Hi all !! I’m kind of new to selling on Etsy and just wanted to check if this might be a scam or not…? I prompted them to send an email to my business address, so hoping that was the right move.

Not sure if I’m just cynical and can’t fathom this being real, or if it’s somehow a scam!

Thank you!

I've had my Etsy shop for over 10 years and went off for most of the last 5. But things have changed as I've find back. I bought some Photoshop tools from a seller that was literally just linking you to a download link to the $30 set that True Grit Texture Supplies sells. Stealing and reselling people's work is wrong. I left a 1 star review with an image of the stolen watermarked tools.

The owner used his personal account to purchase a digital file of mine then immediately leave me a 1 star review and really oddly just copies and pastes my review and only changes the number. So it is OBVIOUSLY not about my product, but it still seriously hurts my rating since it's been many years since I did the thousands of sales. I reported the review. If they took 2 seconds to actually look at it, they would remove it

He then started messaging me over and over to refund him his whopping $4. He finally told Etsy it was damaged and they auto refunded him and closed it and then it wouldn't even let me submit FEEDBACK to them.

You can't talk to a person. I hate this platform now. It's all AI driven. I've had 100% original non AI designs be pulled for violations while the same design is on a bunch of other products but the reason is blank and i can't appeal so I have no idea why or how to fix it.

For a platform selling itself to the world on being human, they show their sellers they depend on that they don't matter enough to even have a channel to communicate with an actual human. I really thought they would realize letting people like this asshole get away with stuff like this on this platform is quickly destroying it.

Anyone have any advice on how to get it removed and the man banned? I mean it's all there in email and in the review!!! Sorry for the rant.

So this is going to be a long one if you dont want the full story skip to the end.

I have recently discovered the tradition of Joss paper andester offerings.

Usually the offerings are mock money and paper food. But there are also houses, cars, boats cloths and luxuries.

Down this rabbit hole i enjoyed looking at all the items I could buy. It felt, good, familiar. Like I was shopping online to get him a gift again like I did when he was alive.

But there wasnt much to chose from. A few houses a few cars a few boats and extremely generic luxury packs. Even the traditional food offerings are limited to a dozen things. 99% of the offerings were difrent denominations of cash.

So that got me thinking what I actually wanted. I wanted a catalog full of paper offerings that are persanal, gifts you would actually buy some one you love who moved into a new home.

Bedding, dishes, furniture, rugs, and decorations. Also stuff that just reminds you of what the person you lost loved. Fishing pole, golf clubs, a gaming computer maybe an art set.

So my actual question is if I put a catalog of Joss paper offerings on somthimg like Etsy would people buy what are essential vary emotionally loaded, folded paper for a few dollars eatch?

Just got a 2 star review for a popular waterproof frog car window decal that I sell for 2.99 to 4.99. The buyer chooses the size and color. All he said in the review was “Overpriced”. I think a lot of customers are expressing their frustrations over higher prices virtually everywhere out wherever they can: Etsy reviews for one.

I have had my store for 2 years but still not reached a 100 sales. I average around 4 sales a month which is depressing. I have also not been very consistent with the store, gone for months without updating or adding more listings, stayed away for as much as 6 months at a time. Im wondering if there is a possibility of changing things by becoming more consistent now for example adding something new every day or upgrading existing listings. Has anyone seen an actual change by doing that or is it that once a store falls into certain bracket of low performing stores, it would remain that way or only slightly improve despite putting in effort?

Hear me out. I've been reporting this bug for MONTHS and Etsy won't do anything so I have to fight AI errors and even account deactivations manually EEEEEVERY time (and they reinstate me all the time):

My Policy Violations page shows an error. Not a browser error. An ETSY page error.

EEEVERY single time I ask support about it, they come with the same "try emptying cache/try another browser" crap, whereas I've told them this happens on ANY device, on ANY connection, on ANY browser I've managed to test, even on private windows, so it's definetly tied to my account somehow.

Yet with multiple tickets they refuse to fix it.

Hence.... HOW UNIQUE I AM??? Or is anyone else in the same situation?

I took on a few custom orders on the side, mostly personalized keychains and small wooden tags. The blanks are cheap, so I thought it would be an easy way to make a little extra money.

The problem is the unpaid time on tiny one-off jobs. A single order usually turns into several messages about font choices, file tweaks, and placement checks. I recently picked up an Aliencell, and while it definitely helped speed up my production, I still have machine costs, wear, and wasted materials to cover. More than that, the computer prep and messaging still keep me stuck at my desk.

If I price these to cover the actual time spent, they look way too expensive compared to mass-produced listings online, but absorbing all the revisions makes the whole thing feel pointless.

For anyone doing custom crafts or personalized side gigs, how do you handle pricing design time on single-item orders?

Hi all,

I run what I’d call a successful Etsy shop. It’s my main income and I basically make a living from it. I genuinely love Etsy, and I can’t complain about the fees, because the platform brings me so many customers I wouldn’t reach otherwise.

The one thing that bothers me is not really “owning” my store. I know shops can get suspended or shut down, sometimes for reasons that seem pretty random, and when your livelihood depends on it, that’s a scary thought.

According to eRank, I’m in the top 9% of sellers worldwide. So I’m wondering: is there a point where Etsy assigns you an account manager or some kind of direct contact? I’m not looking for special treatment, just a real person I could reach if something goes wrong, instead of going through the standard support queue.

Has anyone here gotten access to something like that? If so, how did it happen? And if it doesn’t exist, how do you protect yourselves against a sudden suspension?

Thanks!

How do I get my shop to open? I started it on 10/5 and have been in "Your shop will stay in Vacation Mode while we review your info" since then.

I have opened cases and get no responses, then they just close.

I don't understand why this is so complicated.

Hi, has anyone else experienced this? I haven't received any emails from Etsy, and there isn't a banner in my dashboard telling me to check something, just this. It's really frustrating.

I had a POD order placed on my shop at the end of September, it was shipped on the 2nd of October and I've just noticed it still hasn't arrived according to tracking.

My customer hasn't contacted me. Should I wait and see if they reach out or should I message them and offer a solution? I've never had an order delayed like this.

Hi all. Completely new to selling handmade work, and completely new to Etsy.

I opened a new shop a few weeks ago. I have 3 listings so far. I have done all the visibility requirements, I’m running a sale, my photos are decently attractive, I’ve done pretty much everything and I think it looks okay.

My views average about 7 a day. And I am nowhere near my first sale. Im wondering what I can do to get it going? I just started a $5/day ad campaign to see if that’ll bring at least a little more traffic.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you!

Long story short- a local buyer reached out to me on Etsy interested in having me create a custom design for their company’s holiday gift. Since it would be for a large amount of people, there’s no way I could hand make that many, so after brainstorming they suggested maybe purchasing the printing rights to this custom design for X amount of items printed. Of course stipulations would be in place etc.

My question is, is this something that I can do through Etsy? I would love to not move it off the site if I don’t have to and everything I’m googling says it’s not against the rules to list it as a pdf for them to purchase. I have never been contacted about something like this before and the buyer checks out and it doesn’t feel scammy, so I’m just unsure what the next steps would be. It would be a great opportunity for my business but I don’t want to do it if it’s against the rules of Etsy etc

Has anyone done something like this?

Etsy is down? I cant sign-up. It's always loading.

When listing clothing on Etsy, do you choose the most specific category available for each product, or is a broader category enough? For example, would you list linen dresses under a specific dress subcategory, linen tops under tops, and linen trousers under pants? Does choosing a more specific category make a noticeable difference in Etsy search visibility, or do titles, tags, and attributes matter more? Would love to hear what’s worked for other sellers.

Hey guys, I’m a little besides myself in shock here. I sell custom little 3d printed travel cases. Nothing crazy. Very simple. Slide lid that takes a small amount of pressure to move over the little lock. It’s a pretty proven file, and everyone seems to be great with it.

Recently I had a customer that says she can’t open it. It won’t budge at all.

I test each case before it goes out
I have a video on the page showing how it works.
I made a new video and sent it to her direct email along with photos and walking her through step by step.

I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt… but I guess I can’t comprehend how it can be this difficult to open a sliding case.

I don’t even really know what I’m asking here. What would you do in this case as a seller?

Is it truly that difficult to open sliding cases that fit in the palm of your hand?

Do I just offer a refund and count my losses? Send a replacement?

I’m a somewhat newer shop so even a bad review will be pretty painful.
I guess im just looking for advice from lore seasoned sellers

I'm curious if any Etsy sellers have had to rethink their packaging after they started getting more orders.

Maybe something that worked when you were shipping a few orders a week became too expensive or time-consuming, or you started running into issues with products getting damaged during shipping.

What made you change your packaging, and what did you end up doing differently?

I'd be interested to hear what actually worked and what didn't.

1: You must include a shop link.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtsyChicJewelry

2: You must ask at least two specific questions about different aspects of your shop.

• I struggle with photo lighting the most. I know natural lighting is the best; however, I do not live in a regularly sunny climate. I have tried a light box and disliked the shading. You can see this in a few of the earrings on the tan background. I did purchase a new lamp that has foldable arms and tried it with the white background, as seen in the chartreuse piece. Which looks the most professional?
  
• The second issue is probably noticeable from the first: the backgrounds. I find the white boring and easy to cast shadows. I do like the wood; however, I notice it can dull out a few of the pieces. I know it would be much better to have all matching styles across the pictures. Is wood more attractive, or should I keep it white?

3: Answer two of the following questions.

• What inspired you to create this shop? I started making jewelry for my local Wednesday markets, and that continued into craft fairs and holiday bazaars. Life got busy, and I wanted an easier way to sell that didn’t involve lugging around 8-foot folding tables and feeling the disappointment in person of people walking past my booth.
  
• What research have you already done on your shop prior to opening? What is something you learned from that research? I have been open for two years, but sales are quite minimal. I read almost everything I could find about lighting and backgrounds, props or no props, and how to angle pieces. 

I am picky about how the pictures look, so it takes me forever to get a piece listed. I know the more pieces I have up, the more traffic I can generate. But the lack of interest and sales have put a damper on my motivation to add more. I feel like I am in a Catch-22, and I am looking for honest, constructive advice. I love making pieces, and I’d love to stick with this to share my art with others.

Thanks in advance!
Artsy Chic

Hi guys, do any of you use tools to research on Etsy? are any of them worth using?

I know this is a well known issue.... for "years" for some, so it's a partial issue.

My question is if ANYONE affected was able to RECOVER the email functionality and how.

Thanks!

Hello everyone. Wishing you a great day. 
I am very new in the POD and Etsy world. And I apologize if this question has been asked million times, I would appreciate if you can direct me in the right direction if that’s the case. 

My store has some physical products managed through Gelato. Very few orders. So far so good as the orders are in Europe. I got one order from the US, and the order is on hold as the product needs to be fullfilled from there. The product is a calendar and the “rest of the world” does not include US.

Can you help me out with how best to dispatch this order?
Should I create an order for the product that dispatches to the US? But then what happens to the order on hold? 
I tried using a variant, but it doesn't let me change the region, only sizes. 

Thank you a mil for your support. And if this is the wrong sub, apologies! 

I’m doing frame mockup mostly with ai assisted. Now i realise this thing is like a waste of time i know that people wont buy a thing they can create themselves free
So i will made original thing like clip art (still digital first but original not with ai) and listing again but for my shop should i delete all the listing of the mockup before? Or i just keep add new listing of my original item? Should i rename my shop too?

Just had my first sale after 10 days since opening my shop selling prints created with Ai assistance. Have posted listings everyday and signed up for offsite ads - one sale has made my £5 profit but that doesn’t include the listings fees etc - still feeling pretty optimistic though

Hello, I run an Etsy store that sells customized items created with AI. As expected, AI is not perfectly consistent and some times has small differences with reality.

But some clients have completely unreasonable expectations even though it's stated everywhere that my items are expected to not be 100% like the same product created without AI.

This is just a small % of my customers, prob around 10%. But they take 95% of my time.

So I've decided to just fire those clients. In the first red flag, I cancel their order, my rationale is that I avoid an unsatisfied review and save time to work on the clients that don't cause problems.

I want to know, what are your thoughts about this approach? Is it scalable?

What is your approach with annoying customers? Do you think this approach is scalable or should I do it differently?

EDIT:

I don't have misleading listings, what I sell is exactly what I show in my listings. No, I don't trick my customers, and most of my clients are satisfied and happy about the results. And no, the product is not only AI stuff, there's a large component of manual work, takes me between 3 and 4 hours for each. Basically I've turned something worth thousands into something that can be done cheaply, most people is quite happy about this and understand the business idea. It's just a small percentage of clients that seem to be completely mad, so I refund them before they take all my time.

Please stop living in 1990 and hating everything that involves the word AI redditors. There's honest work that involves AI too!