Comments on: Is Etsy Ripping Off its Sellers? I, for One, Want My Money Back

By: Leaflee1

Leaflee1 — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 05:44:00 +0000

etsy has now removed their advertising showcase spots from their site, while making the showcases still available for purchase under this false advertising heading
“The Showcase is Etsy’s advertising program, designed for Etsy sellers. By purchasing a 24 hour spot in the Showcase, Etsy sellers highlight their featured items in prominent places on the site to increase shop awareness and boost sales” I bought quite a few spots That haven’t been “showcased” as promised. I want a refund for all the dates I purchased since they removed showcases from their homepage. I was wondering who did you email to get your refund? This is just wrong!

By: Sally

Sally — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:39:03 +0000

First of all, JACKIE and JOHN…get off your self-righteous, finger-pointing high-horse!!! You two really don’t realize how stupid you sound. And all you losers, stop sticking up for Etsy! Get a life! Etsy is in business to make money….period! Do you think Etsy would come to YOUR defense as passionately as you come to theirs? They would drop you in a flash if you did something they didn’t like.

Julie, glad you got your money back! You go girl!

Now JACKIE and JOHN, go wipe off that nasty brown from your lips….too much Etsy butt-kissing for me!

By: KC

KC — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:05:55 +0000

It is still much better then ebay ( *gag*) I used to be a seller on feebay and got the boot after I protest too much about the raising of their fees and double standards. I seen sellers ripping ppl off and ebay did nothing….Alas…I no longer sell and recently made my last transaction as a buyer since they will no longer allow Money orders. ( Unless you are buying a car or porn)…..ME thinks I am going to bring my wares to etsy.

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:27:00 +0000

To me it sounds like a lot of you are simply disappointed in the fact that what you may have originally thought would be an easy overnight success, instead, requires a lot more work and marketing effort. Etsy in no way guarantees success, or that your shop will receive an adequate number of views. I have an Etsy shop, and if I need to boost views/sales, I just work harder. That’s the name of the game. You can’t blame Etsy for something you knew you were getting into. You also can’t blame it for it’s incredible popularity (so many sellers, so many buyers). Make it unique enough, and good-quality enough and your shop will prosper. Also, in the Etsy contract it does state that the cost of posting any items that do not sell after a certain period of time will be refunded to you after that said time. Meaning, you could be drawing people to your shop with items posted for free (in theory). Either that or you sell them. It’s not as bad a situation as y’all are making it. Thanks and happy selling!

Beth

By: Pat G

Pat G — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:47:22 +0000

I am an artist and tried starting my own company a couple of years ago. I never imagined it would be this difficult! Many members of the community encouraged me to start my own business because my artwork was so popular.

I now have 3 partners, one who handles finances and two who are working on the website. The business consumes all of our time, energy, and money. Now that the business and website are almost up and running, I have no time for art!
Unfortunately, it’s too late to turn back. My partners have invested in the company so I must run it.

It sounds easy to run a business but it is a lot of red tape, paper work, and legalities. I don’t know how Etsy does it for such a small percentage. Maybe I’m just not cut out for business. I miss painting and creating!

By: Emma

Emma — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:20:55 +0000

The only thing truly sad here is that you had to fight so hard to get a company to do something that is right. It is standard practice in every business I have ever worked with to refund someones money if we couldn’t live up to our end of the deal. No, you shouldn’t have to write a blog and link on twitter and get your voice heard just so a big impersonal company will take you seriously.

I’m afraid to think the time is coming when Etsy will completely forget about the individuals that made them great. I’m happy for you that you got your money back, but saddened that this is what it has become necessary just to get a little problem fixed.

By: DJ

DJ — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:56:08 +0000

First, let me say that I am glad to hear that you got your money back. I can understand your frustration, as I have my grievances with Etsy also (see my blog for that)

I recently posted one of my photos in the travel showcase & got over 200 hits. I am sure you were hoping for the same and it’s no wonder you were disappointed.

I am also sorry to hear you are getting negative replies to your posting. People need to realize that sometimes when you post in the moment, your feelings show through more so than at other times. They should cut you some much needed slack for that. You are human, just like the rest of us.

Lastly, I just want to say that I have browsed through alot of your writings & they are very good reads.

I think your shop is excellent & I wish you luck in all of your sales.

By: john

john — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:11:30 +0000

Hi Julie,
I agree with Jackie this blog should be used to promote indie green crafting instead you make it sound like indie crafters are bitter moaning people who thinks everyone is trying to rip them off. I myself am a creative person used to expressing myself, but surely you should do this through creativness and not through complaining and moaning and blowing tiny things out of the water and making them into some drama that they are not. Etsy maybe a commercial company but it is also run by humanbeings who do actually make mistakes and in any case this sounds like a technical fault which means no one is to blame, sometimes things break!!!, Before you even gave ETSY a chance to fix it or apologise or give you a refund you put your moans all over the internet for everyone to see, you used one paragraph to insult unnessesarily Oilily, Bill Gates and Etsy.
I think that Etsy should give you your refund and tell you to find somewhere else to sell your stuff, infact they should conntact all the simlar companies and tell them not to do buisness with you as you seem to get angry too easily. That would be a shame wouldn’t it. I think you forget that although they rely on people like you you also rely on people like them, so perhaps next time you lose your temper you should watch what you say.

By: Julie Finn

Julie Finn — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:48:33 +0000

I like the idea of craigslist–way to think outside the box!

Crafting is just plain hard to do as a business, I think (so is writing). One of my idols is the Crafty Chica–she’s made crafting her business, but she’s explored it in so many fun and profitable ways. She’s got books, and a product line, and she does cruises or something, I think. I think a lot of people here have been saying that the best thing to do, if you really want to earn money, is to diversify what you’re able to do within your crafty skills.

By: kelly

kelly — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:01:48 +0000

i tried to sell on etsy also. i guess the only way you can make money is is torrey from good morning america tells the world about you. i agree the site is to big. people put items in spots that it does not belong and that causes peolpe to stop looking do to to many pages to go thru!! i think there should be a limit as to how many and what spots you can put an item in. as a crafter for over 20 years i think etsy is just like any other site they just want money and there high dollar makers get preference over others. i have sold items on craigslist in my local area and it’s free. look for other spots to sell and don’r give up!!!!!!!!!!!