What should I do on Etsy if a USPS First Class Letter shows delivered but the buyer didn’t receive it?

Hi! If an Etsy order sent as a USPS First Class Letter shows “delivered” but the buyer can’t find it, the best move is usually: ask them to do a quick “delivered-but-missing” checklist and wait a short window (because letter mail scans can be early or mis-scanned), then decide whether you’ll replace/refund as a customer-service choice—especially since letter mail isn’t truly trackable like a package.

Here’s a simple, seller-friendly way to handle it:

1) First response (same day): ask them to check + wait a bit
Have the buyer:

• Confirm the shipping address on the Etsy receipt is correct (including apartment/unit, mailbox name, etc.)
• Check mailbox/slot, parcel locker, building office, and with household members/neighbors
• Wait 2–3 business days after the “delivered” mark (it’s not uncommon for delivery status to be ahead of actual arrival)

2) If it’s still missing after the wait
Ask them to contact (or you can suggest they contact) their local USPS post office and say it was “marked delivered but not received.” With packages, USPS can sometimes provide GPS info; with letter mail they usually can’t do as much—but it’s still worth trying, especially in apartments.

3) Then choose your shop policy outcome
Because this is a low-cost item and letter mail is higher-risk, pick a policy you can apply consistently:

• Replacement (common for low-cost items): Reship once as a courtesy, and let them know future orders can be upgraded to a tracked shipping option.
• Refund: If the buyer is uncomfortable waiting or you’d rather not reship.
• “One-time courtesy, then tracked only” rule: Many shops will replace once for letter-mail orders, but after that they require an upgrade to tracked shipping for future orders (or they only replace if the buyer pays the upgrade).

Whichever you pick, spell it out kindly and keep it consistent so you don’t end up debating each case.

How Etsy usually handles cases when it says “delivered” (especially with letter mail)

• Etsy Purchase Protection generally relies on you having valid tracking and/or an Etsy-purchased shipping label, plus meeting other eligibility requirements (on-time shipping, estimated delivery dates, etc.).
• In practice, when tracking shows “delivered,” Etsy may treat the order as delivered in a non-delivery dispute. With letter-mail style tracking (or “delivery confirmation” that isn’t true door-to-door tracking), that can be frustrating—so don’t assume Etsy will automatically refund/cover it.
• If you mailed it with a stamp and no tracking / no Etsy label, that typically leaves you with less protection in a case, and Etsy may expect you to resolve it directly.

If you tell me which method you used (Etsy letter label vs stamp, and whether Etsy shows a tracking number), I can suggest the safest exact wording to send the buyer and what outcome is most likely if they open a case.