Listings being deactivated by Etsy

[#1]

Hello,

I started changing my listings a week ago and they started getting deactivated by Etsy. First I stopped some variations and changed the shipping profile to 2 listings and a few days later I realized that they have been deactivated. I received a generic 'no reply' e-mail stating that my items are unauthorized or a potential counterfeit. I wrote the support and am still waiting for a response (it's been 7 days now...) I thought it was because of the new shipping profile, but the other 2 listings that I made the same changes to we not deactivated. Yesterday I tried to stop some variations on other 2 listings and they also got deactivated immediately. I opened a chat with the support but they told me that they cannot help me and I have to wait for the other team to respond. Today I changed a picture and the SKU of another listing and 'Surprise!' it also got deactivated. Now 5 of my bestsellers are gone and I am afraid to make any further changes to my listings.

Does anybody else have this problem? Do you know how I can reach someone from Etsy support who can help me? 

[Farragold]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. If only they realized that this is a way of living for many who rely on their Etsy shop as their source of income. 

Their policy, as well as their customer service are increasingly getting worse, not better. 

[CraftyCraftsCorners]

@LilyGraceDesign2 You seems to have some 87 listings back in your shop. They must be working on them or are these new ones entered ??. Your not the only one that this has been done too so be patience. Star Seller Badges all there so nothing really ruined just a slight blip bump in the road well travelled. : )

[Farragold]

This is insane. I had a listing deactivated, and couldn't figure out why. Mine was instant though, it was deactivated immediately. I contacted support through the chat offered for star sellers, and they actually cut off the chat before I was finished. Now I no longer have the chat feature option. We can't fix anything if we don't know what's wrong. 

With the increase in fees we were supposed to receive improved customer service. I wonder when, or if, that will ever happen. Right now it's not looking likely. 

[LilyGraceDesign2]

yes, 87 listings are back beacuse I sat up all night and put in all new listings!...Etsy,didn't do that. I did! Now all this listings are not connected to all the reviews that went with the orginal listings. They are at the back of 250 pages of listings, instead of the first 2 pages that I earned. That matter's!

[SKANDINAVIOUS]

Yes! It's happened twice now within 2 weeks or so. The message I received from Etsy stated my items were not handmade, vintage or a supply. This is absolutely not true - my items are and have always been 100% Etsy legal (handmade).

[JMOldeVintage]

@LilyGraceDesign2  - This link from Etsy on Children's clothes - safety requirements:

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/product-safety-essentials-selling/1031449955598

I do not know if this is the reason Etsy is deactivating your listings, but recently Etsy has been much more active deactivating children's items, from sleep wear to hoodies, etc. 

[hopeandjoystudios]

If Etsy deactivated your items for child safety reasons..children's pajamas/flammability, children's items with strings/hoodies or children's bedding..just putting them back up without clearing up whether it was an error removal or a legit one puts your shop at risk of closure if it was a legitimate removal. Even if it wasn't you need to contact Etsy to make sure they agree it was an error and remove any black marks from your shop history. 

[LilyGraceDesign2]

All the childrens sizes had been removed prior to the deactivations. All of the deactivations happened after I removed all the kids sizes and any wording related to kids.

[LilyGraceDesign2]

All the deactivations happened the day after I removed all the kids sizes and any wording related to children.

[SKANDINAVIOUS]

My issues seem to be bot related as the items were deactivated either after I changed available quantities or after a sale/re-listing.

[SKANDINAVIOUS]

@BagmakerSupply and @hopeandjoystudios You've both replied to my comment but I don't think that was intentional?

[BagmakerSupply]

Our reply was to MariAngShop

[hopeandjoystudios]

Oops..no..didn't nest right! it was for @LilyGraceDesign2 

[JMOldeVintage]

@LilyGraceDesign2  - It has been mentioned that Etsy's data has a "memory". Even though you edit listings, removing kids sizes & any mention of children, Etsy remembers the previous history.
I'm not a techie person & that idea may be pure nonsense, but then again.....

[RustyCrustyRepurpose]

It seems from reading the forums that a lot of deactivations happen with new, renewed, edited listings, so maybe don't do too many at once.  I believe JMOldeVintage is right that when you edit a listing etsy's data still has a memory on what was in the listing before.

[CraftyCraftsCorners]

You may want to clear cache on your phone Apps if you use to edit, add, update, Listings, as they hold lots of pieces of data pulled from other apps and are scattered, may be old and still connected in some way. Cleaning up devices on phones Ipads etc, of old apps no longer used or updated or sitting idle in the backgrounds, this also give a more direct route to what you are doing.  When you get listings deactivated let it sit it does have the original file connected to other apps not all are vanished at once, think of it as melted cheese on a hot pizza, lifting out of the box, oven, with all those stringy strands over the sides. Good but not as one, until cold again. Takes Time patience  : )

[LilyGraceDesign2]

God is testing me for sure! I am not even mad anymore about the listings and the hours that it will take to re enter them. Its that you can't reach anyone there and I don't want my shop to be closed down. You can't reach anyone to find out whats happening and I feel like I am sitting here waiting for the next shoe to drop on me. I have literally sat down and prayed about these today. Etsy holds us to such a high standard of customer service and as a business owner I feel they should be held to same standard. To not have anyway to reach them by phone is crazy! The bot that did this is the same one that will respond to the email and the same one that will take my shop down....I am sick about this!  I don't even have a way to find out if there is a black mark against my shop or if they are getting ready to shut me down for good.....

[unaparts]

I know this is forever ago comment, but constantly over the last 2 years! Also our best sellers, with no email to tell us why. We just come accross the issue. We added new qtys or changed variations and then one sells and then poof, deactivated. Also have to wait for the Trust and Safety team to email. this happens every few months to the same 3 listings. everytime they reinstate. I am starting to feel that another seller is reporting our listing to their benefit. As I cannot imagine what could be wrong with Vintage Nancy Drew Books from the 1940-60's.

[ParchmentPosies]

One of the book titles has the word Ivory in it. That's a word that the bots pick up and deactivate automatically. Of course it's real ivory that they are trying to prevent not Nancy Drew. 

[Shelleyville]

I had a sewing pattern deactivated and I have no idea why.  I took out a word (shrug) which I thought might be causing the problem because everything else in the listing was pretty standard - I've listed over 6,000 patterns in my time here and this is the first problem I've had.  I tried relisting without the word "shrug" and it deactivated again.  I sent Etsy two messages asking why and they never got back to me.  It's very frustrating.  Seems that they just take from us and not support us when we need it.