Search results (tags) for: "email"

Being Safe on Etsy: Spotting and Avoiding Advance Fee Fraud

2009-10-26T18:15:00-05:00

It's important for us at Etsy to ensure our community is safe while using the site. Unfortunately there is no foolproof way to ensure safety online at all times. Sometimes all we can do is give information and hope that well informed users will be able to protect themselves. As the Etsy name spreads throughout popular culture and the world, it is bound to attract more and more unscrupulous individuals with ulterior motives. Unfortunately, this happens to web companies as they become more popular.

One of the most common scams is known as Advance-fee fraud. Also called the "Nigerian scam" or the "419 scam," this type of scam is frequently seen in emails where a person claims to be looking to engage in a business deal involving a large some of money, but these scams are now cropping up more and more on online retail sites.

How this scam shows up on Etsy:

Typically this scam begins with the scammer sending out conversations (also known as "convos," Etsy's internal messaging system) to a wide range of Etsy sellers, specifically those that list one or more high priced items. In some cases the scammer may simply purchase a large number of these expensive listings. If they have checked out and committed to buy these listings, it's likely they have not "paid" in any sense and will send a conversation along with their purchase.

The convo will usually indicate that this buyer will pay with a money order or a check and will need to tack on an extra amount for their "shipping agent." Usually this amount is very high — sometimes even higher than the original cost of the listing. If this is agreed upon, then the buyer will send out the money order or check and typically a fake "invoice" from the shipping agent. They will then request that any over-payment from the money order be sent back to them.

This works because the check or money order (typically from an overseas bank) is a forgery. Your bank will allow you to deposit it, and then by the time the bank realizes it is a forgery, you have already sent back the over-payment to the scammer. Once the forgery is detected your bank will hold you liable for the amount, and now that the con artist has their money, you will not hear from them again.

What to do:

If you receive any suspicious convos like this the best thing to do is ignore them and report it to abuse@etsy.com. You can cancel the transaction as well.

Sellers should never send any money in a situation like this, no matter what reason is given. If you do find yourself facing a potential loss, or realize too late that you were being targeted by a scam, be sure to contact your financial institution as soon as possible. You may also want to contact local law enforcement. Again, let us know about this and send us the pertinent information, so we can take steps to remove and block these types of users from our site. Please share this article with your family and friends so we can spread awareness!

More posts about Scams | Seller Handbook

About Us: Mike Becak a.k.a. mikeynice

2009-08-07T13:00:00-05:00

Mike Becak, a.k.a. mikeynice, is our resident email guru on the Etsy Marketing Team. Do you subscribe to the Etsy emails, like Etsy Finds or Etsy Success? Mike is leading the charge to make these emails more compelling and user-friendly.

He's also a total sweetheart and a great guy to have at the Etsy office.

Fun Facts:

Mike is a marathon runner and then some. He ran 50 miles straight this summer, though he claims to hate running. Not surprisingly, the next day he could hardly walk. He wants to do a marathon through the arctic.
He's very sweet to his wife and recently surprised her while they were on vacation by arranging a vow renewal ceremony.
He "thinks better" while sipping red wine and refers to the bottles he whips out at the end of the workday as "his guns."
He's a Mets fan.
None of us are quite sure how to pronounce his last name. Sarah S. says she likes to pronounce it like a rooster. Bee "CAWWWWWWK!"
He likes to wear his lab coat around the office.
Dan announced that Mike has officially unseated Steve as the most "Bro" guy of the Etsy Admin.
Kevin notes that Mike has had the same carton of muscle milk in the fridge for at least three months.
He watched 13 straight hours of the television show Wife Swap.
Nizzi says he does a great impersonation of his mom, whom he evokes during marketing brainstorms while considering her demographic.
He looks good on the phone. Anda suspects that "Mike, Matt and Jesse are all on one conference call with one another all day long — 'You hang up...' 'No YOU hang up first!'"
He's "so money."
Danielle claims that he can be bribed with inflatable dinosaurs.
Neelam says he follows a wide array of celebs on Twitter: P. Diddy, 50 Cent, Britney Spears, and Martha Stewart.
Tara mentioned his fancy sneakers, and Christina notes that he actively works on his quirky t-shirt collection.
Christina says he initiated the Marketing Team's "Quote of the Week" — a real crowd pleaser.
Mike dreams about The Little Mermaid soundtrack, according to Christina, and Nizzi says he knows the entire Les Miserables score by heart.
According to Mike, he can eat more Chicken McNuggets than anyone here.

Mike was a gamer nerd and a Simpsons nerd:

Baby Mikey started off with cake and then moved on to the beer and ciggies:

Etsy has had quite a growth spurt in the past year, and we have the awkward pictures to prove it. We've been posting a series of About Us pieces to help you get to know the Etsy Admin (and since many of us work remotely, for the Admin to get to know each other!). You've seen the Admin badge, and maybe you're a bit curious about the person behind it! For more on Etsy's mission and about the company, please see our About page (the link is in the little blue footer of every Etsy page).

Some of Mike's favorites below...

Seller How-To: Participate in Weekend Deals

2009-08-05T15:04:00-05:00

Each weekend Etsy publishes a Weekend Deals blog post and corresponding Etsy Finds email highlighting different shops with special promotions running over the weekend. All sellers are welcome to get involved and participate should you be planning ahead for a special shop promotion.

Each Weekend Deals email carries a theme; for example, the shop promotions might all have to do with a certain category, season, or type of promotion (such as Buy One, Get One Free), we find this to be easiest for the shopper experience. All of the upcoming themes can be found in the Promotions Section of the Forums by searching "weekend deals." Each thread will have the date and theme in the title, and sellers may post their promotions that match up with the date and theme. Featured weekend promotions are selected each week from these Forum threads. Sellers may post in as many relevant threads as they like; there is no limit to how many times you may participate in our Weekend Deals sign up threads.

Before the article and email are published, we send a convo to each seller to be featured so they will be able to prepare. Sellers not selected for the feature may still be included in the related Weekend Deals Gift Guide over the course of the weekend, but will not be notified.

Insider Tips:

We collect deals early in the week, so try to plan ahead and post your upcoming deal before the Wednesday of the upcoming weekend.

Pasting a link to an item included in your promotion always helps.

Plan your sale ahead of time and show off the best promotion you are offering.

We always look to highlight special Team sales or community driven site-wide promotions in these articles, so be sure to post and let us know the details of these types of sales.

As with each of the curated areas on Etsy, we look to highlight shops with excellent product photography.

Be sure to post the details of your weekend deal in your shop announcement during the appropriate weekend so shoppers can take advantage of your sale with ease.

Click here to see the upcoming Weekend Deals topics

Check out the Seller Handbook

Etsy Email: Special Delivery

2009-03-12T12:46:00-05:00

As the Etsy marketplace grows, we're continually looking for new ways to encourage discovery of all the stellar items offered on the site. Etsy Finds emails are just one avenue of discovery and are sent out daily with lovingly curated content from Etsy's staff and guest contributors. Whether they're highlighting the latest handmade trends, undiscovered shops, vintage treasures or decorating ideas, you never know what new treats will turn up in your inbox!

To keep Etsy emails looking eye-catching and inviting, we're in the initial, or "beta" phase, of testing out some new email template designs, starting with Etsy Finds. (Check out a sneak peek of one design below.)

Along with the larger, extra-enticing item photos, we'll also be including some promotional placements at the top and/or bottom. Sometimes these spaces will let you know about upcoming events and special happenings on Etsy — like this week's Shop Live with Rosie O'Donnell in the Virtual Labs. From time to time, we will also use these spaces to feature relevant content, upcoming events and paid promotions from strategic partners.

If you're already a subscriber, check your inbox to see if you received today's test email. Not a subscriber? What are you waiting for?

Let us know in the comments below what your own favorite Etsy discovery has been, and what types of items you're most interested in finding next.

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Tech Updates: Tell a Friend

2008-11-17T15:45:00-05:00

Now it's easier than ever to spread the word about cool items you find on Etsy. When you find an item that you can't resist sharing with friends, make sure you're signed in to Etsy and then click the 'Tell a friend' link under 'page tools' on the right of any listing page. You'll be taken to a form that looks like this:

Enter the email addresses of up to 10 friends separated by commas, customize the subject line, personalize your message and click 'Send.' Your friends will receive an email that looks like this:

If they use a web-based email service like Gmail that displays HTML, they'll see a thumbnail image of the item and a summary of the item description along with your personalized message. If their email client doesn't display images, they'll see a plain-text version with a link to the item page. The email your friends receive will come directly from the email address you have saved on file in your Etsy account info. Your friends will be able to reply to the email and continue discussing the item directly with you.

We will only use the email addresses you provide for Tell a Friend for the Tell a Friend service. See our Privacy Policy for details on how we protect your personal information and feel free to contact us with any questions. Recipients of Tell a Friend emails will always have the option to opt out of receiving future Tell a Friend emails.

Try it out with these great items below or items in your Favorites!

We closed commenting on this post so we can consolidate responses in this forum thread.

Tech Updates: Invite a Friend

2008-07-14T15:36:00-05:00

We are pleased to announce the addition of an Invite a Friend feature to Etsy. Registered Etsy members can now send an email to a friend or contact, inviting them to check out Etsy. Eventually, this new feature will tie into a referral program. For now, please help us by telling all your friends about Etsy in a quick and easy way and watch the number of referrals that have become registered Etsy members because of you grow straight from Your Etsy!

You may have noticed a few changes to the look of the top right of your Etsy screen! We have added an additional text link between Help and Logout called Invite.

Once you select the Invite text link, you will directed to the main Invite a Friend feature where you can enter in up to 3 unique email address at one time. It should look similar to this:

You might also notice some changes to the Your Etsy page on the left hand side bar. You now have an addtional heading in Your Etsy called Promote which houses the following shop administrative features:

When you select the referrals text link, you will be directed to a page that looks like this where you can see how many registered users you've helped bring to Etsy since the launch of this new feature:

FAQ:

Q. What if I enter in the Wrong email address?
A. You will receive a confirmation screen alerting you to the exact email addresses you typed in so you can resend the invite if you typed in the wrong address.

Q. Can I invite more than 3 friends?
A. Sure! Invite as many friends as you like; however, you will only be able to enter in 3 unique addresses at one time.

Q. What if I forgot if I sent an invite to an email address and type it in again?
A. No worries, Etsy will remember which email addresses you have already sent invites for and will remind you that an invite has already been sent if you type in a duplicate at any point.

Q. Can I enter in my own message to my friends?
A. No. But we will look into adding this feature.

Q. Will my referrals be kept track of?
A. Yes! We will be keeping track of all the new registered members that sign up for Etsy from your invites starting from the launch of this feature. You can even watch the number grow from the new referrals section of Your Etsy.

Q. What happened to all of my previous referrals; weren't you keeping track of those?
A. All referrals will start fresh with the implementation of this new feature. Unfortunately, we were not able to recover and transfer previous referrals into this new system. We appreciate all the help you have sent our way thus far and hope you will continue to refer your friends to Etsy moving forward.

We hope you enjoy this new addition and that is makes spreading the word about Etsy a little easier. Please direct all comments and questions to this related forum thread.

Team Tip: Using Email to Promote Your Team

2008-07-14T10:46:00-05:00

Collecting email addresses for your Etsy Team at events is a really great way to develop a community of contacts who are interested in knowing what your Team is planning. All Teams — Local and Virtual alike — should have email address sign up sheets at every event booth any Team members have. In addition to collecting contacts in person, you can also collect them on your Team's blog. To insert a place for people to submit their email addresses on your Team's website, you can get code from a site like Response-O-Matic.com. This code will give you little information fields to put on your site, and send addresses that are submitted to the email address you choose. From there you can use a free or inexpensive email list-serv, or even a service like Google Groups, to manage these contacts and create informative emails for your potential customers.

Here are some email list tips:

Do not be spammy! Don't include email addresses from people who have not willingly given you their information. Emails to people who have chosen to be on your list are more effective, anyway.
Limit how often you send emails to your list. You don't want to clog inboxes! No more than once a week, but ideally only when you have news or an upcoming event is a good rule of thumb.
Have at least one other person proofread the emails before you send them.
Be sure to include ways for people to get more information or contact you. The brilliant thing about an email is that it reminds your customer about your Team and makes it easy for them to follow up by visiting your shop or blog. This is especially great after an in-person show.
Always send emails to a list in a manner which makes all email addresses not visible. Respect information privacy.
Don't forget to include a way for people to unsubcribe to your Team's emails.

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Etsy Finds: She Sells Sea Shells....

2008-05-15T09:10:00-05:00

Today's Finds were curated by the smart and talented Danielle Maveal aka daniellexo aka PreciousPups. Clearly she has the beach on the brain. Maybe it's time for someone to take a nice long vacation! Take a peep at her awesome shell-themed Etsy Finds....

Sea Glass and Sea Shell Necklace

Oh oh oh. White tee, jean shorts, sea shell necklace = outfit I want to wear on my the way to the beach. By seaglassdesigns, $48.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Quapug Meetup

Too funny! I want to meet up with these dudes. By CapeCard, $9.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Sterling Silver Seashell Pendant with chain

Hmmm...maybe I'll wear this one too! By LeeLooStudio, $45.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

GIANT SHELL- Limited Edition

This handmade shell is 30 inches long! Have a look at the listing to see pictures of the artist carving this piece. Very extraordinary! By MaryMakiRae, $395.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Clam Shell Bowl

This porcelain piece is modern and organic, my very favorite design combo. By elementclaystudio, $95.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Coco Mango Sea Shell Salt Soap

Lather up! By LoveLeeSoaps, $3.50.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Conch Shell Coasters

To rest your pina colada on. By thepaperpeony, $12.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

pink cotton, lace and cowrie shell CUFF

Adorable, no? By HeidiMoon, $20.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

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Etsy-wide Communications: Summary of April 25, 2008 Community Chatt

2008-05-06T11:32:00-05:00

Hi there Sellers!

Last Friday's Virtual Labs' Community Chatt with Matt, (and marymary, Vanessa, TeenAngster and HeyMichelle) was about ways to get important information out to our sellers. This was a great brainstorming session, and we gathered some ideas that we're very excited about!

Please see the minutes of the Communications Chatt to see what we talked about!

This Week's Chatt (with Rob)
Topic:
Sellers expanding their shops: employees, outsourcing, and how this impacts *handmade*

Some successful sellers are telling us that they need employees to keep expanding their handmade Etsy businesses. Please come to discuss this important topic! Chatt special guest Rob aka Rokali, founder and CEO of Etsy, will be leading this one. Not to be missed!

Agenda:
For those selling handmade goods: Are employees necessary for a seller to "make a living making things"? Are the items still "handmade"?

What sort of hired help is needed for handmade sellers? Is *what* potential employees do for the shop relevant?

Does the number of employees that a business has impact whether the shop belongs on Etsy? If so, how many is too many?

Are different rules necessary for sellers of commercial supplies and vintage goods? Are employees acceptable for these types of shops?

What sort of information do you need (for example, links to information about employment law) to grow a business that includes employees?

Should sellers who are outsourcing, involved in collectives, and employing people be approved by Etsy? What sort of approval process would you be interested in?

About Community Chatt With Matt:
Each week Etsy admin Matt invites you to join us for a live, online discussion of topics of interest to the Etsy community. Our intention is to give buyers and sellers alike the opportunity to speak directly and candidly to Etsy Admin. We listen, take notes, and make sure that everybody who wants to gets a chance to speak. We can always be reached at community@etsy.com with more ideas and suggestions.

You can view minutes from past meetings HERE.

Discuss the Chatt with Rob in this forum thread.

Etsy Finds: Subscribe!

2008-05-02T08:18:00-05:00

Oh, age-of-the-internet reader. Are you weary of email and tweets and IMs and texts? Is your mailbox empty save for Comcast bills and the odd parcel from Etsy? Maybe its time to subscribe to something and commence getting lots of parcels. Surprise parcels. Exciting parcels. Monthly, weekly, even daily parcels!

Read on for the best of subscription listings I found on Etsy:

6 month subscription to biweekly zine - blah blah blah

New issue every two weeks, and only a dollar per issue. Blah Blah Blah zine by ladypajama, $12.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Vintage Photo-a-Day - Subscription - Original Photos

Who doesn't totally love flipping through stacks of vinatge photos at a secondhand shop? For $55 Recy will seek out those photos for you and mail them daily for a month.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

365-day self-portrait subscription

Or, if you really want to get mail, you can subscribe to a whole year of belleslettres' self portraits. $365.

View item View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

EARRING OF THE MONTH CLUB 6 month subscription

Get a shiny new pair of earrings every month, from a shop that clearly has also figured out the foolproof marketing technique that is, ahem, "reeling them in with an adorable photo of a baby." Not that I would know anything about that. By PamperingBeki, $60.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

FIBER CLUB 3 month DOUBLE SCOOP subscription

You probably need more fiber in your life. By travelingrhinos, $38.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Polish Poet by Post (subscription to Zbigniew Herbert)

Postcards featuring the work of Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert (translated into English). There is basically nothing not to like about this idea. "So don't wait, don't hesitate, don't be the last in your set to get hip to Herbert and his friends in the Polish intelligentsia." By smallhands, $12.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Notebook / Journal of the Month Club - 6 Month Subscription

You know when it's the end of the month, and your trusty sketchbook/notepad/jotter/steno is all filled up with uncrossed to-do lists and pyramid doodles? And then you know that refreshing clean-slate feeling of starting a brand new one? Enough said. By KeppsakeCouture, $48.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Dan Grzeca 2008/2009 Total subscription

One copy of everything that Dan Grzeca produces this year. Everything. This is basically the next best thing to going to every single rad indierock show in Chicago for all of 2008 (peep the rest of Jetsah's shop to see what I mean). $600 — totally worth it.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Comfort Food - Handwritten Letter and My Own Lemon Bar Recipe

Okay, it's not really a subscription, but I bought one of these surprise handwritten letters today and am just really excited about getting it. By flyinghousewife, $6.50.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

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Internet Safety: Don't get Caught in the Web

2008-04-25T12:11:00-05:00

Etsy would like our community to be safe, both online and offline. When using the Internet we should all take precautions to ensure our safety and privacy. Here are a few safety guidelines to keep in mind when using Etsy and the Internet in general:

Personal Information: Take care when posting personal information about yourself or someone else on the Internet — including the public places on Etsy. Public spaces include your Etsy shop, the forum, chat rooms, Virtual Labs, and comments to Storque articles. In many cases the information you post is permanent. Please do not post any personal information that you do not want the world to know (for example, your phone number, credit card number, and passwords). Before posting private information about someone else, make sure you have appropriate permission.

Specific Location Information: Avoid posting information that would make it easy for a stranger to find where you live or work.

Embarrassing Information: Opening up to the Etsy community can give you a sense of closeness. It's just plain fun. However, avoid posting anything that would embarrass you later. Remember, the forum is not your diary. If you do not want your mom, boss, friend, or child to learn about certain information or see a photo, do not post it on Etsy or link to it in a public area.

Real Life: It is fun to connect with people on Etsy, but be wary about meeting someone in person whom you do not know. Use common sense and good judgment because unfortunately, people aren’t always who they say they are. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult. Also, it's a good idea to bring a mobile phone if you have one.

Abusive Behavior: Please treat each other with respect. Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone’s behavior is inappropriate, contact Etsy. Always trust your gut: immediately stop corresponding with someone if you feel threatened. If you feel unsafe, contact your local authorities.

Email and Your Computer: There are a number of ways to protect information on your computer. For example, a spam filter might reduce the number of unwanted emails (but check it, just in case an Etsy email gets stuck in there). Anti-virus software can be used to scan incoming messages for troublesome files, and anti-spyware software looks for programs that have been installed on your computer to track your online activities. Firewalls can prevent unauthorized communications from entering your computer. If you don’t recognize the sender of a downloadable document or file, delete the file without opening it to avoid getting a virus.

Passwords: Choose a password that uses a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using obvious words, for example your last name or nickname, or dates like your birthday. Never share or email your password to anyone. Avoid using the same password on many websites, this way if someone discovers one password that person won’t have access to all your online accounts.

Internet Fraud: From phony lotteries and bogus employment and business opportunities to investment fraud and phishing, there are many Internet scams. Sometimes it’s hard to determine when an opportunity is legitimate. On Etsy, ask questions concerning consignment opportunities, requests for free samples, and solicitations for craft fairs. Be wary of requests to take transactions off Etsy. Do your homework and ask for references, full names, and contact information. Keep your personal information, password and credit card information secure and never send this information via email.

Remember, the public spaces on Etsy are indexed and searchable by major search engines.

The United States Department of Justice has a great article about Internet fraud and PayPal has an article about how to protect yourself from fraudulent emails. Take a look at Etsy's Privacy Policy for information on how Etsy keeps your information secure. Also, check out the Storque's articles on consignment, scams and custom orders.

We at Etsy love our community and hope you will take these tips into consideration in order to stay safe online. Please share any additional Internet safety tips in the comments below.

Etsy Alerts: The New News Emails

2008-04-23T12:02:00-05:00

Many Etsians have been asking for a cut and dry way to get only the important site news from admin. The Storque is great and all, you say, but there's so much content, it's hard to pinpoint what's what in the Etsy News Section.

We over here at the Storque are up for the task. We are converting the Etsy News Email list to be an Etsy News Alert system. In the past, Etsy News was about a weekly or so collection of headlines from the Storque. Pleasant enough, but not instantaneous! Not hard-hitting!

That was then, this is now: just sign up for the Etsy News Emails listserve here, or by clicking on the envelope icon on the homepage of Etsy.

You will get breaking news headlines straight from Etsy Central, as they are published on the Storque, delivered to your email inboxes. Hello, synchronicity!

Included Topics:

Downtime & site outages
Cooperative Advertising announcements
New site features launched
Statistics
Showcase announcements
Policy & legal announcements
Important Customer Support how-tos
Major posts from Etsy's founder Rob Kalin, aka Rokali
Town Halls or other community-wide events
Other news important enough for us to bug you

We realize the need for a swift, targeted and convenient way for Etsians to get headlines. We know your are busy and you need the headlines which will help you run your businesses on Etsy. As with any curated content, we'll be making judgment calls on the fly as these stories break, and those calls may fall prey to human error once in a while. But we promise to do our best! Of course, we hope you'll read the rest of the Storque too for other Etsy News on Competitions & Opportunities, EtsyinthePress, as well as insightful and useful posts about Legal Info for Artists, EtsyTeams, Virtual Labs Schedule, Shop Makeover Series, etc. But these can be read at your leisure if you feel the urge...

We are just starting this, so please let us know your thoughts below in the comments! And go subscribe here!

Customer Care Tip: Getting Through to Us

2008-04-11T13:20:00-05:00

Everything is great with a bit of color or pizzaz, but sometimes it can get in the way of important communication. We've noticed recently that some users have animations in their emails to add some excitement to otherwise plain letters. Unfortunately, these adorable little kitties and elephants embed crazy code into the emails, which our junk filter sees as SPAM.

Don't worry: we make sure to regularly check our junk bin for the accidentally blocked emails. However, we've compiled some handy tips to getting your message through to Support so we can assist you quickly and thoroughly.

1. Send emails in plain text to be sure you are not blocked by our SPAM and junk filters.

2. Be sure to email us from the email address registered to your account; this allows us to easily access your information and verify that you are the account holder. If you have multiple accounts, be sure to email us from the proper email address.

3. When replying to a message from Support, please don't start a new email: simply reply to the email you received so we can easily view previous correspondence regarding your issue. This saves time and helps us get back to you as soon as possible.

4. Try to include as much information as necessary (without writing a novel, as they say!). Be sure to include any relevant usernames and clearly explain what is happening: if you are receiving any error messages, be sure to send those our way. Sometimes the actual question can get lost if too much extra info is included, so make sure we know what you need help with!

5. If you have relevant links, send them to us: links to sold item listings, links to a particular part of your shop, a link to a search....Link it!

6. Please don't write in all caps: IT MAKES US FEEL LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING!

Thanks for helping us help you! We're here when you need us.

xo
CustomerCare

For more support Tips and Updates, check out our CustomerCare Featured Column on the Storque.

Etsy Finds: Etsy Handmade Wedding Series

2008-03-13T10:57:00-05:00

Its time to start planning our weddings.

Thank goodness for the brand new Etsy Handmade Wedding Series. Spolighting everything that is good on Etsy to make your handmade wedding simply perfect, today's Finds are inspired by my total excitement about this new series...

Custom Wood Stationery Letterhead Set

Pretty stationery for your new life together. By palomasnest, $26.50

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Wedding Cake Toppers

Paper-doll cake decoration made from an illustration by MissAvocado, $35.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Elegance

Lace rose and rhinestone fascinator by IfOnly, $38.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Wedding Gown on Yellow Card

Perfect for announcements. The listing is for one card, but you can contact the seller for larger orders. (20 cards are $28!) By thecraftpantry, $3.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Lace Top

Handmade ivory lace top; look vintage. Its so exciting how you could put together a completely one-of-a-kind wedding dress on Etsy so easily. Original design by AutumnRussell, $325.

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Pencil Feather Hairpins

Feathers for your hair are the thing. Did you know this? Now you do. By mezzo, $9.

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Emma Necklace

Simple freshwater pearls on a silver chain. By stonesandstarling, $35

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Fairest of them all

This dress is so sweet and perfect for a more casual wedding, it makes we want to get married all over again. If you buy this dress, please email me so I can congratulate you!! By hollystalder, $225.

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Unite wedding invitation set of 50

Layered invites, RSVP cards, envelopes, the whole nine yards. These are so smart and elegant. By InvitaPaperStudio, $340

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Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Tech Updates: New Storque Tools for Readers

2007-12-18T19:34:00-05:00

The Storque has new webby doodads so you can easily share articles!

We are trying our best to bring you news and stories from the handmade world and so why not give you readers the tools to spread the word?

At the bottom of each article, you'll find links to:

• Email to a friend (this will pop open whichever email application you use).

• Add to del.icio.us (which is a social bookmarking site...if you don't use it, you should. It's a way to keep all the urls you want to remember organized).

• Digg this (Digg is a way for blog readers to vote on what's worth reading).

The Storque is published under a Creative Commons license which allows you bloggers to re-post Storque articles, as long as you link back and give credit to the original author. In fact, we'd love it if you would!

Can't Get Enough Etsy? Sign up for Our Etsy Email Lists!

2007-11-16T12:03:00-05:00

We are very excited to announce the launch of our very own Etsy-centric list service: Etsy Email! We've got all the latest news, tips, finds, and team info rolled into one place and delivered safely to your email inbox, if you so choose! You can up sign up through the icon on the homepage or through this link.

This ain't spam, y'all. This is strictly opt-in, coming from us Etsy admin personally to you, shoppers and sellers! We won't be sharing, selling or otherwise disrespecting your private info. You won't even know who else has subscribed. You'll be able to opt-out at any time, if you so choose.

Look for the icon on the homepage of Etsy, right above the BuyHandmade.org Pledge!

1. "Etsy News emails"

Get all your Etsy news in one place with this weekly email filled with all important site changes, site news, important Admin announcements, site traffic news, and food for thought. Etsy news weekly emails will be fluff free and keep you in the know!

2. "Etsy Finds emails"

See the freshest products on Etsy without searching and get a head start on shopping with these curated daily Etsy finds emails. Etsy Finds will also be your exclusive guide to what we think are the best sales and promotions running currently on the site. Be the first to know and shop with Etsy Finds!

3. "Etsy Success emails"

A weekly email designed specifically for our Etsy sellers. Etsy Success emails will put all of our best tips and tricks for sellers directly in your hands. Nobody wants you to be more successful than we do, so sign up for these emails and get all the best advice we have to help your success on Etsy and with your business in general.

4. "Etsy Teams emails"

Stay in the know with everything Etsy Team-related with this weekly email chock full of Etsy Team news, fresh marketing tips, and projects for the Team members and subscribers!

What are you waiting for? Sign up for your favorite lists or all of them by clicking here!

AOL email problem

2007-11-08T08:41:00-05:00

Yesterday, Etsy Support received a number of inquiries from users with AOL email addresses that they were unable to register because they never received a confirmation email.

Upon closer investigation, we discovered that all outgoing Etsy email is being blocked by AOL. If you have an AOL email address, you will not be able to receive any email from Etsy. This includes transaction receipts, conversation notices, and other confirmation emails. You may also be unable to get messages from our support team.

If you have the capability, we suggest using an alternate email address while we work this issue out with AOL. ( Gmail is a good, free alternative. )

Our past experiences with email providers have shown that rectifying these issues can be a long and drawn-out process of back and forth communication. We'll try to clear things up with AOL as soon as possible, but it may take a number of days before things are back to normal.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Please address all questions and comments to the associated forum thread.

Customer Care Update: Email Problems

2007-09-18T08:41:00-05:00

A new email server has improved things for the Support team, but like any new installation, it has not gone without at least a few little problems. If you experience a delay in response time of more than 24 hours, please write us again. Also, you can always convo a Community or Support team member if you have an emergency.