How to Respond When an Etsy Package Is Lost in Transit
What Etsy Purchase Protection covers, and whether to offer a replacement or a refund.
A lost package is a different situation from a delay — the tracking number has stopped moving and there's nothing concrete left to check. What you can actually do is limited, but the message you send still shapes what the buyer thinks of your shop.
What to keep in mind
Etsy's Purchase Protection program refunds the buyer on qualifying orders, and that usually doesn't cost the seller anything directly. But if this happens on two or three orders in a row, it can start showing up as a problem on your account. You can also file a claim with the carrier for compensation on your end. When you write to the buyer, say you're sorry about the situation and that you'll do what you can — and if sending a replacement works better for you than a refund, offer that instead.
Reply template
Template
Hello [Name],
I'm so sorry — I understand how frustrating it is not to receive your order. I want to fix this for you right away.
I can either send a full replacement or arrange a refund, whichever you prefer. I'm also following up with the carrier on my end to find out what happened.
Please let me know which option works best for you, and I'll take care of it immediately.
Best regards,
[Shop Name]
How Sellereply handles this
Sellereply proposes a balanced draft covering both a replacement and a refund. Type something like "offer a replacement only, don't mention a refund" into the Add note field and the draft follows that instead — the decision is always yours, the tool just writes it in the right tone.
Delivering bad news well is a skill too.
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