Our bestselling item has been targeted by copycats on AliBaba, who have stolen our original images to sell cheap imitations of our handmade heirloom cookbook stand. To make matters worse, Etsy’s automated system recently deactivated our best-selling product—a design we’ve been crafting for years, which was even an Etsy pick for a long time. Each stand is 100% handmade, with my husband and I carefully selecting the wood, sanding each piece, and staining them. I have reached out to Etsy through their email portal, but I’ve yet to receive a response.
Not only are we losing money every day, but Etsy’s actions have inadvertently helped these knockoff sellers by removing our original product from the platform. We’re concerned this could severely impact our small business, especially with the holidays approaching, a crucial time for us. Many of our loyal customers purchase this item as gifts, and now we’re left explaining that Etsy does not protect small brands like ours, removing products without clear explanations and seemingly siding with those who steal designs and images from independent creators.
I believe Etsy’s bots are using reverse image searches and flagging my photos because they’re showing up on these websites selling mass-produced knockoffs. It’s extremely frustrating that, after having our images and design stolen, we are now being penalized by Etsy’s system.
I hope Etsy will eventually respond to my emails, restore our bestseller, and remove any penalties against our shop.
