Listings removed in error!

[Saltsetter]

After 8 years of selling on Etsy we suddenly received an email that some of our products "violated Etsys creativity standards." This is 100% an error. All of our products are handmade by our artisans. I've read that you could be flagged if Aliexpress steals your images, but I reverse searched them and they are not on any Chinese websites. Our products are so unique that it wouldn't even make sense to steal photos so I really don't understand it. I reached out to support but they sent a general response with no clarification or option to rectify the situation. I'm wondering if anyone else has successfully resolved this? I fear that it will keep happening and we will lose our page. 

[haganeedle]

I'm in the same boat as you right now.  Just sent an email asking what I violated because I can't find it.  

[TheVintagePineapple]

Your shop blurb reads ''Fair Trade, artisan made products from around the world'' and your Production Partner's info is just a history lesson of the Hmong Tribe.   You have no shop members listed, not even yourself.  It appears that you did not handmake or design some (or all) of your items.  But it does appear that you're buying things made/designed by other people and reselling them here.

The one and only listing I looked at, the geometric cuff bracelet, can be found on at least 4 other sites.  Didn't see that any of those sites were located in China, but they were located in several other countries and at least one uses the same photos. 

eta - Checked other listings and several of your jewelry listings, including the bracelet, can be found on other sites, including a wholesale fair trade site.   

[Saltsetter]

Because they are made by OUR artisans. It's our brand. We do wholesale as well so we allow our wholesale partners to use our photos on their websites but we do not sell on any Chinese websites. It goes against our morals as a Fair Trade brand. 

[TheVintagePineapple]

@Saltsetter But did you design those pieces?  If you did not, your listings were (will be) removed since they go against Etsy's handmade policies.

If they're found on other sites, they'll be removed.  It doesn't matter if they're not found on any Chinese sites.

[nineteen27]

@TheVintagePineapple 

i can already see where this is going.

so good luck : )

[Saltsetter]

I'm shocked that there is no option to speak to a real person. I would think that an account with many sales over so many years with NO issues would at least be able to provide proof or even given an explanation... It's like a bot responds 

[nineteen27]

no.

just.

never-mind.

[Saltsetter]

Listing artisans is an option. We actually detail our artisans on every single product page. We love to share their stories. However, we would never tell retailers they cannot use our images. We own the images and it does not violate any terms on Etsy to sell to other brands or list products on other websites. 

[nineteen27]

never-mind.

i am not going to argue with you.

good luck.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

"We own the images and it does not violate any terms on Etsy to sell to other brands or list products on other websites. "

Unfortunately, at this point in time, it appears that shared photos will get your shop shut down.

Don't take my word for it, read the forum on a daily basis.

I say on a daily basis because these threads disappear fast.

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@Saltsetter: "Listing artisans is an option." Actually Etsy says "You must list all of the people involved in your shop in your About section, along with the roles each shop member plays in your business." [emphasis added] https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000336867-How-to-Add-Shop-Member-Roles?segment=selling

[Saltsetter]

.@TheVintagePineapple Yes! We design them! They are handmade by our team. This is the first I'm hearing that you cannot list products on other sites. We have our own website as well. It has never been an issue. In fact, we've even reported another Etsy seller for stealing an image and provided proof that the image was our own with our website...

[BagmakerSupply]

@Saltsetter: "... many sales over so many years with NO issues ..." 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.

You need to keep in mind that '"violated Etsys creativity standards" can encompass much more than just if it is handmade. As @TheVintagePineapple noted, there is at the very least a discrepancy in your listings. If Etsy thinks that you did not personally design and make the items that would be a violation to them, as would not listing all of the artisans or not listing the artisan group as a production partner (one or the other is required). You admit that the items are not made by you but you have them listed as if they are (listing says 'Made by Saltsetter'). If you are the designer (and could find a mention of whether or not you are), then someone else can make them for you, but it needs to be exclusively for you.

The way that you have your listings set up, you appear to be a reseller who is claiming that they make the items. I suspect that a human reviewing your listings would come to the same conclusion as the bot.

Since your shop is already on Etsy's radar, you might want to reread the new rules if you need to and clean up any ambiguities in your listings so they clearly comply before a bot flags another listing.

[Saltsetter]

Thanks for the details. I do understand what you're saying. All of our products are produced by our brand and our artisans. We are 100% transparent about that which is why we explain exactly where and how our products are produced. If we have to change how this is laid out in the settings that's fine. The part everyone is saying about using images on other sites we could not change though as this is an extension of our own site.

[BagmakerSupply]

@Saltsetter: The reason that the images issue comes up is that (based on threads in this forum) there are a very high percentage of false positives due to stolen images being found on wholesale sites.

While Etsy does not seem to have said anything officially, public comments by Josh Silverman appear to indicate that they are checking (only?) the wholesale type sites (such as AliExpress) not if the picture is on any other site. But he also implied that if the picture is found on one of those sites the shop is considered guilty until proven otherwise.

Anecdotally people are reporting that images on other non-wholesale sites are also the cause for false positive deactivations.

[TheVintagePineapple]

@Saltsetter Yes, I did notice that one site was probably your own since the 'about' info was almost the same wording.    However, if you do image searches of your other jewelry, you'll find them on other sites as well.  

Unfortunately, the about info is worded in such a way that makes it sound like you 'curate' those pieces and have no hand in making/designing them.  Etsy would have a problem with that.

[Saltsetter]

@OneEyeCatStudio I had no idea! I guess it is what it is because we will not stop selling on our own website or to wholesale customers. It's very unfortunate because we do love the Etsy community.