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Reviews are one of the most important aspects for the success of an Etsy shop. Understanding how to respond to negative Etsy reviews is just as important as almost any other aspect of running a successful digital product store on Etsy.
I know how heartbreaking it can be to receive negative reviews of feedback – even with over 6000 5 star reviews in my planprintland Etsy store, I still feel a little bit heartbroken any time I see less than 5 stars. It hurts, but it is all part of being a seller and largely unavoidable once you get into the 1000s of sales.
The good news is, not every piece of negative feedback is final. There are a number of steps you can take before responding to negative reviews on Etsy. In fact, not only are these steps allowed, they are actually encouraged by Etsy in the Etsy seller handbook.
Should you respond to negative Etsy reviews?
Before responding to a negative review on Etsy, there are a number of very important facts you must understand.
- Once you reply to a review, the review is locked. This means that the customer cannot add to, delete or edit their review (even if you manage to resolve the issue).
- You cannot edit your response. You can however, delete your response.
- If you delete your response to a review, you will not be able to add another response.
- Even if you delete your response to a review, the review is still locked.
- Etsy will not remove a review if it has been locked.
If it isn’t clear enough: Once you respond to a review, it will be stuck in your store for life. Before responding to a review, it is crucial that you understand this point. It is a point many new sellers miss, and can have a big impact on the early success of your shop.
Steps to take before responding to negative reviews on Etsy
Before responding to negative reviews, there are a few steps you can take as a seller.
1. Reach out directly to the customer through private message
Your first step after receiving a negative review on Etsy, should be to reach out directly to the customer through Etsy’s messaging system. This is not only allowed, but encouraged by Etsy.
Customers can add or edit their reviews for up to 100 days after purchase. I have had dozens of successful review edits, simply by reaching out to the customer. The message you send will depend on whether you receive feedback or not (i.e if the customer leaves a star rating with no text).
Reaching out to a customer who leaves feedback in their review
If your customer leaves feedback in their negative review, you should do your best to address those concerns in your message. A lot of the time, it may be the customers whois having trouble with Etsy itself, rather than your products (E.g. “I never received the file”).
Remember to be polite and courteous in your response, and never blame the customer (even if it happens to be a mistake on their behalf). You should do everything in your power to fix or address any concerns.
An example response to a customer who claims they never received their file may be:
Hey {CUSTOMER NAME},
Thanks for the purchase! I’m sorry to see you are having troubles with your files. I know Etsy doesn’t make it easy on customers! You can download your files at any stage by clicking on your profile picture and selecting ‘purchases and reviews’. Please note you must be in a browser and not on the Etsy app to download! I can also email you the file directly if this helps.
{YOUR NAME}
Alternatively, the problem may have been a mistake you made. It hurts, but it can and will happen. For example, you may accidentally upload the wrong file or link, and as a result receive a negative review stating “The file is different than pictured”. If you spend enough time scrolling on Etsy, you’re almost guaranteed to see this review on digital products. Again, in replying to this type of review, it is crucial to take full responsibility, and rectify the situation.
If you have made a clear mistake, you may also decide to offer a full refund. This is one of the very very rare cases where I would suggest offering a refund as a digital product seller.
Hey {CUSTOMER NAME},
Thanks for the purchase! I’m so sorry about the mix-up. I really appreciate you pointing out {YOUR MISTAKE}. I have fixed the file on the listing, and emailed you the updated file. I really hope that you will still find it useful. I am also happy to provide a refund if you wish.
{YOUR NAME}
And in some cases, it is clearly the customer fault. For example, “This file is in A4 when I needed Letter size” when you clearly included the sizes in your icons and description. These are definitely the most frustrating, but again happen all to often on Etsy. How I respond to these negative reviews is along the lines of:
Hey {CUSTOMER NAME},
Thanks so much for the purchase and sorry you are unhappy with your file. I know it can be hard to take in all the information on a listing, but I have mentioned {MISTAKE} in {AREAS YOU LISTED INFORMATION}. I have tried to make it as clear as possible but I understand it can be tough. I am willing to {OFFER SOLUTION} if this suits your needs. Please let me know!
{YOUR NAME}
If the customer does not offer feedback with their review
In some cases, customers will leave a star rating without saying why. As frustrating as this can be, it is all part of running an Etsy store. Your approach to reaching out should be slightly different, allowing the customer to leave feedback privately, and then offering to help rectify any issues they may have. If you receive a negative review with no comment, you may use a message along these lines:
Hey [CUSTOMER NAME],
I have just seen that you are not entirely happy with your purchase. I’m sorry about this! If there is anything I can do to change your mind, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I want everyone to be satisfied with their purchase!
{YOUR NAME}
Often, this will be enough to receive feedback, in order to rectify the situation. Again, it may be a mistake with Etsy, or with your files. Either way, you should be polite, never blame the customer, and do everything in your power to make them happy. If you are quick and efficient in your response, the customer has a high chance of editing or deleting their reviews.
Sending a follow up message
Notice in all my message examples, I abided by the following rules:
- I did not ask the customer to change their review
- I did not try and guilt the customer (I.e ‘You are ruining my store by leaving negative reviews’)
- I did not blame the customer in any way
- I did not try to ‘buy’ the removal of the negative review by offering a refund (unless the mistake was clearly on my end).
In most cases, if the issue is resolved, the customer will reply thanking you, apologizing or both. In my experience, most customers who reply, will change their review without you needing to ask. This is especially true when it is a mistake on their behalf, and you are gracious in your response.
However, in some cases, the customer will reply thanking you, or apologizing, however still not edit their negative review. In this case, I would recommend sending a follow up message.
If the customer DOES NOT respond to your original message, I would advise against sending a follow up message. You should also remember that customers can take days or even weeks to check their Etsy’s messages, and sending a follow up message too early can hurt your chances of having negative feedback edited. No one likes a pushy shop owner.
It’s my pleasure {CUSTOMER NAME}!
If you get the chance, it would mean the world to me if you would consider editing your review. Etsy puts a lot of emphasis on reviews and poor feedback can be quite harmful to my shop. There is no pressure if you wish, and I respect and appreciate all feedback. You can edit your review by clicking on your profile picture and clicking purchases and reviews.
I appreciate it!
{YOUR NAME}
2. Check whether the review violates any of Etsy’s review policies.
If you don’t have any luck reaching out through message, there is a very slight chance Etsy will remove the review. Etsy will remove a review if it violates their review policies. If you believe a review violates these policies, you can read this article on how to report a review on Etsy. Reviews violate Etsy’s policies if they:
- Contain identifying private information
- Contain obscene, racist, or harassing language or imagery
- Violate our Anti-Discrimination Policy
- Contain prohibited medical drug claims
- Are solely advertising or spam
- Are only about things outside the seller’s control, such as a shipping carrier (mentioned by name), Etsy, or a third party
- Contain threats or extortion
- Include shilling or otherwise falsely inflate a shop’s review score
I have a word of advice however before using this strategy: Don’t get your hopes up. I have had a number of clear violations across my stores, reported the reviews to Etsy, and either:
- Received a response stating “This review does not violate Etsy’s policies’
- Or received no response at all.
The only real time I have been successful is when a competitor leaves a review in my stores. Some have been very clear (E.g. they leave the review from their own shop) or when Etsy links their IP addresses. In most cases, the competitor doing this is also banned from Etsy, which is a GREAT result.
How To Respond To Negative Etsy Reviews
I have written an article on how to reply to Etsy reviews on both computer and through the Etsy seller app. Below is a diagram which contains the mains steps on a computer, which involves going to your shop through the shop manager, scrolling to or clicking on the reviews, and then selecting ‘post a public response’.
If you have taken the chance to both reach out to the customer, and check whether the review goes against Etsy’s policies, you may then decide to respond to the negative review. Remember, once you reply, this review is final, and will be shown on your store for life. So don’t take the decision lightly.
If you do decide to reply, you response should be very similar to your private message. Remember to keep the following points in mind:
- Keep the replies short and simple
- Reply in a professional manner. Remember that this response will be publicly available for anyone to see
- Address any concerns and how you will or have attempted to fix these concerns
- Focus on the review, not the reviewer
- Make sure to read and abide by Etsy’s Seller Policy
Some example responses include:
Hey {CUSTOMER NAME},
Thanks for the purchase! I’m sorry to see you are having troubles with your files. I know Etsy doesn’t make it easy on customers!
As mentioned in our private messages, you can download your files at any stage by clicking on your profile picture and selecting ‘purchases and reviews’. Please note you must be in a browser and not on the Etsy app to download! I have also directly emailed you your files, which you can download directly from your email.
I hope you were able to receive them. If you have any more trouble, please don’t be afraid to reach out again through private messages.
{YOUR NAME}
Hey {CUSTOMER NAME},
Thanks so much for the purchase and sorry you are unhappy with your file. I know it can be hard to take in all the information on a listing, but I have mentioned {MISTAKE} in {AREAS YOU LISTED INFORMATION}. I have tried to make it as clear as possible but I understand it can be tough.
I have {OFFERED SOLUTION} through private message, but unfortunately if you do not respond there is not much I can do. I am still open to working out a solution. Please message me whenever you get the chance.
{YOUR NAME}
Once you have responded to the negative review, it is out of your hands. You should still do your best to ensure the customer is happy should they reach out after your response. However, if they do not reach back out: Forget about it. What’s done is done, and you should not let any negative feedback get to you.
In fact, you should use all feedback as a way to grow, learn from and improve your store. You may also like to shift your focus onto attempting to get more positive reviews on Etsy, which do a lot more good than any harm that will come from a single negative review.