For all of you Etsy shop owners...

Ok guys, I dont know if this is in the right place but I dont know where else to put it...if it doesnt belong here then Im sorry, but I really need some input on a couple of things. Im getty ready to open my etsy shop (hopefully within the next week) but shipping policies and prices have really been intimidating for me, as well as the paypal fees.

I think Ive figured out my shipping prices, but what Id like to know is how many of you use delivery confirmation? Is it necessary? Ive heard of so much getting lost in the mail...I would hate for that to happen, but at the same time I dont want to pay for it if it isnt necessary. Right now Im leaning toward getting it on everything just to be safe, but I wanted to ask your opinions as well.

Also, is paypals fee 3% of your TOTAL amount listed, including shipping? I was unaware they even took a fee, but then again, theyve got to make their money somehow so I wasnt terribly surprised upon finding that out.

Thanks so much, sorry for all of the questions. Any other advice is greatly appreciated as well! Much love!

 

Hey welcome to etsy
Iv been on there for about 1 year now and Iv found it over all much cheaper than ebay for sure.

I used to put insurance on everything since one of my parcles went missing.
then I had a drop in sales, so I only put the insurance on items over $40 but gave customers the option of no insurance, but I wouldnt compensate the money if it went lost.

Paypal is good, you can excpet lots of different currencies ( usefull for me as most of my buyers are from the USA and im in the UK)

You can ask for cheque or money orders aswell, so if there is someone very local to you you can get paymentwithout paying fees

Hope this helps.
Post up your URL when you are up and runnin

 

Congrats on picking etsy! I haven't been selling on it all that long but I really like it so far. Be sure to post your link as soon as you have your shop up and running!

I always use shipping insurance for my items. It is included in the my shipping cost listed on etsy and it isn't really all that expensive here in Canada. I like to be on the safe side as well Your best bet is to check with your local post office for prices and deceide from there if it is affordable for your prospective customers or not.

 

I give shipping insurance as an option on my items - although some methods, shipping insurance is included. But if my customers want to spend the extra dollar (which I always recommend) they can, realizing that if their package is lost in the mail and they hadn't paid for it, it's not my fault.

 

Thanks so much for the wonderful advice! And I will post my link as soon as I get the shop up