ETSY won't validate my Identity - 'Urgent: Verify your new name today to get paid'

[MoreThanWordsUK]

I have sold on ETSY since 2010 as a limited company. I have not become a soletrader (same name, just dropped the LTD) and went into the finance section to remove my VAT details because I no longer collect VAT.

Since then I have had this banner saying 'Urgent: Verify your new name today to get paid....'

I have had several chats with ETSY who always say 'we definitely want to help... you will receive an email from TRUST & SAFESTY'. The email arrives and just says the same automated thing - 'we can't verify your identity, please submit correct documents'. It is totally MADDENING! There appears to be no human to speak to who can advise what the hell is going on...

Now I have a customer who has just placed an order and it appears if I cancel the order ETSY will charge me and if I send the order out I won't get paid until this issue is sorted. But it appears I have no way to fix it.

Any help with this would be gratefully received. It's very disappointing that ETSY just has me going in this stupid loop. Thanks in advance.

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Did you start with your personal name or with the LTD?  If you started with the LTD that is what is confusing to Etsy.  Now that you are using your personal name, Etsy needs an ID.  Passport or driver's license, etc.  

Others are in the same boat.  If they started with an LLC and not personal name then now with Etsy trying to verify there is no personal name for them to verify.

I don't know how the others solved.  You will just have to reply back that you still need help. 

[MoreThanWordsUK]

thanks for your reply. I started with LTD and now the LTD has been removed. I've uploaded my IDs but they keep asking for the ID of the person who originally opened the shop. I've done chats, but they don't tell me anything new unfortunately 

[BagmakerSupply]

@MoreThanWordsUK: It sounds like, in a very technical sense, you want to transfer the account from one legal entity (the LTD) to another legal entity (you as an individual). And Etsy does not allow account transfers so they do not seem to have a seamless process in place to handle exceptions. Patience and persistence seem to be the only solution.

"... if I cancel the order ETSY will charge me ..." If a seller 100% refunds and cancels an order, all fees will eventually be refunded so it will be a net zero situation.

[JJewellerySuppliesUK]

You need to have everything matching so your name in your shop must match the documents exactly. 

Go to Shop Manager - Finances - Legal & Tax Info to check what you have there.  If you need to change it to match your documentation then Edit it and Submit it.  

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@MoreThanWordsUK 

You can't remove your VAT number, you can't amend it, and once registered with etsy only etsy can remove it

they normally need proof, that you have de-registered, to remove it

however, when you put your VAT number in the VAT field, etsy normally automatically enters sellers details, and that's not there

....

being a limited company, you don't have to be VAT registered, it's a choice , like it's a choice for sole traders,

it's only when you gross £90,000 (was £85,000) as a limited company, or sole trade, you have to be VAT registered

......

Even if you weren't VAT registered. closing a limited company isn't as easy as just dropping the Ltd,

you have to de-register with companies house

https://www.gov.uk/closing-a-limited-company

....

on etsy, you have to have the UTR of your company, or yourself as a sole trader, in the - additional taxpayer information

.........

your post isn't that clear about exactly how you were set up with

VAT

Limited company

how you de-registered from both

how you set up as a sole trader

and how you communicated all this to etsy

[MoreThanWordsUK]

I didn't just drop the LTD. I closed it via companies house and my accountants. I dropped the LTD from the business name (which is my name). I de-registered from VAT via HMRC. I didn't realise I'd need to be that specific to be understood on this forum.

I don't specifically remember how I changed things with ETSY as it was awhile ago but i think I went into the finance section, changed to soletrader. Now I'm not sure how to fix it because the only option on the 'legal & tax info' page is to upload my IDs

[CraftyCornishMaids]

You can't remove your VAT number, you can't amend it, and once registered with etsy only etsy can remove it

they normally need proof, that you have de-registered, to remove it

You didn't say you contacted etsy, you said you removed it

so I was asking questions, because what you were saying couldn't have happened that way.

without knowing what you did, it is difficult to unpick it.

[MoreThanWordsUK]

I added the VAT number back into my finance details a few days ago to see if putting it back to how it was would help so that's not totally true, but i understand you are trying to help.

I made the changes on the site a few months ago so I can't remember what i did. but my usual go-to is to find instructions on how to update etsy and follow them. Now I don't seem to be able to change anything besides my address or upload my ID again, and ETSY trust & safety isn't sending me emails anymore. 

[Marmalady]

If you have added your VAT number back, you have probably confused the issue even more.

Etsy will want ID matching the VAT number -- if your company is no longer registered at Companies House this might be difficult to provide

Then you will have to get Etsy to remove the VAT number -- and provide ID matching your personal name

Everything on the ID has to match exactly -- you can't have Jane Smith in one place and J Smith in another

If you have a Support ticket open, keep replying "I still need help" to that one ticket (do not open a new one) until you get past the auto-replies and can speak to an actual person.

[MoreThanWordsUK]

okay thank you