Etsy...can you hear us!?

[AnAlteredStateofMind]

Perhaps it's just me, but I've noticed more and more etsy keeps changing and tweaking things that aren't broken instead of addressing bugs that have been an ongoing issue since i joined over 3 years ago! This will probably go unnoticed but i can't bite my tongue any longer! 

1. All of the items that shouldn't be eligible to be sold i.e. alibaba junk, copyright infringement, non-handmade items being advertised as handmade etc. I won't elaborate any further because this is all anyone ever talks about, pretty sure you get it. 

2. $35 guaranteed free shipping. We should be allowed to set out own minimum. The price of everything has gone up, yet you still expect us to offer this option. I have tried no free shipping, all free shipping and guaranteed shipping and whether i like it or not, i seem to do the best with the guaranteed option. At the very least, the minimum should be bumped to $50 but honestly, i think each shop should be able to choose their own.

3. Please fix the bug in the create a sale program. Everytime i go to select a category to put on sale, the order gets changed in the drop down menu, this is super irritating. It would also be nice to have a select all option, instead of having to select every category.  

4. If you're going to charge 15% for offsite ads, i think we should have some control over what items you are advertising. 

5. We should also have some say in how much of our budget goes to the listings we choose to advertise with etsy ads. 

6. We should be allowed to rate our buyers as well as them rating us. It's really only fair! Why should customers get away with slander just because it's their "opinion". Opinion is not fact and it can seriously hurt us. Its also frustrating that some buyers will literally NEVER give a 5 star rating. Some people are literally never happy no matter what you do. Yes, i realise we can publicly reply to their review but that doesn't help future sellers and is often seen as a shop owner being defensive. 

7. Etsy commercial ads - They are BORING!! I am sorry, but your commercials lack creativity and any kind of wow factor to grab peoples attention. You only showcase the most average items jewelry, decor etc and if you do showcase any art, its always painting or drawing, never any of the truly unique items that can be found. Just because they are not the norm doesn't mean they shouldn't get a spotlight on occasion. In general, if i wasn't a seller on Etsy, i wouldn't even notice when these ads are played. 

I am sure there are more but these are the ones off the top of my head. I have had amazing, wonderful customers and i overall i do enjoy selling on etsy. I am grateful for every single order i receive and i couldn't have come as far as i have without this platform but i'm beginning to wonder if etsy is starting to hold me back. 

Again, these are just my opinions. I have taken several surveys but they never address any of these issues or ask for our actual opinion. Its all pre generated questions about topics etsy chooses so i decided to take to the forums. If you agree with any of this or have your own issues that you'd like to vent about, please feel free to comment, maybe just maybe, we can get some attention for them. Thank you for your time and allowing me to vent.

[anythinggoeshere]

Etsy wears noise silencing earplugs.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

and sings na na na na na na na na na ana na na

[daisysjewellerygifts]

@anythinggoeshere  they really do or just dont care, its all about the money for the shareholders at the end of the day! but something tells me with more and more posts regarding the faults with Etsy something is going to give eventually, but unfortunately they are going to take the sellers with them!! (sad Face)

[AnAlteredStateofMind]

Thats why i created this post. I figure staying silent is only encouraging the problem. Maybe if enough of us speak up, it will make it harder to ignore. 

[GroundZeroCreations]

I definitely agree with items 3, 4, and 5. As for Alibaba, when they opened up Etsy to "suppliers" they made it possible for this influx of retail items. As you stated, much of it is junk and a lot of it has IP infringement issues. Etsy could control some of this if they simply required an application to sale on Etsy. This would be extremely beneficial in the area of handmade. On Amazon you have to complete an application, tell them how you make your products, and provide images of your work area or shop. Some people are required to send images (or sometimes videos) of them creating something. Here on Etsy you just enter the information and start uploading listings with zero accountability. 

[NapkinNook]

I hope by "suppliers" you don't mean those of us who sell supplies.  Three groups built this platform, handmade, vintage and supplies, and I personally have experience with two of those groups, having just closed my handmade shop that I'd had since 2011.  

All of us wish resellers weren't on this platform, but as much as Etsy wishes to  say this is THE place for handmade, their dirty little secret is that they welcome resellers with open arms.

[FallenAngelBrass]

---

@GroundZeroCreations wrote:

when they opened up Etsy to "suppliers" they made it possible for this influx of retail items.  

---

I think that you mean "production partners," not suppliers. 

[MrsDsHandKnits]

Unfortunately, Etsy has not listened to sellers for at least the past 10 years..

[daisysjewellerygifts]

well maybe its about time they did as the posts seem to be getting more and more now and on a daily basis, they cant keep ignoring what is happening around them forever!

[KIWIetnoArt]

@MrsDsHandKnits

I disagree. After we noted here, that there are listings from the same shops on first pages of search result, they removed shop names from search.
Of course they listen to sellers, everyday, very carefully.

[bradgoodell]

Regarding 2, 4, 6 and 7

2-You can set any "free shipping" minimum you want.  I tried $35, $55, $65, and then went back to charging for shipping.

4-If you are paying 15%, you can opt-out.  Why not do so?

6-Etsy used to let sellers rate buyers.  I danced for joy when they stopped.  How many times and ways can you say "Great buyer?"  And for very rare crappy buyer, I prefer not to air my dirty laundry in public.  You want to rate buyers, use one of the many apps that allows for it.  Keep it off Etsy.

7-Etsy ads:  Etsy aims for a certain demographic, and it may not be yours.  Frankly, if you were an advertising expert, you would be cleaning up on your own website, not selling on Etsy.  So let Etsy advertise to their demographic.  You can advertise to yours on your own site.  

Etsy has lots of faults, no doubt. The tracking issue has me pretty pissed right now.   But some of these things you are complaining about are 100% in your control.  

[GroundZeroCreations]

I thought the OP was referring to the guaranteed free shipping and that is only available at $35. There isn't any way to change that amount that is set by Etsy in the guaranteed free shipping.

I don't think the OP was saying he had a problem with the 15% offsite ads fees. I think he was simply saying that he would like to have some control over what listings they advertised. And if memory serves me correctly, after the launch of this program once your sales reach the baseline for offsite ads sellers will be paying 15% and cannot withdraw from the program. Correct me if I am wrong.

I agree that there isn't any reason that a seller should need to review a buyer. 

[bradgoodell]

@GroundZeroCreations  Etsy set a suggested limit and pushes that to sellers because that is what benefits Etsy.  Sellers can set whatever limit they want.  No reason to use Etsy's suggestion.  It offers no real benefit.  

Once you hit Etsy's limit, the prices drops to 12%.  

[AnAlteredStateofMind]

Unless you are setting up a coupon code or sale, no you can't set it up for any amount. So either you'd have to give said coupon code to every customer or remember to renew the "sale" every 30 days. Not really a solution.

I am guessing you're new to etsy or just don't do very well. Once you hit $10,000.00 in sales, you can't opt out of etsy ads. 

I didn't know there were other apps for rating buyers, which means im probably not the only one. No one is asking you to air your dirty laundry, you don't want to do it, fine dont. But i think the option should be there and instead of saying great buyer, you could use that as another way to simply say "Thank you for your order, for choosing my shop or for shopping small etc" 

Etsy is supposed to be all about being unique, so why should their commercials be so monotone and conforming? Not really the way to "stand out".....

so thank for your unhelpful advise  

[WynterWillowWitchery]

I like the 50.00 free shipping. How did that work out for you? Where do you make the change? Thanks a million!

[bradgoodell]

@AnAlteredStateofMind  Are you talking to me?  

Yes, you can set "free shipping over x" on a permanent basis.  I've done it, as it said in my post.  I'd be happy to walk you through the steps to set it up, if you like.  

We've been on Etsy since 2009.  At one time, we had 3 shops here.  We dropped down to 1 because we were too busy to handle the extra business.   

We sell quite well on Etsy, pulling a full-time income here for at least a decade.   Our average sale is $130 most of the year, and we sell over 1000 items a year. We also have a website we sell quite well on, and have local clients too.  You can do the math.  

The fact you aren't aware of sites like KarenCheck and Etsycheck doesn't mean other people aren't aware of them.  But now you do know about them, so you can utilize them.

Perhaps the advice of a long-term, successful shop is just what you need to ramp up your business.  That makes more sense than insulting us for things you've missed.  

Good luck. Let me know if you need any other helpful advice.  

[JDTotesnDolls]

Etsy is a business platform that has their own ideas about what is best.  

For some of what you list.

Etsy does not have control over what is advertised in the offsite ads.  They only make the listings available to the sites used.  Google and others determine what ads to use.

As to choosing cost, we used to be able to do that.  It didn't work well.  It was more stressful and less useful than the current system.   (And I have every system Etsy offered for the ads)

I don't have the bug in the sale program.  This may be a glitch due to the computer/device used and the browser set up.

I happen to like some of the ads.

So really your list of items is your personal take on Etsy as you say.  We all have a personal take on Etsy and we all don't share the same opinions.  We don't agree on what needs to be fixed or what the system should look like, etc.  

Etsy does not listen to individual sellers.  They can't.  It's impossible.  They look at sellers as a group and decide from there what is best. 

You are not going to get what you want on Etsy.  I realized that a long time ago.  I work with Etsy as they want to be.  As long as I can do so I am good.  I focus on my business.  Oh and to add this the customers are not only my customers, they are Etsy's as well.  Seeing it in that light for me just makes being here easier.  My sense, and others will disagree, that the focus of Etsy is on the buyer, not the sellers.  If I want ownership of the customer, I would have my own website. 

[EnergyPeace]

well, the least Etsy should do is stop lying and misleading customers. 

They do have a responsibility. 

What they are doing is called "misleading and fraudulent advertising," and it is actually illegal. 

I am a buyer here also and I don't like to see the platform making it so hard to find actual handmade stuff. I am tired of having to sort through all the garbage they allow. 

[Adorabilities]

2. You can set your own free shipping minimum, through Marketing --> Sale. I have mine set to $49.

[moonbeamgifts]

Important technical issues that haven't been updated for a couple of weeks at least:

Pre-transit issue, the end of March is coming very quickly.   Will those who are still affected have resolution by then, is it going to be a deal with losing the rating for a month or will SSP be suspended for March?

Fix the custom order configuration - it's been useless since before the holidays.

Add set pricing variations across all listings - it's obviously technically possible because it's the same concept as the shipping set.  This would help supply sellers immensely.   If you're not going to include us in the commercials, at least you could throw us a bone and make life a little easier.

If we're wishing, of course...

[bradgoodell]

@moonbeamgifts These are much more pressing, IMO.  

[BriarMoonBeads]

1. I'm not a fan of resellers being here either, but if etsy really did go through and purge all the non-legal, the site would collapse. Millions lost in revenue, not to mention the sheer amount of human hours required. Just in jewelry alone, every shop required to submit proof of handmade, and then a human has to look at that and determine if it's true. they used to do this yeeeears ago - you had to take photos of you at your bench with a date stamped paper, show work in progress etc and your shop was closed while you underwent it. Many described it as a degrading experience, which probably helped can it. Dumping IP infringement would be slightly easier, but then Etsy don't have to chase that off until they're told to, and in the meantime... cha-ching.

2. agree in principle, but it's deliberately set at a certain amount because of... [insert etsy data]. They've calculated it to be a sweetspot for effectiveness but it's definitely not for everyone (hello from a non-US country). Sellers either find a way to make it work or just don't do it.

3. agree, setting up a sale is tedious and confusing; the whole process needs to be re-designed.

(4/5 I don't really have an opinion on - I don't use etsy ads so i give it no mental space. I prefer Offsite Ads, easier and cheaper. (in my exp))

6. I'd love that, but it is never going to happen. Etsy are desperate to retain buyers now more-so than ever; give each buyer a rating and suddenly all their sins are laid bare. Anyone a bad customer buys from would be cancelling orders left right n centre. The buyer leaves in outrage, then badmouth the site at every chance they get. Etsy probably has nightmares about this LOL In addition, there are many sellers who are....uh... 'ill-equipped' to professionally handle customer service issues, so the place would get very unpleasant, very quickly.

7. heavily agree, they are super bland. There's so much unique stuff here - when I look at the etsy design awards, then I look at the ads........ makes me wonder if it's even the same company.

[BowlandBeaters]

I could not agree more about the commercials. They do not tell what Etsy is or does. It takes a couple items in someone's home and talks about some kind of stupid story while panning around a room at a few items. Etsy sellers can pick out what they are highlighting, but a lot of consumers might not. You can watch all of those commericals and still walk away not knowing what Etsy is. I shrug everytime one comes on. Why don't they say that this is a great marketplace highlighting creative sellers of jewelry, photography, unique vintage items, etc. Tell what Etsy is not just expect people to figure it out in a vague, non-informative ad.

[AnAlteredStateofMind]

Thank you! This is what i am saying. Or show the layout of their site and actually show how each shop is it's own entity. I don't think the majority of customers realise that they aren't purchasing from etsy, they are purchasing from US, the makers and that each shop is different, has its own policies etc. 

I had some get mad at me because the item they purchased didn't have the same stand as the other one they were looking at....i was so confused because i did not show any kind of stand or mention one or anything. Then they sent me a screen shot and it was a totally different website all together! They just thought we were like target/wal-mart (different stores but still carrying similar items). Its just so frustrating sometimes.