Etsy have recently made their return policies more flexible allowing sellers to set different return policies for each listing in their shop instead of just one return policy for the entire shop.
This news will please many sellers who offer personalised and made-to-order items as buyers requesting refunds on these types of products are not straightforward. The items will be much harder to sell and in some cases such as for perishables or intimate items, unsellable.
In order to make sure all buyers on Etsy have a consistent experience, we will be moving away from shop wide policies in favor of listing specific policies. If you have an existing return policy, we ask that you update to the new listing-specific policies by October 31, 2022. With your feedback and input, we’ve created simple to use tools that allow you to edit your policies, and you can make changes any time after October 31.
– Etsy Community Manager
Whilst understanding that Etsy have an image to uphold, Flexibility in returns policies are very important for sellers of handmade and unique items. It is surprising to see that it hadn’t been implemented sooner. Sellers know best what should be in place to ensure they are protecting their businesses and shop. What makes an item as returnable should be, for the most part, up to a buyer and the ability to clearly outline this in the policies should be easy. It is then up to the buyer whether or not they still want to make the purchase.
You can take a more detailed look at the extended return policies and read the FAQ in the announcement here.
