AliExpress shipping times: setting honest expectations on Etsy

01What Etsy asks of sellers

The Seller Policy asks sellers to respect their processing and shipping times and to reply to messages in a reasonable time. Etsy shows buyers an estimated delivery date on their Purchases page.

02What customers can do

Etsy tells buyers that if they contacted the seller more than 48 hours ago, they can open a case so Etsy can help. For qualifying orders, a buyer gets a refund for an item that does not arrive, arrives damaged or does not match the description. A slow reply from you is where cases begin.

03Set the time before the sale

• Base the delivery estimate in your listing on the estimate your supplier gives for that item and that shipping method, plus your own processing time.
• Choose a realistic time, not the shortest one. A longer promise that you keep is better than a short one that disappoints.
• Do not mark an order as shipped before the carrier has the parcel. Etsy says it can make an order arrive after its estimated delivery date, and that hurts your on-time delivery rate.

04Give tracking as soon as it exists

A tracking number on the order tells the customer the parcel exists. Etsy also says that some international shipments stop showing tracking after leaving the origin country and update when they reach the destination country, so tell customers that a quiet tracking is not a lost parcel.

05Write before they ask

When a parcel is slow, a short and honest message with the tracking number prevents most complaints. See the message templates for wording.

Where Sereane fits

Sereane puts the tracking number on the Etsy sale as soon as the supplier has one, so you do not have to remember. It cannot make a parcel faster. The carrier is the supplier’s choice.