One of the many joys of buying handmade and direct from the person who makes and ships your goodies, is that you usually have a wider window for shopping when there are deadlines involved….
I’m finding that many domestic US sellers on Etsy.com are shipping orders placed by 12/17 in time for the holidays… I am one of them and you can find me here: CleverGirl.Etsy.com
My top tips for buying handmade with the shipping windows closing:
COMMUNICATE. Check communication the seller may have left for you- check shop announcements and always check their profile on Etsy.com – lots of shop policy info and sometimes some fun info about the artist can be found in the individual’s profile….
If you don’t see the info you need- click contact and send them a message and be sure to include: the item(s) you are interested in, when you need it to arrive, and where you need it to go (city,state, zip are helpful!)…
I have added a priority shipping upgrade to my shop but it must be purchased as an “item” as Etsy doesn’t allow for us to have multiple shipping speed options and prices within a listing and I’m busy packing up orders to head out tomorrow and I just don’t have the time to go in and edit 100+ listings…
Of course, my dear blog readers, if you buy before noon tomorrow (12/17/2007) and put “beclever” or “blog” or something that lets me know you read this in the “notes to seller” area when checking out of Etsy, I’ll upgrade you at no charge (so don’t add that Priority shipping upgrade listing to your cart!) to USPS Priority…
Also, as someone who has worked retail and done lots of shipping over the years, please keep in mind that once a package has left a seller’s hands and is in the hands of the US Postal Service there is nothing they can do to change or speed up the delivery of your package- so if you want it faster let us know- I can do 3, 2, or overnight via FedEx (make sure you allow for 24 hours in addition to the delivery/shipping times as I do need to pack up your goodies) at an additional charge- many folks can and are happy to help with such details…
Also, at the risk of sounding a bit cranky (from when I worked in shipping for a major US toy store way in the past…I still have flashbacks :-) please do not lambaste the person you purchased an item from (or leave them negative feedback) if there is foul weather, and if the post office takes longer than their “suggested” time on first class mail and priority mail this time of year- they do not guarantee delivery dates on those types of packages. Once a package is out of our hands, and it has been labeled and shipped properly, it really is in the hands of our friendly postal workers!
*hugs*
Let’s all do our part (read the instructions, ask questions, and not expect anyone to be a mind-reader… I think that goes for everyone this year- buyers, sellers, husbands, wives, parents, kids, etc….) to keep all of our increased stress levels to a minimum and let’s all work together all year to make the holidays more enjoyable and less stressful!
Woohoo!
Group hug.
Peace out.
Always be clever.
xo
B
Tags: Business (small, handmade, customer service, etc), christmas, clevergirl, code, coupon, craft, cutoff, etsy, etsy.com, free shipping, gifts, handmade, holiday, homemade, jewelery, last minute, priority, shipping, silver, speedy, sterling, unique, USPS
Accidental Thong 