The pain: a case, your money, and tracking that doesn't prove much
Etsy's case pages are blunt: for most cases, "information available from the order's shipping status and Etsy Purchase Protection eligibility criteria is used to determine an outcome." That means the case is mostly decided by your tracking, not by your reply. Sellers who shipped without valid tracking, shipped late, or ignored the first message are the ones who pay.
Cases also feed your case rate: Etsy counts cases where a refund was taken from your Payment account. Under 300 orders, no more than 3; at 300+ orders, under 1% (What are Etsy's Customer Service Standards?). Missing the standard risks lower search visibility and losing Purchase Protection eligibility.
How an Etsy case works (sourced)
| Step | What Etsy says |
|---|---|
| 1. Help request | Buyers must message you first, labeled a Help request. "You have 48 hours from the time of the help request to respond and resolve the buyer's issue before the buyer can open a case." (How to Answer a Help Request from a Buyer) |
| 2. When a case can open | The order's maximum estimated delivery date has passed and at least 48 hours have passed since the buyer contacted you. "Buyers opening a non-delivery case must wait 7+ days after the maximum estimated delivery date has passed. Once eligible, buyers have 30 days to open a case." (How to Resolve a Case from a Buyer). The buyer-side page says the window to open is "30 days from your order's estimated delivery date" (How to Open a Case); Etsy shows the buyer the exact date in a callout. |
| 3. Where you respond | Shop Manager → Help → Cases → "Cases reported about your shop" → the case ID. Use "Add Your Comment", attach images, and you may be able to refund or update shipping info. "You must keep all information about a case in the case log." (How to Resolve a Case from a Buyer) |
| 4. What Etsy needs for non-delivery | "Proof the item was shipped to the address on the Etsy receipt or the address agreed upon in Etsy Messages", with a valid tracking number. (How to Resolve a Case from a Buyer) |
| 5. Auto-close | Cases may close automatically if you issue a full refund, or for non-delivery "there's no tracking information provided or the order's tracking information shows that the package was delivered to the address on the Etsy receipt", or if the buyer closes it. (How to Resolve a Case from a Buyer) |
| 6. Requests for info | "If Etsy reaches out to you to provide more information on any open case, you must respond", within the time frame given in the case log. (How to Resolve a Case from a Buyer, What is Etsy's Purchase Protection for Sellers?) |
| 7. Chargebacks | If the buyer disputes the charge with their bank, card provider or PayPal, they can't open a case, and an open case closes. (How to Open a Case) |
Purchase Protection for Sellers: who pays
If the order is eligible, "Etsy will cover up to $250 of a refund (or the converted equivalent in your local currency), and any remaining amount will be charged to the seller. You won't need to issue the refund yourself." Covered situations include "a buyer never received their package (for example, if it was lost in transit)" and an item arriving 7+ days after the estimated delivery window (What is Etsy's Purchase Protection for Sellers?). Eligibility, quoted:
- Shipped within your stated processing time;
- Valid tracking provided and/or an Etsy shipping label;
- Listing has an estimated delivery date including transit times and, where applicable, an origin zip code;
- You meet Etsy's customer service standards;
- You responded to the buyer's Help with Order message within 48 hours;
- Duties and import fees included upfront if shipping into the US.
Not eligible if you have third-party insurance or carrier/payment processor coverage ("submit a claim to your primary source of coverage instead"), if your shop isn't in good standing, or if the item was late or not received because the buyer delayed or refused to pay customs charges. Etsy also says the program "is not an insurance policy, a warranty, nor a guarantee" and decides "in its sole discretion". Cases opened before 7 May 2026 fall under the older policy.
US/UK/AU: these Etsy Help pages are global and quote the $250 cap "or the converted equivalent in your local currency". We did not find separate UK or AU case rules on the pages we opened; check Etsy Help with your country selected.
Evidence that helps vs fails
| Helps | Fails or hurts |
|---|---|
| Valid tracking on the order, or an Etsy-purchased label | No tracking: Etsy lists "no tracking information provided" as an auto-close reason |
| Delivered scan to the address on the Etsy receipt (or the one agreed in Etsy Messages) | Shipping to an address the buyer gave off-platform or outside Etsy Messages |
| Shipped inside your processing time; carrier scans that confirm it | Marking shipped before the carrier has it: Etsy may use carrier scans to check on-time shipping |
| Reply to the Help request within 48 hours, everything in the case log | Silence, or evidence sent by email/outside the case log |
| Accurate estimated delivery dates on listings | No estimated delivery date / missing origin zip code |
Practical (our advice, not Etsy policy): screenshot the tracking page the day it shows Delivered, keep the post office receipt, and for pricier items use a service with photo or signature proof.
Prevention: tracked shipping, early updates, protection over $250
- Always add valid tracking. It is the single biggest factor in a non-delivery case and a Purchase Protection requirement.
- Answer every Help request inside 48 hours. It is required for Protection and stops the case clock from starting early.
- Over $250, cover the gap. Etsy itself says "consider purchasing shipping insurance for orders over $250". Note: if you have carrier or third-party coverage, Etsy asks you to claim there first.
If you also sell on Shopify (many Etsy sellers run both), the same "where is it?" pain shows up there. Track123 adds branded tracking pages and delivery/exception emails, and ShipAid adds shipping protection buyers can choose at checkout. Both are Shopify apps; they don't plug into Etsy orders.
See Track123 tracking pages and alerts affiliate link
See ShipAid shipping protection affiliate link
For lost or late parcels you then claim with the carrier, Claimify, our own Shopify app, logs every claim with photos and outcomes on one board.
Track every lost/late claim on one board (Claimify) Our own app affiliate link
After the outcome: you won or you lost
- Covered by Purchase Protection: Etsy refunds the buyer and "you'll keep your earnings from the sale" (up to the $250 cap; the rest is charged to you). It shouldn't count toward your case rate.
- Lost (refund taken from your Payment account): it counts toward case rate. For a non-delivery case, Etsy says it generally can't review the outcome further. If the parcel was truly lost, file a claim with your carrier or insurer if you bought coverage. Then fix the cause: tracking, processing time, delivery estimates.
- Closed in your favour (tracking showed delivered to the receipt address): keep your records. If the buyer then files a chargeback with their bank, the case closes and the bank route takes over; respond to that through Etsy.
- PayPal-paid orders outside Etsy Payments: you may need to provide proof of a PayPal refund before the case can close (How to Resolve a Case from a Buyer). See our PayPal item not received seller guide.
Selling on other channels? TikTok Shop "item not received" seller playbook, delivered but not received (Shopify), cut WISMO tickets before Black Friday and Black Friday chargebacks (UK).
Who should skip the tools
- Etsy-only sellers with no Shopify store: Track123, ShipAid and Claimify are Shopify apps. Your playbook is the free one above: tracking, 48-hour replies, accurate delivery estimates.
- Low-value orders under $250 with tracking: Purchase Protection is designed to cover these if you're eligible.
- Chargeback tools: we don't recommend Disputifier or Chargeblast here. Etsy cases are handled inside Etsy, and they target Shopify/own-store payments.
Not legal or financial advice. Etsy rules change; check the linked Etsy Help pages before you act.
Verdict
Treat every Help request as a 48-hour job, ship inside your processing time with valid tracking, and keep accurate delivery estimates on your listings. Do that and most non-delivery cases fall under Purchase Protection for Sellers (up to $250), so the refund isn't taken from your account. Skip tracking and Etsy can close the case against you automatically. Over $250, buy coverage, and if you also sell on Shopify, cut "where is it?" early with Track123 and ShipAid.
Add shipping protection to high-value orders (ShipAid) affiliate link affiliate link
Etsy rules from Etsy Help pages opened 5 Nov 2026. Track123 and ShipAid are third-party apps (affiliate links); Claimify is our own app.