HELP!! Your badges were removed because you received a final policy violation warning: IMAGES STOLEN

[ParkRoseStudios]

Dear Etsy & everyone else going through this. I have read numerous posts about this and people this is affecting. 2 of my listings were taken down for "violating Etsy's creativity standards" - after talking with support, they said that my listings appeared on a third party site (one on Shein and one on Alibaba). These are my original designs, my original photos and my original listings. People from these other sites are stealing them and listing them there! Etsy is punishing ME and removing all of my customer service badges indefinitely and if it happens again, I get suspended!?! 

I've talked to support many times and submitted requests online to no resolve. I read the only way to (maybe) resolve this is to post on these forums, so here we are. 

If you haven't already, please read this article: 

(16) Etsy Deactivating Listings With No Right To Appeal | LinkedIn

[nineteen27]

there are other reasons why etsy.

will remove your items too.

you cannot make medical claims.

you need to go through every listing.

and make sure your items comply with etsy policy.

plus have your stolen images removed.

from other sites.

[ParkRoseStudios]

Support specifically said it was because my listings appeared on other sites and suggested I watermark EVERY single image, which I am doing. I would like Etsy to step in and forward this to the appropriate legal team. 

[nineteen27]

yes i am sure that is why.

but.

the medical claims will matter.

soon enough.

[ColorfulCastAndCrew]

@cindylouwho2 - The OP mentions someone in support told them to watermark their listing images. Have you heard anything about this helping? I would think it would need to be done on every image in a listing, as any image can get lifted.  Watermarking every listing image would take a ton of time for many of us, but might be worth it, to avoid this nightmare. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[Natalya1905]

@ParkRoseStudios 

"...and suggested I watermark EVERY single image" 

There are dozens of apps that remove watermarks in seconds, so I doubt it's an effective strategy.

[ColorfulCastAndCrew]

@Natalya1905 - I actually forgot about that. I now remember reading something quite a while ago regarding apps that can remove watermarks. Thanks for the reminder, and time saver!

[ParkRoseStudios]

Appreciate the heads up!

[CoquetteBath]

yep healing & nausea relief. Two claims in 3 words.

I'd remove that ASAP.  Etsy often says 'one thing' when really it is another. Best to be 100% sure that you are following the rules.

as well anything like that in any of your listings...

[ParkRoseStudios]

Thank you so much!

[nineteen27]

@CoquetteBath 

plus.

in their about section.

Beautifully designed bracelets for Motion, Morning, Sea Sickness .

Also helps with Chemo, Vertigo & Anxiety.

[VintageRescueSquad]

Did you issue DMCA takedown notices to those sites? 

[ParkRoseStudios]

I will do that now. Do you suggest I do that and then submit the notices to Etsy? I did a reverse image search and found nothing. 

[ForeverWindingWool]

@ParkRoseStudios I suggest you do everything you suspect might be the problem now (remove healing claims, file the DMCA). I've read that getting listings reinstated can take up to a month.

[michellepatterns]

The first support person might have just said that because it's a common reason.  Since etsy isn't willing to share specifics, I'm pretty sure they are not documenting the "why" of why they did something in the sellers account. They just do it and deal with any questions later.   

So the first customer service person might have tossed out "your images are also on other sites" as a reason. That might be A reason for listing removals but it isn't necessarily THE reason for yours.  Maybe they thought that was true or maybe they were just guessing that was the reason.  

Then you come back to ask again and maybe you mention that the first person told you that was the reason. So now the second customer support person takes that as what is really going on and runs with it.  Rinse and repeat.  

Meanwhile, back in reality your listings have many medical claims.  So I think it's far more likely that it's the medical claims that are the problem and you just got led down the wrong rabbit hole by the first support person.  When you asked the next person, down the hole they went to.  

Remove the medical claims and then approach customer support again and do not prompt them with any info about why it was taken down. Just have them look at it and hopefully reinstate it.  

[GlassyFields]

I'd love to know more about watermarking images ... but watermarks can be removed and resellers could add their own watermarks to stolen photos. Seems like verifying photo metadata from original photos would be better.

[ParkRoseStudios]

Right, watermarks can be removed - but I do think that it might deter the person stealing images and add an extra step that might make them just move onto the next listing. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@ParkRoseStudios: "I did a reverse image search and found nothing." There are a number of different programs for doing this in addition to a search engine's reverse image search and it is likely that each may come up with different results. Whether support actually knows or is just inferring the exact reason for a deactivation is an open question.

[booknookcreations]

Since you seem to have a small number of core items that you sell regularly, I would consider retaking the photos periodically (so they aren't the same as any being used elsewhere on the internet) and taking them with a background that is yours alone instead of on a generic background that could be anywhere. 

[ParkRoseStudios]

Yes, great idea! I will remove all of my listings on a white background now. Appreciate this!

[ModAngie · Accepted solution]

Hello! We're sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with your listings. We've forwarded your concerns to a specialist team. Thank you! 

Please know we handle support inquiries privately per our Community Policy – we’re closing this thread, so you can get the support you need from us directly.