Etsy Support Issues

[VibeWaves]

Hello, 

I am growing frustrated with Etsy due to their lack of support, and it is affecting my business. Any insight would be MUCH appreciated. I have a Print on Demand shop which fully connects the print system to Etsy. This means when I get a sale through Etsy, it sends the order to the print system and the print system creates the order, makes a shipping label, and fulfills the order with tracking in the etsy shop. I just received an email from Etay that they have "placed a temporary Payment account reserve on your shop" due to one of the following reasons: 

• A large increase in sales
• A large increase in cancellations or refunds to buyers
• Many of your orders didn’t ship in time
• Many of your orders didn’t have tracking info, or Etsy couldn’t verify the tracking info you added
• A history of low reviews

This is where I am wildly confused. I am new and have only had 4 orders. All of which have shipped on time and have been provided tracking. No one has canceled their order and I don't believe 4 orders to be a lot in sales.

Furthermore I think I have been blocked in the system to contact Etsy support because when I try reaching out to them via chat, no one answers. Is there another way to contact Etsy support?

Any insight to this or another means for contacting their support would be MUCH appreciated! 

[CappuccinoLace]

all new shops get placed on reserve. 4 orders is a "large increase in orders" for a new shop.

[Vintorious]

A payment reserve isn't unusual for new shops. 

[LAKEandFELLart]

this will explain it. help.etsy.com/What-is-a-Payment-Account-Reserve 

[audreytherese]

Your shop has a large risk factor, as you say you have POD suppliers creating and shipping out your products, but you are not disclosing this in your shop. You actually need to get that remedied ASAP before they completely shut down your shop for not following the rules around using production partners. The fact that you don't have them, and the orders shipped from different places according to their tracking, may have been what triggered it. 

[audreytherese]

This announcement specifically states that new shops are likely to be put on reserve. 

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/Protecting-the-Etsy-marketplace/m-p/142342185#M1868

[TreeTreasuresCanada]

Also, when using POD, you must create the images yourself.  You cannot use images you have purchased or found for free online. 

From Etsy Handmade Policy;" Everything listed as handmade must be made and/or designed by you, the seller. "

[CraftyCornishMaids]

You are high risk factor

you ship to the EU/Uk/EEA without legal policies,

you need 30 day return policies, and your address and e-mail address in sellers details, with the trader box ticked.

you look like yo are using POD, but have not disclosed your POD partner/s

some of your items ship to me in the UK from Canada, some ship from UK, some from USA, it's very confusing.

you have a sale - have you been selling here for at least a month, at the higher price?

[EamesAntiques]

I've just had my 2nd reserve placed on my payment account, 30% this time. Etsy don't seem to understand that furniture couriers don't have a tracking system, so it's not possible to add info for large items, which most of mine have been recently. There was a way round it last time, so will just have to do that again.

[bookBW]

Trademark infringing infractions won't help you get off payment reserves any faster.

Still using Smiley Face & Volkswagon after the advice given in your last thread?

You may not be using those names but image recognition bots work just as hard as the regular bots.

[audreytherese]

This shop has no shortage of risk factors... the list they posted didn't mention the removal of items due to infringement as a risk factor, but that's also most definitely a reason for a reserve to be placed on an account. 

[VibeWaves]

Thanks for the insight all. I am still not sure how to get in contact with Etsy support. Their live chat is stagnant and does not allow me to reach anyone. Is there an email or phone number I'm missing?

[VibeWaves]

I posted earlier on about this, but I am not able to send outbound messages at all and I contacted support (when I was still able to) weeks ago and I never heard back about a solution. Now I can't reach them at all all together. Really frustrating as I can't reach out to current customers and also cant reply to potential customers reaching out to me with questions.

[GieseDeseiGns]

You can reach current customers by email, just click by their name on the order and it will show..