Hi there! Cancelling an order on Etsy can feel overwhelming if you‘ve never done it before. But I‘m here to walk you through the process in 5 simple steps. With the detailed information I‘ll provide, including screenshots, you‘ll be cancelling Etsy orders with confidence in no time!
First, let‘s quickly cover the basics of Etsy‘s cancellation policy so you understand when cancellations are permitted. According to Etsy‘s 2021 Seller Handbook, sellers can cancel orders for the following reasons:
- The item is out of stock or discontinued (this accounts for 26% of Etsy cancellations)
- There are errors or problems with the buyer‘s address
- You cannot ship the item in a timely manner
- The buyer requests to cancel for any reason
Cancelling for other reasons can result in a case being opened against you. Etsy tracks seller cancellation rates, and excessive cancellations (over 5%) can incur penalties like account suspensions. So only cancel when truly necessary!
Now, let‘s get into the step-by-step process for hassle-free order cancellations:
Step 1: Log Into Your Etsy Seller Account
Accessing your account is easy whether you‘re on desktop or mobile.
On desktop, navigate to www.etsy.com and click "Sign In" in the top right corner. Or you can go directly to www.etsy.com/your/shops.
On the Etsy mobile app, tap the "You" tab at the bottom and enter your email and password.
Once logged in, you‘ll see your shop name and "Shop Manager" at the top. You‘re now ready to move onto step 2!
Step 2: Access the Orders Page
This is where you can view and manage all your orders in one place.
On desktop, click "Orders and Shipping" under the Shop Manager menu. On mobile, tap the "Shop" icon at the bottom and look for "Orders and Shipping."
Here‘s an example of the Orders page on desktop:
And on mobile:
Now you‘re on the right page to cancel an order!
Step 3: Locate the Order
On this Orders page you‘ll see all your orders in various states like Awaiting Payment or Shipped.
To quickly find the order you want to cancel, use the filters:
On Desktop:
Click the dropdown menu at top left and choose "Awaiting Shipment":
This displays only orders you haven‘t shipped yet and can still cancel.
On Mobile:
Tap the "Filter" button at the top and select "Awaiting Shipment":
Once you‘ve filtered, scroll through and look for the order you need to cancel. You‘ll do the actual cancellation in the next step.
Step 4: Cancel the Order
Now that you‘ve found the order, it‘s time complete the cancellation:
On Desktop:
Click the three dots to the right of the order and choose "Cancel" from the dropdown menu:
On Mobile:
Tap the order to expand it, then tap "Cancel" below the buyer‘s name:
This will open the cancellation page where you can process the cancellation – detailed next.
Step 5: Process the Cancellation
On the cancellation page:
- Select a cancellation reason from the dropdown menu. Choose the option that best fits your situation.
- Enter a message to the buyer explaining why you cancelled. Keep it professional. For example:
"Hi [buyer name]. I regretfully have to cancel your order for the [item name] because it is now out of stock. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Please let me know if I can make it up to you on a future order."
- Confirm the refund amount the buyer will receive. This includes the item cost and original shipping.
- Click "Cancel Order" to complete the cancellation.
Here‘s an example of the cancellation page on desktop:
And on mobile:
Once you click Cancel Order, the cancellation is processed and the buyer is notified. It‘s that simple!
I know cancelling any order can feel stressful. But hopefully you now feel confident to quickly and easily cancel an Etsy order when needed. Just follow these 5 steps, using the detailed instructions and screenshots I provided as a guide.
If you have any other questions about Etsy order cancellations, feel free to reach out! I‘m always happy to provide cancellation tips and reassurance to help your Etsy shop run smoothly.