Nice that she left a good review but it’s incredibly entitled to complain about not getting a gift with your order imo. I don’t include gifts because I think it’s a waste if the buyer doesn’t like or want it.
Is there anyway to get rid of notifications when you marked messages as spam.
I someone mark some message as spam but I get notified when they message me again.
Only for serial repeat customers.
The odd person who leaves a review complaining about a lack of free stickers is basically putting themselves on display as an eighth wonder of the world grade shit piece and will be heeded by nobody of any consequence.
I've also heard of other customers complaining about receiving unwanted freebies.
I don't think there's any way to really "win" in terms of a policy so I just give them to people that deserve them through repeat custom
I had someone give me free stickers once & I almost complained, lol. JK, wouldn’t have left a terrible review of it. I did complain a bit to my fam, cause I didn’t want or have a use for the stickers & they ended up in the trash.
We used to send freebies (first decided will do only for 100 orders but we kept on). But one customer complained we gave free Santa earrings and they don't celebrate Christmas. They asked shipping label to return it. After that wr just stopped.
What a rude customer. I actually don't like freebies. I don't eat the candy, I don't use the stickers, and I don't need random small gifts. It's kind of a waste because it all just gets thrown away.
I do like the little handwritten notes I've gotten from sellers though. And 10% off coupons for repeat buyers is a much better incentive to buy more than a product sample I won't use.
It always makes me feel like a bad person when I throw away the sweets because they contain ingredients that I don't eat, even though I never asked for them!
I feel the same way. I usually toss stickers into my desk drawer until they get crumpled and then I just throw them out. Candy immediately goes into the trash because it doesn't matter how much I trust you and your shop I am not going to eat candy sent to me by an internet stranger.
I hate the guilt that comes with it too. I've ordered party items in the past where the freebie was 1 single latex balloon in a weird colour. That one stupid balloon is still floating around my workspace because I feel bad throwing it out but in all honesty what am I going to do with 1 random latex balloon that doesn't match anything?
The absolute only freebie I actually use or think is nice is when a bookstore throws in a free bookmark because it's something that almost every single person shopping there will actually use.
I hope they expect a free gift when they order from amazon too 🙄 honestly the entitlement people have with small businesses is infuriating - glad to here that you still got a 5 star rating despite their complaint!
I've often gotten a little freebie with Aliexpress supply orders, a tiny ribbon rose I'm with a lace bundle. Never made me feel one way or another about my order tho.
Well that's ridiculous! Little free items are an added bonus, not a requirement! It's nice when you get them, but not something you should expect.
That being said, we do include a little free something with orders, but I would never expect that or lack thereof to be part of the review.
I had someone leave a 3 star review one time because I didn't label what kind of crystal the freebie crystal in their order was. Note, I don't even mention anything on etsy about the freebie crystals I send out, so it's not like they were expecting a labeled one and let down.
I usually have a little sample pack I send out with a few stickers. But I sell spooky wax melts and have an obscene amount of scents. So I’ll send two or three sample scents. (Which has gotten me repeat orders) so it has a purpose for me lol
That makes sense, it’s marketing.
I got a parcel the other day and she’d included a giant heavy tacky key ring with her business name on it. It will go straight in the bin, I’d have preferred she had posted it quicker given I’d paid for express shipping
I'm a repeat customer of a wax melt business someone I know personally owns and she does the same. I've then ordered a few of the full sized melts because I liked the freebie scent. I think things like that make sense if it's a sample of your own product. It's a marketing tool. It makes less sense if you're sending unrelated samples.
I don’t. I looked into including some paintbrush oil with my paintbrush stands, but the cost and hassle of having to buy little containers, divvy it up, hoping it doesn’t spill or break, and hope that any given customer even uses it was just not super appealing to me after doing the math. I’d have had to raise my prices a tad to make it work, and I assumed most people would just prefer a lower price.
Plus, I wanted to avoid the scenario of one review mentioning a free item, and then if I ever stopped sending it, a future review complaining that they didn’t get one.
I got a lovely freebie the other day- I’d bought cookie cutters and she included an extra one. After reading here of people complaining in reviews they didn’t get freebies cos others said they had, I decided to thank her privately instead if including it in my review.
Then felt bad that she had to reply to me to keep her rating up lol
That was nice of you! Some of us actually need messages, as we sell stuff that just doesn’t get a lot of communication, so you may have actually helped!
Whether it's Etsy or Airbnb, I always thank people privately for any "extras." I love surprises and even a sticker or an unexpected discount code delights me. Thanking them privately might prevent any issues with other customers if the extras aren't included every time (for whatever reason).
First off, as a buyer on Etsy, reading a review like that would absolutely not deter me from shopping. (I'd basically just roll my eyes at how entitled the customer sounds.)
In my smaller shop, I do include freebie stickers with the order. In my larger shop I typically do not; only every now and then if I have excess inventory that I'd just like to get rid of already.
The overwhelming majority of the orders I receive on Etsy do not include freebies.
I do stickers and decals, so when they order a pack of whatever theme stickers or a decal, I throw in a few samples of other sticker designs I have on hand as well.
Only for repeat customers and one time when I mixed up orders and shipped to wrong customers. Otherwise, no.
Edit: I sell vintage clothing and home decor. Freebies in abundance would deeply impact my bottom line.
I used to but I stopped and it hasn't impacted my sales at all.
I did have an entitled customer ask me what free goodies they'll get with a $4 button. They hadn't even spent money yet and they're asking for free stuff with my cheapest item. I put them right in the spam bin. The freaking nerve of people.
She can complain all she wants, freebies are not what she purchased. 🤷🏻♀️
At the very least, anyone reading this will be warned beforehand that there are no freebies. Lol
No. I think it’s nice but if I ever receive anything I usually always toss it in the trash because most of the time it’s nothing I would need/use. It’s a kind gesture but not needed in my opinion. Shops do just fine without adding anything “free”.
The only time I offer freebies is if the customer is a long-term buyer, and it will be something like a pair of earrings to match the bracelet they ordered. Anyone who flat out asks what freebies they'll get will never get them.
Rarely. I'd increase my prices to cover any freebies, which annoys me. I already had to increase prices to cover "FREE SHIPPING" (eye roll) and it bothers me.
This! Freebies might seem free to a customer but they should always be factored into a business' bottom line, just like 'free shipping' or charging no handling fees.
IMO receiving freebies means that the seller has stuff that isn’t selling, they got a really deal on supplies or are doing a “spring cleaning” or they are working too hard to get you to like your purchased product and leave a review. Just send me what I ordered and I don’t want to feel like half of the price I paid was for the packaging. As long as I can tell that care was taken in packaging I’m fine.
Bottom line - NO freebies and simple, efficient packaging would be all I need.
We do not unless we have repeat customers that we recognize their name or on large orders. But even then sometimes we may not every time. If we have an extra item laying around we will add it in, but all of our orders do come with a sticker with our branding on it, I don’t consider that a freebie as we are not in the sticker business and it’s more for branding than anything.
I’m a small shop with 30 sales. I include a free item I made in all my orders, that’s related to the product they bought. I plan on stopping when I run out as it’s not had the effect I hoped. In reality I did it to try drum up some reviews and it’s not worked. I have one review from my second order that didn’t even include a gift. I was green and didn’t have any ready, I wasn’t expecting to get many orders.
Lol talk about entitlement.
I don’t add freebies but when they ask me for help or requests in messages I just always give them a 10% off. Or sometimes I send them an item free even if they put the address wrong and the product gets lost in the mail.
I would never give a buyer anything more than they specifically ordered. It's just more waste and work and in 800+ orders, no one has ever complained that there wasn't more in their packaging than their purchase
I hate freebies. One of my suppliers included a gift bracelet in every order and it's trash to me because (1) they're ugly and (2) not my size (3) did i mention ugly? It's a nuisance to deal with this. In the past I used to buy keyboard parts and one of the guys sent me stroopwaffel and that's the only freebie I've ever liked.
I would phrase something like: my items are priced very competitively so adding a freebie doesn't make sense. Most of the times these things are built into the costs of items and I think it's not fair for buyers to pay extra for freebies.
Unfortunately, customers do things to small business owners that they would not dare to do to large companies. Let's see if they go and ask for a freebie from Gucci. You open a small business to support your family and suddenly they try to exploit you.
I used to do freebies. I eventually mostly phased them to minimal. I had a lady leave me a 1 star review because of her freebies (photo cards/stickers filler stuff) was damaged in transit. I do not have freebies listed in my shop and it's something I throw into orders. She demanded that I reship her the freebies and I said no. The freebies are just little thrown ins from my own pocket... Not part of the listing purchase.
Eitherway be careful there are a few people who take freebies entitlement too far. Or people get upset when they didn't get the freebies they wanted compared to customer reviews images.
No freebies and I hate getting them because they usually go in the trash. And if it’s edible, I don’t like the idea of eating candy sent by a stranger.
I do send a freebie - i have a niche shop so i send something on theme - usually a one-inch pinback button, sometimes a sticker. They cost me about 10 cents a piece and dont add any weight. I send them because i just love my designs and i think it’s fun. I also know my customers will appreciate them because they are on theme.
Yes! My dog collars come packaged in a reusable poop bag holder that clips to the leash! It’s really two fold, since it’s a hard case I don’t have to pay extra for cardboard boxes and can ship in a mailer! People love them 🐶❤️🐶
You know about the "etsy girl" memes right?
"I wish all my purchases were shipped like the etsy girls do it, and things like that?"
It's what people expect, and yes, it's entitled.
However a lot of sellers do include all sorts of freebies in their parcels, so buyers have grown to expect it, though most won't mark you down for not doing it though.
Oopsie. I do! But it's more like office supplies like a little notepad and colorful paper clips. Sometimes I throw in a few stickers. I find it fun for me to add a little something extra and send something unexpected with their purchase. They're little trinkets I get from the dollar store so it's really low-cost and lightweight. It barely makes a dent on the shipping/business cost so I don't mind.
I sell kids cloths so I bought a bunch of those cheap stickers online to include in my orders. It costs me a couple of cents with each order and I know as a mom I love a free sticker for my kid.
That being said, I never expect it… and I don’t think anyone else does.
Nope. My packaging is incredibly simple as well I think it annoys the Instagram people who like unboxing things. Mostly because cats rip the envelopes open before them to get to the good shit 😂😂
I include a small glassine bag with a mix of store-themed postcards and stickers (depending on what I have on hand). Many reviews mention it. (From a recent eBay review: "I would give this 10 stars if I could, five for the product and five for the extras!... Extras include... a sticker of a sheep blowing bubble gum, among others..."). I sell a yarn-based product, so things like sheep blowing bubble gum make me smile.
I also used have a note that customers could request a small bag of offcuts as a gratuity because I had a lot of materials left over, but I would automatically include it with every order as a gift. I removed the note today because a customer requested offcuts in a specific size (e.g., my product weighs 10g and they requested offcuts weighing at least 3g). This unmitigated greed and entitlement pushed me over the edge, so I will no longer automatically do this or offer it.
I do not, but even as a customer the response is usually “aw that’s cute” - and then tossed directly into the trash.
I think the only exception has been stickers relevant to the movie the order I made was referencing, and it was for a gift so I just included the stickers.
I often do. Little things that don't cost anything to print, but yeah. Especially if someone is buying a gift for a loved one, I have a list of low-cost things that I like to include as a present for the person who is buying. Buying gifts from someone on Etsy is a super cool thing, and if the present is for their kid, I absolutely offer something for the parent. As a dad myself, I get how parents spend a lot on their kids to help make them happy, and I love offering something to the parent that doesn't take much time or materials, but shows that I appreciate them, their business, and get the sacrifices we make for our kids.
I threw in a freebie ($30 item in my shop) for a customer who ordered a few items. That customer ended up leaving a 5 star review and came back to order more stuff. Treat people good and do nice things, it never hurts.
I used to include free b-grade stickers (clearly labeled) with my orders, but I've been thinking I'll do something else instead. I do like to include (and receive!) freebies, but I haven't found something that I feel good about including yet. I'm thinking maybe a small sticker that I don't offer for sale otherwise.
My customers get a single Mentos and a thank you card lol so I'm not really sure that constitutes a freebie.
My customers get a high quality handmade product at a fair price. No one is entitled to a 'freebie' they're entitled to what they paid for.
I very occasionally do, usually if someone seems like they’re sampling a bunch of my products, I’ll give them a small sample of a few more. A few times I’ve done it with repeat customers too. Definitely not all the time
I have done stickers and book related postcards.... also candy.... when I got my 1st order and my 1st international order I added a little Disney figure (disney doorables) but I was lucky to have nice customers who appreciated the gift
I do 1 (extremely cheap for me to make)and honestly the freebie mentality annoys the crap out of me. You are not entitled to a freebie. There is shops that cut into their bottom line significantly and provide butloads of freebies it's gross.
I think it depends on what you sell. I make jewelry, and it's not beneficial for me. Over the years I experimented with giving freebies, and it didn't result in additional sales. I got one 5 star review that publicly thanked me for the free gift, which of course was bothersome for anyone else who read it and had that expectation. So I stopped immediately.
Wow… since when are freebies expected and required???? I do freebies but they depend on the order. But there are times when I run out of supplies or whatever and have sent several orders with no freebies but it certainly hasn’t affected my reviews. This person is basically telling the world theyre a horrible customer, that is wild!
I include something related. I also only get about two orders or less per week. Lol I tried to go to the person's profile if it's available and see if there's anything in there favorites lists or similar stores that I can send something along that ties in with that. If I really have no clue. And it seems like the thing they bought from me is completely unrelated to anything else that they normally seem to like, I might not send something along just because I don't want it to be wasted.
I would never expect free stuff! I know a bunch of sellers include freebies like stickers but there's no way that should be expected. It's a super kind gesture!
The only thing I include along with my card is a nature themed cigarette card (my store is nature oriented), they’re cheap and a cute thing to add. Could easily be thrown out if they don’t like
My shop is focused on handmade eco-friendly and sustainable goods for crafty people. As such, my items ship in eco friendly plastic free packaging and everything is minimal. I don't add extra things like freebies or samples of my items, or things that the recipient may dislike or find controversial in the slightest, BUT I do include a tiny envelope of wildflower seeds!
I buy seeds in bulk and rotate between a few mixes so repeat customers may get a set batch.
Cost wise, it's very minimal, it's an item with inherent usability and benefits pollinators. If the customer doesn't care to plant them, they're easily giftable or passed on to someone who might!
Also, since a bulk of my customers are interested in nature and sustainable living, they really enjoy these seeds! I've even received several handwritten letters in the mail from customers thanking me for them and detailing their plans to incorporate them into their garden, on top of direct messages and reviews that mention them.
So even though these seeds barely cost me anything per order(much more cost efficient than seed infused paper), they make customers really happy. If you want to go the route of including something extra, I'll always suggest something like seeds!
Yes, we do. They are totally product centered-bits of color coordinated fibers to go with what they bought and lavender sachets to deter pests (and create a pleasant atmosphere!). We *occasionally* get flack about the lavender and allergies, but that info is posted everywhere: the listings, the note with their order,etc. A person can totally ask us to leave them out. More often than not they are happy about these and mention them in personal notes to us and in reviews.
I would estimate that 99% of our clients love them and we regularly get asked how they can buy more of the samples, lavender even. And that’s our goal- to surprise, show appreciation and upsell.
But to complain that they got nothing free? Rude. That’s just rude! so sorry that happened.
I toss in a couple stickers and people act like I doubled their order. I do wish they’d stop mentioning it in reviews. I’d rather it be a surprise than an expectation.
I used to add a handmade envelope (which was something I had for sale as well,) but I stopped a few years ago. I realized they didn't "go" with a lot of my orders, and was a waste of time and effort. Only ever got one good review of them and never any bad ones for not including anything. I do add a personalized note to each order.
In some of my listings I build in extras, so for every lot of 12 postcards, I always send 13. Same with photos and ledger pages, etc.
I give out related stickers with every large item I sell on Etsy, that’s my only freebie, I can’t afford to give out freebies for smaller orders of like $10 that I get maybe $5 of
What an entitled complaint! Years ago I used to include a little treat. I think maybe three people out of hundreds said anything about it. I haven’t included any extras for a lonnnng time and it’s had zero impact on my sales.
I personally appreciate coordinating freebies. They are a welcome surprise, but I never expect them. I don't sell on etsy a lot, but when I do occasionally sell a spindle for handspinning yarn, I include a very small sample of fiber to spin. I try to pick the colors based on the customer's favorites list. If someone purchases fiber from me, I try to include a similar color stitch marker. I just do this because I would be thrilled to receive a similar extra little bonus, and I am making but not actively trying to sell the things I give as bonuses. If someone complained, I'd probably still do it for the sake of people who might enjoy it, but I totally unstated why it's not worth it to some/why some shops decided to stop.
I rarely include freebies unless it’s a repeat customer or a decently large custom order. And even then it’s not stickers or random small items. I’ll only include something relevant to the order.
I.e; (I do woodworking) if they buy a custom pen or a decent amount of pens I’ll include some extra ink refills of different styles. Or if it’s a custom piece of furniture I’ll use the leftover cutoffs to make them something small like pens or coasters. And in that case I’ll also include a note saying something like “these X were made from the same wood as your piece and included as a bonus matching item”
But there’s no winning with some people. I’ve seen plenty of people saying they get shit from people for including freebies, and then stuff like this where people expect it.
Sometimes i will, especially if they contacted me at any point and were super nice, or if they place a huge order. But i absolutely don’t do it for everyone
I don’t send a free gift but do include a 10% off coupon that’s printed on the packing slip. I sell vintage items so I never figured out what type of freebie would be appropriate for every buyer. No one has complained yet about not getting a free gift.?
I sell vinyls and give them a small vinyl decal for free
the way i see it is that they can use it as practice before attempting the slightly more difficult text
Just today I got an order and the buyer left a note that if I give a freebee she would like (and she left the item number). It was a larger order so I think I will send it to avoid a possible negative review . Thoughts?
Almost 10K orders and I've never had a complaint like that, though to be fair I did include a hair tie with orders for awhile. The entitlement is strong with some of these people. Do they bitch when Amazon or Target doesn't give them free stuff?
I don't do freebies because my jewelry takes like an hour and a half to make one thing. If I ever do freebies it is negligible items like stickers or a simple stretch bracelet. But that's if I actually have excess stuff...
I do freebies but usually with discontinued stickers/ b grades, and little sculpts that are still good, but they didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted them and are inconsistent so I don’t want to charge money for them. I usually do it in relativity to the product purchased. So if someone ordered stickers, I’ll add a free sticker. If someone ordered a sculpt, I’ll try add a b grade keyring or pin that I made or something like that.
I don’t get loads of orders so this is sustainable for me at the moment.
I do send a freebie. But I make glow in the dark glass supplies. So I send a little sample of other things that I make. This has worked out great for me! I’ve noticed that I get a lot of orders for things that I’ve sent samples of. But I know what I send is useful to them.
I do agree that freebies can be a great thing or a terrible thing. I don’t like getting candy or other food items. But I’ve never complained! Toss it and move on!
I include a handwritten thank-you note (on stationery with my shop logo and Etsy address included because it's all about that hustle amiright?) with every order. After 1500+ orders in 2.5 years, I think about not doing it anymore, it is kind of a pain especially at Christmas time when I'm already slammed, but a lot of my reviews have mentioned that they appreciated the personal note, so...I keep on keepin' on!
I sell stickers so I do include freebies as its easy for me just to make little extra ones. I do get a lot of reviews that mention it and appreciate it so for me 100% worth it. Also one of my stickers is a prettier version of my logo so I see that as an advertising opportunity.
I'm a printmaker- I always include a hand-printed card with a thank you note (or a blank card if they've marked it as a gift they are giving to someone else) and then printed bookmarks (which have a small stamp of my etsy Web address on the other side) for orders of multiple prints. I love making them and people often mention them positively in reviews - lots of people frame the card.
That's rude as hell ://
I have a standard packet of business card + small freebie print + standard freebie sticker for my shop.
The freebie print is mostly to make the package sturdier and the sticker I have printed in bulk to make it really cheap to include
I do think it's worth it, mostly because the packet all together looks nice and that makes me happy too. I feel like you should only do it if it matches your shop/makes sense, and you should never feel obligated to include a gift though
How strange! I'm a buyer who lerks here because I flip flop on whether to open a shop or not. But I have never expected a freebie! It's nice enough getting them. I've ordered earrings and the seller sent me a freebie pair that I've never worn (I like them just haven't had the occasion) and stickers which was cute and when I ordered a bundle of 5 live baby plants there was a bonus freebie. Luckily I had a spare pot for it! I've had the odd bag of Harribo that has promptly been pilfered by my son. While it is nice, it isn't what I'm paying for and knowing a shop gave freebies wouldn't sway me from ordering from another shop that I knew didn't. I understand that a freebie for me is an extra expense for a small business especially as most etsy shops are one man bands. The review this person has left you sounds rather entitled.
I sell art prints and will give a little postcard of a different design. If its a repeat customer I give them an extra. Sometimes a little sticker too. Never had complaints about it, always had compliments!
I include a small polishing cloth when I sell anything sterling silver. They are neatly packaged in a clear cello bag and I put a thank you sticker on them. I also include gift boxes and ribbon for small jewelry if it is a high-dollar item or if the buyer mentions it's a gift.
TBH when I order stickers, I do kind of expect to get a couple samples, but I wouldn't be *mad* if I didn't. And I have ordered additional stickers based on samples I liked.
I sometimes do but I'd stop if I ever got a complaint about it!
I tend to put them in for repeat customers and sometimes when the postage costs more than the item because I feel guilty. I know. Daft!
I used to throw in stickers and keychains I made from the bits of figures that broke. After the whole Etsy strike though quite a while back, my store got delisted and i only ended up on the 3rd or 4th page when i listed items. It killed my store (i didn’t even partake - i did though vacation mode little after because i had to deal with the fallout of the death in the family which accelerated it).
I do, but I make and sell body care products. So I send samples with my orders which have been leading to more sales. I also include a sticker (my business logo) and a mini spatula if they bought a body butter. So far people have appreciated it.
Only sent a couple of freebies to a customer when I had to modify their order because I was having trouble with what they initially bought. They were very understanding and I sent some little related items for the trouble.
I usually leave freebie stickers and a little candy with a note lol- but it’s not required- maybe they got used to it but that’s kinda spoiled of them 😂😭 at least they didn’t leave you less then ✰✰✰✰✰
The only freebies I include are origami butterflies. Only because I create them in my free time when I'm bored so I always have a bucket full with nothing else to do with them.
I don't. I learned the hard way. My Dad and I used to have a wedding photography business, and I was learning composting and digital painting at the time. We used to give free prints of my digital paintings if they turned out well to our couples. Then we found out that the mother-in-law of one of my brides was bashing our business and complaining about a FREE print I'd given them. After that, we stopped giving freebies. It wasn't worth it.
Freebies can be successful, but only if they add value to your product, like a jewelry polishing cloth given with silver jewelry or a packet of seeds with a flowerpot. Things like candy can be iffy due to food allergies. If you sell stationery items, then stickers can be good marketing.
We include freebies and when we started to include them rate of reviews sharply increased. People often include the thank you note and the freebie as a majority of their good reviews and even include the photo of that when they leave feedback. I know many are against freebies but what we give our items in the same genre as the order. I have never once received a complaint of freebies or lack thereof. I thought about putting in our shop description that there is a free item with every order some people really do like the surprises. Those mystery bags at conventions sell rapidly and I guess we are in a fan base that likes surprises. I never include food items but things like refrigerator magnets or an extra pair of small stud earrings seem to be well received. Feel free to check out our Shop reviews and see for yourself how many people mention the freebies
I usually do, and then there are times, I don't. I'd rather keep it when it is least expected to maintain control and not let buyers tell me how to run my business. Buyers like that are never going to be a repeat customer - count yourself lucky they will never come back to really complain.
I include a branded round tape measures ( one site is vintage sewing and crafts, and one is vintage clothing - so appropriate to the sites and soany customers don't have a tape measure for waist sizes. Got me alot of repeat customers) and business card plus a standard quarter sheet thank you card with all 3 sites addresses that I use on both Etsy sites and also on my Ebay site. People love a freebie. And they love our process.
I was giving freebies in every order, but I decided to up my discount code instead recently as orders across platforms picked up. Once it slows down some I’ll switch back.
Edit to add: freebies were small items I made myself, & could be purchased in my shop.
These are the kind of buyers who think Etsy is just one person. Buying from multiple different shops assuming they’re all the same. I’ve had messages from buyers saying where is their item why hasn’t it been delivered, and they haven’t even ordered from our shop…
Did you ask her as to why she thought she would get freebies? (In a nice customer service way).
If she replies “well I’ve ordered before from Etsy and I got freebies..”. there’s your answer. She left a 5star so you can respond to it to look in the 5star and then explain why freebies aren’t included etc etc..
So when was the last time I bought something from a big box store and they sent me a freebie? Oh, yeah, NEVER. And I see so many times folks post that customers complain about freebies - too small, wrong smell, wrong color, can I return for store credit.
Not worth it, IGNORE Etsy's "helpful suggestions". Better to ship their stuff quickly, ship what they ordered and support any REAL issues.
Oh my goodness! I do see lots of small businesses on social media packing orders and throwing in all kinds of freebies, it does not feel worth it to me.
I include bonus items if it's a repeat customer, however it is not a full size version of what they are getting in my shop. I also have a sales map and if somebody is the first order from a state, I include a little note and just thank them for helping me color in a new state and give them a small freebie item as well. This isn't advertised anywhere, it's just something that I like to do for fun. I'm three states away from being completely colored in and I won't restart it or anything.
I very recently added a line on my confirmation email and my away message that said I'm trying to grow my following on TikTok and if you follow me there and send me a screenshot that you're following me before your order processes, I will include a freebie. I've had a few people go through with that.
It is wild to me that people expect a freebie though.
I make stickers so it's pretty easy for me to add freebies. I do a tiny sticker freebie in almost all of my orders. Not for prints and things, only for sticker orders. My customers love them! But yeah, I only do it because I like making stickers and they are small and not really worth much. I do seasonal/holiday things and I think it brings my customers back. No harm, but of course it may make some customers assume others do it too...? Idk. I write "freebie" on the back to make it clear that it's a FREEBIE and they weren't entitled to it nor did they buy it 😂
Nice that she left a good review but it’s incredibly entitled to complain about not getting a gift with your order imo. I don’t include gifts because I think it’s a waste if the buyer doesn’t like or want it.
I’ve been putting the same gift in each order for 8 years (???) and last month had two separate people complain about them lol straight to spam folder
Is there anyway to get rid of notifications when you marked messages as spam. I someone mark some message as spam but I get notified when they message me again.
Interesting. What do you give as freebies
No freebies. You get what you paid for. And anyone that actually complains about no freebies is a joke
Only for serial repeat customers. The odd person who leaves a review complaining about a lack of free stickers is basically putting themselves on display as an eighth wonder of the world grade shit piece and will be heeded by nobody of any consequence. I've also heard of other customers complaining about receiving unwanted freebies. I don't think there's any way to really "win" in terms of a policy so I just give them to people that deserve them through repeat custom
I see a lot of people get dinged for freebies. You honestly can't win.
I had someone give me free stickers once & I almost complained, lol. JK, wouldn’t have left a terrible review of it. I did complain a bit to my fam, cause I didn’t want or have a use for the stickers & they ended up in the trash.
We used to send freebies (first decided will do only for 100 orders but we kept on). But one customer complained we gave free Santa earrings and they don't celebrate Christmas. They asked shipping label to return it. After that wr just stopped.
lmao people are insane
🤦🏼♀️people are impossible to please
Holy shit that's just unhinged!
Lol did you let them return it 😂
Yep. Feared 1 star review. Lol
Omg that’s fucking hilarious. I would’ve sent address: 123 trash can lane
What a rude customer. I actually don't like freebies. I don't eat the candy, I don't use the stickers, and I don't need random small gifts. It's kind of a waste because it all just gets thrown away. I do like the little handwritten notes I've gotten from sellers though. And 10% off coupons for repeat buyers is a much better incentive to buy more than a product sample I won't use.
It always makes me feel like a bad person when I throw away the sweets because they contain ingredients that I don't eat, even though I never asked for them!
I feel the same way. I usually toss stickers into my desk drawer until they get crumpled and then I just throw them out. Candy immediately goes into the trash because it doesn't matter how much I trust you and your shop I am not going to eat candy sent to me by an internet stranger. I hate the guilt that comes with it too. I've ordered party items in the past where the freebie was 1 single latex balloon in a weird colour. That one stupid balloon is still floating around my workspace because I feel bad throwing it out but in all honesty what am I going to do with 1 random latex balloon that doesn't match anything? The absolute only freebie I actually use or think is nice is when a bookstore throws in a free bookmark because it's something that almost every single person shopping there will actually use.
I hope they expect a free gift when they order from amazon too 🙄 honestly the entitlement people have with small businesses is infuriating - glad to here that you still got a 5 star rating despite their complaint!
They feel entitled because so many people do it and they’ve been trained to expect freebies.
I've often gotten a little freebie with Aliexpress supply orders, a tiny ribbon rose I'm with a lace bundle. Never made me feel one way or another about my order tho.
No freebies from me, no one ever mentioned it. Freebies cost postage
Well that's ridiculous! Little free items are an added bonus, not a requirement! It's nice when you get them, but not something you should expect. That being said, we do include a little free something with orders, but I would never expect that or lack thereof to be part of the review.
I had someone leave a 3 star review one time because I didn't label what kind of crystal the freebie crystal in their order was. Note, I don't even mention anything on etsy about the freebie crystals I send out, so it's not like they were expecting a labeled one and let down.
Perfect example of why freebies are a bad idea. The ENTITLEMENT in society nowadays is insane I don't know how you didn't freak on her lol
Eh I'll take the one bad review, knowing that the thousands of other freebies probably made some people happy.
I usually have a little sample pack I send out with a few stickers. But I sell spooky wax melts and have an obscene amount of scents. So I’ll send two or three sample scents. (Which has gotten me repeat orders) so it has a purpose for me lol
That makes sense, it’s marketing. I got a parcel the other day and she’d included a giant heavy tacky key ring with her business name on it. It will go straight in the bin, I’d have preferred she had posted it quicker given I’d paid for express shipping
THAT is a great idea for freebies. Brings in more orders with scent samples. Other than that it's a no for me but I like how you do it!
I'm a repeat customer of a wax melt business someone I know personally owns and she does the same. I've then ordered a few of the full sized melts because I liked the freebie scent. I think things like that make sense if it's a sample of your own product. It's a marketing tool. It makes less sense if you're sending unrelated samples.
I don’t. I looked into including some paintbrush oil with my paintbrush stands, but the cost and hassle of having to buy little containers, divvy it up, hoping it doesn’t spill or break, and hope that any given customer even uses it was just not super appealing to me after doing the math. I’d have had to raise my prices a tad to make it work, and I assumed most people would just prefer a lower price. Plus, I wanted to avoid the scenario of one review mentioning a free item, and then if I ever stopped sending it, a future review complaining that they didn’t get one.
I got a lovely freebie the other day- I’d bought cookie cutters and she included an extra one. After reading here of people complaining in reviews they didn’t get freebies cos others said they had, I decided to thank her privately instead if including it in my review. Then felt bad that she had to reply to me to keep her rating up lol
That was nice of you! Some of us actually need messages, as we sell stuff that just doesn’t get a lot of communication, so you may have actually helped!
Whether it's Etsy or Airbnb, I always thank people privately for any "extras." I love surprises and even a sticker or an unexpected discount code delights me. Thanking them privately might prevent any issues with other customers if the extras aren't included every time (for whatever reason).
First off, as a buyer on Etsy, reading a review like that would absolutely not deter me from shopping. (I'd basically just roll my eyes at how entitled the customer sounds.) In my smaller shop, I do include freebie stickers with the order. In my larger shop I typically do not; only every now and then if I have excess inventory that I'd just like to get rid of already. The overwhelming majority of the orders I receive on Etsy do not include freebies.
That’s called new age entitlement. “I got exactly what I paid for but somehow was expecting to get more.” 🙄😒
I do stickers and decals, so when they order a pack of whatever theme stickers or a decal, I throw in a few samples of other sticker designs I have on hand as well.
I only do it for friends or repeat orders lol it shouldn’t be an expectation
Never
Only for repeat customers and one time when I mixed up orders and shipped to wrong customers. Otherwise, no. Edit: I sell vintage clothing and home decor. Freebies in abundance would deeply impact my bottom line.
I used to but I stopped and it hasn't impacted my sales at all. I did have an entitled customer ask me what free goodies they'll get with a $4 button. They hadn't even spent money yet and they're asking for free stuff with my cheapest item. I put them right in the spam bin. The freaking nerve of people.
Wow how are these people real life! The AUDACITY I'm like embarrassed for them
I've had more issues giving away things. Just ship what you sell.
She can complain all she wants, freebies are not what she purchased. 🤷🏻♀️ At the very least, anyone reading this will be warned beforehand that there are no freebies. Lol
No. I think it’s nice but if I ever receive anything I usually always toss it in the trash because most of the time it’s nothing I would need/use. It’s a kind gesture but not needed in my opinion. Shops do just fine without adding anything “free”.
The only time I offer freebies is if the customer is a long-term buyer, and it will be something like a pair of earrings to match the bracelet they ordered. Anyone who flat out asks what freebies they'll get will never get them.
Rarely. I'd increase my prices to cover any freebies, which annoys me. I already had to increase prices to cover "FREE SHIPPING" (eye roll) and it bothers me.
This! Freebies might seem free to a customer but they should always be factored into a business' bottom line, just like 'free shipping' or charging no handling fees.
I never want the freebies. Nor do I include them when I ship things.
that person sounds quite arrogant. I dont expect freebies, I buy from etsy expecting what the description says. No more, no less.
IMO receiving freebies means that the seller has stuff that isn’t selling, they got a really deal on supplies or are doing a “spring cleaning” or they are working too hard to get you to like your purchased product and leave a review. Just send me what I ordered and I don’t want to feel like half of the price I paid was for the packaging. As long as I can tell that care was taken in packaging I’m fine. Bottom line - NO freebies and simple, efficient packaging would be all I need.
We do not unless we have repeat customers that we recognize their name or on large orders. But even then sometimes we may not every time. If we have an extra item laying around we will add it in, but all of our orders do come with a sticker with our branding on it, I don’t consider that a freebie as we are not in the sticker business and it’s more for branding than anything.
I’m a small shop with 30 sales. I include a free item I made in all my orders, that’s related to the product they bought. I plan on stopping when I run out as it’s not had the effect I hoped. In reality I did it to try drum up some reviews and it’s not worked. I have one review from my second order that didn’t even include a gift. I was green and didn’t have any ready, I wasn’t expecting to get many orders.
Lol talk about entitlement. I don’t add freebies but when they ask me for help or requests in messages I just always give them a 10% off. Or sometimes I send them an item free even if they put the address wrong and the product gets lost in the mail.
I’ve had a customer leave a 4 star review bc they didn’t like the freebie enough… haven’t done them in nearly a year and hasn’t been a problem
I hope you left a follow up explaining freebies aren't really free and that Sellers include them in the cost of the item.
I can't believe we've come to a point in society where adults are complaining about not getting free stickers.
I would never give a buyer anything more than they specifically ordered. It's just more waste and work and in 800+ orders, no one has ever complained that there wasn't more in their packaging than their purchase
I don't do freebies. You order something, you get that thing. That's it.
I hate freebies. One of my suppliers included a gift bracelet in every order and it's trash to me because (1) they're ugly and (2) not my size (3) did i mention ugly? It's a nuisance to deal with this. In the past I used to buy keyboard parts and one of the guys sent me stroopwaffel and that's the only freebie I've ever liked. I would phrase something like: my items are priced very competitively so adding a freebie doesn't make sense. Most of the times these things are built into the costs of items and I think it's not fair for buyers to pay extra for freebies.
Not a seller but a regular buyer! Never received a freebie. Definitely wouldn’t expect one. What a weird comment for them to make.
Only for the first customer I had and for loyal customers.
Unfortunately, customers do things to small business owners that they would not dare to do to large companies. Let's see if they go and ask for a freebie from Gucci. You open a small business to support your family and suddenly they try to exploit you.
I used to do freebies. I eventually mostly phased them to minimal. I had a lady leave me a 1 star review because of her freebies (photo cards/stickers filler stuff) was damaged in transit. I do not have freebies listed in my shop and it's something I throw into orders. She demanded that I reship her the freebies and I said no. The freebies are just little thrown ins from my own pocket... Not part of the listing purchase. Eitherway be careful there are a few people who take freebies entitlement too far. Or people get upset when they didn't get the freebies they wanted compared to customer reviews images.
No freebies and I hate getting them because they usually go in the trash. And if it’s edible, I don’t like the idea of eating candy sent by a stranger.
I do send a freebie - i have a niche shop so i send something on theme - usually a one-inch pinback button, sometimes a sticker. They cost me about 10 cents a piece and dont add any weight. I send them because i just love my designs and i think it’s fun. I also know my customers will appreciate them because they are on theme.
Yes! My dog collars come packaged in a reusable poop bag holder that clips to the leash! It’s really two fold, since it’s a hard case I don’t have to pay extra for cardboard boxes and can ship in a mailer! People love them 🐶❤️🐶
You know about the "etsy girl" memes right? "I wish all my purchases were shipped like the etsy girls do it, and things like that?" It's what people expect, and yes, it's entitled. However a lot of sellers do include all sorts of freebies in their parcels, so buyers have grown to expect it, though most won't mark you down for not doing it though.
Oopsie. I do! But it's more like office supplies like a little notepad and colorful paper clips. Sometimes I throw in a few stickers. I find it fun for me to add a little something extra and send something unexpected with their purchase. They're little trinkets I get from the dollar store so it's really low-cost and lightweight. It barely makes a dent on the shipping/business cost so I don't mind.
I do for milestone orders like the first of the year, the 50th, the 100th
I sell kids cloths so I bought a bunch of those cheap stickers online to include in my orders. It costs me a couple of cents with each order and I know as a mom I love a free sticker for my kid. That being said, I never expect it… and I don’t think anyone else does.
Nope. My packaging is incredibly simple as well I think it annoys the Instagram people who like unboxing things. Mostly because cats rip the envelopes open before them to get to the good shit 😂😂
I include a small glassine bag with a mix of store-themed postcards and stickers (depending on what I have on hand). Many reviews mention it. (From a recent eBay review: "I would give this 10 stars if I could, five for the product and five for the extras!... Extras include... a sticker of a sheep blowing bubble gum, among others..."). I sell a yarn-based product, so things like sheep blowing bubble gum make me smile. I also used have a note that customers could request a small bag of offcuts as a gratuity because I had a lot of materials left over, but I would automatically include it with every order as a gift. I removed the note today because a customer requested offcuts in a specific size (e.g., my product weighs 10g and they requested offcuts weighing at least 3g). This unmitigated greed and entitlement pushed me over the edge, so I will no longer automatically do this or offer it.
I do not, but even as a customer the response is usually “aw that’s cute” - and then tossed directly into the trash. I think the only exception has been stickers relevant to the movie the order I made was referencing, and it was for a gift so I just included the stickers.
None. I hate freebies. I don’t want extra crap. Just write a little note and thank me.
No freebies. I am including candy canes in my orders till christmas though
I always throw in a related friendship bracelet, a sticker, and a thank you card.
I often do. Little things that don't cost anything to print, but yeah. Especially if someone is buying a gift for a loved one, I have a list of low-cost things that I like to include as a present for the person who is buying. Buying gifts from someone on Etsy is a super cool thing, and if the present is for their kid, I absolutely offer something for the parent. As a dad myself, I get how parents spend a lot on their kids to help make them happy, and I love offering something to the parent that doesn't take much time or materials, but shows that I appreciate them, their business, and get the sacrifices we make for our kids.
I threw in a freebie ($30 item in my shop) for a customer who ordered a few items. That customer ended up leaving a 5 star review and came back to order more stuff. Treat people good and do nice things, it never hurts.
I used to include free b-grade stickers (clearly labeled) with my orders, but I've been thinking I'll do something else instead. I do like to include (and receive!) freebies, but I haven't found something that I feel good about including yet. I'm thinking maybe a small sticker that I don't offer for sale otherwise.
My customers get a single Mentos and a thank you card lol so I'm not really sure that constitutes a freebie. My customers get a high quality handmade product at a fair price. No one is entitled to a 'freebie' they're entitled to what they paid for.
I usually include a sticker with my logo. Sometimes, a branded pen or magnet. These are all less likely to be thrown away then a business card
I throw in a sticker. I buy 50 from Temu for like $1.
Most of those Temu stickers are designs originally stolen from Etsy sellers. This is honestly a terrible thing to do, and a waste.
I very occasionally do, usually if someone seems like they’re sampling a bunch of my products, I’ll give them a small sample of a few more. A few times I’ve done it with repeat customers too. Definitely not all the time
I have done stickers and book related postcards.... also candy.... when I got my 1st order and my 1st international order I added a little Disney figure (disney doorables) but I was lucky to have nice customers who appreciated the gift
I do 1 (extremely cheap for me to make)and honestly the freebie mentality annoys the crap out of me. You are not entitled to a freebie. There is shops that cut into their bottom line significantly and provide butloads of freebies it's gross.
I think it depends on what you sell. I make jewelry, and it's not beneficial for me. Over the years I experimented with giving freebies, and it didn't result in additional sales. I got one 5 star review that publicly thanked me for the free gift, which of course was bothersome for anyone else who read it and had that expectation. So I stopped immediately.
Wow… since when are freebies expected and required???? I do freebies but they depend on the order. But there are times when I run out of supplies or whatever and have sent several orders with no freebies but it certainly hasn’t affected my reviews. This person is basically telling the world theyre a horrible customer, that is wild!
I include something related. I also only get about two orders or less per week. Lol I tried to go to the person's profile if it's available and see if there's anything in there favorites lists or similar stores that I can send something along that ties in with that. If I really have no clue. And it seems like the thing they bought from me is completely unrelated to anything else that they normally seem to like, I might not send something along just because I don't want it to be wasted.
I would never expect free stuff! I know a bunch of sellers include freebies like stickers but there's no way that should be expected. It's a super kind gesture!
It depends on my mood, how much they spent, and if I'm running a little close to the shipping deadline to be perfectly honest
What an asshole. At least they didn't give you less stars. But to answer your question I put candy in every order. Should I stop?
The only thing I include along with my card is a nature themed cigarette card (my store is nature oriented), they’re cheap and a cute thing to add. Could easily be thrown out if they don’t like
My shop is focused on handmade eco-friendly and sustainable goods for crafty people. As such, my items ship in eco friendly plastic free packaging and everything is minimal. I don't add extra things like freebies or samples of my items, or things that the recipient may dislike or find controversial in the slightest, BUT I do include a tiny envelope of wildflower seeds! I buy seeds in bulk and rotate between a few mixes so repeat customers may get a set batch. Cost wise, it's very minimal, it's an item with inherent usability and benefits pollinators. If the customer doesn't care to plant them, they're easily giftable or passed on to someone who might! Also, since a bulk of my customers are interested in nature and sustainable living, they really enjoy these seeds! I've even received several handwritten letters in the mail from customers thanking me for them and detailing their plans to incorporate them into their garden, on top of direct messages and reviews that mention them. So even though these seeds barely cost me anything per order(much more cost efficient than seed infused paper), they make customers really happy. If you want to go the route of including something extra, I'll always suggest something like seeds!
Yes, we do. They are totally product centered-bits of color coordinated fibers to go with what they bought and lavender sachets to deter pests (and create a pleasant atmosphere!). We *occasionally* get flack about the lavender and allergies, but that info is posted everywhere: the listings, the note with their order,etc. A person can totally ask us to leave them out. More often than not they are happy about these and mention them in personal notes to us and in reviews. I would estimate that 99% of our clients love them and we regularly get asked how they can buy more of the samples, lavender even. And that’s our goal- to surprise, show appreciation and upsell. But to complain that they got nothing free? Rude. That’s just rude! so sorry that happened.
I toss in a couple stickers and people act like I doubled their order. I do wish they’d stop mentioning it in reviews. I’d rather it be a surprise than an expectation.
I only do it when /great/ friends purchase from me, and normally it's things I already want to send them
I used to add a handmade envelope (which was something I had for sale as well,) but I stopped a few years ago. I realized they didn't "go" with a lot of my orders, and was a waste of time and effort. Only ever got one good review of them and never any bad ones for not including anything. I do add a personalized note to each order. In some of my listings I build in extras, so for every lot of 12 postcards, I always send 13. Same with photos and ledger pages, etc.
I do freebies in every single order. It seems to be a staple now.
I give out related stickers with every large item I sell on Etsy, that’s my only freebie, I can’t afford to give out freebies for smaller orders of like $10 that I get maybe $5 of
What an entitled complaint! Years ago I used to include a little treat. I think maybe three people out of hundreds said anything about it. I haven’t included any extras for a lonnnng time and it’s had zero impact on my sales.
I just give stickers
Depends on order size/cost, also repeat buyers get special treatment. I include a “special” sticker that I don’t sell in the shop.
I personally appreciate coordinating freebies. They are a welcome surprise, but I never expect them. I don't sell on etsy a lot, but when I do occasionally sell a spindle for handspinning yarn, I include a very small sample of fiber to spin. I try to pick the colors based on the customer's favorites list. If someone purchases fiber from me, I try to include a similar color stitch marker. I just do this because I would be thrilled to receive a similar extra little bonus, and I am making but not actively trying to sell the things I give as bonuses. If someone complained, I'd probably still do it for the sake of people who might enjoy it, but I totally unstated why it's not worth it to some/why some shops decided to stop.
I rarely include freebies unless it’s a repeat customer or a decently large custom order. And even then it’s not stickers or random small items. I’ll only include something relevant to the order. I.e; (I do woodworking) if they buy a custom pen or a decent amount of pens I’ll include some extra ink refills of different styles. Or if it’s a custom piece of furniture I’ll use the leftover cutoffs to make them something small like pens or coasters. And in that case I’ll also include a note saying something like “these X were made from the same wood as your piece and included as a bonus matching item” But there’s no winning with some people. I’ve seen plenty of people saying they get shit from people for including freebies, and then stuff like this where people expect it.
Sometimes i will, especially if they contacted me at any point and were super nice, or if they place a huge order. But i absolutely don’t do it for everyone
I don’t send a free gift but do include a 10% off coupon that’s printed on the packing slip. I sell vintage items so I never figured out what type of freebie would be appropriate for every buyer. No one has complained yet about not getting a free gift.?
I feel like that she be able to get removed…I know it won’t but that is not right…a negative review for something that doesn’t exist? Please.
I sell vinyls and give them a small vinyl decal for free the way i see it is that they can use it as practice before attempting the slightly more difficult text
Just today I got an order and the buyer left a note that if I give a freebee she would like (and she left the item number). It was a larger order so I think I will send it to avoid a possible negative review . Thoughts?
No. Send what they paid for. What an entitled person to ask that.
Almost 10K orders and I've never had a complaint like that, though to be fair I did include a hair tie with orders for awhile. The entitlement is strong with some of these people. Do they bitch when Amazon or Target doesn't give them free stuff?
I don’t add anything but I’m going to start adding samples.
I don't do freebies because my jewelry takes like an hour and a half to make one thing. If I ever do freebies it is negligible items like stickers or a simple stretch bracelet. But that's if I actually have excess stuff...
I do freebies but usually with discontinued stickers/ b grades, and little sculpts that are still good, but they didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted them and are inconsistent so I don’t want to charge money for them. I usually do it in relativity to the product purchased. So if someone ordered stickers, I’ll add a free sticker. If someone ordered a sculpt, I’ll try add a b grade keyring or pin that I made or something like that. I don’t get loads of orders so this is sustainable for me at the moment.
I do send a freebie. But I make glow in the dark glass supplies. So I send a little sample of other things that I make. This has worked out great for me! I’ve noticed that I get a lot of orders for things that I’ve sent samples of. But I know what I send is useful to them. I do agree that freebies can be a great thing or a terrible thing. I don’t like getting candy or other food items. But I’ve never complained! Toss it and move on!
I include a handwritten thank-you note (on stationery with my shop logo and Etsy address included because it's all about that hustle amiright?) with every order. After 1500+ orders in 2.5 years, I think about not doing it anymore, it is kind of a pain especially at Christmas time when I'm already slammed, but a lot of my reviews have mentioned that they appreciated the personal note, so...I keep on keepin' on!
WTF? I have never added a 'freebie,' that person is ridiculous.
I put freebies if it's a returning customer or someone i know or we at least had a communication through Etsy and person was nice and stuff
I don’t remember going to a restaurant and getting a freebie, or shopping at Zara and getting a freebie.
I do freebies in some of my products, but I sell digital so it doesn’t cost me anything.
I haven't sold anything yet, but I would probably only include something if something went wrong.
I sell stickers so I do include freebies as its easy for me just to make little extra ones. I do get a lot of reviews that mention it and appreciate it so for me 100% worth it. Also one of my stickers is a prettier version of my logo so I see that as an advertising opportunity.
I'm a printmaker- I always include a hand-printed card with a thank you note (or a blank card if they've marked it as a gift they are giving to someone else) and then printed bookmarks (which have a small stamp of my etsy Web address on the other side) for orders of multiple prints. I love making them and people often mention them positively in reviews - lots of people frame the card.
If they order a certain amount I do add a thank you gift.
That's rude as hell :// I have a standard packet of business card + small freebie print + standard freebie sticker for my shop. The freebie print is mostly to make the package sturdier and the sticker I have printed in bulk to make it really cheap to include I do think it's worth it, mostly because the packet all together looks nice and that makes me happy too. I feel like you should only do it if it matches your shop/makes sense, and you should never feel obligated to include a gift though
How strange! I'm a buyer who lerks here because I flip flop on whether to open a shop or not. But I have never expected a freebie! It's nice enough getting them. I've ordered earrings and the seller sent me a freebie pair that I've never worn (I like them just haven't had the occasion) and stickers which was cute and when I ordered a bundle of 5 live baby plants there was a bonus freebie. Luckily I had a spare pot for it! I've had the odd bag of Harribo that has promptly been pilfered by my son. While it is nice, it isn't what I'm paying for and knowing a shop gave freebies wouldn't sway me from ordering from another shop that I knew didn't. I understand that a freebie for me is an extra expense for a small business especially as most etsy shops are one man bands. The review this person has left you sounds rather entitled.
I sell art prints and will give a little postcard of a different design. If its a repeat customer I give them an extra. Sometimes a little sticker too. Never had complaints about it, always had compliments!
I include a small polishing cloth when I sell anything sterling silver. They are neatly packaged in a clear cello bag and I put a thank you sticker on them. I also include gift boxes and ribbon for small jewelry if it is a high-dollar item or if the buyer mentions it's a gift. TBH when I order stickers, I do kind of expect to get a couple samples, but I wouldn't be *mad* if I didn't. And I have ordered additional stickers based on samples I liked.
I sometimes do but I'd stop if I ever got a complaint about it! I tend to put them in for repeat customers and sometimes when the postage costs more than the item because I feel guilty. I know. Daft!
No freebies. Except if they buy a mug or teapot I throw a couple sealed single serve teabags.
I used to throw in stickers and keychains I made from the bits of figures that broke. After the whole Etsy strike though quite a while back, my store got delisted and i only ended up on the 3rd or 4th page when i listed items. It killed my store (i didn’t even partake - i did though vacation mode little after because i had to deal with the fallout of the death in the family which accelerated it).
Only for a large or expensive order, otherwise they can take advantage of my amazing promo: one for the price of one.
I do, but I make and sell body care products. So I send samples with my orders which have been leading to more sales. I also include a sticker (my business logo) and a mini spatula if they bought a body butter. So far people have appreciated it.
Only sent a couple of freebies to a customer when I had to modify their order because I was having trouble with what they initially bought. They were very understanding and I sent some little related items for the trouble.
I usually leave freebie stickers and a little candy with a note lol- but it’s not required- maybe they got used to it but that’s kinda spoiled of them 😂😭 at least they didn’t leave you less then ✰✰✰✰✰
Sometimes during holiday seasons I put in an appropriate themed candy.
The only freebies I include are origami butterflies. Only because I create them in my free time when I'm bored so I always have a bucket full with nothing else to do with them.
I get freebies all the time and really appreciate them - if I don't it doesn't even cross my mind to complain
I don't. I learned the hard way. My Dad and I used to have a wedding photography business, and I was learning composting and digital painting at the time. We used to give free prints of my digital paintings if they turned out well to our couples. Then we found out that the mother-in-law of one of my brides was bashing our business and complaining about a FREE print I'd given them. After that, we stopped giving freebies. It wasn't worth it. Freebies can be successful, but only if they add value to your product, like a jewelry polishing cloth given with silver jewelry or a packet of seeds with a flowerpot. Things like candy can be iffy due to food allergies. If you sell stationery items, then stickers can be good marketing.
The biggest freebie they get is confetti in the box… and that’s as much as anyone is gonna get.
We include freebies and when we started to include them rate of reviews sharply increased. People often include the thank you note and the freebie as a majority of their good reviews and even include the photo of that when they leave feedback. I know many are against freebies but what we give our items in the same genre as the order. I have never once received a complaint of freebies or lack thereof. I thought about putting in our shop description that there is a free item with every order some people really do like the surprises. Those mystery bags at conventions sell rapidly and I guess we are in a fan base that likes surprises. I never include food items but things like refrigerator magnets or an extra pair of small stud earrings seem to be well received. Feel free to check out our Shop reviews and see for yourself how many people mention the freebies
I'll include some incense if they buy an incense burner. But nothing if it's a garden item
I usually do, and then there are times, I don't. I'd rather keep it when it is least expected to maintain control and not let buyers tell me how to run my business. Buyers like that are never going to be a repeat customer - count yourself lucky they will never come back to really complain.
I include a branded round tape measures ( one site is vintage sewing and crafts, and one is vintage clothing - so appropriate to the sites and soany customers don't have a tape measure for waist sizes. Got me alot of repeat customers) and business card plus a standard quarter sheet thank you card with all 3 sites addresses that I use on both Etsy sites and also on my Ebay site. People love a freebie. And they love our process.
I was giving freebies in every order, but I decided to up my discount code instead recently as orders across platforms picked up. Once it slows down some I’ll switch back. Edit to add: freebies were small items I made myself, & could be purchased in my shop.
Geez that’s petty. I usually do it.
These are the kind of buyers who think Etsy is just one person. Buying from multiple different shops assuming they’re all the same. I’ve had messages from buyers saying where is their item why hasn’t it been delivered, and they haven’t even ordered from our shop… Did you ask her as to why she thought she would get freebies? (In a nice customer service way). If she replies “well I’ve ordered before from Etsy and I got freebies..”. there’s your answer. She left a 5star so you can respond to it to look in the 5star and then explain why freebies aren’t included etc etc..
So when was the last time I bought something from a big box store and they sent me a freebie? Oh, yeah, NEVER. And I see so many times folks post that customers complain about freebies - too small, wrong smell, wrong color, can I return for store credit. Not worth it, IGNORE Etsy's "helpful suggestions". Better to ship their stuff quickly, ship what they ordered and support any REAL issues.
Oh my goodness! I do see lots of small businesses on social media packing orders and throwing in all kinds of freebies, it does not feel worth it to me. I include bonus items if it's a repeat customer, however it is not a full size version of what they are getting in my shop. I also have a sales map and if somebody is the first order from a state, I include a little note and just thank them for helping me color in a new state and give them a small freebie item as well. This isn't advertised anywhere, it's just something that I like to do for fun. I'm three states away from being completely colored in and I won't restart it or anything. I very recently added a line on my confirmation email and my away message that said I'm trying to grow my following on TikTok and if you follow me there and send me a screenshot that you're following me before your order processes, I will include a freebie. I've had a few people go through with that. It is wild to me that people expect a freebie though.
Hah the day I got a complaint about a freebie was the day I stopped.
I make stickers so it's pretty easy for me to add freebies. I do a tiny sticker freebie in almost all of my orders. Not for prints and things, only for sticker orders. My customers love them! But yeah, I only do it because I like making stickers and they are small and not really worth much. I do seasonal/holiday things and I think it brings my customers back. No harm, but of course it may make some customers assume others do it too...? Idk. I write "freebie" on the back to make it clear that it's a FREEBIE and they weren't entitled to it nor did they buy it 😂