Etsy store suspension imminent

[#1]

Hi Everyone i'm reaching out on here as i have tried live chat and emailed etsy directly. But i'm either getting standard generic replies or no reply.

I have been selling on etsy for nearly 8 years and have shipped 35k orders in that time. Yet this month i keep getting hit with creativity policy removals and i'll be honest i don't know what i'm doing wrong. My store just got the dreaded 1 more violation and my store will be banned email.

The main items i sell are vintage patent print i recently had a creativity policy removal for a set of 3 drummer related patents from the 1920-30s please note that old patent documents and drawings are public domain and are not protected by copyright restrictions. 

As the email from etsy is so generic i have no clue what the reason why the item was removed i'm thinking its either the use of mockups or the category made by or designed by is not correct at the moment my products are under the made by category.

I have always used mockups to display my artwork as it can be hard to take really good photos. I'm sure a lot of you have tried this yourself but to be honest they will usually never look as good as some of the mockups. Getting good lighting and setting can be hard unless you get a professional company in to take photos. I do create my own videos though for my artwork which look okay. 

The mockups i use are all edited by me personally using my artwork that i have created. I have not just gone online and downloaded other sellers pictures and put them on my store, Many of these prints i've been selling for nearly 8 years. And i'm fully aware that my images have been stolen thousands of times over the years and used by sellers on various platforms. Small family businesses are unable to police stuff like this, if large corporations are unable to do it. How can it be expected that tiny businesses like many of us on here to do it. We don't have legal teams and if we did they would probably cost more than our entire profits each year. Do i need to take photos myself for all of my products photos on etsy?

If it's not the mockup issue is it the category my products are listed under is incorrect? at the moment mine are in the made by me category should it be designed by or maybe one of the other categories? 

Please note all of my products have been created by me on my computer, they are all printed by me in my studio and then packaged and shipped by me we don't use a third party for any of my items. Etsy please let me know which categories my products should be in? Especially if this is why my products are getting hit for creativity policy violations.

Any advice from the community or etsy would be greatly appreciated as i don't know what to do. I started this business 8 years ago on the side to my full time job as a carer and within 2 years i was able to give up my job and do this what i love full time. Now i can't help but think that i'm about to lose everything i've worked for and all etsy are doing is sending me generic pre written replies. This is my families livelihood i'm a father of 4 i have put everything into etsy to make it a success. All i want is some transparency from the etsy support team as to what i'm doing wrong. This store is literally my whole life if it were to get banned i would most likely be in a position where i would lose our family home.

Sorry if this all looks a bit of a mess i typed this on my phone. The stress of this is pushing me edge mentally as i feel my world is about to collapse. I have no idea how i can some assistance from etsy before my store is closed. I hope someone from etsy sees this message as live chat and emails have been no help at all so far.

Many Thanks

Gaz

[MagicPosters]

Thanks theatricks I wouldn't want to trick etsys system to be honest. I just would like some feedback from etsy 

[MagicPosters]

Yeah that's pretty much what happened to me the last time I was on live chat. It actually felt lime I was talking to a bot because they replied back to me with something totalr irrelevant even though they kept saying ill be another 5 minutes as I'm looking into this for you. Very strange chat experience 

[LightLanguage777]

@MagicPosters the people on the Etsy chat used to be able to reactivate listings but I think they no longer have permission. The ones I spoke to were human, they just weren’t able to resolve the issue.

It’s is a lot of guessing, different views and opinions but we can’t know for sure if Etsy doesn’t give a clear answer.

[MagicPosters]

I know you can sell vintage prints can you sell reprints of really old prints edited or unedited. Like I've said you don't sell prints or artwork so you won't understand.  

But understand this if a painting is 100 years old there will be no prints by the artist of that painting. The reason why is because prints was not sold at the time of the paintings do you get what I'm saying here.

That's why I linked the seller with half a million sales because that's what they sell. Their not selling original vintage prints of the paintings or of botanical drawing because their are no original prints by the artist.

Their reprints.

Etsy can they be sold or not edited or unedited?

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@MagicPosters 

You can sell them on e-bay

you can't sell them HERE.

because etsy doesn't want to be the same as ebay.

they want their handmade, and designed by, to be unique, not something anyone can get copies off and print, or tart up and print.

and vintage has to be the original vintage item, not a new copy.

read the design standards, and you will see they do not fit any of the 4 categories.

[Pincapallina]

Did you ask Etsy to call you on the phone? They call back quickly.

[TinLizziAntiques]

OP, why not adjust your inventory to involve some handmade work, such as matting and framing your bestsellers? You could charge more and the craft in framing art will count under Etsy's new creativity standards. If you own the original patent documents, you can sell those items as vintage, too.

[MagicPosters]

Is that correct if I frame my prints they fall under the policy? Same as If I sell them as a digital download. You see why it's confusing? As I've said I have etsy for the answers to why my listings were removed and they haven't told me.

Do most of you guys on this forum think it's okay for etsy not have to answer any questions? If so I really think this forum is a waste of time and is full of people basically kissing etsys ass. But they won't care about all this ass kissing if you have an issue.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

etsy has told you,

they pointed to the creativity standards,

and you don't meet them

it's very basic

1. you did not design them

2, you did not handmake them

3. they are not handpicked - nature or gift baskets or vintage items, they are brand new prints

4. and they are not sourced by - craft, party supplies or personalised.

not sure what bit you don't understand? but etsy is being very clear.
they told you they did not meet the standards,
they have given you a link to the standards,
if you read them, you can see you don't meet any of those standards

.....

you are 100% right, kissing ass to be flattering doesn't work, so don't bother trying.

following the rules does work.

[MagicPosters]

Seems like my items could be under the handpicked by a seller as I have curated digital files of the patents. And I'm reselling them as they are public domain and do not fall under copyright restrictions. Just like many of the people who are selling prints of old paintings like botanical drawings. Like I said I have reached out to etsy for an answer. 

It does say scans and that is exactlt what i have of the patents.

Handpicked by a seller

Vintage items, items from nature, and certain collections of items that a seller personally selected and curated for sale.

Items ‘handpicked by a seller’ include only:

Vintage items: Items that are 20+ years old, that the seller personally curated or collected. This also includes digital files of scanned vintage content like photographs, books, or patterns, as long as they comply with our Intellectual Property Policy. Etsy may ask for additional photo documentation or information about vintage items in your shop, such as their source, age, designer, or materials.

E.g. A Rockabilly dress from the 1950s; a copy of the book “The Little Prince” from the 1940s

[CraftyCornishMaids]

the one I highlighted, you were selling as a physical, newly printed item,

and you have it listed as handmade

and it had a mockup as the first photo

you can't do that, triple whammy

.....

party supplies can be new

[LuvianWoollens]

@MagicPosters 

I do understand your frustration, but don't go this way.

Most likely you won't get help here in the forum. 

Etsy won't tell you why their bots removed your listing.

Only Etsy can decide if you can or can't sell your items here.

Don't stress out and let this thread sink to the bottom.

Keep trying to get in touch with someone from Etsy, and don't ask them why you can't sell your items here, or why you can't if others can. Rephrase your question  and try to get the information needed.

Good luck. 

[MagicPosters]

Luvianwoollens I did send etsy another email yesterday I'm hoping they will reply to me this time. 

Etsy give us 24 hours to respond to customers and if we don't then our metrics are hit. But they think it's acceptable to not bother replying for a month I woudnt call sending an automated reply customer service.

I've been trying for a month now to get answers.

[LuvianWoollens]

@MagicPosters 

I know. I understand. It's frustrating...

Don't lose sleep over it. Your shop is still there, functioning.

In my opinion, this thread can harm your shop more than it can help.

Just go with your day, and don't stress over this too much. Keep doing what you do, and if it comes to your shop being suspended by Etsy, then you can worry about it.

Etsy is good place to sell, but it is not the only online market place in the world.

Put a smile on your face and enjoy the day.

[MagicPosters]

I do sell on more than jusy etsy. I'm on amazon and I also have a website. And I gotta say shopify and amazon both have good seller support etsy is severely lacking. Shopify by far has the best support etsy is by far the worst out of the 4 big platforms that being etsy, ebay, amazon and shopify.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

you can sell your patent prints their,

but etsy is trying to be unique and special, so you can't sell them here

[nineteen27]

yesterday.

you told me you no longer wanted to dance with me.

so i danced by myself.

out of this thread.

but.

you keep calling me back.

for a re-dance.

at least 5 times.

i spent over an hour trying to figure out.

where you could sell your items on etsy.

i really was trying to help.

but i just could not find any place for them.

and i could go through each and every one.

of my 348 items for sale.

and explain why each and every item can be sold here.

but.

that is not going to help you.

sell even just 1 of yours.

please do not call me in for another dance.

i no longer like the music that is playing.

[TheatricksFineGarb]

Mic Drop!

[HomeGiftStudioCo]

Please stop with the theatrics @nineteen27 .  This seller needs Etsy to respond to him.  He is afraid of losing his livelihood that supports his family.  You had responded already.  We already read it.  Mocking does not help this situation.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@HomeGiftStudioCo 

The seller does not need etay to respond to him any more, he has been told, by etsy and us, that they do not meet the creativity standards

they are not made by them

and 

not designed by them

and 

are not vintage

and

 are not sourced by them

.... they need to take all the others down too, that don't belong here

[TheatricksFineGarb]

@HomeGiftStudioCo 

MagicPosters called out @nineteen27  on her listings, and she has every right to defend herself in whatever manner she sees fit!  
… and frankly, I’m partial to theatrics.  

[CraftyCornishMaids]

he has already had etsy respond to him,

he would just like the answer to be different

it is not going to be

[GallagherRourkeGems]

I'm going through the EXACT same thing and they're removing jewelry I absolutely made. They have yet to answer my emails. I feel your frustration.......

[MagicPosters]

Yep the stress of this is just driving me nuts. The impact of losing my store would be life changing for me and my family. Now I guess my future is at the hands of the etsy bots as etsy don't seem like they are willing to respond to me.

[TBQSC]

According to a recent comment I read in another forum post, Etsy has decided to not allow appeals for removals anymore.  It seems once they speak, that is it, and there is nothing more a seller can do about it.