Etsy has all my items listed as "Designed by." And they said it can't be changed!

[EmbracePaperie]

My shop is now only "Designed by." I texted Etsy support, and they said there was nothing they could do about it. However, other shops have "designed by," "made by," and "hand-picked." I have tried to deactivate my listings and reactivate every one of them, but they are still listed as "designed by." I literally have inventory, I alter every single item, and I am now lumped in with print-on-demand, and there is nothing I can do. I am not downing POD; I am just not a POD. This is so frustrating despite having no sales for two months! I even sent images of my inventory and tools. What do I do now?

[DesertChains]

If you have a production partner, you get Designed By.

If you’re print the items yourself, then Etsy is wrong.

[audreytherese]

I have never had a production partner ever linked to a single listing in my shop, yet I currently have a number of items that are categorized as 'designed by'. 

Of course Etsy is wrong and mucked up this whole rollout. 

[AMillionTomorrowsCo]

I don't have a production partner and all my items are 100% handmade from scratch by me.. they still all say "Designed by" now.  

[ChillwolfArt]

Hi, I have no idea how Customized, Personalized, etc. works. Or if you personally use a Production Partner. But it is my understanding that if you do, Etsy has used the label Designed by. I've seen several posts where it appears Labels are incorrect however. 

[GroundZeroCreations]

@EmbracePaperie Are you actually creating these items or are they POD? I know you say they are not POD and you don't have a manufacturing partner listed. So I am wondering if it has something to do with the way you set the listing up.

Pull up one of the listings in your listings dashboard and scroll down to "Core Details". Then click on change. It will open a popup that indicates who makes it and a lot of other things. Look at all of those and make any changes that are necessary. I suspect that is where it is happening. And give it a few hours to show the edits before you assume it didn't correct it.  

[EmbracePaperie]

Yes, I create my items. I make all my items using a sublimation printer, paper, heat presses, and my laser engraver. I also carry an inventory. I sent photos to Etsy support showing this stuff. I will check out the "Core details" and reply.

[EmbracePaperie]

I tried, and it will not accept the changes.  Thank you for your help.

[TheLandlockedDogTwo]

That does not work at all.  I have changed them days ago and still showing up as designed by.  It ticks me off.  I spend hours actually crafting my items and get lumped into a category where sellers "design" the items and some production shop actually makes them.  

[BagmakerSupply]

@TheLandlockedDogTwo: One of the (first ?) factors to decide 'Made By', 'Designed By', etc seems to be the category the item is put in.

[auntiejans]

Where do you find this information on a listing?  Sorry, if this is a really dumb question.  TIA

[NanaLetha]

@auntiejans Under "highlights" on each listing.

[AnchorRoadVintage]

Altered items are now designated as “designed by”. 

[cindylouwho2 · Accepted solution]

@AnchorRoadVintage Per Etsy own legal policies:

"Hand altered items: Commercially available base items that a seller altered using specialized handcrafting skills. E.g. Hand-embroidering flowers onto a tote bag; reupholstering a piece of furniture with new fabric"

and "Hand assembled items: Commercially available supplies or components that a seller attached together or combined by hand to create a unique end-product. E.g. Using jewelry-making tools to attach charms to a necklace chain; sewing patches onto a denim jacket"

both come under "made by": https://www.etsy.com/legal/creativity#made

What Etsy's AI thinks is not the final word. There are so many errors right now that no one should assume that what they see on a listing is correct. 

[AnchorRoadVintage]

@cindylouwho2  Wait, they are not the same as the new designation for personalized items?

[cindylouwho2]

@AnchorRoadVintage could you please be specific, with links etc?

There are now different types of personalized items. 

[AnchorRoadVintage]

@cindylouwho2 

From: 

https://www.etsy.com/legal/creativity/

I had misread that a BUYER provided image or text made it sourced by the seller (not designed as I said). 

So I both misspoke and miswrote. My apologies! Although, there's a lot of grey areas and it does not address sublimation at all. 

[digitaldoodlebug]

Actually, looks like the op doesn't have a production partner. Etsy has tumblers I "make" as designed by too. I guess because I'm not making the tumbler? You would think that would be a basic supply. POD items will actually say "sourced by". If someone else makes the final product but it's not on demand then it seems to go designed by also. 

Just strange that it's designed by if you make them in house or if someone buys the item in bulk made by another company. I think a blank tumbler is a basic supply same as blank stickers. Not many people will be able to make those. It's not like fabric where you can buy the supplies to make a shirt/dress. Of course some people do pottery and handmade dishes but that's different from stainless steel. 

[ThePurplePuppy]

All of my items are made 100% by me. They were listed as "Who made it?" (I did). But some are now listed as "Made by" and some are listed as "designed by".

I have been doing this since 2010 (in this shop) and I know how to list.  It is some kind of Etsy glitch and there are numerous threads about this right now. It seems to be  the big "gripe" right now--which knowing Etsy something bigger must be going on in the background and this is a distraction.

Therefore I refuse to get all upset about it and go try to change all the wrong listings. (I did try one and could not edit it to make it change). I am not spending tons of time on this. Etsy will either fix it or they won't.  Simple as that!

[PieceByNumberQuilts]

@ThePurplePuppy   They’re ramping up to make big changes in how Search works, and I’ll bet the new algorithms  will use these 4 new categories in a major way.  I just hope this isn’t a new method by which to bury certain classes of sellers as somehow not adhering strongly enough to Etsy’s vision for “keeping commerce human.”  Whatever that might mean to them.

[ThePurplePuppy]

@PieceByNumberQuilts 

You are probably right.

This is like telling your dog:"LOOK! It's a SQUIRREL"

[TwiLdCapitHog]

@PieceByNumberQuilts  I think there's more to it than just the 4 new categories, since Etsy now wants to know just how handmade your items are - made from scratch, altered ...... etc.

[PieceByNumberQuilts]

@TwiLdCapitHog  Yeah, well, all my items are now lumped in with POD and AI just because they’re digital.  

But in my view, they’re completely different than either - I create the design and the instructions from “scratch” even though the scratch part comes from my creative brain and my tools are software and my MacBook.  

if I printed them on my home Canon printer, stuffed them into envelopes and posted them, they’d probably qualify as “handmade”.  Jeez.

[TwiLdCapitHog]

@PieceByNumberQuilts  I agree it's not right! 

There is no obvious rhyme or reason to their thinking. All they have achieved so far is to insult many sellers. And in my view the new titles mean even less transparency not more.

[PieceByNumberQuilts]

@TwiLdCapitHog  completely off topic, but I just looked at your shop - wonderful!