When can a buyer open a case on Etsy?
Not before the order’s estimated delivery date has passed and 48 hours after the buyer’s Help with order message — and not later than 30 days from the estimated delivery date. Enter your order’s dates to see the days that matter, worked out with Etsy’s own rules. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Etsy: “If it is still too early for you to open a case, a callout displaying the date and time you can start the case process will be shown in the Still need help? section of your Help with order request.” Dates here are calendar days in your own time zone; the 48 hours run from the moment the message was sent.
Next: will Etsy cover the refund? · which fees come back on a refund
Etsy’s dates settle when a case can open. Before your next listing goes live, Growtsy reads live Etsy market data and tells you whether the product is worth making.
Check a product idea free →When a case can be opened, in Etsy’s words
If the order’s maximum estimated delivery date has passed, and you contacted the seller more than 48 hours ago, you can select Open a case.
If a buyer has reached out to the seller by selecting Help with Order within the Purchases and Reviews section of their account, and hasn’t heard back within 48 hours, or if the seller is unable to resolve the issue within 48 hours, buyers can open what’s known as a “case.”
For physical items and digital items ready for immediate download, both of the following conditions must be met before you can open a case:
The estimated delivery date for your order provided at the time of purchase has passed, and
48 hours have passed since you sent the seller a Help with order request.
For digital items that are made to order, both of the following conditions must be met before you can open a case:
You downloaded the item; or
7 days have passed since you purchased the item, and
48 hours have passed since you sent the seller a Help with order request.
The order is within the eligible time frame to open a case, based on an order’s estimated delivery date (if applicable) or processing time and “ship by” date, or for made-to-order downloads, if the item is not made available to the buyer for download within 7 days of purchase.
(how processing time sets the ship-by date)The callout also shows how long you’ll have to open a case before that order is no longer eligible, which will be 30 days from your order’s estimated delivery date.
The three case types
When requesting extra help from Etsy, there are 3 types of cases that you can open.
Non-delivery: You placed an order and submitted payment, but didn’t receive the item, or received it 7+ days after the estimated delivery date window provided at checkout (and listed when you select your order from the Help with your order page).
The other two are “Not as described” and “Item arrived damaged”. Whether Etsy covers the refund for you is a separate question — the Purchase Protection checker tests one order against Etsy’s requirements.
Once a case is open
Sellers must respond within 2 calendar days.
Sellers are expected to regularly respond to Messages, including Help with Order messages, from buyers.
A buyer must have an Etsy account to open a case.
A buyer can only use one method of dispute resolution against sellers on Etsy.
If a buyer has filed a chargeback with their credit card company, they cannot also open a case.
If a buyer files a chargeback after opening a case on Etsy, that Etsy case will be closed.
Refunds processed by Etsy must take place within 180 days of the date of the transaction.
In the unlikely event that a case remains unresolved for more than 365 days, it is considered to be a late delivery, and the only acceptable resolution is a full refund.
How long the buyer has to leave a review
You can leave a review, including a one to five star rating and a video or photograph of your purchase, for 100 days from the earlier date of your item’s confirmed delivery (where the shipping carrier’s delivery record is available) or from your item’s estimated delivery date.
If an estimated delivery date is not available, the review window opens after the order’s processing time and shipping time have elapsed.
If you purchase a digital item, you can leave a review for 100 days from the first time you download the item or within 12 months of purchase (whichever happens first).
You can edit your review, including the video or photograph, any number of times during that 100 day period.
Etsy’s Buyer Policy also lists what a review may not be, including: Be about things outside the seller’s control, such as a shipping carrier, Etsy, or a third party;
Refunding before it gets that far? See which of Etsy’s fees come back.
Sources: Etsy’s help page “How to Open a Case” (6 Jul 2026 copy), “Cases Policy” (“Last updated on Mar 4, 2025”, 29 Jan 2026 copy) and “Buyer Policy” (“Last updated on Oct 5, 2026”, 10 Oct 2026 copy) — the newest archived copies. Etsy decides each case; this page only works out the dates.
Common questions
When can a buyer open a case on Etsy?
Etsy: “If the order’s maximum estimated delivery date has passed, and you contacted the seller more than 48 hours ago, you can select Open a case.” For a made-to-order digital item: “You downloaded the item; or 7 days have passed since you purchased the item, and 48 hours have passed since you sent the seller a Help with order request.”
How long does a buyer have to open a case?
Etsy: “The callout also shows how long you’ll have to open a case before that order is no longer eligible, which will be 30 days from your order’s estimated delivery date.”
How many days late counts as not delivered?
Etsy’s non-delivery case: “You placed an order and submitted payment, but didn’t receive the item, or received it 7+ days after the estimated delivery date window provided at checkout (and listed when you select your order from the Help with your order page).”
How fast do I have to respond to an Etsy case?
Etsy’s Cases Policy: “Sellers must respond within 2 calendar days.” Before a case, “Sellers are expected to regularly respond to Messages, including Help with Order messages, from buyers.”
Can a buyer open a case and a chargeback?
No. Etsy: “A buyer can only use one method of dispute resolution against sellers on Etsy. If a buyer has filed a chargeback with their credit card company, they cannot also open a case. If a buyer files a chargeback after opening a case on Etsy, that Etsy case will be closed.”
Is there a time limit on Etsy refunds?
Etsy: “Refunds processed by Etsy must take place within 180 days of the date of the transaction.”
How long does a buyer have to leave a review on Etsy?
100 days. Etsy’s Buyer Policy: “You can leave a review, including a one to five star rating and a video or photograph of your purchase, for 100 days from the earlier date of your item’s confirmed delivery (where the shipping carrier’s delivery record is available) or from your item’s estimated delivery date.” For digital items: “If you purchase a digital item, you can leave a review for 100 days from the first time you download the item or within 12 months of purchase (whichever happens first).”
Do you store the dates I enter?
No. The dates stay in your browser and are never sent or saved. We count anonymously that the page was used and which result it gave, so we can tell whether the page earns its place.
The best case is the one nobody opens.
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Start free →Every rule on this page is quoted from Etsy’s help center and Cases Policy. · Purchase Protection checker · Fees on refunds · Processing time · All free tools