Hi everyone, just a side note here, I recorded this video after another update to Etsy that is not apart of this video. Etsy is now charging a $15 setup fee and there is a new process for signing and setting up a shop I'll be going over in a new video soon. Here are details for anyone who has not already began a shop: www.etsy.com/legal/fees/ Besides that, sending everyone the best of wishes to your businesses and thanks for watching! ❤
@@dustinmurphy82ableI put SEVERAL keywords, in hopes they will put my products in at least a couple, if not more, categories. Maybe I’m not correct on that, though. I keep trying 😊
As a customer, I have stopped shopping from Etsy for the most part. I cant get to the actual crafted items. My searches are flooded with repeat merchandise from China. So i buy from direct contact commissions or by craft shows/conventions now for gifts.
This is why I quit Etsy, art buyers couldn't even find my art anymore . I never shopped much there but would never even bother now unless I have a direct link to a shop with items I want, (like from an SM post), the search there is worthless.
I closed my Etsy shop a few years ago because of all the ‘other’ stuff on there. I don’t see a whole lot of ‘handmade’ anymore. I am now on mercari selling everything from thrifted items, new, repurposed and handmade items I have made. 🌼😀
I am a new Etsy seller trying to sell genuine handmade macramé handbags. I hand make handbags with love for art and craft. My bags are unique and very well crafted but after a month I get no sales. I have great pictures, videos and good price. I dedicate hours working on a bag. So what's wrong with my shop or work, can someone please help.
@michmang And no advertisements or even SEO? That can not be sold like that. It is almost like wanting to sell your bags by hanging a sign at your living room. Only people that already know about it will buy ir.
The biggest scam on Etsy is most of the items not handmade anymore. Just like what happened with eBay, the big retailers are selling on Etsy. Also some people are buying retail products and selling them on Etsy claiming they are handmade.
That's why they're hoping the $15 sign up fee will help weed out scammers. Now you have to verify your shop with ID and info before fully opening your shop.
That has been going on. People have been buying and reselling and Etsy will not get everyone. For sellers we have real issues to deal with regarding their computer system and getting shut down.
Or so-called vintage sellers that just straight out lie. In the past month I've seen someone post a set of drinking glasses that I bought last year from target as being from the 60s, and a Tamagotchi that came out in 2022 as coming from the 90s
When I consider all the hours and costs and shipping and answering emails and shipping- it isn’t worth it the site is overloaded with mass-produced stuff.
I used to sell vintage sewing patterns and supplies on Etsy. But in the past few years, I have been inactive with only a couple of items to keep my account active. I just don't have the desire to be creating listings for them. One thing I noticed is that Etsy pushes the sellers to offer free shipping, but then they charge seller fees on the Shipping cost that you have to build into your pricing. Also, there are so many PDF pattern sellers and PDF scans of old publications. This is illegal because most of these items copyrights are still owned by corporations that bought out the rights. Like vintage knitting patterns from yarn companies. They are scanning books and selling instant downloads. I do not see anything being done about this. It used to be a true handmade, vintage or supply resource. Not anymore. They are turning into another Temu type site, but at higher prices.
It was hard for me. I had to create many listings in order to get just a few more eyes on my stuff. I did physical beautiful boxes. I realize with just a bit more work I could have sold on my own site.
I've been researching Etsy for over a month, listening to videos like yours, and reading countless blogs and community discussions. As a result, I decided not to go on Etsy. Putting aside all the bad actors targeting sellers (buyers), it was the shutting down of stores for no reason, which has been going on for a very long time. With the $15 opening fee (that will increase in time), it is evident that Etsy is capitalizing on its popularity based on creators' hard work. As you explain in the end, all creators must do marketing. Why would anyone do all this hard work for Etsy, whom we are fully vulnerable to, who doesn't protect its sellers from bad actors, and who takes most of our money? In addition to all that, we don't even know who our customers are; hence, we can't build an e-mail list, which is the basis of every business. For anyone serious about building a business, it makes common sense to leave Etsy behind or not even go there to begin with. Thanks for sharing.
This is weird... I've been selling on Etsy for about 5 years and doing OK. However about 10 months ago all the sudden my sales dropped to almost nothing. I went from 14-21 orders a week down to maybe 2 or 3 orders a week. It was weird.... Thank you for sharing your knowledge of how Etsy works.
Same! I think a lot of sellers have moved over to TikTok as people are glued to the app. It’s annoying having to learn a new platform. I’m going to give it a try for new product. If you’re in U.K. Folksy is a great place to sell handmade. 😊
We just got our Etsy store shut down because we no longer meet their seller guidelines. We have been selling for 3 years are was in the top 1% of all sellers on Etsy! We filed our appeal and sure enough we can no longer sale on Etsy! We are base in the US and we had a few items that their bots felt like it was cheap crap out of China. Anyway! Etsy just killed us and they don't care! That is the sad truth.
That's so sad they actually made handmade cufflinks which actually used to be only handmade I think AI is searching everything and seeing China is showing jewelry as vintage when it's cheap junk. Very sad, arbitration should be available on any seller website
Created a shop and it immediately suspended. Filed an appeal, and within two minutes I got an email answer, saying it was permanently suspended. Needless to say I was crushed, not quite sure what to do at this point. I’ve heard I can’t open another store when I’ve had one suspended. So what do I do? Do I find another platform?
I got the same issue and exact same answer email for permanently suspended. I opened another shop, posted first listing, 5 minutes later, the second shop got suspended again lol
Me too. They suspended my main shop, because I had to change the payment method to Payoneer (and that's technically impossible), so their Customer support recommended that I open a new shop. I did and it was immediately suspended. After I opened another one and it was suspended too 😅
Was the overall account linked to the shop brand new? If so then that can trigger it. You gotta warm up new accounts for a few days to a week otherwise it'll trigger the bots. So like some listings, follow some shops, make a few cheap purchases for a dollar or two. I tend to buy thing ik I'm use like fonts, digital mockups, graphics etc. Just be as active as possible then after 3-7 days you should be ok. I opened two accounts no problem
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
I set up a shop 9 days ago. I didn't even get to do anything in it, and it was suspended within less than 24 hours. I followed the appeal process, and I was denied by a random foreign-sounding Zendesk Etsy rep less than a minute after submission with the statement basically saying they don't have to explain why I was suspended or why they denied my appeal, and they don't have to respond to this case any longer. BTW, they took my $15 set-up fee and ran with it, and I have yet to hear back from anyone. I can't tell you how many videos I've seen on TH-cam and the amount of comments from others who have had this exact thing happen to them recently. It's all automated. There's no human reviewing these cases within 2 weeks like it states.
I would suggest Shopify. It might be harder to do SEO with your own website but you have full control of your products, prices, and only you can shut down your store
I had my Etsy shop for about a couple months and had a couple sales with a potential third and just got deactivated today out of nowhere saying my products didn’t meet their policies but it’s plenty of the same things I was saying on there too🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️.. I didn’t even post everything I planned on selling yet cause I was still waiting on my supplies to come in .. now I don’t think I wanna sale through them anymore
This is weird… I opened my shop in February and I definitely fell prey to the scammers pretending to be Etsy and asking for my email. I quickly realized what happened and put the two-step authentication on. 😅
Yes, us too! We opened in February too and got over 8 emails in less than 4 hours within opening up… I almost fell victim to their fraud, they asked for email and clicking on a link to “variety your identity” so Etsy “doesn’t” shut down my store… after getting so many of these emails I emailed Etsy itself and they said if it’s not from them in their Etsy folder then it is a scam… so watch where and who the message is coming from
This explains a lot. I have been selling my sewing patterns on Etsy for 6 years. People have messaged me telling me they cannot access their files and demand I email them to them. I actually did email someone's patterns to them but I didn't use the email address I use for Etsy. The last person that did this, I told them their files were available and I do not email files. They eventually stopped messaging me and I never heard from them again.
AI bots ARE a problem. I've tried *14* times now to set up a new store, using all accurate and honest information and they have all been banned literally (the actual meaning of the word) within minutes. All appeals rejected with the exact same form letter. And they're still charging me the $15 set up fee each time. I've almost completely burned through the cash reserve I set aside to build this store just trying and failing to set up a store, the allegedly simplest part. And Etsy will NOT tell you what you're doing wrong. If the bannings are as widespread as you indicate, and I'm not the only one having this problem, I'm not litigious by nature, but it sounds like a possible class action issue. Thank you for your videos and hard work!
This is weird ... really! I was just looking for good, reliable info on starting an Etsy shop and found your channel. There's so much to learn I'm a bit overwhelmed but determined to make my business work. Your marketing advice will really help. thanks.
@@DivinelyGuided2911 Wrong, Shopify did the same to me, last year. Just big corporations have Marxist agenda and ruin small businesses deliberately. See what Amazon did to its clients and small businesses. They literally got wiped out from Amazon.
I had to cancel my shop it’s so filled with scammers. I’d get messages from people with Etsy logos and it’s near impossible to determine what is from Etsy vs a scammer. I didn’t feel like my products were safe. Not good that you can not get through to anyone by phone either.
If its from etsy thered be an official email from etsy or they put a banner to get ur attention on ur shop dashboard. I got the scammers too . As soon as they try the bs i can help u.i kindly tell um this message and info is being monitored by etsy and they disapear.
This is weird… I’m a new seller and got scammed in the second day I had my shop. I’m glad somebody is finally mentioning the scammers, because I didn’t find anybody else making a warning video about that before. I wished I had seen this before I got scammed. 5 more scammers tried after that but I knew better those times!
I opened a second shop on Etsy. Less than 24 hours suspended…I appealed and in less than 15 minutes a bot sends me an email it’s permanent. There’s no humans looking at anyone’s shop in 2024, it’s all AI. Thankfully I have my own websites. My items were all custom actually hand made items.
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
ME too!! Ridiculous and stupid. What a waste of time. I'm NOT going to waste time appealing the stupid suspension, paid the $ for the listings we'd already worked hard on and closed it. We did ALL the things correctly too. Thx for your help Heather. :)
@@PhishedOff Wow! Same here. Did everything right, but appeal was dismissed without any reason, $ taken for listing though. It was only $1, but imagine taking it from so many people. Damn unethical!
Thats an advice ive been seeing more and more this year, To HAVE YOUR OWN WEBSITE !!!! Also to dont rely on Etsy, specially ETSY ALONE! Ive been doing research before rush into Etsy! Im glad I didnt! Ive heard horror stories! Also from dropshipping with Aliexpress!
This is Weird... Great, Heather. Thanks. As always your commentary is incisive, informative and reassuring. I'm a couple months into my Etsy shop with 40+ listings and no sales so far. But I'm not discouraged, I view it as building the shop daily, figuring sales will eventually materialize, it's only a matter of time. I'm learning the ins and outs of the platform. But I's so glad I have you to refer to. And yes, even though I'm a newby I've been slammed with those email phishers. Gross!
This is weird...I made it to the end of the video! Heather, thank you for the valuable information. I started my shop earlier this year and must confess I haven't gotten the traction that I've heard about in TH-cam videos. I'm not quitting, however! I will check out your crash course. Thank you, Aileen
I appreciate this video. I am just starting out with getting my ducks in a row on creating my store. I have been watching videos by the pros like yourself. I need to get out of my job, I barely get by, so I am trying my best to build my way out of it. I need to know what to expect, and how to deal with it.
This is weird... I've had a shop on Etsy for several years but it's only been the past year or so that I've been learning about SEO and enhancing my listings with quality pics, tags, descriptions and titles, etc. I'm still working on a lot of that, and your videos have really helped me in knowing what to do, as well as what NOT to do. Thank you so much!
I’m glad you brought up the Starbucks logo being used on several Etsy shops, I have seen SEVERAL shops right now still operating even though it is a big no no to use the logo? Why are these shops still on even though others are getting banned?
Etsy has always had a weird relationship with resellers. I’m happy to hear they are trying to do something about it but imo it’s too little too late and catching SO MANY legit shops in the net is ridiculously amateurish. Although, my *recent* problem with them was taking more fees so they could advertise on Tv which I felt was not the customer we wanted to court as a whole so my opinion could be really stupid. 😆
Yes! As a buyer I’m having trouble since my last purchase a week ago trying to find my list/ history of purchases. I was just reviewing it not long ago. Can’t find my account info or how to contact the Etsy management. So weird!! I’m grateful to have found your video here. Thinking it was me. Everything has just changed before my eyes it seems.
This is weird …. Thanks Heather! I listened to you on printify. Wonderful advice. I do have one question though, when listing on Etsy one is asked to choose if the product is handmade or not. I got confused here because the seller would have designed this on Canva or wherever the design is coming from but then the clothes or mugs aren’t handmade. What is one supposed to choose here? Thanks in advance!
Great info Heather! I'm curious, do you still upload more listings? If not, at what point you stop? And if yes, why? Or you more focus on building your shop in another platform?
This is weird…Thanks for the video Heather! I’m only a few months in and working on increasing my listing numbers each day then planning to share it with my friends and family to get some sales. Hopefully it will then take off running 🤞🏼 any additional advice? Trying not to get scared away by the changes
This is weird...Thanks Heather for another awesome video! this was VERY informative and really hit home with a lot of the changes I've been seeing on Etsy! I have gotten a few of the spam messages from people offering to buy my shop, etc and telling me I was temporarily banned and I just need to send them my email address and they may be able to reinstate my account. Crazy, would never give my email but I know that there are people that will because it can be scary and you feel intimated that you have to. So, all this to say, thank you for making this video!
why would you feel intimidated? If someone is contacting you on etsy asking for your email that is definetely not etsy, etsy has your email already as you registered with it.
This is weird lol. Thanks for the knowledge. I have 4 sales and 2 reviews and only been open for 1.5 months. Should I consider that good? I also have a few people favoriting my shop and there is at least 20 people favoriting my items.
I'd say that's good! Took me about 6 months to get my first sale back in 2014. Make sure you're not opted in to offsite ads unless you want to be, crunch numbers for fees & profits & keep going! :) Very best of luck!
I tried to open a seller Etsy shop. I connected my bank I did all these things correctly and within an hour they deactivated mefor life I guess. And it's okay, I will never be an Etsy customer ever again as long as I live. I sold on another platform in the past but not for many years. I don't like Etsy and how they treated me for no reason whatsoever, they deactivated my account for no reason I just opened the shop. It just shows me that that is not a place I want to open a store. They can destroy somebody at the drop of a hat.
I just opened my store yesterday and had no problems. Did you make your first listing when u opened? Did u complete the verification process? I would try opening a new account or phone them
@@kclark5382 no I didn't get past the verification process. I'm a lot older than most of you, and I know when verifying me, they asked me about two addresses that were over 35 years ago. One of them I sort of recognized, but the other one I didn't. So I don't know if they had something to do with it but you know that was like 35 years ago. Why should I have to verify an address over 35 years ago when half of you aren't even that old. I don't know if it had to do with that or not. But I know one of those addresses was an address I lived in an apartment in a different state, I didn't remember the address. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. But I won't shop there anymore because I'm highly offended
It happened to me the same last week. I created my new store with first listing as required, but I hide that listing because I was not ready to publish it yet. Then, they suspend my store within 2-3 hours. I created another store with a different email address, verify everything, publish my first listing. 5 minutes after my listing, my second store got suspended too. I emailed the customer service and they said they could not tell me the reason, but I was banned without further communication lol
my shop was blocked without explaination oe something. its the 3d time that i see that the shop is blocked and all design are made without copyright or something. and the you contact etsy,they say absolutely nothing.
Heather, I appreciate your take on what is happening on the Etsy platform. If rumors are to be believed and Etsy raises its price per listing, coupled with the need for sellers to drive their own traffic via social media, sellers may abandon the platform. Etsy allows Temu-like resellers to flood the marketplace. These sellers outcompete with volume and cheap prices.
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
I'm so sorry to hear this is happening to you! The light at the end of the tunnel is I've noticed my shop and other subscribers I've heard that the scammers stop reaching out in that amount of frequency after a few months. I still get some here or there maybe once a month after a year in my newest shop but it's not as bad anymore. Hang in there and thanks for watching! ❤
I was getting few a day from a month 3 and seem to have stoped after 2 months of constant messages. I'd say make sure you mark it as spam, otherwise it might go against your star seller badge as you don't do a "speedy reply"
@@itsheatherstudio same here! At first I was getting 1-4 a day but now maybe 2 or 3 a week. As soon as I think something is suspicious, I click on "Mark As Spam". In messages, under INBOX there is a section called FROM ETSY. I have never had a message from Etsy. If I'm unsure about a message in my INBOX, I click on FROM ETSY to double check and if nothing there then I know....
It's annoying but not that big of a deal, just mark as spam and move on. If you think Etsy actually sent you a message just go directly to their support page and get on a live chat to clear it up. Most of the time those spam message will have some pretty obvious grammatical errors too.
I've had our store open for about 1.5 months now. Still Begging for our first Sale.....Keeping the faith the business will come. Have had a ton of the Spam Emails and thankfully have sent them all to the spam file, though I will say the first few were very convincing and almost sucked me in. Your videos have been great and are a regular for resources. Thank you.
Hello heather , I wanna just tell you something : I just opened my Etsy store yesterday and I got a message from Etsy seller Asking me to deposit 600 or 900cad in my account . I live in Canada . I think it’s a scam . Do you know how can I contact the Etsy please ??
@elouehabisoumaya I am an Etsy seller. In your messaging area when a message is from Etsy it comes into the folder named Etsy. Nothing else comes into this folder except messages from Etsy. All other messages are in your Inbox and you will likely get messages in here that ‘appear’ to come from Etsy but they are spam/phishing. Etsy recommend you move them to your Spam folder and do not correspond with them. In the first 2 days of opening a new Etsy store recently I got over 30 messages in my Inbox, most of which wanted my email address that I used to login to my Etsy account (do not give it to them!) or they wanted card details so they could ‘verify’ me. Move all these to Spam as soon as you get them as leaving them in your Inbox can affect your Star Seller rating.
Hey there, I'm so sorry to hear this happened to you! It definitely sounds like a scam. You can contact Etsy by opening a support ticket by going to Shop Manager> Help > Contact Us. If you are locked out of your account, the emails I've used to contact Etsy are integrity@etsy.com or support@etsy.com. Both of these emails may or may not be working, these are just the ones I've had contact with in the past that have resolved my issues. DISCLAIMER: I do not work for Etsy or am a representative and this advice provided by my own experiences.
Thank you so much for this. I was also given info that Etsy allow 'shops' which sell items such as socks and stockings that they've worn to dubious customers. Surely the bots should be closing those shops down.
This is weird... and thank you for this video. I have experienced at least 3 of the scams mentioned. My shop is new and has been opened since January. It helps to know that this is a real thing, and it's not just me . 😊
This is weird…just opened my shop last week but still staying positive! Trying not to get overwhelmed by my descriptions and making everything perfect at first. I want to get used to it & I feel in time I will get faster with putting up designs ❤
This is weird... Great information! I've been thinking about starting an Etsy shop for a while now, and this really helped with some of the questions and anxiety about it. Now just need to get some inventory and pics ready.
This is weird... Set up a shop last week that was suspended the next day. Hopefully my appeal will be resolved quickly, I'm not giving up! Thanks for all your great videos!
My new shop was shut down within 20 minutes of opening, had only loaded 2 items, and have made a 3rd & final appeal. It's only been 1 month. Not permanently suspended, yet.
@@10inchskin nope, the notice said usually you are sent a an email about the situation, but I received to such message. I'm still waiting with my fingers crossed
Hi Heather, I have an Etsy shop now for over a year, no issues, always obey Etsy rules and policies, I tried to open a second store, did all the security they ask for, driver's license, social security, live camera face, home address, phone, email confirm, bank account connected and confirmed and paid their new $15 fee, as soon as it was going to be opened they suspended the store, they responded that after careful consideration does not qualify for reinstatement, but they did take my money, I don't know what to do next, please help.
This is weird... Thanks so much for all the information and hard work you do besides running your own Etsy Store. I am a newbie giving Etsy a try again. My first store failed two years ago. This was my fault. I did not go "all in". It makes me very nervous to hear about all the changes and scams. I hope I do not encounter anything "weird" when I go to list my items.
Take a look at what other people are saying, one person here just mentioned that they were on Etsy for 3 years, was a top 1% seller and they got banned permanently. Etsy is a hot mess and you could put all this work into it only to be suspended and loose your money, sales and have to start all over again.
This is weird - And All of you are Incredibly helpful! I was just about to set up an etsy and now feel I should focus my time somewhere else. Shame because I hear a lot of people make good money on Etsy 😕
This is weird... Love your videos and appreciate all the hard work and great content you put into them. I'm relatively new at this but have ONE sale! And it was a random person that I didn't know. Can't even tell you how good that felt! Thank you so much for all your free info - it has really helped!
I opened a store - I have watched many of your videos - I had one item for sale sold 2 Within a few minutes via my link I sent out and Etsy closed me down - still no response from anything except Denied my appeal which I had no clue what I did and still the same - that was on 20 Feb - had to find another avenue and learnt very disappointing
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
My goodness seems that Amazon is letting anyone and everyone sell on their site. I have been ordering a clothes soap for a long time from their seller. When the seller was out of stock, I ordered it from another seller. received from Amazon distribution center and amazon delivery, the 4 bottles seals were all broken, and one bottle was not closed all the way. The box was sealed by Amazon. When i gave the review, amazon rejected my complaint with the reason of I could not complain about the shipping and product issues. . . Hhm. When the soap was used, it was not the correct product inside the bottle. So watch for this!..
This is weird, thanks for a detailed video about the things we as new sellers need to watch out for. Hopefully we can all navigate this safely so we can continue to grow our businesses doing what we love instead of having to deal with all of the things trying to take advantage of us!
I just recently opened my first shop this month and I already got hit with two scam attempts. I’ve been getting views to my shop but not all to my listings. Any insight on what that can be? Today, so far I got 7 views but none to my listings. Sometimes my views decrease then when i refresh the next day. I think its a bit werid. Any insight would be amazing. Love your videos thanks for the help!
This is Weird...great pointers, Heather! Hope you were able to get out today if your in Chicagoland area. Im in SW suburbs and was beautiful out today... Thanks and be well
This is weird… I’m wondering if there is a change in the algorithm with new shops and listings too. My shop is about a month old, and I can’t find many of my listings when I search organically keywords. I think they are making it a bit more challenging for new shops to become established. I hope I’m wrong or maybe they are making it challenging to deter the scam shops. Idk 🤷🏼♀️.. just my thoughts.
They want new shops to pay etsy ads for placement.put more unique wotds in your title and you should be able to find your stuff.i add queen to alot of mine and i always can find them
How would you do email marketing, we are not allowed to use the buyers emails right? I started on Etsy 6 months ago and I am growing, however I do not have any other platforms.
I had an Etsy shop a few years ago. I was thinking of opening one again, but after hearing about Etsy withholding money, closing shops, and allowing drop shipping and mass produced items, I'm going to open my own site. Not worth the risk!
I got my shop suspended when I got my 2nd order. I sent an appeal, and they opened it back under 24 hr, which is surprising since a lot of people need days. But it makes synchronization with my print on demand company wonky. I am still trying to get help to fix that since I have orders in line 😢 So if you have POD shop and your etsy got suspended, please check on any synchronization to your pod company too
Was the overall account linked to the shop brand new? If so then that can trigger it. You gotta warm up new accounts for a few days to a week otherwise it'll trigger the bots. So like some listings, follow some shops, make a few cheap purchases for a dollar or two. I tend to buy thing ik I'm use like fonts, digital mockups, graphics etc. Just be as active as possible then after 3-7 days you should be ok. I opened two accounts no problem
As a Buyer, I have a Serious question: What's really going on with Etsy's shipping??? It was so great once upon a time If I buy a dvd on ebay for a cheap price even ,the shipping is $1.99 If I buy a 1 sticker from Etsy the shipping is anywhere from $5-$10 Which weighs way less than a dvd And also when I buy in my own state as well And often the estimated or tracking is completely wrong Making it almost impossible to plan Buying gifts off Etsy This has been going on for at least a year I love supporting the Sellers but this company is getting hard to support much less want to sell My products on Like what is going on? And is there a different app most of the sellers are also on?
etsy shipping is weird...I have noticed this my self as a seller....etsy charges sellers a fee for shipping...so maybe they are padding the shipping cost to make more money in the fees.....I also use their shipping labels on their site...I use the regular post...they are forever raising THEIR FEES....it I take my item to the post to ship the price is always higher than the etsy quote.....
@jinisteffani8035 Yea I understand Etsy is fee-ing everyone to ridiculous amounts The Sellerss Agree to Their fees And sellers use to add shipping fees to the cost of items to make ot look like free shipping I understand all that Doesn't explain shipping issues tho Which is why I asked for a better site to buy on Maybe I'm unaware of something better 🤷♀️ I expect shipping for shirts, blankets and things to being a decent amount But 1 sticker for $2.50 & $10 in shipping? That's a lil ridiculous and maybe should be bulked then Idk Honestly I use etsy as a search more now for small businesses crafters and such And I'll go to the sellers website if they have one and just buy off that instead If shipping is too high or can't give me info I don't buy it The tracking is always wrong or doesn't work at all on Etsy I use to buy weekly off Etsy The tracking system is why I don't as much especially for gifts I love doing my own business and following how tos but etsy seems pointless to sell on these days I'm hoping they figure it out or another site comes along with a better version for sellers & buyers
Something weird I sell on eBay I had an Etsy store open a few years ago with some homemade paintings but it didn't take off at all -anyway I have a question about cross listing if Etsy or Poshmark something sells for higher price and you have it lower on eBay or something is that odd or do they list it all at the same price when they cross list??
Every time I list a new product (which is usually 3-5 new listings every weekend) I get a bunch of the scam emails acting like my shop has been flagged until I click a link. Super annoying
I personally plan on leaving Etsy. Between the fees and now all of a sudden not being able to reach customer service, I'm over it. I have been trying to reach customer service for weeks. Chat is not connecting me to anyone. Not getting calls and I don't see the email option anymore.
This is weird... I started my shop almost 3 months ago. At Feb, one of my listing was doing very well. Not a lot, but at least 1 order every other day. Suddenly, when we come into March, no sales at all. Nothing was changed during the time. I still get some views or even favorites, but 0 order. I'm sooo confused.
i am wanting to open a store but scared of all you spoke on and need help starting! i have already bought few items and lots likes over last few years. wonder if safe to open store now!
I just stopped renewing items in my shop a few years ago. The fees started making it not worth it. The surge in none “Etsy” items have made the platform feel so disingenuous. Going public was a big mistake for them. It’s shareholder driven instead of customer focused. Can’t pay shareholders if no one wants to be in the platform as a buyer nor a seller.
This is weird… I’m pretty new to this platform and I’m struggling a bit. Still plugging away regardless. Thank you for the content, it’s really helpful.
This is weird... I love your videos. So informative. I don't always comment but I watch. I had Etsy many moons ago and thinj about reopening my shop all the time.
This is weird…. Awesome info. Have had my shop open for a little,over a year. Yes have seen a drop in sales but not so much views??? May need some tweaking. I am still actively adding listing. I have to admit although there are fees etc I like to simplicity of Etsy. They pay taxes, they have some sort of marketing, running their custom shipping labels is easy. These are things I do not have to worry about where I can focus on my listings.
Very helpful video. I do plan to open an etsy store soon. I just with all the ai crap was labelled or a filter tag to only show non ai stuff was available.
Hi everyone, just a side note here, I recorded this video after another update to Etsy that is not apart of this video. Etsy is now charging a $15 setup fee and there is a new process for signing and setting up a shop I'll be going over in a new video soon. Here are details for anyone who has not already began a shop: www.etsy.com/legal/fees/
Besides that, sending everyone the best of wishes to your businesses and thanks for watching! ❤
I haven’t been using my occasion SEO because I thought it would only rank for that certain category. Is that not the case? Thanks
This video is very informative. Thanks Heather!
@@dustinmurphy82ableI put SEVERAL keywords, in hopes they will put my products in at least a couple, if not more, categories. Maybe I’m not correct on that, though. I keep trying 😊
When did they add the setup fee? 😮
A new fee??? I must’ve opened my second store literally right before the change 😂 unless it’s not implemented in Australia yet
As soon as it became a publicly traded company it went to crap just like all publicly traded companies
As a customer, I have stopped shopping from Etsy for the most part. I cant get to the actual crafted items. My searches are flooded with repeat merchandise from China. So i buy from direct contact commissions or by craft shows/conventions now for gifts.
Exactly. Same. It’s so hard to tell if it’s actually a handmade product when you’re only looking at the pictures.
I totally agree. That was what use to be so nice! It's very hard to even find real handmade items now.
This is why I quit Etsy, art buyers couldn't even find my art anymore . I never shopped much there but would never even bother now unless I have a direct link to a shop with items I want, (like from an SM post), the search there is worthless.
Same here. It's just been flooded with cheap junk, the opposite of what it's supposed to be (or at least started as).
I search Etsy but I buy direct where possible
I closed my Etsy shop a few years ago because of all the ‘other’ stuff on there. I don’t see a whole lot of ‘handmade’ anymore. I am now on mercari selling everything from thrifted items, new, repurposed and handmade items I have made. 🌼😀
I am a new Etsy seller trying to sell genuine handmade macramé handbags. I hand make handbags with love for art and craft.
My bags are unique and very well crafted but after a month I get no sales. I have great pictures, videos and good price. I dedicate hours working on a bag.
So what's wrong with my shop or work, can someone please help.
@michmang And no advertisements or even SEO? That can not be sold like that. It is almost like wanting to sell your bags by hanging a sign at your living room. Only people that already know about it will buy ir.
The biggest scam on Etsy is most of the items not handmade anymore. Just like what happened with eBay, the big retailers are selling on Etsy. Also some people are buying retail products and selling them on Etsy claiming they are handmade.
That's why they're hoping the $15 sign up fee will help weed out scammers. Now you have to verify your shop with ID and info before fully opening your shop.
That has been going on. People have been buying and reselling and Etsy will not get everyone. For sellers we have real issues to deal with regarding their computer system and getting shut down.
Or so-called vintage sellers that just straight out lie. In the past month I've seen someone post a set of drinking glasses that I bought last year from target as being from the 60s, and a Tamagotchi that came out in 2022 as coming from the 90s
@@Trippy_Space_BunnyYes! I’ve reported a shop doing this several times, yet nothing has changed. It’s so frustrating.
why is non-handmade items a scam all of a sudden? seems etsy has changed their policy on what you can and cannot sell. that's not criminal
I stopped my store. it’s literally no point trying to use that platform. Etsy is for themselves and only for themselves.
When I consider all the hours and costs and shipping and answering emails and shipping- it isn’t worth it the site is overloaded with mass-produced stuff.
Where do u sale at now? If you dont mind me asking I am wanting to open a shop but Im litterally so lost!
I used to sell vintage sewing patterns and supplies on Etsy. But in the past few years, I have been inactive with only a couple of items to keep my account active.
I just don't have the desire to be creating listings for them.
One thing I noticed is that Etsy pushes the sellers to offer free shipping, but then they charge seller fees on the
Shipping cost that you have to build into your pricing.
Also, there are so many PDF pattern sellers and PDF scans of old publications. This is illegal because most of these items copyrights are still owned by corporations that bought out the rights. Like vintage knitting patterns from yarn companies. They are scanning books and selling instant downloads. I do not see anything being done about this. It used to be a true handmade, vintage or supply resource. Not anymore.
They are turning into another Temu type site, but at higher prices.
It was hard for me. I had to create many listings in order to get just a few more eyes on my stuff. I did physical beautiful boxes. I realize with just a bit more work I could have sold on my own site.
I've been researching Etsy for over a month, listening to videos like yours, and reading countless blogs and community discussions. As a result, I decided not to go on Etsy. Putting aside all the bad actors targeting sellers (buyers), it was the shutting down of stores for no reason, which has been going on for a very long time. With the $15 opening fee (that will increase in time), it is evident that Etsy is capitalizing on its popularity based on creators' hard work. As you explain in the end, all creators must do marketing. Why would anyone do all this hard work for Etsy, whom we are fully vulnerable to, who doesn't protect its sellers from bad actors, and who takes most of our money? In addition to all that, we don't even know who our customers are; hence, we can't build an e-mail list, which is the basis of every business. For anyone serious about building a business, it makes common sense to leave Etsy behind or not even go there to begin with. Thanks for sharing.
This is weird... I've been selling on Etsy for about 5 years and doing OK. However about 10 months ago all the sudden my sales dropped to almost nothing. I went from 14-21 orders a week down to maybe 2 or 3 orders a week. It was weird.... Thank you for sharing your knowledge of how Etsy works.
Same! I think a lot of sellers have moved over to TikTok as people are glued to the app. It’s annoying having to learn a new platform. I’m going to give it a try for new product.
If you’re in U.K. Folksy is a great place to sell handmade. 😊
@@Kellycreator And Tik Tok is about to get banned in the US.
We just got our Etsy store shut down because we no longer meet their seller guidelines. We have been selling for 3 years are was in the top 1% of all sellers on Etsy! We filed our appeal and sure enough we can no longer sale on Etsy! We are base in the US and we had a few items that their bots felt like it was cheap crap out of China. Anyway! Etsy just killed us and they don't care! That is the sad truth.
Sorry to hear that happened to you guys. I’m seeing so much of this!
As business owners we can not rely on Etsy. This company has tanked big time.
Hoping you are able to rebuild your business 😢
Yeah, I won't do business with Etsy. The way they treat their sellers is atrocious
Ouch! What do you sell?
That's so sad they actually made handmade cufflinks which actually used to be only handmade I think AI is searching everything and seeing China is showing jewelry as vintage when it's cheap junk. Very sad, arbitration should be available on any seller website
I'm glad people are talking about this. Etsy has been a mess for a while now.
this is weird... my shop has definitely seen a dramatic drop in views and sales.
mine too! It's like people don't even care about weird finger/eye/tooth sculptures anymore. I feel so cold and alone...
Mine as well major drop
Created a shop and it immediately suspended. Filed an appeal, and within two minutes I got an email answer, saying it was permanently suspended. Needless to say I was crushed, not quite sure what to do at this point. I’ve heard I can’t open another store when I’ve had one suspended. So what do I do? Do I find another platform?
I got the same issue and exact same answer email for permanently suspended. I opened another shop, posted first listing, 5 minutes later, the second shop got suspended again lol
Me too. They suspended my main shop, because I had to change the payment method to Payoneer (and that's technically impossible), so their Customer support recommended that I open a new shop. I did and it was immediately suspended.
After I opened another one and it was suspended too 😅
Was the overall account linked to the shop brand new? If so then that can trigger it. You gotta warm up new accounts for a few days to a week otherwise it'll trigger the bots. So like some listings, follow some shops, make a few cheap purchases for a dollar or two. I tend to buy thing ik I'm use like fonts, digital mockups, graphics etc. Just be as active as possible then after 3-7 days you should be ok. I opened two accounts no problem
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
This is just nuts. How can you run a business like this! You can’t!
Makes me so nervous seeing all these comments
This is weird … and makes me feel weird because I’ve only started researching and preparing to open a shop and I am overwhelmed!
oh me too
I set up a shop 9 days ago. I didn't even get to do anything in it, and it was suspended within less than 24 hours. I followed the appeal process, and I was denied by a random foreign-sounding Zendesk Etsy rep less than a minute after submission with the statement basically saying they don't have to explain why I was suspended or why they denied my appeal, and they don't have to respond to this case any longer. BTW, they took my $15 set-up fee and ran with it, and I have yet to hear back from anyone. I can't tell you how many videos I've seen on TH-cam and the amount of comments from others who have had this exact thing happen to them recently. It's all automated. There's no human reviewing these cases within 2 weeks like it states.
ditto
Same here! I'm at the point in my research where im trying to fine tune what tools and "store" I want to use.... Where do we go now? lol
I would suggest Shopify. It might be harder to do SEO with your own website but you have full control of your products, prices, and only you can shut down your store
I had my Etsy shop for about a couple months and had a couple sales with a potential third and just got deactivated today out of nowhere saying my products didn’t meet their policies but it’s plenty of the same things I was saying on there too🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️.. I didn’t even post everything I planned on selling yet cause I was still waiting on my supplies to come in .. now I don’t think I wanna sale through them anymore
This is weird…
I opened my shop in February and I definitely fell prey to the scammers pretending to be Etsy and asking for my email. I quickly realized what happened and put the two-step authentication on. 😅
same here
Yes, us too! We opened in February too and got over 8 emails in less than 4 hours within opening up… I almost fell victim to their fraud, they asked for email and clicking on a link to “variety your identity” so Etsy “doesn’t” shut down my store… after getting so many of these emails I emailed Etsy itself and they said if it’s not from them in their Etsy folder then it is a scam… so watch where and who the message is coming from
I always tell them to get a job and hit them with THIS emoji 🥱
Me too
Also change your email on Etsy
Thank you for sharing this!! Totally been getting so many scammers’ messages, it’s not even funny!! It’s pretty discouraging but I’m not quitting!! ❤
This explains a lot. I have been selling my sewing patterns on Etsy for 6 years. People have messaged me telling me they cannot access their files and demand I email them to them. I actually did email someone's patterns to them but I didn't use the email address I use for Etsy. The last person that did this, I told them their files were available and I do not email files. They eventually stopped messaging me and I never heard from them again.
AI bots ARE a problem. I've tried *14* times now to set up a new store, using all accurate and honest information and they have all been banned literally (the actual meaning of the word) within minutes. All appeals rejected with the exact same form letter. And they're still charging me the $15 set up fee each time. I've almost completely burned through the cash reserve I set aside to build this store just trying and failing to set up a store, the allegedly simplest part. And Etsy will NOT tell you what you're doing wrong. If the bannings are as widespread as you indicate, and I'm not the only one having this problem, I'm not litigious by nature, but it sounds like a possible class action issue.
Thank you for your videos and hard work!
This is weird ... really! I was just looking for good, reliable info on starting an Etsy shop and found your channel. There's so much to learn I'm a bit overwhelmed but determined to make my business work. Your marketing advice will really help. thanks.
This is weird…
If you are using outside marketing to drive traffic, why not build our own store and not pay Etsy their fee?
Shopify is the best way to control your income.
@@DivinelyGuided2911 FOR SURE, I CHANGED TO SHOPIFY DUE TO BEING SUSPENDED IN 2 SHOPS WITHOUT HAVING EVEN SOLD 1 THING
Exactly. If I had known it was a bring-your-own-traffic proposition, I would have started on my own domain.
I was just thinking that! Might aswell have your own website like shopify
@@DivinelyGuided2911 Wrong, Shopify did the same to me, last year.
Just big corporations have Marxist agenda and ruin small businesses deliberately. See what Amazon did to its clients and small businesses. They literally got wiped out from Amazon.
I had to cancel my shop it’s so filled with scammers. I’d get messages from people with Etsy logos and it’s near impossible to determine what is from Etsy vs a scammer. I didn’t feel like my products were safe. Not good that you can not get through to anyone by phone either.
They now have a special section of your messages for the official Etsy things.
They need to have a faster way to report the scammers.
They're trying to steal your products through the computer 💻
@@lazygardens It was sending messages by scammers just a few days ago for me.
But all the real messages go into the special ‘from Etsy’ mailbox. If it’s not in that mailbox it’s a scam, no ifs or buts
If its from etsy thered be an official email from etsy or they put a banner to get ur attention on ur shop dashboard. I got the scammers too . As soon as they try the bs i can help u.i kindly tell um this message and info is being monitored by etsy and they disapear.
This is weird… I’m a new seller and got scammed in the second day I had my shop. I’m glad somebody is finally mentioning the scammers, because I didn’t find anybody else making a warning video about that before. I wished I had seen this before I got scammed. 5 more scammers tried after that but I knew better those times!
I opened a second shop on Etsy. Less than 24 hours suspended…I appealed and in less than 15 minutes a bot sends me an email it’s permanent. There’s no humans looking at anyone’s shop in 2024, it’s all AI. Thankfully I have my own websites. My items were all custom actually hand made items.
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
ME too!! Ridiculous and stupid. What a waste of time. I'm NOT going to waste time appealing the stupid suspension, paid the $ for the listings we'd already worked hard on and closed it. We did ALL the things correctly too. Thx for your help Heather. :)
@@PhishedOff Wow! Same here. Did everything right, but appeal was dismissed without any reason, $ taken for listing though. It was only $1, but imagine taking it from so many people. Damn unethical!
Thats an advice ive been seeing more and more this year, To HAVE YOUR OWN WEBSITE !!!! Also to dont rely on Etsy, specially ETSY ALONE! Ive been doing research before rush into Etsy! Im glad I didnt! Ive heard horror stories! Also from dropshipping with Aliexpress!
yep same here! happened this weekend to me! insane. So turned off by Etsy and how they are going about doing this to sellers!@@thecook1381
This is weird! The shutdown of shops is scary but I won’t let it stop me from putting the work in for a profitable Etsy shop!
hey! I’m a creator too and wondering if you have someone edit your videos? Or do you DIY it? Which program do you use?
This is Weird... Great, Heather. Thanks. As always your commentary is incisive, informative and reassuring. I'm a couple months into my Etsy shop with 40+ listings and no sales so far. But I'm not discouraged, I view it as building the shop daily, figuring sales will eventually materialize, it's only a matter of time. I'm learning the ins and outs of the platform. But I's so glad I have you to refer to. And yes, even though I'm a newby I've been slammed with those email phishers. Gross!
This is weird...I made it to the end of the video! Heather, thank you for the valuable information. I started my shop earlier this year and must confess I haven't gotten the traction that I've heard about in TH-cam videos. I'm not quitting, however! I will check out your crash course. Thank you, Aileen
I appreciate this video. I am just starting out with getting my ducks in a row on creating my store. I have been watching videos by the pros like yourself. I need to get out of my job, I barely get by, so I am trying my best to build my way out of it. I need to know what to expect, and how to deal with it.
There is a guy who has an Etsy ch
I think his name is Etsy guru or something like that
He gives helpful tips also
This is weird... I've had a shop on Etsy for several years but it's only been the past year or so that I've been learning about SEO and enhancing my listings with quality pics, tags, descriptions and titles, etc. I'm still working on a lot of that, and your videos have really helped me in knowing what to do, as well as what NOT to do. Thank you so much!
I’m glad you brought up the Starbucks logo being used on several Etsy shops, I have seen SEVERAL shops right now still operating even though it is a big no no to use the logo? Why are these shops still on even though others are getting banned?
Etsy has always had a weird relationship with resellers. I’m happy to hear they are trying to do something about it but imo it’s too little too late and catching SO MANY legit shops in the net is ridiculously amateurish.
Although, my *recent* problem with them was taking more fees so they could advertise on Tv which I felt was not the customer we wanted to court as a whole so my opinion could be really stupid. 😆
Yes! As a buyer I’m having trouble since my last purchase a week ago trying to find my list/ history of purchases. I was just reviewing it not long ago. Can’t find my account info or how to contact the Etsy management. So weird!! I’m grateful to have found your video here. Thinking it was me. Everything has just changed before my eyes it seems.
Etsy used to be for handmade items. Now it is overrun with drop-shippers, print on demand sellers, and people selling imports.
This is weird …. Thanks Heather! I listened to you on printify. Wonderful advice. I do have one question though, when listing on Etsy one is asked to choose if the product is handmade or not. I got confused here because the seller would have designed this on Canva or wherever the design is coming from but then the clothes or mugs aren’t handmade. What is one supposed to choose here?
Thanks in advance!
Great info Heather! I'm curious, do you still upload more listings? If not, at what point you stop? And if yes, why? Or you more focus on building your shop in another platform?
This is weird…Thanks for the video Heather! I’m only a few months in and working on increasing my listing numbers each day then planning to share it with my friends and family to get some sales. Hopefully it will then take off running 🤞🏼 any additional advice? Trying not to get scared away by the changes
This is weird...Thanks Heather for another awesome video! this was VERY informative and really hit home with a lot of the changes I've been seeing on Etsy! I have gotten a few of the spam messages from people offering to buy my shop, etc and telling me I was temporarily banned and I just need to send them my email address and they may be able to reinstate my account. Crazy, would never give my email but I know that there are people that will because it can be scary and you feel intimated that you have to. So, all this to say, thank you for making this video!
why would you feel intimidated? If someone is contacting you on etsy asking for your email that is definetely not etsy, etsy has your email already as you registered with it.
This is weird lol. Thanks for the knowledge. I have 4 sales and 2 reviews and only been open for 1.5 months. Should I consider that good? I also have a few people favoriting my shop and there is at least 20 people favoriting my items.
I'd say that's good! Took me about 6 months to get my first sale back in 2014. Make sure you're not opted in to offsite ads unless you want to be, crunch numbers for fees & profits & keep going! :) Very best of luck!
I tried to open a seller Etsy shop. I connected my bank I did all these things correctly and within an hour they deactivated mefor life I guess. And it's okay, I will never be an Etsy customer ever again as long as I live. I sold on another platform in the past but not for many years. I don't like Etsy and how they treated me for no reason whatsoever, they deactivated my account for no reason I just opened the shop. It just shows me that that is not a place I want to open a store. They can destroy somebody at the drop of a hat.
I just opened my store yesterday and had no problems. Did you make your first listing when u opened? Did u complete the verification process? I would try opening a new account or phone them
Unfortunately there is no phone number where you can call them she's out of luck@@kclark5382
@@kclark5382 no I didn't get past the verification process. I'm a lot older than most of you, and I know when verifying me, they asked me about two addresses that were over 35 years ago. One of them I sort of recognized, but the other one I didn't. So I don't know if they had something to do with it but you know that was like 35 years ago. Why should I have to verify an address over 35 years ago when half of you aren't even that old. I don't know if it had to do with that or not. But I know one of those addresses was an address I lived in an apartment in a different state, I didn't remember the address. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. But I won't shop there anymore because I'm highly offended
jk I checked recently and my store was suspended. Thanks Etsy
It happened to me the same last week. I created my new store with first listing as required, but I hide that listing because I was not ready to publish it yet. Then, they suspend my store within 2-3 hours. I created another store with a different email address, verify everything, publish my first listing. 5 minutes after my listing, my second store got suspended too. I emailed the customer service and they said they could not tell me the reason, but I was banned without further communication lol
my shop was blocked without explaination oe something. its the 3d time that i see that the shop is blocked and all design are made without copyright or something. and the you contact etsy,they say absolutely nothing.
Same here. ETSY sucks. Never again.
What do you sell?
@@brandocincorporated9383 print on demand and i was selling like 6k monthly
Heather, I appreciate your take on what is happening on the Etsy platform. If rumors are to be believed and Etsy raises its price per listing, coupled with the need for sellers to drive their own traffic via social media, sellers may abandon the platform. Etsy allows Temu-like resellers to flood the marketplace. These sellers outcompete with volume and cheap prices.
Temu? I bet that's china.
It is definitely China, @@DivinelyGuided2911
of course it is and they are getting benefits we dont
I would love to see a video on what to do if your shop does get shut down right out of the gate.
Happened to me! I've been trying to resolve this nonsense since 2023.
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
Same. This has been going on for me for 3 months now.
there are YT vids on the issue I've seen several
So glad to see this as I just opened a shop and got no less than 2 scammers per day. I am new and terrified, but figured it out. this is weird…
I'm so sorry to hear this is happening to you! The light at the end of the tunnel is I've noticed my shop and other subscribers I've heard that the scammers stop reaching out in that amount of frequency after a few months. I still get some here or there maybe once a month after a year in my newest shop but it's not as bad anymore. Hang in there and thanks for watching! ❤
I was getting few a day from a month 3 and seem to have stoped after 2 months of constant messages. I'd say make sure you mark it as spam, otherwise it might go against your star seller badge as you don't do a "speedy reply"
@@itsheatherstudio same here! At first I was getting 1-4 a day but now maybe 2 or 3 a week. As soon as I think something is suspicious, I click on "Mark As Spam". In messages, under INBOX there is a section called FROM ETSY. I have never had a message from Etsy. If I'm unsure about a message in my INBOX, I click on FROM ETSY to double check and if nothing there then I know....
It's annoying but not that big of a deal, just mark as spam and move on. If you think Etsy actually sent you a message just go directly to their support page and get on a live chat to clear it up. Most of the time those spam message will have some pretty obvious grammatical errors too.
I really hate running social media pages. Any tips on how to either outsource or make that easier?
I've had our store open for about 1.5 months now. Still Begging for our first Sale.....Keeping the faith the business will come. Have had a ton of the Spam Emails and thankfully have sent them all to the spam file, though I will say the first few were very convincing and almost sucked me in. Your videos have been great and are a regular for resources. Thank you.
I heard that reporting a message as spam without responding (recommended by IT Security professionals) keeps your star seller status safe.
Hi Heather, My account was deactivated. You mentioned in your video to contact a human at Etsy. How do I go about doing this? Thanks.
Hello heather , I wanna just tell you something : I just opened my Etsy store yesterday and I got a message from Etsy seller Asking me to deposit 600 or 900cad in my account . I live in Canada . I think it’s a scam . Do you know how can I contact the Etsy please ??
@elouehabisoumaya I am an Etsy seller. In your messaging area when a message is from Etsy it comes into the folder named Etsy. Nothing else comes into this folder except messages from Etsy. All other messages are in your Inbox and you will likely get messages in here that ‘appear’ to come from Etsy but they are spam/phishing. Etsy recommend you move them to your Spam folder and do not correspond with them. In the first 2 days of opening a new Etsy store recently I got over 30 messages in my Inbox, most of which wanted my email address that I used to login to my Etsy account (do not give it to them!) or they wanted card details so they could ‘verify’ me. Move all these to Spam as soon as you get them as leaving them in your Inbox can affect your Star Seller rating.
OMG 😦!!!
Hey there, I'm so sorry to hear this happened to you! It definitely sounds like a scam. You can contact Etsy by opening a support ticket by going to Shop Manager> Help > Contact Us. If you are locked out of your account, the emails I've used to contact Etsy are integrity@etsy.com or support@etsy.com. Both of these emails may or may not be working, these are just the ones I've had contact with in the past that have resolved my issues.
DISCLAIMER: I do not work for Etsy or am a representative and this advice provided by my own experiences.
Thank you so much for this. I was also given info that Etsy allow 'shops' which sell items such as socks and stockings that they've worn to dubious customers. Surely the bots should be closing those shops down.
There’s also dirty feet pics for sale!
Boy was, I shocked when they came down my feed 😮
This is weird... and thank you for this video. I have experienced at least 3 of the scams mentioned. My shop is new and has been opened since January. It helps to know that this is a real thing, and it's not just me . 😊
This is weird…just opened my shop last week but still staying positive! Trying not to get overwhelmed by my descriptions and making everything perfect at first. I want to get used to it & I feel in time I will get faster with putting up designs ❤
Good luck, stay positive!
This is weird...
Great information! I've been thinking about starting an Etsy shop for a while now, and this really helped with some of the questions and anxiety about it. Now just need to get some inventory and pics ready.
This is weird... Set up a shop last week that was suspended the next day. Hopefully my appeal will be resolved quickly, I'm not giving up! Thanks for all your great videos!
My new shop was shut down within 20 minutes of opening, had only loaded 2 items, and have made a 3rd & final appeal. It's only been 1 month. Not permanently suspended, yet.
Did they tell you why?
@@10inchskin nope, the notice said usually you are sent a an email about the situation, but I received to such message. I'm still waiting with my fingers crossed
Tried to setup a new Etsy store and was automatically suspended?! No one to contact.
Same happened to me.
Definitely have several ways to sell. Etsy is an absolute nightmare.
Happened to me too. 😢
Hi Heather, I have an Etsy shop now for over a year, no issues, always obey Etsy rules and policies, I tried to open a second store, did all the security they ask for, driver's license, social security, live camera face, home address, phone, email confirm, bank account connected and confirmed and paid their new $15 fee, as soon as it was going to be opened they suspended the store, they responded that after careful consideration does not qualify for reinstatement, but they did take my money, I don't know what to do next, please help.
Am an expert in this field if you don't mind i can help
this is weird.. Wow, lots of good information. As someone that is looking to start an Etsy account very soon, your video was inciteful. Thank you.
This is weird...
Thanks so much for all the information and hard work you do besides running your own Etsy Store.
I am a newbie giving Etsy a try again. My first store failed two years ago. This was my fault. I did not go "all in".
It makes me very nervous to hear about all the changes and scams. I hope I do not encounter anything "weird" when I go to list my items.
Take a look at what other people are saying, one person here just mentioned that they were on Etsy for 3 years, was a top 1% seller and they got banned permanently. Etsy is a hot mess and you could put all this work into it only to be suspended and loose your money, sales and have to start all over again.
This is weird. Great information, thank you for your time and effort to give those of us just starting out such useful and wise advice.
This is weird…thanks for explaining! Newbie here and you’re so easy to listen to. Good stuff!
This is weird - And All of you are Incredibly helpful! I was just about to set up an etsy and now feel I should focus my time somewhere else. Shame because I hear a lot of people make good money on Etsy 😕
This is weird...
Love your videos and appreciate all the hard work and great content you put into them. I'm relatively new at this but have ONE sale! And it was a random person that I didn't know. Can't even tell you how good that felt! Thank you so much for all your free info - it has really helped!
This is weird…
Thanks for the info. Knowing what to look out for is super helpful.
I opened a store - I have watched many of your videos - I had one item for sale sold 2 Within a few minutes via my link I sent out and Etsy closed me down - still no response from anything except Denied my appeal which I had no clue what I did and still the same - that was on 20 Feb - had to find another avenue and learnt very disappointing
What was the different avenue?
Just happened to me. No reason, no e-mail, appealed but instantly dismissed. Want to close shop already, but they want the listing fee, even though THEY have suspended the account, without reason and without it going live in the first place. Can't find anyway to contact them!!!!!
@@darrenelkins5923 I am focusing on opening a Shopify store but redbubble? Square space? I am just googling ideas I am not giving up my dream
seconding Darren's question :)
My goodness seems that Amazon is letting anyone and everyone sell on their site. I have been ordering a clothes soap for a long time from their seller. When the seller was out of stock, I ordered it from another seller. received from Amazon distribution center and amazon delivery, the 4 bottles seals were all broken, and one bottle was not closed all the way. The box was sealed by Amazon. When i gave the review, amazon rejected my complaint with the reason of I could not complain about the shipping and product issues. . . Hhm. When the soap was used, it was not the correct product inside the bottle. So watch for this!..
This is wierd...
Thank you, Heather! God bless and continued success to you!
This is weird, thanks for a detailed video about the things we as new sellers need to watch out for. Hopefully we can all navigate this safely so we can continue to grow our businesses doing what we love instead of having to deal with all of the things trying to take advantage of us!
It’s their any Etsy alternative ??
No.
I just recently opened my first shop this month and I already got hit with two scam attempts. I’ve been getting views to my shop but not all to my listings. Any insight on what that can be? Today, so far I got 7 views but none to my listings. Sometimes my views decrease then when i refresh the next day. I think its a bit werid. Any insight would be amazing. Love your videos thanks for the help!
Thank you! How about upcycled branded stuff? Like dog coat made of branded jeans?
This is Weird...great pointers, Heather! Hope you were able to get out today if your in Chicagoland area. Im in SW suburbs and was beautiful out today... Thanks and be well
This is weird… I’m wondering if there is a change in the algorithm with new shops and listings too. My shop is about a month old, and I can’t find many of my listings when I search organically keywords. I think they are making it a bit more challenging for new shops to become established. I hope I’m wrong or maybe they are making it challenging to deter the scam shops. Idk 🤷🏼♀️.. just my thoughts.
They want new shops to pay etsy ads for placement.put more unique wotds in your title and you should be able to find your stuff.i add queen to alot of mine and i always can find them
How would you do email marketing, we are not allowed to use the buyers emails right? I started on Etsy 6 months ago and I am growing, however I do not have any other platforms.
This is weird.....
I am thankful your your help. I'm going to check out your free course now!
I had an Etsy shop a few years ago. I was thinking of opening one again, but after hearing about Etsy withholding money, closing shops, and allowing drop shipping and mass produced items, I'm going to open my own site. Not worth the risk!
This is weird.. lol 😂 Do I need a laptop to store designs , ideas or templates on for this business or can you start on an IPad? Thanks..
Thanks for all of your great videos, they're very helpful!
Where are the links to your stores?
Great video, thanks for covering these tough but impactful topics Heather!
Thanks for commenting Angel and the kind words here! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
I got my shop suspended when I got my 2nd order. I sent an appeal, and they opened it back under 24 hr, which is surprising since a lot of people need days. But it makes synchronization with my print on demand company wonky. I am still trying to get help to fix that since I have orders in line 😢 So if you have POD shop and your etsy got suspended, please check on any synchronization to your pod company too
Was the overall account linked to the shop brand new? If so then that can trigger it. You gotta warm up new accounts for a few days to a week otherwise it'll trigger the bots. So like some listings, follow some shops, make a few cheap purchases for a dollar or two. I tend to buy thing ik I'm use like fonts, digital mockups, graphics etc. Just be as active as possible then after 3-7 days you should be ok. I opened two accounts no problem
As a Buyer, I have a Serious question:
What's really going on with Etsy's shipping???
It was so great once upon a time
If I buy a dvd on ebay for a cheap price even ,the shipping is $1.99
If I buy a 1 sticker from Etsy the shipping is anywhere from $5-$10
Which weighs way less than a dvd
And also when I buy in my own state as well
And often the estimated or tracking is completely wrong
Making it almost impossible to plan Buying gifts off Etsy
This has been going on for at least a year
I love supporting the Sellers but this company is getting hard to support much less want to sell My products on
Like what is going on?
And is there a different app most of the sellers are also on?
etsy shipping is weird...I have noticed this my self as a seller....etsy charges sellers a fee for shipping...so maybe they are padding the shipping cost to make more money in the fees.....I also use their shipping labels on their site...I use the regular post...they are forever raising THEIR FEES....it I take my item to the post to ship the price is always higher than the etsy quote.....
@jinisteffani8035 Yea I understand Etsy is fee-ing everyone to ridiculous amounts
The Sellerss Agree to Their fees
And sellers use to add shipping fees to the cost of items to make ot look like free shipping
I understand all that
Doesn't explain shipping issues tho
Which is why I asked for a better site to buy on
Maybe I'm unaware of something better 🤷♀️
I expect shipping for shirts, blankets and things to being a decent amount
But 1 sticker for $2.50 & $10 in shipping?
That's a lil ridiculous and maybe should be bulked then
Idk
Honestly I use etsy as a search more now for small businesses crafters and such
And I'll go to the sellers website if they have one and just buy off that instead
If shipping is too high or can't give me info
I don't buy it
The tracking is always wrong or doesn't work at all on Etsy
I use to buy weekly off Etsy
The tracking system is why I don't as much especially for gifts
I love doing my own business and following how tos but etsy seems pointless to sell on these days
I'm hoping they figure it out or another site comes along with a better version for sellers & buyers
So the first week I was open, I had 3 scam emails like the ones you have mentioned above. It's crazy and leaves a really bad taste in your mouth.
This is weird… thank you for another amazing video! ❤
Something weird
I sell on eBay I had an Etsy store open a few years ago with some homemade paintings but it didn't take off at all -anyway I have a question about cross listing if Etsy or Poshmark something sells for higher price and you have it lower on eBay or something is that odd or do they list it all at the same price when they cross list??
Every time I list a new product (which is usually 3-5 new listings every weekend) I get a bunch of the scam emails acting like my shop has been flagged until I click a link. Super annoying
I personally plan on leaving Etsy. Between the fees and now all of a sudden not being able to reach customer service, I'm over it. I have been trying to reach customer service for weeks. Chat is not connecting me to anyone. Not getting calls and I don't see the email option anymore.
Notice how many people on this blog start with "so, this is weird..." Bots?
I noticed the same. “This is weird…”
I don’t know, it just seems a bit robot-like with so many comments using the same term and punctuation.
at the end of the video Heather asked people to write that .... as a way for her to recognize her long-time followers.
Thank you so much for clarifying - with all the strangeness in the world, I was worried the zombie apocalypse was upon us.
@@radiantseedpod7708 It still may be...
This is weird... I started my shop almost 3 months ago. At Feb, one of my listing was doing very well. Not a lot, but at least 1 order every other day. Suddenly, when we come into March, no sales at all. Nothing was changed during the time. I still get some views or even favorites, but 0 order. I'm sooo confused.
@heatherstudios. Can you do a tutorial video on Etsy item descriptions and best practices when it comes to writing your item descriptions?
I have been contacted several times by these people but do what you suggest here- I always reply to them declining then I report them.
Can you help me setup my new Etsy business? Main thing I want to know is how to drive maximum traffic ASAP 🎉
i am wanting to open a store but scared of all you spoke on and need help starting! i have already bought few items and lots likes over last few years. wonder if safe to open store now!
I just stopped renewing items in my shop a few years ago. The fees started making it not worth it. The surge in none “Etsy” items have made the platform feel so disingenuous. Going public was a big mistake for them. It’s shareholder driven instead of customer focused. Can’t pay shareholders if no one wants to be in the platform as a buyer nor a seller.
This is weird . . . You're the best, thanks 😊
This is weird… I’m pretty new to this platform and I’m struggling a bit. Still plugging away regardless. Thank you for the content, it’s really helpful.
You say not to divulge our email but isn't it mandatory to have it displayed in our shop?
This is weird... I love your videos. So informative. I don't always comment but I watch. I had Etsy many moons ago and thinj about reopening my shop all the time.
Outside of Merch or Etsy, what other pod platform would you consider? I’ve been thinking of Walmart.
This is weird... and you are great...Thank you.
This is weird…. Awesome info. Have had my shop open for a little,over a year. Yes have seen a drop in sales but not so much views??? May need some tweaking. I am still actively adding listing. I have to admit although there are fees etc I like to simplicity of Etsy. They pay taxes, they have some sort of marketing, running their custom shipping labels is easy. These are things I do not have to worry about where I can focus on my listings.
Very helpful video. I do plan to open an etsy store soon. I just with all the ai crap was labelled or a filter tag to only show non ai stuff was available.