What should I do if Etsy postcard orders are taking weeks to arrive?

Hi! For stamped, untracked postcard envelopes, “weeks to arrive” is unfortunately still within the range of normal USPS delays sometimes—so I’d treat it as delayed first, and only switch to lost after a clear waiting window. I wouldn’t proactively offer a discount for a mail delay; instead, have a simple, consistent “delay → replace/refund” process so buyers feel taken care of.

Here’s a process that works well for Etsy postcard/letter mail:

1) Do a quick check as soon as they message
Ask the buyer to confirm:

• Their shipping address is correct on the Etsy order
• They’ve checked mailbox/parcel locker, household members, and (if applicable) a mailroom/front desk

2) Set a clear “delayed vs lost” timeline (domestic US)
Since postcards/letters don’t have real USPS Tracking when mailed with a stamp, you’re basically choosing a customer-service cutoff. A common, fair approach is:

• Still “in transit” until ~14 business days after you marked it shipped
• Consider “likely lost” at ~21 business days after shipped (especially if it’s only a few states away)

At that “likely lost” point, most postcard sellers either resend once or refund (your choice), because you don’t have a carrier scan to rely on.

3) Replacement vs refund (what I’d do for low-cost postcards)

• Offer the buyer a choice: free replacement or refund
• If you want to protect yourself from repeat “non-received” claims, you can make it your policy that you’ll do one free replacement per order, then refund after that (or require an upgrade to tracked shipping for a second send)

4) Where Etsy Purchase Protection fits
If you ship with an Etsy label that includes Etsy’s tracking/scan coverage (instead of a stamp), you’re usually in a much better position if a buyer opens a “not received” case—Etsy may cover eligible orders under their Purchase Protection rules. With a plain stamped envelope (no tracking), you’ll typically be handling it yourself as a customer-service decision.

5) How to reduce this going forward (without killing your conversion rate)

• Add an optional upgrade at checkout: tracked shipping (USPS Ground Advantage package, or whatever you use for tracking)
• In your Etsy listing + message to buyer, set expectations like: “Standard letter mail isn’t tracked and can take longer during postal delays.”
• Consider using Etsy’s letter-rate option (if available for your format) so the order shows trackable progress inside Etsy

If you tell me roughly how long these “weeks” have been (like 10 days vs 25 days) and whether you’re using stamps or Etsy labels, I can suggest the cleanest cutoff message to send buyers and a policy that won’t hurt your reviews.