Etsy have informed sellers that they may need to identify as traders if they sell to the EU. Etsy pro sellers – businesses – who ship to the EU are required under a new EU consumer protection directive (EU Omnibus Directive), to identify themselves to buyers as traders and this comes with responsibilities not required from private sellers.
Under EU law, traders are required to provide the right to withdraw to their consumers, although some exclusions apply, such as customised, made-to-order, and digital items. The right to withdraw effectively means the right to return online purchases without having to give a reason. Generally this should be a 14-day returns window from the date of delivery.
You’ll also be required to display information to buyers, like your name, location, and contact information. Only buyers in EU countries will be able to see these details on a trader’s shop page.
If Etsy pro sellers ship to buyers in the EU, Etsy advise that they take the following steps to comply with EU laws if you wish to continue to sell in the EU:
- Adjust your return policies in the Settings section of your Shop Manager to offer a minimum of 14-day returns to adhere to the “right to withdrawal.”
- Add your contact information in the seller details section underneath your return policies.
- By doing so, we will automatically display “trader” status and the required contact information on your listings.
- If you set your Etsy shop up as a business when you registered for Etsy or Etsy Payments, we’ve automatically add “trader” status to your listings. You can switch off “trader” status if you don’t believe these regulations apply to your shop.
Etsy add that if you are unable to comply with these regulations (or simply don’t want to), they recommend you adjust your shipping profiles to no longer ship to buyers in the EU.
