Changing Seller Type to Individual

[kindreddrygoods]

Good morning, when I set up my shop initially I chose the seller type as Business instead of Individual. Since then I have not been able to get my documents approved because I do not have an EIN (in US). So I've been messaging the help center for a month to get them to help me resolve this, but the answers they are sending me seem to be going all around them simply changing it for me. They reply with articles about the financials, they reply that there is an engineering problem that they don't have an ETA on when it will be resolved and they even reply to me to change the type myself despite the fact that I'm telling them that I cannot do it. When I try to change it, the system tells me there is an error and that it cannot save. This has caused me 6 weeks in the delay of opening my shop. I have even been charged for my listing that are not visible to anyone. If I close my shop and try to set it up as a new account, then I won't be able to use my shop name. Can anyone make a suggestion about how to get this resolved? The help center responses are slow and simply not effective. I feel desperate at this point. 

[NanaLetha]

Just enter your SSN and that should solve it.

[kindreddrygoods]

The box doesn't allow for that format. It's asking for an EIN so the format is incorrect. It's been since May 4 that I've been trying to set this up. I probably have sent 25 help tickets. I even asked if they could release my shop name so I could start the process over again.

[HazelsSewingSupplies]

They don't release shop names.  Once it's used it's gone.

You don't say are you in the US and have a SSN?  If so, Add a letter or number to your current name and start a new shop.

[kindreddrygoods]

Yes, I am in the US and have a SSN. I provided my DL photo and passport photo along with an explanation that the shop type needs to be changed. I think you are correct in your suggestion. I may have to resort to manipulating the name to get a shop open and operational. Thanks for your reply. 

[NoFrogsAllowed]

Open one ticket and keep replying to their canned responses with "I still need help."  Eventually you will get to a real response.  Don't keep opening new tickets as that sends you back to the bottom of the pile.

[BagmakerSupply]

@kindreddrygoods: "I probably have sent 25 help tickets."  DO NOT open a new issue or contact Etsy multiple times about the same issue (doing so closes the one you already opened and puts the new one on the bottom of the pile). Every eMail from Etsy support should have a link something like "I Still Need Help". Click on that link (or actually reply stating that you still need help) to keep the report alive or Etsy will assume that it is resolved. You may have to do this innumerable times, but once on each Etsy reply before anything is done but do not give up.

Often the first response you get from customer support is an automated reply meant to weed out the people who contact support over common issues that can be easily solved.

[DreamGreatDreams]

the multiple emails are causing a delay in resolving your issue. i worked in IT running a help desk and the automated ticketing software used to log and keep track of support issues works the same way. when you email the software automatically assigns it a ticket number. if you send a new email again the next day, the system automatically searches to see if you have any other open support tickets and if so, closes them and resets your place in the queue to the date of the 2nd email. if you send another a few days later?  same thing happens again… i would find the first email, and reply to it. something like “i still need help” is sufficient. and then?  wait for a reply… 

in the mean time, here is the link to apply for an ein.  it takes a couple of minutes at irs.gov. 

[ClaspItOnToo]

I have been having the same type of issue.  Did you get your resolved?  If so HOW?????

I chose business and although I have an EIN (they verified and accepted) they want documents for an LLC or Corp.  I submitted my business lic but that isn't enough.  I received an email from Etsy support that said submit your documents or your account is suspended.  So I responded to the email saying I don't have those documents I want to change to Sole Proprietor but the submit button isn't lit so I cannot submit the change.  They sent instructions on how to change it which is the place that I sent a screen shot of with the button grayed out.  I contacted Support via chat and they said since I had pending documents, the team that originally contacted me would handle it.  I received another email from Support that sent me the same instructions on how to change it and I sent a screen shot that showed I can't.  They responded with the same instructions again and told me to contact Help via chat.  When I responded back the the same email chain I got a response "Your email was sent to a no-reply email address and messages will not be received."   I tried again to contact Support via chat and explained everything, that I cleared my cache, I tried another browser, I tried my phone but cannot submit the request, and guess what... of course they sent me the same instructions.  I asked did you read anything I said????   I gave them a screen shot again of how it doesn't work.  To which they said they are going to escalate to Technical Support and gave me a ticket#.  I am now just waiting.

[TheTeflonMadonna]

I'm stuck in the same level of "tech support hell." I was only able to reach a real human on the phone and they weren't tech support, so they weren't able to help me. They allegedly created a ticket requesting tech support assistance for me. This issue has been lingering for long over one year for me, which is entirely ridiculous. It looks like the webpage to enter legal and tax information needs to be cleared out and reset. This seems to be the solution for many of us.

[ClaspItOnToo]

It will take you all of 5 min to get an EIN.  Goto the IRS website,  https://irs-taxnumber.org/?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxuCnBhDLARIsAB-cq1pVvo8Za7Hc4YsWXFeFdXTd0SViXqLyzeIXU...  Select Sole Proprietor and fill out the information they will give you a number.  

[FourSeasonsSouthWest]

Finances > Legal & Tax information