Post by PickyChicky on Mar 22, 2016 14:17:36 GMT -6
Etsy Article - EU Directive on Consumer Rights
I just now happened across this article that is more informative than the one Sharon linked to in another thread. According to the article, Etsy is requiring ALL sellers to abide by EU law, whether or not they reside in the EU. However, it has been said by members of Etsy staff (can't remember names at the moment), that they most likely will not enforce the Directive. Whether they're referring to all sellers or just non-EU sellers is unclear. From the article:
My beef is that the Directive clearly refers to "Member States" only -- not non-EU countries. So, as far as I'm concerned, EU law does not apply to me. However, if Etsy is going to write such an article, I don't feel protected from EU law even though members of staff say they most likely won't enforce it.
That said, I will no longer be selling to EU Member States on Etsy. However, I will continue to do so on my own shop and eCrater because there is no middleman to enforce it (eCrater chooses not to get involved). I will be adjusting my policies for those two shops to make it clear that my one and only return policy applies to all customers, no matter where they reside, and will state my claim that EU law does not apply to US-based businesses.
My return policy is fair as I do accept full monetary responsibility in the case of damaged or defective items, whether or not I insure them. However, it is unfair for buyers to expect me to pay to sell to them, taking the risk of them being indecisive and simply changing their minds. My descriptions and photos are very detailed, so there's no reason they shouldn't know in advance exactly what they're getting prior to purchase. If they didn't read the descriptions or inspect all photos, that's on them, not me.
For those who decide to remove EU Member States from their international shipping, I'm providing the list below along with the EU site link at the bottom from where I got the list. Since there are still countries considering membership, the list may be updated at some point, so you'll have the link for future reference.
Current Members of the EU:
Candidate Countries:
Potential Candidates:
I just now happened across this article that is more informative than the one Sharon linked to in another thread. According to the article, Etsy is requiring ALL sellers to abide by EU law, whether or not they reside in the EU. However, it has been said by members of Etsy staff (can't remember names at the moment), that they most likely will not enforce the Directive. Whether they're referring to all sellers or just non-EU sellers is unclear. From the article:
- The regulations, which will implement the EU Directive on Consumer Rights, apply to all Etsy sellers who sell to buyers in the EU (even if an Etsy seller is based outside of the EU) and buyers based in EU member countries. Each EU Member state has adopted its own unique national laws incorporating the directive. Failure to comply with these regulations can invalidate a sale and possibly even violate the law.
If a buyer exercises their right to return an item, a seller must reimburse all payments, including the original shipping charges, received from the buyer. If a seller has not received returned goods from a buyer, the seller may withhold such reimbursement provided that reimbursement occurs within 14 days of receipt of the returned goods. The buyer is responsible for paying return shipping costs unless the seller has agreed to bear those costs.
My beef is that the Directive clearly refers to "Member States" only -- not non-EU countries. So, as far as I'm concerned, EU law does not apply to me. However, if Etsy is going to write such an article, I don't feel protected from EU law even though members of staff say they most likely won't enforce it.
That said, I will no longer be selling to EU Member States on Etsy. However, I will continue to do so on my own shop and eCrater because there is no middleman to enforce it (eCrater chooses not to get involved). I will be adjusting my policies for those two shops to make it clear that my one and only return policy applies to all customers, no matter where they reside, and will state my claim that EU law does not apply to US-based businesses.
My return policy is fair as I do accept full monetary responsibility in the case of damaged or defective items, whether or not I insure them. However, it is unfair for buyers to expect me to pay to sell to them, taking the risk of them being indecisive and simply changing their minds. My descriptions and photos are very detailed, so there's no reason they shouldn't know in advance exactly what they're getting prior to purchase. If they didn't read the descriptions or inspect all photos, that's on them, not me.
For those who decide to remove EU Member States from their international shipping, I'm providing the list below along with the EU site link at the bottom from where I got the list. Since there are still countries considering membership, the list may be updated at some point, so you'll have the link for future reference.
Current Members of the EU:
|
|
|
|
Candidate Countries:
|
|
Potential Candidates:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kosovo