Ads randomly being turned on by Etsy for new listings

[ACJcraftsupplies]

Anyone else having ads turned on by Etsy after listing a new listing and making sure the setting is off for ads? It's so frustrating! I keep getting into a loop of automation and can't get through to Etsy either, not what usually happens for me.  This isn't the first time it's happened over the past few months but I kept doubting myself thinking surely it won't be on unless I set it that way.  I know I didn't this time and yet here we go again.  It got up to over $11 in ad cost and I don't even have that much of an inventory for sale so it doesn't even make sense I would put ads up for this item.  

Any suggestions for help?!  I check my shops twice most days since there is sometimes a delay in sales being posted but I don't always check the ad settings since I do check occasionally and haven't changed any settings for it.  

Thanks in advance, Vonda

[CarpetCollectionAU]

Are you referring to Etsy Ads (as set in "Marketing?" or Etsy Off Site Ads as set in Settings / Offsite Ads?

Are these fees taken daily from your Etsy Ads Budget or are they applied after a Sale from an Offsite Ad?

If it is an Offsitre Ad and your revenue for the past 365 days in under USD $ 300, you can turn the Offsite As Off on the Offsite Ads Page in Shop Manager > Settings. Be aware that you do have to confirm this up to three times before it "sticks"

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

If it is an Offsitre Ad and your revenue for the past 365 days in under USD $300, you can turn the Offsite Ads Off

The amount is $10,000, not $300. I don’t want a new seller to see that and start panicking. 

[ACJcraftsupplies]

This is for advertising where you set your budget.  I have chosen not to pay for advertising at this time and yet it sometimes randomly gets turned on.  I have had to keep a closer eye on it because all three of my shops have had this happen at some time.  It seems to happen within a day or two after I have listed or relisted an item.  I make sure the bottom of the page is that Etsy ads are off and renewal is set to manual (my preference) before going live with a listing. 

[MouseGarden]

Are you using the new listing form or the old one?  I find the new one hardly ever saves settings properly.

[ACJcraftsupplies]

New, that's interesting.  

[TreasuresByDivineCo]

ACJcraftsupplies, I am having the same problem.  This is very frustrating and unfair, especially if the shop isn't making that much in revenue anyways. This is the 2nd time it happens to me since last month. I don't know if it's an issue the software is having because this never happened to me before. I don't know what to do about this. I have checked and double checked, and everything seems fine, yet a few days later the Etsy ads turn on and I go check the Finance section under Payment Account, Recent Activities and sure enough there are fees for the previous few days, which I didn't turn on. 

[JDTotesnDolls]

@TreasuresByDivineCo   In the listing do you see the Etsy ad space.  How is it marked.  It should be marked as off.  If you click on it, it will turn on. 

Are you going down to the bottom row on Etsy ads and clicking to pause the ads? 

When you pause the ads, do you then check before leaving that the ads are paused?  You may not be hitting it strong enough to turn it off or hitting it too hard that it is not turned off.

If you find that you indeed have everything off then contact Etsy.   It could be whatever device you are using is preventing the turning off.

[ACJcraftsupplies]

They assured me "there is no software or programing problem on their end"  All I can do is check daily to watch for it to happen again.  I did set my daily ad budget to the lowest setting so at least when it randomly turns on it will be the least possible.  Let me know if you find anything else out.  Thanks and sorry this is happening to you too. 

[JDTotesnDolls]

Check to make sure you did not accidentally turn the listing on.  It should have an x.  If you accidentally click on it, it will turn the item on for an ad.

[ACJcraftsupplies]

Yes, thanks.  I check at the bottom of the listing for the featuring the listing, ads for the listing, and manual renewal setting all as I prefer before going live.  It happens later, like within a day or two.  It's very strange. 

[TreasuresByDivineCo]

@JDTotesnDolls Thank you. I had already tried all you suggested. So, I contacted Etsy because I'd done all of the above, AND this is the second time it happens.  Of course, Etsy told me the same thing I already knew, so they couldn't really help me. It's frustrating because when this happens, Etsy charges me for click through ads) all the while I'm thinking it's off, but whatever, I guess I'll just chuck it off to a loss. Thanks for your response.

[TimoneArt]

Oh! It happened to me in June. After publishing a new listing, I realized that I had Etsy Ads activated because it was the last day of the month and they charged me and it didn't add up the numbers. Normally I only get into finances section if I have a sale and that is rarely. Luckily it was active only 2 or 3 days and costs me $4.37. It's not much but it's very annoying when you're not having sales. And I didn't activate anything. Luckily it hasn't happened to me again.

[ACJcraftsupplies]

That's just it, I didn't have the ads activated.  I check those things at the bottom of the listing before going live.  It randomly gets turned on and to by honest it's happened more than once in at least one of my shops.  I thought I was imagining things and must have missed it.  After that I have been so careful to double check before going live but it happened in all of my shops around the same time after adding listings.  I know I made sure the ads were off and renewal setting how I prefer which are next to each other.  The ads automatically came on later - so weird!

[TreasuresByDivineCo]

@TimoneArt Exactly! You have described my problem to a tee. lol. Now if we could just figure out what to do, that would help us all tremendously.  I contacted Etsy and explained but nothing. So disappointed.

[DaysofYoreTreasures]

This was also happening to me when I had Etsy ads turned on (I now have them turned off). ONLY with the new listing form. Before I published a new listing I would scroll to the bottom and check that the Ads were turned off. But once I published I found that the Ads had been turned on.

[ACJcraftsupplies]

Exactly!  They told me there were no issues with their programing or systems that would cause it.  I wanted to bring it up in case others were having the issue in hopes if so and everyone calls they will realize there is a glitch somewhere.  Sorry it happened to you too.  

[TreasuresByDivineCo]

Definitely a glitch in the matrix.  Hopefully they will realize it and correct it once and for all because we're the ones loosing out...

[LostMineGoods]

This keeps happening to me. I double checked and Etsy ads are off, yet last month I had 20 "off site" ad sales. almost all of my sales? WTF. A $15 mug they took 4 of it plus the fees. Ugh

[BagmakerSupply]

@LostMineGoods: Have you made sure that both on-site ads and off-site ads are turned off? The ability to turn off the latter depends on your sales volume. https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000338367-How-Etsy-s-Offsite-Ads-Work?segment=selling

[After9Marbles]

I have the same issue with new listings. It automatically turns on etsy ads pay per click. I have yet to figure out how not not automatically advertise every new listing. I have to go in and uncheck them each time in the etsy ads secton. Super annoying when I forget to turn them off. Maybe it has to do with me using the mobile app to list but I just find it easier.

[LostMineGoods]

oops.. 

Same here, I am on my computer trying to figure it out now because I also do most of my listings on my phone app.

It's so frustrating, also almost all my sales last month were from "offsite" ads?

I've spent all morning on this, its exhausting. I checked my new listings and it's off, yet the sale I made 2 days ago was from an "offsite" ad. 

[LostMineGoods]

Another thing, I started using pirate ship to ship things, it's easier for me and I THOUGHT I was avoiding etsy shipping fees by doing so, but NOPE, etsy still takes a shipping fee for each thing mailed. That I do not understand. I had $50 in marketing fees and $40 in shipping fees. Plus the etsy transaction fees I haven't added up.. Man. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@After9Marbles: There is no ability to automatically disable on-site ads for a new listing other than unchecking the box.

Try copying and editing a listing that has them turned off instead of starting a new listing.

[BagmakerSupply]

@LostMineGoods: "... etsy still takes a shipping fee for each thing mailed. That I do not understand." The fees are based essentially on the transaction total. The reason that shipping is subject to fees is that unscrupulous sellers used to sell a $50 item for $1 with $49 shipping so the transaction fees would only be charged against the $1. The transaction fee you are referring to has nothing to do with the cost of labels whether you buy them on Etsy or elsewhere.