Why is an Etsy buyer seeing an old listing description after I updated it?

Hi! Yes, a buyer can end up seeing (or at least referencing) an “older” turnaround even when your Etsy listing description is updated now — and the most common reason isn’t Etsy showing random cached pages, it’s that Etsy effectively “locks in” the order’s expectations (processing/ship-by timing) based on what was set at the time of purchase, not whatever you edit afterward.

A few things that commonly explain what happened:

• They didn’t actually get the timing from the description. Most buyers look at the estimated delivery / ship-by info Etsy shows (Shipping & policies area and checkout), not your written description. That info comes from your processing time/processing profile + shipping settings, and it’s tied to the order.
• Buyers often view a receipt/order page version. When a buyer clicks into their order, they’re looking at the order’s details as purchased. If your processing time was shorter when they bought, they’ll understandably think that’s what applies (even if you updated the live listing later).
• Favorites/saved tabs are real. If they favorited it weeks ago or had the page open, they may be going off memory or an old view and not re-reading carefully before checkout.

What I’d do next (quick and practical):

1. Check the actual order’s “Ship by” date in your Orders screen. That’s the date Etsy is holding you to for on-time shipping (and what the buyer is likely expecting).
2. If you truly need longer for this order, use Etsy’s “Update ship by date” on the order (you can only do it once, and you should message the buyer in that same flow so it’s documented in Etsy).
3. For the future, make sure your processing time setting (not just the listing description) matches your holiday turnaround. The processing time is what drives the ship-by/estimated delivery Etsy shows buyers during checkout.

If you tell me whether your processing time was updated in the listing/shipping profile before this buyer purchased (and what the order’s ship-by date shows), I can help you word a reply to the buyer that’s firm but friendly.