Hounded to leave review I cannot leave

[BetsyOldAndNew]

Every time I open my seller dashboard I have a note saying that I need to submit a review for an item I ordered and received a while back. I cannot in good conscience submit a review for that item -- at least not in the format presented. The item I received was fine -- what I basically expected. What was not fine is that the item is also being sold on several other Etsy sites (the exact same item) and on eBay and other places. According to info from one of the other sites, the item is made in China (info not mentioned on the site I purchased from). Given the number of vendors selling the item, it must be made in large quantities and sold to whomever wants to retail it. This is a far cry from the Etsy that I joined in 2009 -- an Etsy where vintage items were actually at least 20 years old (check out some of the rock band tee shirts identified as vintage, but actually new shirts printed with the old vintage design used) and where most other goods being sold were supplies for people hand-making goods or crafting, as well as items that were handmade by one individual or a small group of individuals who were duly identified. So I received an item that was okay but the way the item was sold to me was not ok -- that it was being sold on Etsy was not ok (at least not in my book). How do I review that? I don't want to encourage items made and distributed in that manner for sale on Etsy. But I guess that's the way it, and, given that, Etsy, please stop asking me over and over to review an item that at one time Etsy would not have allowed to be sold on its site.

[CuriousityShop]

Etsy does that to everyone who doesn't leave a review. I just ignore it.

[TheVintagePineapple]

If you're positive it's not handmade, why not leave a review to warn future buyers?    Mention that the item was fine, received fast (if it was), but express your disappointment that you came to find it's not actually handmade or that it's mass-produced.  How many stars to leave is up to you, but if it were me, I'd leave 2.

[leinweberstudio]

Actually you have an excellent opportunity here to tell all the world that this item is not as described, if the seller claimed it was handmade in the USA. 

I wouldn't hesitate to tell others my opinion about this in a politely written review.

In fact, you could have filed a NAD case and got your money back as well as kept the item.

If you decide to not write the review, the reminders will keep coming for up to 144 days. That's how long one of mine took to go away.

[DesertChains]

You already wrote the review text to use:

”The item I received was fine -- what I basically expected. What was not fine is that the item is also being sold on several other Etsy sites (the exact same item) and on eBay and other places. According to info from one of the other sites, the item is made in China.”

[ThePurplePuppy]

@BetsyOldAndNew 

This is ^^^^^ perfect! Use it ! And I , personally, would probably leave 2 or 3 stars IF I were feeling "generous".

There is NOTHING on Etsy that says a review must be positive.

[MoonstruckVintageXO]

@BetsyOldAndNew - you should leave a review if only to save the next person the same fate. I believe your experience reflects a big problem with Etsy - customers are being lied to by dishonest sellers claiming handmade. Disappointing experiences like this sour buyers to the platform and the legitimate handmade and vintage shops are feeling it. Don’t feel bad about leaving an honest review or asking for a refund if your item is not as described.

[HouseofWhisperingFir]

Definitely, leave a review to inform future buyers.  As a buyer, I would appreciate seeing this information.