Etsy blocks Payout, even as I proofed that the error is in their system

[NordicLightsJewels]

I previously posted and did ask for help as I had over one week ( given time period from Etsy ) only error messages when I tried to add my tax ID. Here in Finland called HETU.

I did not received any help over the chat, which I contacted several times. I was told a special team would contact me to help via email. However, when the email arrived , again only guiding was how the HETU is structured, which as citizen of the country, this information I know of course already.

i answered this “special” team and did send a Screenshot from the authorities website, which showed clearly, that my number was correct, valid and verified in Finland.

additional I did send a screenshot from the Etsy page, which doesn’t accept the adding of this CORRECT number.

i did not receive any clarification to this email and this morning got a message that my payments will be hold and my shop paused if it is not sorted in two days. Well , I try now for a week and it is on Etsy to correct the error in the system!

my previous post was closed by Etsy as well.

this is unbelievable and wrong in any way. I as seller provided the correct number, the Etsy system is not able to add it and now they stop paying. 
I will not accept any orders until this is sorted and also post this situation on my shop page.

what is Etsy thinking? We are relying on this sales and with what right are they keeping our money if the problem clearly is on the system, not on the seller!!!!!

Anyone else in same situation?

[Tazelry]

I'm still in the same situation as well: I'm not paid for my sales until I add my Finnish taxpayer ID (HETU) and when I try to do that, it says "Please enter a valid HETU".

The previous discussion about this subject was closed here by the moderator, who said that their team of specialists is looking into this. I try to remain calm and hopefully they will fix this soon. I would just like to get some confirmation, that they are actually doing something about this. Until then, I suppose we can just wait.

[NordicLightsJewels]

Yes, I absolutely agree.

Etsy gave us a week to provide the tax ID, which we did. It’s not working, as there is clearly on their side an error.

I send even proof of all information on my side.
the number is correct.

now it’s on Etsy to face it and announce a clear time line, how and when they will fix it. 
closing our posts doesn’t help!

at least they should immediately take the payblock off for the shops with this same problem, as it’s not our fault! 

I already looking into the option of another sales platform.

[NordicLightsJewels]

One quick question, the last one , checksum, so called “control character “ in your HETU, is this a number or letter? Can be both, maybe there is the problem.. I have a number in the end as control character. It seams , one person just posted with a Letter on the end, that this works..

as sample,  it can be

123456-123A 

or

123456-1231

[Salaisuustaso]

In the same boat here. Scary and frustrating, and it's clearly an error at their end. I sent a support email, but after reading this post have no high hopes that this would be solved in timely manner. I have two days left

[NordicLightsJewels]

Well, be aware… after I tried so many times during last week to get help, I thought at least they will make a note on my shop account in the system and not block my pay outs.

then this morning the bad news…. No payouts.

Etsy is a huge billion dollar operator, grown by us seller to this, and we pay also high commissions and fees. To get treated like this is unacceptable.

[CryzalisMasksUK]

Are you trying to add your number in the "Legal shop information"? it will not accept it.

Go to Finances > legal & tax information > Scroll down to the section which says "Additional Taxpayer ID" underneath click Add tax payer ID.

You should have an option on the drop down box for HETU > click this and add your number (removing the Hyphen)

[Salaisuustaso]

This is exactly what I (and I suppose others) do, and it doesn't work. Looks like a plain validation error on Etsy's end, unless there's some underlying issues that is not clearly visible.

But we are indeed trying to fill out the Additional Taxpayer ID.

[NordicLightsJewels]

Hello,

Yes, of course I tried in the right section “additional tax payer ID” and we click on Finland (HETU) and even it is the correct number, but the system simply says…..”Please enter a valid HETU”

I even did send Etsy a screenshot of the online verification. The website ec.europa.eu has combined all given TAX ID, sorted for each EU country. This shows that my HETU is correct and valid in Finland. But absolutely no help or support from Etsy how and when they are going to fix this error. But blocking our pay outs. 

[CryzalisMasksUK]

Then it is very important that they take notice. They can't suddenly start blocking accounts due to their system failures, when information has been provided.

Any mods available? Could you please assist @FabioMcMustache @thatregina @ModAngie 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

I tried entering it in the wrong formats, and it said invalid 

When I put in

123456-123A

the "invalid format" message went away

[Salaisuustaso]

You used Finnish HETU? 

Indeed, It seems the validation passes when the last character is a character A-Z, but in my HETU the last character is a number, zero to be exact. This  sort of solves it that this is indeed a validation issue on Etsy's end, and they should fix it.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

I thought it had to be a format issue, otherwise there would be more Finnish sellers here, and etsy support would be on top of it, if everyone had a problem,

but with the majority validating fine, they slope their shoulders.

everyone needs to log a call, who has the problem

@thatregina  is there a way to escalate it is probably a last character validation issue, and it needs to accept numbers too, rather than just letters

[NordicLightsJewels]

Yes, it seams we getting to the problem, which should be sorted immediately by Etsy! I have also a number on the end as control character and this doesn’t work. 
the person just posted has a letter on the end and seams to work. 
There are both options for the control character , letter as well numbers. I get more and more the impression, that we with the numbers on the end in the HETU are not accepted and that this is the error in their system!

they should change the system and add the acceptance of two different versions of HETU. With numbers and letters as last control character!

[Salaisuustaso]

This. I updated my support issue with this information. This is not rocket surgery really, at least shouldn't be. The only problem is that will people at Etsy believe that indeed, the Finnish HETU can end in numbers.

Here's the part of the HETU standard in English:

"An example of a valid code for a fictional female born on 13 October 1952 is 131052-308T. The control character, either a number or a letter, is determined by the remainder of DDMMYYZZZ divided by 31, i.e. by dropping the century sign and calculating the resulting nine-digit number mod 31. The corresponding character is then picked from the string "0123456789ABCDEFHJKLMNPRSTUVWXY" (ambiguous letters G, I, O, Q, and Z are not used). For remainders below ten, the remainder itself is the control character whereas 10 corresponds to A, 11=B, 12=C, ending up with 30=Y. In this example, 131052308 mod 31 = 25 = T."

So for the Etsy developers, you have a wrong assert there, you should assert the last character against following:

"0123456789ABCDEFHJKLMNPRSTUVWXY"

So there are numbers 0-9 included.

[Tazelry]

I have the same thing - the last digit of my HETU is a number, not a letter.

[NordicLightsJewels]

It seams we have found the reason for the problem.

PLEASE this is for the Etsy team!

Please Etsy team, take this information and immediately add the possibility for the second HETU option with the last character a number!!

[CryzalisMasksUK]

Well done for figuring this out so quickly. Surely they should have seen the issue?

[NordicLightsJewels]

Yes, they should. They have expert teams and so on. 
Let’s see, now they should fix this problem immediately and open our pay outs again. But to be honest….this hold issue gives a very bitter taste.

we seller do our best and if needed help….then we are left alone and what really did upset me, even I tried dozen times last week to get this sorted and contacted them, they still blocked my pay outs……

that’s wrong on all lines!

[NordicLightsJewels]

For all here, being part in the chat, thank you for helping us to get to the ground of this problem.

For the ones with the same problem. I have just informed Etsy, as there is still my request unsolved and an open case number, and have asked them immediately to correct this error. I have linked them in this conversation. 24/09/2024 

now hopefully they will be able to solve this and that we can register the HETU as requested. 
Fingers crossed!

[thatregina · Accepted solution]

Hello @NordicLightsJewels @Tazelry and @Salaisuustaso, we have shared the issues you're running into with the appropriate team, as well as your observations regarding format. Please look out for a follow up directly. Thanks to @CraftyCornishMaids and @CryzalisMasksUK for offering help! We'll close this up now, as any support issues must be resolved privately, per our Community policies.