Holiday Mode , email no response, no live chat, where the support!??

[BoxBoxNowStore]

I had my store in holiday mode,  but it already 7 days!

I email etsy, but no response, REALLY REALLY hard to get response. and live chat seems to be not an options anymore. 

All the data, credit card/debit card, was update. had no problem store with almost 1000 sales. but then they randomly put my shop on holiday with no further explanatoin. 

It really make me frustrated. Any ideas how to solve this one?

[BagmakerSupply]

@BoxBoxNowStore: Do you have permission (licensing) to use the various trademarked names?

To contact Etsy try https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?segment=selling#issue_sell_manage_listings-callback or https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?segment=selling or you can open a support ticket through Dashboard > Community & Help > Contact Us

[MelodyOfCuteness]

I am not in Holiday Mode BUT no response to me too . I tried chat , emails , calls .. nothing works .

[FallenAngelBrass]

@MelodyOfCuteness 

You might take a look at Etsy's policies regarding the use of children in photos:

"Minors should pose in a neutral stance, including with legs closed or shoulder width apart and looking directly at the camera."

[ArtDollsbyJD]

@MelodyOfCuteness   If this involves children the rules of using children have changed.    Did you make sure you were compliant with the rules?

If you received an email, did you reply back that you still need help?

[VintageRescueSquad]

Did you receive any warnings about trademark infringement? Formula 1 is trademarked, and all the drivers you mention own the rights to their name.

Etsy may see you as a massive risk.

If you can provide your proof of licensing for those items, etsy may un-suspend your storel.

[Natalya1905]

Your shop title: "Formula 1 Pins & Stickers | Perfect for gift!"

About page: "design in F1 is something that fancy me in, and I want to share it in cuter and fun way."

Your Instagram is full of F1 items, has a link to your Etsy shop and captions "Check our etsy store"

Do you have a license on all the trademarked names and images? If not, it could be a takedown request from the IP owner. 

[BoxBoxNowStore]

There are TON of others sellers who sell exactly the same things. I got the idea about the IP, but what we sell are not counterfeit rather fanmade. and again, a alot of other seller who There are TON of others sellers sell exactly the same things (f1 fanmade). 

[BoxBoxNowStore]

anyway, thank your for the reply

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@BoxBoxNowStore 

you cannot sell fanart, just make it for yourself to use,

If you use the trademark name , without having purchased the licence from the trademark owner, it is illegal, as you are stealing their ttrade.

You only see the shops that haven't been shut yet, not all the ones already closed

etsy closed over 35,000 shops last year, for doing exactly what you are doing

and once your shop is shut, you are never allowed to open another

[BagmakerSupply]

@BoxBoxNowStore: Your fellow sellers can only speculate on why Etsy put your shop into Holiday Mode if you do not know. Even if the intellectual property issues are not the reason, what you are selling is problematic.

"... what we sell are not counterfeit rather fanmade ..." Selling fan art without licensing (permission) is almost always at least intellectual property infringement and can be considered counterfeiting and dilution of the IP holder's market. Yes, there is the 'fair use' exception but that will generally require a court to decide if you qualify.

"There are TON of others sellers who sell exactly the same things." That is not a way to determine if something is legal or Etsy-legal. False positives aside, Etsy let a lot of violations slide for a very long time, and now the rules have changed and it is clear that Etsy has stepped up enforcement of the rules.

Have you discussed your business plan with a qualified intellectual property attorney?

[Natalya1905]

@BoxBoxNowStore 

To add to what's said above. You may want to read about fan art here: 

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/39402098770 

There are also helpful articles on IP in the Seller Handbook. 

[SageGoods]

Just cause everybody jumps off a cliff doesn't mean you should do it too...

[VintageRescueSquad]

"Fanmade" will not cut it in court or here on etsy (or other marketplaces). You can make as many as you want for personal gifts or for your home, but once you start selling them, they are considered counterfeit. 

You asked why you are in holiday mode and why chat won't respond. We are guessing why.

[GlitteramaCrafts]

Fanart is fine, but once you start making money from it, it becomes illegal.

[vintageNCtreasures]

@BoxBoxNowStore 
What others sell on etsy is no indication that those items are ok to sell here.
There's 1,000's, 10,000's of items that shouldn't be sold here but yet they are.
You don't know how many items were removed or how many shops were closed down yesterday, last week or this year selling items that shouldn't be sold here.

You might want to read the info on the help pages:
https://www.etsy.com/legal/prohibited
Especially this part under #5:

Unauthorized replicas or copies of items, and patterns or designs enabling their creation, are prohibited on Etsy. We consider counterfeit or unauthorized goods to be items that imitate an authentic good, particularly by using a brand’s name, logo, or protected design without the brand owner’s consent. Additionally, we may consider up-cycled or re-purposed items, even if using authentic materials, to be counterfeit if they are making use of a brand's name, logo, or protected design without their permission. Examples of prohibited counterfeit or unauthorized goods include replica luxury and non-luxury items like bags and branded apparel.

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/the-ultimate-guide-to-intellectual/22398703823

[StonesAndLeatherUS]

It  is best to go by the  laws and rules for your own shop and not worry about what others are doing in their shops. This is how shops get shut down by following what other rule breakers are doing.

[Natalya1905]

OP shop is back from the holiday mode, so... What do we know?