When Locals Buy Your Items (Shipping Not Required)

[perilously_divine]

I was just wondering that when people go to check out, the etsy shop owner, they are the one that actually sends the paypal and the one that will declaire the amount I guess is that way that you would put it.

I would like to use etsy for online as well as for people around my town that want to buy my stuff, and I was just wondering.

I hope this makes sense lol

[trinabrielle]

Are you asking how to deal with offering free shipping to locals?

You can put text in each of your listings saying that if you're local and don't require shipping, please wait for an updated invoice before paying. Then, when someone buys something, you can go into PayPal and send them a new invoice with the shipping cost removed.

Does that make sense?

[Spiderbite]

If you are trying to offer free shipping to locals, I would say doing what trinabrielle says is your best bet.

However, how are you planning on getting your items to locals? I mean it costs me the same amount to ship my items to people right here in Delaware as it does to ship to California and all across the country. So, why offer a discount to locals? Won't you be losing money?

Do you plan on delivering this yourself? If this is the case, well I would suggest against that. I would be incredibly creeped out if I bought something online at etsy and the person walked up to my house and delivered it themselves. It just isn't professional or appropriate unless you all ready know the person, and it would be ok with them.

[perilously_divine]

If you are trying to offer free shipping to locals, I would say doing what trinabrielle says is your best bet.

However, how are you planning on getting your items to locals? I mean it costs me the same amount to ship my items to people right here in Delaware as it does to ship to California and all across the country. So, why offer a discount to locals? Won't you be losing money?

Do you plan on delivering this yourself? If this is the case, well I would suggest against that. I would be incredibly creeped out if I bought something online at etsy and the person walked up to my house and delivered it themselves. It just isn't professional or appropriate unless you all ready know the person, and it would be ok with them.

I live in a small town, the creepy factor would more so for me and creeps buying my stuff. I am sure that at least 80 % of the people know at least my parents or grandparents.

I have in mind, that if they want to pick it up at my house rather then paying to have it shipped to them. I wasnt saying have free shipping.

[Spiderbite]

hehehe, well be careful! You don't some looney coming by and axe murdering you! Good luck with your etsy shop! They're a lot of fun.

[jungrrl]

The easiest thing in that situation is to have them meet you in a public place, like a coffee shop or what have you.

[Patrick_Craftrick]

I should hope that we are not all ax murderers here. 

It may be the fact that I am a guy and all, but I don't think it would be bad to arrange a meeting between yourself and the person buying your things.  I don't think that they will try to take advantage of me in some way.

My only fear would be that once they saw the product in real life, they may then decide that they don't want it. 

Think about it from this prospective:  In a retail shop, nearly all buyer/seller interaction is one on one.  How is meeting in public place any different then meeting in some little, quite possibly secluded, retail shop?   

[Spiderbite]

Think about it from this prospective:  In a retail shop, nearly all buyer/seller interaction is one on one.  How is meeting in public place any different then meeting in some little, quite possibly secluded, retail shop?   

I see your point, but I think the difference is that the people will know about her before setting up a meeting. Sure any loon can come in off the street and walk into a shop, but they're less likely to wander into every single Brick and mortar store until they find someone they want to rape and murder.

The likelihood of some crazy person finding you on the internet is greater. Say they find your myspace first and decide they want to meet you and do god knows what to you (myspace is full of complete perverts if you haven't noticed), and then your myspace leads to your store where you offer to meet up with locals to hand deliver their items. Well this is the perfect opportunity for said perverts.

Most online stores, including etsy allow you to give a profile and have forums etc. or they provide a way to find you other places on the internet. This way a person can find out all about you before coming after you. Though you may not have direct links to your myspace or whatever on your etsy shop, just by knowing a little bit about your wares and your etsy shop name, if you have any other web presence what-so-ever, I could find out everything about you.

Through the internet the person could find out all about you from the convenience of their own home. Having an internet presence really narrows down the search for a nut. And if they find that by buying something from you they can actually get you in person, well that's not good for you, but great for them.

Also meeting someone specifically regarding their item is much more personal then wandering into a store and talking to the proprietor. I would think that sociopaths who would hurt someone would really appreciate the intimacy of such a situation. It all ready gives them an in.

Outside of the axe-murderer scenario, I don't see the benefits of meeting some place in person to get an item.

1. Having to meet someone some where to get an item is more inconvenient then having the item delivered to their door. One of the reasons I do online shopping is so I don't have to drive all the way to the store.

2. Unless you are shipping extremely heavy or bulky items, the amount of money the customer is saving is really very minimal.

3. As patrick said, you could go through all the trouble of showing up with the product and the person can start asking for changes or say they don't like it. I'm not saying that your wares are in any need of changes, but when the customer has you right there all ready going out of your way for them I think there is a tendency for them to think, oh hey I can get this even more custom made or to nitpick things.

When you sell online it's more difficult for them to do this because the item is all ready shipped to them, they'd have to go through the trouble of shipping it back and then waiting for it to get to them again, etc.

When I've met people in person about my wares they're always asking for special things to be done to their item. Having you there makes them more likely to make demands. When they have it shipped to them it is what it is and they respect that more.


Well that's my 2 cents.

[Spiderbite]

If you want to offer free shipping because you know the people, then why not just sell it to them in person in the first place? Not to promote illegal things, but I would prefer not to have to pay taxes on it OR pay etsy/paypal fees. It would save you money just to do it under the table.