Etsy Account Permanently Suspended – Need Advice

[LindaMedStudio]

Hi everyone,

I’m posting from a different account because my main account was permanently suspended on March 8, 2025, without a clear explanation. My shop, LindaMediumStudio, had over 7,000 sales, and I always prioritized customer satisfaction while following Etsy’s policies.

A week before the suspension, I received a 48-hour messaging restriction for unknowingly violating Etsy’s review policy by offering small gifts in exchange for 5-star reviews. Once I realized this was against the rules, I took immediate action to correct my mistake, thoroughly reviewed Etsy’s policies, and sought guidance from customer service on how to properly request reviews.

Etsy’s customer service informed me that I could ask for reviews in a polite and casual manner without offering anything in return, which I followed exactly. I fully complied with the rules and was careful not to repeat any mistakes. However, I suspect that certain keywords in my messages may have triggered Etsy’s automated filters, leading to my account's automatic suspension.

Just three days later, my account was permanently suspended without any warning or clear explanation. Despite contacting Etsy for clarification, I have not received any specific details.

Given that I followed the policies closely and even confirmed my approach with Etsy’s customer service, I am seeking advice from others who may have faced a similar situation.

Has anyone successfully appealed a permanent suspension after following the guidelines? If so, what steps did you take to resolve the issue? Any advice on how I can proceed from here?

Thank you in advance for any insights you can share.

[TheVintagePineapple]

The suspended shop was selling readings, the same as what you're selling in the shop you're posting from.  Etsy may have suspended that shop after they noticed what you were selling in both shops.  Having a second shop selling the same things is also against the rules.

[TheVelvetPrincess]

You can't have two shops selling the same thing. Just double down promotion on your existing shop.

[hopeandjoystudios]

Directly contacting to specifically request reviews is considered spamming unless attached to maybe a "Your item has shipped" type message. 

[hopeandjoystudios]

Besides Etsy already hounds buyer to leave reviews.

[irmaKdesigns]

@hopeandjoystudios If she was just spamming, Etsy would've revoked her messaging privileges. Offering free gifts in exchange for reviews is what got her shop shut down.

(I'm surprised to see Etsy works properly sometimes.)

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Your shops were selling the exact same item?  No difference such as one was selling physical items while the other one was doing readings?  Etsy is clear that you cannot sell the same item or similar items in two separate shops.

Since they didn't close this one, you are free to incorporate anything from the other shop into this one.

[TheWestcountryWitch]

Breaking the rules by offering gifts for reviews likely put your account on etsy's radar. It would have seen you had a second shop, selling the same things, then looked at both shops. That said, a google search of the suspended shop shows you had in your info that you offered love spells and energy work which are not allowed on etsy. 

[bradgoodell]

You were breaking not only Etsy's policies, but there are laws in place regarding reviews.  You violated both.  You were also offering services that were in violation of Etsy's policies.  Why should Etsy allow you to reopen?  

Once Etsy has suspended one shop for violation of polices, Etsy does not allow sellers to run or open a new shop.  So now you have a further violation of Etsy's policies.  This shop will likely be shut down as soon as Etsy realizes this one is open and belongs to you too.  Best be warned, so you won't be surprised.  

Repeated violation of policies, intentional or not, does not inspire confidence moving forward.  

[CraftyCornishMaids]

Why does anyone think bribing buyers for reviews, would ever be allowed, anywhere?????

[Natalya1905]

To add to what is said above.

Many photos in your active shop (including the ones on your banner) are all over the Internet: different Instagram accounts, Pinterest and so on. Do these photos belong to you? Do you have permission to use them? 

[CatsWhiskersCurios]

Good grief. 

[TheVelvetPrincess]

That is brilliant. It does not take a psycic to feel that reply. lol. I love your shop by the way.

[CatsWhiskersCurios]

Aw thank you, that’s very kind! I love your Trina Turk silk dress - right up my street!

[DesertChains]

Here’s your spread:

1. The Fool (Upright)

2. The Tower (Reversed)

3. Queen of Cups (Upright)

4. Ten of Swords (Upright)

5. The Magician (Reversed)

6. Knight of Pentacles (Upright)

7. Three of Wands (Upright)

8. The Moon (Reversed)

Interpretation:

This spread tells the story of a personal journey filled with upheaval, emotional depth, and eventual clarity.

• The Fool as the first card suggests you are embarking on a new phase of life, filled with excitement but also uncertainty. There is a childlike optimism in your approach, but perhaps a lack of preparation.

• The Tower reversed indicates that while you have avoided a total collapse, there are still lingering disruptions. Perhaps you are resisting necessary change or trying to rebuild from past chaos without fully addressing its root cause.

• The Queen of Cups represents emotional intelligence and intuition. This suggests that despite external turbulence, you have the capacity for deep inner calm and understanding. You may also have a nurturing figure in your life who provides support.

• The Ten of Swords signals an inevitable ending—perhaps a betrayal, a painful realization, or the end of a chapter that was long overdue. This moment may feel like rock bottom, but it also brings clarity.

• The Magician reversed warns of misused potential. You might be doubting your own abilities, or someone around you could be using manipulation to their advantage. Be cautious of illusions.

• The Knight of Pentacles represents slow, steady progress. This card suggests that after the turmoil, you will adopt a more methodical approach to your goals. Hard work and patience will be key.

• The Three of Wands shows expansion and vision. After surviving challenges, you will gain a clearer perspective on what lies ahead. There may be opportunities on the horizon if you are willing to take calculated risks.

• The Moon reversed suggests that the confusion and deception of the past will finally clear. You will begin to see things for what they truly are, allowing you to move forward with greater confidence and understanding.

Summary:

This spread highlights a transformation—from blind optimism to painful realizations, from doubt to eventual clarity. It suggests that by embracing change, trusting intuition, and working steadily toward your goals, you will emerge wiser and stronger. While the journey involves struggle, it ultimately leads to self-discovery and new opportunities.

(thanks, ChatGPT!)

(I should totally open a new shop for this.)

[bradgoodell]

@DesertChains  Impressive!  

And depressing that people pay for that.  

[TheVelvetPrincess]

I thought the aame thing. You nailed it. Just had a long conversation with a friend who is a screen writer about Chat GBT. I loved reading your post and found it clever but picked up the lack of intutition.(or even application to the situation.) I would love to know what question you asked chat GBT. he wrote a book called "Conversations with Nobody". It brings more questions than answers.

[BagmakerSupply]

@LindaMedStudio: Etsy appears to be creaking down on a lot of violations including technical ones. For example, there are very specific requirements as to WHERE you must declare all of your accounts See https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017604474-How-to-Open-a-Second-Shop-on-Etsy Your shop header announcement does not count.

Then, as mentioned, there is the issue of the flagrant violations of law not just Etsy rules. Unfortunately customer service can only pass along what information Etsy provides them and there is good reason to infer that customer service is not aware of exactly what rules, filters, and triggers are used on the back end - particularly when it comes to shop suspensions and closures.. Etsy is not known for providing exact reasons for their actions. With multiple violations, it is just as likely as anything else that Etsy considered your shop too great a risk.

Based on other posts, you might consider yourself lucky that Etsy did not close all of your shops, so you should consider taking the time to reread all of the rules and make sure that this one is in absolute compliance.

[LindaMedStudio]

Hello,

Some people have mentioned that I violated Etsy’s policies by offering gifts in exchange for 5-star reviews, which led to my shop being suspended. However, as I’ve already shared, I received a warning for this and was given a 48-hour messaging restriction. After this, I received an email from Etsy explaining that this was against the rules, and I stopped offering gifts in exchange for reviews. I haven’t offered anything to anyone since then, so I don’t believe my account should have been suspended, as I’ve already served my penalty and stopped that behavior.

Additionally, I was advised to mention that I use two shops. My shop was already visible in the "Profiles" section, but when I spoke to live support, they informed me that I should add this information to the "Announcements" section. I added it as "Other Shop - Shop Name" and asked live support if everything was in order. They confirmed that there was no problem at that moment (if a representative needs to, they can review my live chat history).

I make sure to confirm all my actions with live support because Etsy has many policies, and it’s not possible to memorize all of them. Regarding the "Witchcraft" category, I am aware that there are thousands of active shops selling in this category, some of which have been around for 5-6 years and sell hundreds of items daily. Given how widespread this category is and the large volume of sales, I thought it wouldn’t be an issue for me to offer written or visual products. I assumed it would be acceptable, especially since there are so many active shops in this category.

I also confirmed with live support that having two shops selling in the same category wasn’t a problem, as long as I mentioned it in my profile. I have followed their guidance, and I did not provide any false information. If a representative needs to, they can check my live chat history to verify these details. I understand Etsy’s policies are strict, and I always communicate with live support to ensure I’m following the rules. I try my best to comply, and when I look at successful shops, I see that some of them have been active for years, even selling products in the Witchcraft category.

If I am in violation, then it seems that thousands of other shops are also violating the same rules. If I can have two shops, others are opening 10 shops in the same category. I don’t understand this discrepancy, and I don’t see why my account was permanently suspended.

I acknowledge that I made mistakes, and I sincerely apologize for them. However, seeing that Etsy has not taken action against certain policy violations in the past and allowed them to continue, it can lead a person to believe that there is no issue with it. Many shops that have been active for years with thousands of sales have been allowed to continue, and this created confusion for me, as I thought it would not be a problem.

If my shop is reinstated, I will be much more careful going forward. I will pay even more attention to Etsy’s policies and immediately remove any prohibited items.

Thank you to everyone for your feedback and insights.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

Regarding the "Witchcraft" category, I am aware that there are thousands of active shops selling in this category, some of which have been around for 5-6 years

It's a bit like speeding,

it's illegal

but some people can do it for many , many years, and not get caught

Others get caught straight away

Just because you see other people speeding, does not make it legal for you to do so.

You only see the sellers that have not yet been caught yet, many sellers come here, with no shops any more, because they were caught..... and many caught and closed down, don'y come here at all.

Do not look at what others do, look at the handbook, for what you can and cannot do.

two shops.....

Etsy’s marketplace is built on trust, which is why a core requirement in our Seller Guidelines is maintaining a transparent Shop. We focus on transparency because buyers come to Etsy to find unique things from real people. Buyers want to know the story behind what they are buying and who they are buying from--that story is what makes Etsy different from any other marketplace.

We noticed that some sellers have opened multiple shops to sell the same types of items, which not only leads to confusion for buyers, but gives them an unfair advantage in search. Many of you have brought this concern to our attention, and we agree that this practice violates our transparency requirement, so we’ve clarified our policies accordingly.

We have a new Multiple Shops Policy which prohibits duplicate shops. To be clear, this does not mean that you cannot have more than one shop on Etsy. We understand that there are many reasons to have more than one shop and we still allow and encourage them for distinctly different businesses. For example, rather than combining vintage items with your hand-made jewelry, it may make more sense for you to have two separate shops with different marketing strategies. 

[bradgoodell]

What I'm hearing:

"I was caught violating several of Etsy's policies. I knew that I was violating some of these policies, but figured I could get away with it because "everyone else does it". I told Etsy I would be good from this point forward, but they still closed my shop."  

Etsy Chat cannot determine if your shop is Etsy-legal, that isn't their job.  Even if your shop was full of illegal drugs and body parts, they could do nothing other than report you to Etsy.  So yes, they will tell you what you want to hear.  They are a help desk only, and their entire goal is to move to the next chat as quickly as possible.  

Question.  Why should Etsy believe you now after so many violations of policy? 

[hopeandjoystudios]

@bradgoodell The psychics complaing of closed shops here always seem surprised.

[Natalya1905]

"I assumed it would be acceptable, especially since there are so many active shops in this category." "If I am in violation, then it seems that thousands of other shops are also violating the same rules."

From Etsy: 

"I see a similar item on Etsy. Can I sell it, too?

Many sellers write to us saying that they’ve searched Etsy for a certain item to determine if they could sell similar items. Others say that they created the listing using materials purchased from Etsy. These are not reliable tests.

Etsy is a venue comprised of third-party content generated by our sellers. An Etsy seller may post content that’s not authorized and it may be visible on our site until we receive an infringement report or is otherwise removed."

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1075628311049 

[bradgoodell]

@hopeandjoystudios  I know, right?  

[GlassyFields]

I think once your shop comes under scrutiny for anything ... its like pulling a thread. 

When I was working for big companies, an audit might uncover something small but that would incent the auditors to look harder for more stuff.

The only way to protect a shop is to know and abide by all the policies all the time.