Etsy case not as described: the evidence Etsy reviews from sellers

Etsy sellers sell things that are easy to describe and hard to prove: a glaze that reads blue on one screen and green on another, a hand-stitched size that runs a centimeter off, a personalized name the buyer remembers spelling differently. When a buyer says an item is not as described, the case turns on one comparison: what the listing showed against what you shipped.

This guide walks through how Etsy cases open and escalate, what Etsy's own help pages say it reviews, the Purchase Protection rules for sellers as they stand after the May 2026 change, and how to build a record that answers the comparison. We checked every rule on Etsy's help center in October 2026.

Why "matches the listing" decides an Etsy case

An Etsy not-as-described case is decided by whether the item the buyer received matches the listing's photos and description, and the seller's job is to show that it did. Etsy's help page on Purchase Protection for sellers makes this explicit in both directions.

On one side, Purchase Protection may apply when an item "matches the listing description and photos, but a buyer claims it does not". In that situation Etsy refunds the buyer, covers up to $250 of the refund and you keep your earnings on that portion. On the other side, the order is ineligible if the item does not match the listing description. The same question, answered with evidence, moves the cost between you and Etsy.

Etsy says that for a majority of cases it uses the order's shipping status and the Purchase Protection eligibility criteria to decide. That is quick for non-delivery cases, where tracking settles it. For not-as-described cases, the eligibility criteria themselves include "the item received by the buyer matches the photos and description on your listing", and that is not something tracking can show.

Etsy case rules for sellers (October 2026)

The rules below come from Etsy's seller and buyer help articles; the right column names the page each rule is on.

How an Etsy case moves, from message to decision

An Etsy case moves through four stages, and your evidence matters most at the first and third. Knowing which one you are in tells you what to do next.

1. Help with order request. The buyer messages you through the order and, depending on the reason, can attach images. This is the cheapest stage to resolve, and your reply time counts toward Purchase Protection.
2. Case opened. After 48 hours, and once the estimated delivery date has passed, the buyer can ask Etsy to step in. From here everything goes in the case log on the Cases page in Shop Manager.
3. Etsy reviews. Etsy uses shipping status and the eligibility criteria and, if it needs more, asks in the case log and by email. Buyers may be asked for photos, measurements of the item received or third-party evaluations, according to Etsy's How to Open a Case page. You must respond to any request.
4. Decision and review. Cases close when you refund in full, when the buyer closes it, or when Etsy decides. For a closed not-as-described or damaged case, you can ask a specialist to review the outcome.

The buyer's photos often arrive at stage 1. If you have a record of the same item at packing, stage 1 is where it does the most good: a buyer who sees their item leaving your bench in the condition and color the listing showed has a reason to settle the conversation there, before Etsy is involved.

What Etsy reviews for each case type

Each case type asks a different question, so the evidence that answers it is different too.

Two notes on damage. Purchase Protection covers an item that arrives damaged only for the first instance per calendar year, so from the second damaged order onward the cost is yours unless you have coverage. And Etsy asks you to claim against your own insurance, carrier or payment-processor coverage first. Our guide to items that arrive damaged covers both the buyer conversation and the carrier side.

Step by step: building evidence for an Etsy not-as-described case

The procedure starts at listing time and ends after the case closes; three of its six steps happen before the order ships.

For step 2, the details that matter are the ones a buyer could dispute. For a ring, the size gauge reading. For a print, the paper and a ruler along the edge. For a personalized item, the text, held up and readable. For a color-sensitive piece, daylight rather than a warm desk lamp. Our broader guide on how to prove an item was shipped correctly has a full checklist across platforms.

Custom and personalized orders

Custom orders are where "not as described" is most often a misunderstanding rather than fraud, and where a buyer's sign-off before shipping prevents the case entirely. Sending the buyer a photo or video of their finished piece and asking them to confirm it before it ships is the subject of photo approval before shipping. A confirmation recorded before dispatch means a later claim has to contradict the buyer's own approval.

When the buyer's photos don't look right

Some damage photos are edited or generated. Etsy's case log is not the place to make that accusation; your own record is. If your recording shows the item intact and well packed, attach those stills and let Etsy compare. We cover the pattern in AI-generated damage photos.

Copy-ready replies for Etsy cases

Keep every message calm and specific. Etsy's own guidance for not-as-described cases is to acknowledge the buyer's concern in the case log and focus on making it right; your evidence does the arguing.

How PallasMark handles Etsy orders

PallasMark gives Etsy sellers a per-order record of the item matching its listing, sealed so Etsy can trust that it was not touched up afterwards.

• Recorded against the order. Add the Etsy order in PallasMark (manual orders work for any sales channel) and record on any iPhone or Android phone, or in the browser. Photos are stamped with your company name, the order number and the upload time inside the image, which is exactly what a case reviewer looks for in a still. No camera rig, no fixed station.
• Sealed when stored. Every file gets a SHA-256 fingerprint and there is no edit button for recordings. A public verification page re-checks the stored file on the spot, so anyone with the link can confirm it is unchanged. See tamper-proof video and how verification works.
• Stills ready for the case log. On request PallasMark builds an evidence PDF for the order with four stills from each recorded video, the photos, order details and fingerprints. Etsy's case page takes images, so you attach the stills; the PDF also answers a payment provider if the claim arrives as a chargeback. More in chargeback evidence.
• The buyer approves before it ships. For custom, personalized or high-value pieces, hold the parcel and send the buyer the sealed recording. They open a link with no account, watch, and choose Approve or Report an issue; the record keeps how long they watched. That is buyer approval, and it is how a "this isn't what I ordered" case stops before it starts.
• Kept past the case window. Proofs are kept for 90 days by default, and orders with an open dispute, chargeback or return are never purged.

The same record answers returns and builds buyer trust for repeat customers. You can start on the free plan with no card at /register.

For how Etsy's rules compare with eBay, TikTok Shop, Whatnot and others, see the hub on seller dispute evidence by platform, and for eBay's version of the same claim, eBay not-as-described seller evidence.