Posted on 11 Comments

From the “You’re Kidding Dept.”

My Etsy store is currently suspended. Here’s why.

So, after many back-and-forth emails and lots of vague accusations from Etsy about fee avoidance on my part, it turns out that what’s really bothering them is that, in the listing photograph above, on my packaging, you can read the URL of my online shopping cart. Their assertion is that I’m avoiding their 3% final value fee by redirecting customers using this photograph.

They shut my shop even though they were incapable of articulating that this was the exact problem, or with any evidence that their accusation of redirection is valid. This is why we need outside dispute resolution. When an unnamed worker at Etsy has the right to take away revenue from an individual and wholly interrupt their business without being required to express why, independent oversight is needed.

In other words, I can’t walk into Etsy and pull the plug on their operation when I have a problem, but it seems they can do that to me without penalty. This must be remedied.

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UPDATE: after reviewing Google Analytics, the only “traffic” that was “redirected” from Etsy to POTUS31.com in the last 30 days was a single visit today, oddly enough, while my shop is shut down. Only an Etsy employee could have done this, which brings into question any visits from Etsy that they assert are “redirects.”

11 thoughts on “From the “You’re Kidding Dept.”

  1. What !
    you need a picture to sell your products?

    Move to copious…I did…

    lots of female clients there for rings & such!

  2. I've been having my doubts about Etsy for a while. This situation reinforces my views on some of their do's and don'ts. Sorry to hear you had to walk away. I can't say I wouldn't either. You have great art. It's their loss for sure.

  3. That's outrageous! I bought this item on Etsy but will leave feedback here! It's so cool, my husband loves it. I'll be visiting you direct from now on.

  4. Thanks Armored Hearts! It's strange for a company to pitch a fit over this unfounded fear of "redirects" and voluntarily cut off their own revenue in the process.

  5. Thanks Alison G. I appreciate the support! Glad to hear that you and you husband are satisfied with my work.

  6. Thanks Ashraf! That's just what I did. Thanks for the recommendation.

  7. YUCK! It's like they react first, then add semi-sensible policies later, but only after there is enough public outrage to get them on the national news. Boo, boo. This makes me really sad. I'm sorry; I hope they fix this before all that's left is crap.

  8. UN believable. But then again, maybe not, considering the unfair and unjustified treatment we also also experienced. How can that one little shot in your packaging direct so much traffic?? Did they ever give you the "opportunity" to photoshop out that bit? (not that you should have to…). Cupcake-eating a-holes. I'm going to do a little more research on other blog posts from people with similar experiences to ours…

  9. Hey LiveClay. I like your blog! Yeah, I did censor the photos and resubmit them. There are many complaints that Etsy is slow to respond after they suspend your shop. In this instance, they responded quite swiftly to my request to reopen my shop after I uploaded the edited photos. Within an hour they had shut my shop, erased my data, and threatened me not to open another Etsy shop ever. What person in their right mind would want to open another Etsy shop with treatment like this?

  10. Herbert, you are exactly right. Why people keep going to Etsy for anything, as a buyer or seller, after reading the horror story Etsy has become is beyond me. There's plenty of other online shopping sites that people can join. I am on both Big Commerce and Shopify and have never had a problem; only the best help one could ask for.

    Etsy needs to be taken to court and as a class-action suit. Sue the pants off of them and make headline news!

    You said it all:

    "What person in their right mind would want to open another Etsy shop with treatment like this?"

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