Seller Resources

Listing Types vs Categories

When selling items on the Dollcrafter Marketplace is important to know that you must choose a listing type and a category. Listing types are only seen by Dollcrafter’s staff and help us to manage different types of posts. Categories are what the customers see and control where your products are listed in the shop section of the website. As a seller it is important that you choose both an accurate listing type and category for your product. We also recommend that you choose a subcategory for your products as well when applicable because subcategories can help customers locate exactly what they are looking for.

Pricing, Payments, and Fees

We use the payment processing service Stripe which ensures that all transactions on our website are safe and secure. Right now we charge sellers a 5% service fee on each product sold. This fee is calculated based on the listed price of each product and does not include the shipping cost. For example if an item sold for $10 we would take $0.50 as our service fee and the seller would receive $9.50. This service fee is automatically taken out of each purchase by Stripe so there is nothing to worry about on the sellers end. The money collected from the service fees goes to the upkeep and further development of our marketplace.

It is important to us that we are transparent with sellers about how our service fee will affect their profits. Due to this we have created a google spreadsheet where you can see the cost of our service fee at different price points. With this google spreadsheet you can enter either the revenue you would like to receive or the listing price of your product to calculate what the service fee would be. To use the google spreadsheet please make a copy of if. You can find the google spreadsheet here.

Each seller can choose their own return and cancellation policy. If you ever need to cancel an order before it has shipped or offer a refund this can be done through Stripe. Please contact us here if you would like us to refund or cancel an order.

Shipping

As a seller you can choose a fixed shipping fee for each of your listings depending on your shipping costs. We recommend that as a seller you choose a shipping fee that will cover the shipping cost to most locations in the US.

For the shipping itself there are various ways to purchase shipping labels for your orders online. We recommend looking through these shipping carriers to see what option is best for your shop:

• USPS
• UPS
• FedEx

If you need support with choosing your shipping prices you can contact us here.

How do commissions work?

Commissions function differently from other listings. As a seller if you are interested in offering commissions it is important that you understand how the commission listing type works. First of all, what is a commission? A commission is when sellers are open to accepting custom orders for various products. This could include things like a custom doll wig, outfit, or even a fully customized doll. If you are interested in offering commissions as a seller and want to show customers you can post a listing using the commission listing type.

Listings created using the commission listing type do not have a price and instead allow customer to make an inquiry by messaging the seller. This opens up a line of communication between the customer and seller where the customer can tell the seller what they are looking to order, the seller can decide whether or not they will accept the order, and both parties can agree on a price. When creating a commission listing it is important to use categories and explain in the listing title and description what type of commissions you offer. For example if you create custom dresses for Monster High dolls you could title your commission listing, “Monster High Custom Outfit Orders” and then put it under the category of doll clothes, so customers who are looking for doll clothing will see your listing. If you offer multiple types of commissions you can also create multiple commission posts to show what you offer.

Once an agreement has been made the seller can create a normal listing for the commission with the price they agreed on. This should be done when the customer has communicated that they are ready to purchase. We recommend when listing commissioned orders that you include the customer's name or username in the title so that others know it is an order for a specific person. For example if a seller created a custom Monster High outfit for Alex they could title the final listing, “Monster High Custom Outfit for Alex.” Sellers should also send the link of the new listing directly to the customer.

Return Policies

It is up to each seller to decide their return policies and include them in each item listing. Once you created your return policy you can copy and paste it into each listing you post. Here are some examples of return policies you could use:

• This seller does not offer returns. If your product arrives defective please contact the seller to work out a solution including a potential refund.
• This seller only offers a return if the product is defective or incorrect. Please contact the seller to start a return process.
• This seller offers returns for up to 30 days if the product has not been used. The customer must pay the return shipping fee. Please contact the seller to facilitate the return.

If any of these return policies feel right for your shop please feel free to copy and paste them into the Return Policy field when creating a new listing. You may also choose to include different return policies for different listings in your shop. Perhaps a custom made doll dress is not returnable, but ready to order doll dress is returnable.

Consulting and Business Help

Right now we are offering free consulting to all Dollcrafter Marketplace sellers. We can offer advice on your business, product listings, and marketing. If you are looking for help growing your shop please reach out to us here.

Selling Policies

Here are some general policies that we expect sellers to follow:

• Ship within the timeframe you provide in your listing. If for some reason you cannot please notify your customers.
• Reselling of new in box dolls that are less than five years old is not allowed. This is to help us prevent "scalping" from happening on our website.
• Counterfeit products or products that are imitations of someone else's work are not allowed on our marketplace.
• Products should be kept "family friendly." Anything obscene, sexually explicit, or extremely gory is not allowed on our marketplace. We understand that customizers may want to include light gore for monster themed customs and that is okay. If you are not sure if your product is appropriate please email us at dollcraftermarketplace@gmail.com.