After an extended rigmarole with Fedex, a Spain-based seller would like to share some international shipping wisdom she has acquired. Katsai says it's crucial to declare your items on the customs form when shipping overseas with a courier service. "U.S. Customs were pushing to know who the 'manufacturer' was....It seems that customs officials haven't caught on to the revolution of the homemade, as yet! They just couldn't understand that I made it myself."

Katsai recommends full disclosure: "As you never know exactly what is going to perk the customs officer's curiosity, I would basically say to state the maximum detail possible in the content description on the form." Since Etsy is becoming more and more of a global marketplace, sellers may find themselves under the gun to get items out as quickly as possible, but take the time to plan your shipping policies carefully.

"One last thing — if someone is shipping via courier, I'd advise they check the tracking number on the web, and if there are any problems to contact the couriers rather than waiting for them to get in contact with you to resolve the situation. Also follow-up the inquiry if there's no change after the intial contact. It seems couriers are not the fastest when it comes to resolving problems."