Etsy Unethical, Bad/Fraudulent Business Practices
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New ReviewerI have a shop on Etsy; rather, had. I've been suspended, twice. In the announcement, it read: "Please check email for a message explaining why, and how to restore account. Further questions, contact Etsy Support". But no email was received, nor any replies to my 30 emails. No phone support exists.
Weeks later, without explanation, they re-opened shop, then 3 days later, closed again. This time, a paltry explanation was given, that even skirted their very own rules.
I've lost thousands in revenue; and because my facebook store connected to the Etsy store, it is also gone as a result - and loss of contact to my customers.Even my customers have written Etsy attempting to appeal to no avail. With the suspension, I cannot print shipping labels, either. I am losing customers, permanently, as they are blaming me for not getting their products, and demand refunds.
There are so many complaints on the web about their unfair business practices, lack of response, support, the ability to destroy a business within days with little, or no explanation, I cannot believe there's been no reprimand, or warning. The amount of complaints from the BBB is also mounting, daily.
Must I sue, at this point, do they have no liability?
Monetary Loss: $3700.
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Why is this lying, stealing company allowed to remain in business? They shut down shops, ignore messages, keep your hard earned money, and yet...
they are still a multimillion dollar company. When will someone take this serious.
They are running a dictatorship and stealing. Itโs so blatantly obvious and they are many complaints, yet nothing is being done.
This seems the trend with etsy. They closed down my shop and did not even refund me my listing fees or give a logical reason for the suspension.
Most unprofessional after I have dedicated so much time and effort they treat me like a nobody.
Well, I have now reverted to a relatively new site called itshandicraft.com and I am very happy with how things are going on here. You guys can try it out.
I had a shop with Esty as well. They never even send me a email telling me why they closed my shop.
There are a lot of shops that been closed by Esty for no reason. I did not sell any thing with any characters or copy anything. This past week I had my husband open up a shop. They forced him to post 10 items.
Then, after they received a c/c number they opened his shop.. YEA! said the email. Today he went to the shop to see that it was suspended and that he owed 1.60 for his post.
He did not do anything, sale anything so why should they expect anything..I just do not understand why they should be aloud to treat people this way. IT MAKES ME EVEN MORE MAD ,TO FIND THAT THEY STILL ARE USING HIS PERSONAL PICTURES POSTED TO ENTICE CUSTOMERS TO GO TO ESTY.
COM . I SHOULD SUE THEM FOR KEEPING MY PHOTOS AND NOT TAKING THEM DOWN.
Our shop for the website www.paperperfect.net was also shut down by etsy! All we did was sell party supplies. Etsy never asked us to prove we handmade our items, but instead constantly got on us because we had cases open with unruly and/or customers new to Etsy who were unsure what opening the case actually did.
I think you could possibly sue, if you did not break any rules and you lost pay.
I have lawyers writing to Etsy as we speak and so far Etsy ignores their letters right along with mine.
If this is going to be a just resolution, Etsy must be held accountable for the damages done to individuals and shops as well as to be responsible for their own agreement with their membership.
They are just a company of people that have the belief they are the ultimate law on Etsy. This is not true. The law is the law on business practices and Etsy is responsible to follow those laws.
At present Etsy is dismissing lawful requests for proof of claims, and randomly arrive at whatever decisions they want.
Etsy is not the final word in Canada or the US for that matter.
We might have to do a little work and it certainly won't be resolved this week or month or even year probably.
I have 5 grandchildren that use the internet and buy products and services online.
Etsy seems to think the internet is the re-enactment of the wild west. In North America, the biggest gun does not win the war.
Etsy has insulted everyone that does business honestly online and in our country. They need to be exposed for the crooks they are. In the end they are just a bunch of thieves and pirates.
Piracy is still against the law in Canada last I heard.
I realize this was writing initially back in 2013.
Here it is 2018 and you are stating the same facts I have in several complaints and blogs. Yet this company still continues to rob, dictate and act as though they are above the law.
I have filed with the BBB and we are on our 4th response since they did open a case, however who's to say anything will be done if it hasn't thus far. I began this back in August and I will not quit. If I have to gather every conversation and article I can find on the internet about this topic I will.
My next step is writing to every large magazine and contacting the news as well. It amazes me this has been going for as long as it has with no results.
Etsy also forced me to make a photo essay proving I made my handmade product, which was done and accepted but a few weeks later Etsy pretended I had a copyright violation from Pandora. I got permission from the company to use their name in my products and sent a copy to Etsy.
However Etsy pretended there were more complaints and shut all of my shops down with no warning in the other two shops.
I had Pandora write directly to Jason Seger at Etsy legal about his incorrect notice of copyright infringement but Etsy will not respond. Etsy has blocked me from viewing the orders also so my customers are left wondering.
I also had Etsy turn my business into a "Little Shop Of Horrors"
Etsy's business practices reflect everything you would call scummy.
Etsy is full of cowards that hide behind their online presence and try to make it impossible to hold them accountable for their abusive and illegal business practices.
They refuse to answer their e-mails or direct convos to their many support and safety teams and individuals.
It might take me a bit of time, but I can promise you, this is not over with them and all of the business crafters and customers that have been left scammed and at times destroyed after Etsy repeats its hideous behaviors on each unsuspecting victim.
Once they take your livelihood away, it only frees up a lot of time and energy to expose these crooks for what they are.
That they scam mostly women, and often single moms and seniors makes them the *** of the free world.
I thought my business was to work with endangered breeds and create a platform for people to connect on sustainable milling and breeding practices.
I guess life is throwing me one more curve.
I can also spend my time on this. Please leave your story and your support of our rights to be treated with honest and lawful business practices by Etsy.
They have made agreements both written and implied in their membership agreement.
It is time they were held accountable or suspended until they meet the basic criteria of being decent human beings!
Don't give up tsalbacka,
you are not alone in your experience. We will start finding each other and soon we will have a voice about this garbage that Etsy is pulling.
Together we can accomplish what one of alone cannot.
We can talk to each other to begin with.
That alone is a huge beginning.
Thank you for your story.
I am putting together a blog site for us with a link to this site.
I hope you will feel free to join us.
It may be politically incorrect today, but I still believe the truth comes out and that the good we would see needs to be made by ourselves. We need to be the change we want to see.
Again, I am so sorry you have had this horrible experience.
Do continue to tell your story.
You are only a victim when you say so.
Until then you are just getting your breath!
,)
I read your complaint as Etsy stores, however, do you want just a glimpse of the other end of it?? How about a consumer completely destroyed by an Etsy store? On March 5, my 16 y.o. daughter, fell in love with a Prom Dress on Etsy!!! Didn't matter price, this was her DREAM DRESS!!! We ordered it....measured her due to the site asked for specific measurements etc. Paid with my Debit Card for the dress and then $30 shipping charge!! Wow, I thought that was a lot but did pay it anyway, due to the absolute, utter joy in my daughters life with this Prom Dress for her JR Prom, April 19th.
Next thing, I get a conversation email from CHINA, yes, Etsy's store selling the dress was some woman in China with broken English and wrong use of verbs and the entire Eng Lang. She introduced herself and anything I needed , to contact her via this conversation link. Ok fine, Etsy doesn't want to be involved.....the store is probably instructed to contact me. Fine.
Ten days later, the dress arrives at my house, via DHL and it is completely DIFFERENT to the way it was pictured on the site AND the written description WRONG!! Who cares? Well the dress didn't fit because the website said it had a "lace up" back, yet it arrived with a zipper back that didn't fit (even though I had sent her specific measurements when ordered), OK fine. I am not taking it to a taylor and paying even more money........they were wrong, they can fix it. There is plenty of time.
Well.....I emailed them to say that I had to return it and THEY told me to send it back to them via USPS, cheaper than the $30 that I just paid DHL to bring it. Now I am paying $27 to return it to China to be fixed (daughter still in love with it....it just has to fit).
One week later, I emailed the store to verify they did receive the dress and that they were fixing it to the measurements to actually FIT her? They said that there was no return yet, but however, due to the error on the website, they would make another dress, that would fit her, and mail it to us ASAP to wear to the Prom. That was on April 1, 2013 and today is April 13, 2013 AND THEY JUST INFORMED ME THAT THEY DIDNT AND WONT BE ABLE TO MAKE HER NEW DRESS DUE TO THEY ARE TOO BUSY. THEY WILL REFUND THE COST OF THE DRESS (NOT THE $60 IN SHIPPING THAT I PAID!!
IT IS 6 DAYS UNTIL THE PROM, THE DATE WAS TOLD TO GET HIS TUX IN THE COLOR OF THIS DRESS, THE FLOWERS ARE ORDERED IN THE COLOR OF THIS DRESS, THE SHOES MATCH THIS DRESS, JEWELRY AND HAIR ACCES MATCH THIS DRESS........ONE PROBLEM.......WE WILL NOT BE GETTING THE DRESS!!! nOW, I HAVE A TOTAL OF 45 EMAILS BACK/FORTH WITH THIS STORE AND ACTUALLY HAVE EMAILS WHERE SHE PROMISED TO MAKE IT "URGENT" AND GET TO US asap, THAT WAS 14 DAYS AGO!!! oH AND THE ONLY REASON THAT I KNOW WE ARE NOT GETTING HER DREAM DRESS.......IS BECAUSE I EMAILED THEM EARLIER TONIGHT TO SEE WHERE IT WAS>>>
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? SHE IS INCONSOLABLE!! I HAVE BEEN UNDER ENORMOUS STRESS OVER THIS AND HAVE A HEART COND AND DIABETES. iT IS NOT LIFE OR DEATH, BUT ALL IT WAS ,,WAS ORDERING A BEAUTIFUL DRESS OVER THE INTERNET, FROM ETSY'S SITE. A GIRLS DREAM DRESS FOR HER PROM AND ALL THE TROUBLE AND EXTRA MONEY AND 45 EMAILS ETC.....6 DAYS LEFT AND THEY ARENT DOING IT....THEY ARENT DOING WHAT THEY PROMISED IN 45 EMAILS AND IN GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICES AND GOOD FAITH AND WRONG WEBSITE DESCRIPTION AND ALL THE UPSETMENT. hERE WE ARE WITH NO DRESS. EVEN IF WE RUSH OUT AND TRY TO GET ONE........IT WONT BE THE COLOR OF THE GUYS TUX/FLOWERS/SHOES/JEWELRY ETC. AND IT CAUSED SO MUCH ADDED STRESS TO OUR LIVES THAT I AM READY TO PROSECUTE THEM!!! WE DIDNT KNOW THEY WERE BASED IN CHINA, WE DIDNT KNOW THAT THE DRESS WOULD BE DESCRIBED WRONG ON THE SITE AND THEN NOT TALORED TO FIT AFTER SENDING MEASUREMENTS, WE DIDN TKNOW ANY OF THIS. OR I WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED IT TO BE ORDERED.
HOW CAN THEY DO THIS? HOW CAN THEY DO THIS TO A YOUNG GIRL? IT IS THE BIGGEST NIGHT OF HER LIFE, THUS FAR. WHY? WHY COULDNT THEY TELL ME THE TRUTH, WEEKS AGO. WE ORDERED THE DRESS ON MARCH 5TH AND WAS LIED TO AND STRUNG ALONG UNTIL APRIL 13!! WHAT SHOULD BE PUNISHABLE TO THIS ETSY STORE> SUSPENSION? I WANT MORE. YOU STORE OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT ETSY..........YO TELL ME WHAT THAT STORE SHOULD HAVE HAPPEN TO THEM? SORRY FOR THE LONG STORY. WE ARE DEVASTATED HERE TODAY! THANKS FOR LISTENING
Etsy made in china
5
I for one certainly do want to hear what you have to say. This nightmare is not just happening to the sellers. You are a perfect example of the same thing happening to you.
I am so sorry you had this experience. It probably is of little help, but do understand that you are not alone in the experience.
Who knows how many are really being scammed with this domain.
They are out for the quick buck and they have found the perfect scheme.
All of the owners are in their 30's and unavailable.
Etsy operates with extreme prejudice to whomever they like.
So far they do what they want and then hide.
Etsy is promoted as a safe site for crafters that believes in the little person, the small business crafter.
When the curtain is pulled back we are once again in Oz.
These are just young adults, making a quick buck and not caring about the consequences to anyone, especially their victims.
They hide behind Etsy like cowards and have no accountability to the laws of the country or of their own agreements.
Like badly behaved children, they just scoff at those that go to them for help and assistance to enforce their own terms of agreement, as well as the laws in place that govern all of us in operating in the free market in Canada and the US at the minimum.
These hoodlums need to be exposed for the scam artists and crooks they are.
If they will not come to the mountain...we will bring the mountain to them via the same vehicle, the internet that they hide behind.
It is not necessary to get Etsy to acknowledge their errors, it is only necessesary to expose their errors to the rest of the online world.
Etsy makes it bad for everyone wanting to sell and buy online, by their horrid and illegal business practices.
Etsy turns dreams into nightmares.
Agreed.
I'm assuming you're not from China, yes? I'm going to go out on a limb and also surmise that you're from the US, yes?
THEN WHY IS YOUR ENGLISH BROKEN?!! I decided to type in CAPSLOCK there because you seem to love it so much. Just wanted to make you feel at home.
What happened to you and your daughter SUCKS; it does, but this is NOT an Etsy problem, this is the particular store's issue. Each store clearly states where their shop is physically located, and from where their products are shipped.
People from all over the world (yes, there are other places in the world besides the US) run Etsy shops. It is YOUR DUTY to READ all the information provided. If you didn't know it was coming from China, you certainly knew once the shop owner contacted you, and if it was a problem for you, you should have requested a cancellation at that stage. Clearly it wasn't a problem because you carried on with the order because this was her "dream dress" or whatever.
Once you received the dress, and, as you stated, saw it was "...completely DIFFERENT to the way it was pictured on the site AND the written description WRONG...," you should have known the shop was obviously not living up to your expectations. So, you KNEW the shop was not living up to your expectations, yet instead of taking it to a trusted tailor nearby (where your daughter could have COME IN and be measured IN PERSON), you opted to send it back, TO CHINA, because you didn't want to spend more money. You state in CAPSLOCK just how important this affair was (with the boyfriend matching colors, jewelry, it being her dream dress etc.), yet you don't want to spend a few extra dollars to get it tailored?!
This shop OBVIOUSLY screwed up, but don't you DARE act like because you screwed up in regards to reading all the shop's information, not getting it tailored, etc., that you were "duped." The shop screwed up, tried to make it right, and in the end refunded you the greater amount of the dress.
This is NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!!!
For god's sake, take this opportunity to show your daughter that when things don't turn out perfectly, you can turn it around. This is a junior prom. We are talking about a DRESS. She will go to MANY other dances in her life, get MANY other lovely dresses; this did NOT have to be a tragedy.
Don't make it into one.
And don't make this an Etsy issue. Etsy DOES have problems, FOR SURE, but THIS is not Etsy's fault.
I concur! Same thing happened to my shop!
I never violated any rules what so ever...shop closed, no explanation, no emails..nothing. They eventually came up with a lame excuse for their action after hundreds of emails were sent accusing me of a multitude of infractions (all false!) only to retract a few accusations and demand I make them a product of mine and photograph the process, without compensation, to get my shop back. I refused to comply with their demands without compensation and after continued emails, they eventually opened my shop back up anyway! I HATE ETSY!!!!!
I want the world to know how CORRUPT they are! :(
You know what Scorned in Oregon, YOU ARE SO RIGHT!
They are corrupt, self indulgent, children who have an incredible sense of entitlement.
They do not have any concern over anyone but themselves.
You are not alone in your experience though.
There are many many of us that have experienced the Nightmare on Etsy Street.
Please join with me to create a voice to expose these children in crime.
There behavior is Horrid and they certainly need to have a bit of a rude awakening.
I have lived a while now and I know that most people are kind, good hearted and honest folks. Most of us just want to go about our business and live another day.
The owners of Etsy are not of this kind of person though and are predators of the easy going crafters and honest customers.
This mass abuse of flagrant disregard for the law of business practices and ehtics in both our countries certainly deserves a response, don't you think?
I do.
Let's consider how we can do that.
Please watch for the address to our blog for those of us good people in this world that want this kind of businesses stopped.
We must create the world we want ourselves and our family to live in.
This takes effort, but the result is a kinder, more honest, and hopeful world for our children and grandchildren.
Thank you for sharing your story Oregon.