What should I do if an Etsy buyer claims their replacement order never arrived?

Hi! The cleanest way to handle this is: stop promising more reships in Messages, switch to a “process” (confirm address → carrier investigation → Etsy “Help with order”/case if it qualifies), and only offer one resolution going forward (either one replacement or a refund) once the carrier outcome is clear. For the review, keep your public response short and neutral—acknowledge the issue, say you’ve asked them to contact you so you can investigate with the carrier, and avoid debating details or implying they’re lying.

A few important review-response realities (so you don’t accidentally box yourself in):

• Once you post a public response, the buyer typically can’t edit their review anymore—so if you think there’s any chance they’ll change it after you resolve the delivery issue, you may want to wait a bit before responding.
• Never mention “scam,” “fraud,” or anything that sounds accusatory in a review reply. Future shoppers read it as drama, even if you’re right.

If you DO want to respond now, here’s a solid, professional template (public response)
You can tweak the wording to match your shop voice:

“Thanks for your feedback. I’m sorry your order and replacement haven’t arrived as expected. I’ve messaged you to confirm the delivery address and to start a carrier investigation. Please reply to my Etsy message so I can help get this resolved as quickly as possible.”

That’s it—no policy talk, no blame, no long explanation.

Then, send a clear boundary in a PRIVATE Etsy Message (this is where you set limits)
Here’s a template that stays firm but professional:

“Hi [Name] — I’m really sorry this has been such a frustrating experience. To get this sorted, could you please confirm that the shipping address on the Etsy order is correct (exactly as shown at checkout)? Also, have you been able to check with household members/neighbors/building office, and around the delivery area?

I’ve started a carrier inquiry on my side. Because I’ve already sent one replacement, I’m not able to keep reshipping the same order multiple times. Once we have the carrier outcome, I can offer one of the following next steps: (1) a refund (if the shipment is confirmed lost / qualifies), or (2) replacement only if the carrier returns the package to me.

If you’d like Etsy to review the non-delivery as well, you can open a ‘Help with order’ request from your Purchases page so everything is documented in the official flow.”

What to do on your side (so you’re protected and consistent)

• Keep everything on-Etsy: Make sure both shipments are marked shipped on the order(s) with tracking uploaded (or whatever proof of shipment you have if tracking wasn’t available).
• Verify the address is exactly what was on the Etsy receipt. Don’t ship to a “new address” provided in Messages unless you fully trust it and you’re comfortable taking on that risk.
• Open a carrier search/claim (missing mail search, investigation, etc.). If you bought the label through Etsy, also follow the steps available through Etsy’s shipping flow where applicable.
• Decide your shop rule for the future: Many sellers adopt “one replacement max” OR “refund instead of reship after the first loss.” Put it in your shop policies/FAQ so you can point to it calmly next time.

One last tip: if the buyer is being cooperative in Messages, I’d usually hold off on a public response for a few days while the carrier investigation runs—because a resolved situation sometimes turns into an updated review. If they’re unresponsive or hostile, a short neutral public reply (like the template above) is the best “set the tone for future shoppers” move without escalating.