Listings Being Removed for not meeting Etsy’s Creativity Standards

[HappyAvocadoStore]

Hi, 

Over the past week we have had several listings removed from our shop due to not meeting Etsy Creativity Standards. All of our products are designed and made by us in house and all of our photos and videos are also made by us. We have read through the policies and tried to ensure that our listings are compliant, also updating our Core Details section to "altered by us" however yesterday another listing was removed. We have opened a ticket on this which we received generic responses and then was closed saying that could not provide more information on this. So we are now reaching out for help on this issue, we have been selling on Etsy for many years (since 2017) with 15000 sales and have not experienced anything like this before with listings slowly being removed one by one and no apparent solution as to what is going on. 

Has anyone else experienced similar issues or been able to get this resolved? Any help would be much appreciated. We are desperate as we don't know what we are violating and this is our livelihood.

Thanks

[CraftyCornishMaids]

Are your 1st pictures actual photos of the item?
Mockups were not allowed as 1st picture in the handmade category, and now etsy seems to be cracking down on that

....

If they are, check no-one else has stolen your photos, if they have, do dcma takedown notices to those sites

[HappyAvocadoStore]

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1323259608/christmas-sausage-dogs-dachshunds-hats?click_key=10d7db03... 

[HappyAvocadoStore]

Hello,

Thanks for your reply. I do you a mock-up for my first photo which I have made myself. Please see a link attached. It is of the actual design though. We have checked if anyone has stolen the photos and thankfully it came up negative. 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@HappyAvocadoStore 

you cannot have a mockup of the first photo for handmade, even if you created the mockup yourself.

 ... you just can't, and etsy has started to crack down on it

When creating your listings, you must use your own photos—either photos you took yourself or had someone take for you. These photos should showcase the actual finished product that you made, designed, handpicked, or sourced. By accurately portraying the condition, quality, and quantity of your items, you help build trust with buyers.

Computer-generated mockups may be used in additional listing images to showcase customization options – just make sure your first image is the real deal. 

[SeasideRoseCreations]

Are you using a production partner?

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@SeasideRoseCreations 

their descriptions say they make them themselves 

so no production partner

[HappyAvocadoStore]

Hello,

No, we make all of our products ourselves at home. 

[HappyAvocadoStore]

Thanks CraftyCornishMaids. I will look into it. It would not be a quick fix as we have a lot of products and they are made to order. We do use mock-ups for the speed and to make the shop look cleaner. 

[BlaqKat]

I think this was one of the new things they implemented recently.

You could also check to see if your photos have been used on another website - sometimes other places like AliExpress steal photos and if Etsy sees them, they automatically pull the listing assuming the Etsy Seller is the one at fault.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

mockups were never allowed in handmade you made yourself,

however, now they have separated out "handmade" from "designed by", it's easier to crack down on it

[TBQSC]

“All of our products are designed and made by us in house … also updating our Core Details section to "altered by us"

If you design & make everything then why are they listed as “altered by you”?  That implies you are altering someone else’s product and reselling it as yours.  Maybe this is why Etsy is deactivating your listings?

Edited to add …. Your exact same products are being sold by many other sellers all around the World … perhaps Etsy thinks you are reselling? 

[FancyTogs]

@TBQSC 

But that is what is specifically allowed by Etsy as "made by a seller" in the Creativity Standard.

It is what almost all print, embroidery, and engraving shops do.

We decorate premade commercial blank products with original, commercially purchased or personalised designs.

The new Core Details sections has an option for :

• It's an item that my shop alters

  My shop alters or customises a commercially available base item, such as a t-shirt or mug.

  Examples: A tote bag with flowers embroidered on it; a piece of furniture reupholstered with new fabric; a tumbler with a laser engraved design.

This is where the "altered by us" is selected by a seller.

Lawrence (Clare's other half)

[HappyAvocadoStore]

As FancyTogs said below we receive the base and alter it,. In our case it is sublimation. Regarding "Your exact same products are being sold by many other sellers all around the World". I'm not sure what you mean by this as that is not correct. The black items are but they are far from what we sell. No one else can sell the same items as us I design them and I do not sell the designs myself. We do also sell on other platforms so when I reverse search it only comes up with my own shops.

[TBQSC]

@FancyTogs — yes I totally understand the listing criteria for handmade items, but the question is … does Etsy?  Obviously they are investigating something in the OP shop … but what exactly?  I was just mentioning their exact same items & pictures could be found on several different websites, and suggested maybe this was the reason why the op items are being removed.

[FancyTogs]

Crikey, I hope that's not the case.

Your post had reminded me that I needed to enter the core details for all of our own listings, so while you were typing I just set most of the listings to "altered by us".

We'll soon know then.

Lawrence

[HappyAvocadoStore]

Can you let me know where you have found exact items and pictures on several different sites? I am assuming they are our shops which would have the same name but if they aren't this could explain the takedowns.

Lawrence, happy to hear it has reminded you to do it. It could be important. And thanks for the "altered by us" explanation earlier.

[cindylouwho2]

Check to see if anyone else is using any of your mock-up images elsewhere. Stolen photos seem to be the top reason for creativity standard takedowns. What are the titles of a few of the listings, so I can check for stolen photos via the caches? 

I haven't heard of Etsy enforcing the no mock-up rule for non-POD yet, but that is certainly possible. 

[HappyAvocadoStore]

I've checked a few myself and didn't find any that weren't mine. There were some from other platforms but they are also ours. I'm worries Etsy doesn't see it this way. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1449779354/checkered-dark-green-cream-checkerboard?click_key=69cef5e...

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1108176794/tortoise-shell-pattern-custom-made-phone?click_key=5eded0...

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1720688990/sea-shells-blue-shell-aesthetic-pattern?click_key=b9a535b...

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/942499736/sausage-dogs-dachshunds-pink-pattern?click_key=9458fd84c0b...

Thanks in advance for looking into it.

[cindylouwho2]

@HappyAvocadoStore All of those listings are active. I guess Etsy put them up again? 

[HappyAvocadoStore]

Those are active listings. They were never removed. I'm not sure how I would be able to send you a link to the listings that were removed? 

[HappyAvocadoStore]

cindylouwho2 Those are active listings. They were never removed. I'm not sure how I would be able to send you a link to the listings that were removed? 

[thatregina · Accepted solution]

Hello @HappyAvocadoStore, I've escalated this to the appropriate team for a followup, so please keep an eye out for an email response soon. I'll close up this thread in the meantime, with my best wishes to you and thanks to all who have offered insights and help!