weeks - more than my total cancellations, total, in the past 2 years. They were all the same day as the order - 2 were Paypal purchases, 1 was DC. Etsy put a prominent button on the receipt, recently, for requesting a cancellation. My take is that it makes it easier for buyers to "window shop" or experience buyer's remorse."

Sellers are signing a petition asking Etsy to remove the Cancel Order button.
 
Sellers are finding themselves in a bind, especially the many sellers who do custom or personalized work. Should they begin work on a custom order immediately in order to minimize the time it takes to get the item to the buyer? Or should they hold off on starting custom orders but risk receiving negative feedback about speed of delivery?

"This will be a major problem for those of us who do custom work," wrote an Etsy seller. "I can't sell something that has been customized if the buyer suddenly doesn't want it. Makes me want to wait a day or two before sending something out, just in case."

Another seller relayed their experience with a cancellation. She explained that the buyer contacted her after she refunded the cancelled order, asked a question, and immediately purchased the item again. "Perhaps that button caused this and all the inconvenience. At least I hadn't packaged the order yet. Perhaps a note to consult the seller before cancelling," she suggested.

Here is the original post, and here is the petition asking Etsy to remove the Cancel Order button.
 

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