Shop Owner Legal Name Change Failed

[MayaGaias]

I entered an incorrect legal name a couple of years ago, and now Etsy asking me to provide a photo ID for payment verification but I cannot update nor edit the incorrect legal name for it to match the photo ID. My shop has been put on holiday mode for 2 weeks now. Please help!

I've been exchanging emails with Etsy Trust & Safety team but all they do is send me the same old robotic paragraph on how to upload my photo ID. The URL they sent me doesn't allow me to edit my legal name like the instructions. I'm completely stuck.

Have any shop owners encountered the same issue? Anyone know how to get a real Etsy staff to speak to me?

[NanaLetha]

You can't get Etsy staff to speak to you. The help desk has been contracted out. 

[MayaGaias]

Oh my days! I didn't know about this.. the entire Trust & Safety team is like robots.. Not helpful at all...Thanks for your reply anyway :')

[NanaLetha]

If I were you I would start a new shop.

[VintageRescueSquad]

I would too. As such a new shop, it will be smoother.

[MayaGaias]

Thanks so much for the advices. I will consider about opening a new one but the name will not available again smh..

[BaileysGarden]

I'm trying to change my legal name too... Can't figure out how and Etsy Help is zero help. Starting a new shop is NOT something I want to do... ETSY needs to step up and help the folks they're making money off of... So Frustrated!!!

[MayaGaias]

Hey guys, happy to say my issue was resolved the last week! Someonefrom the trust and safety team finally read my email carefully and realised what my issue was. They somehowdid some setting and change to my shop manager then I was allowed to change my legal name & DOB. I suggest you keep trying don’t give up! 

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@MayaGaias  :  Every eMail from Etsy support should have a link something like "I Still Need Help". Click on that link in each reply from Etsy (or actually reply stating that you still need help) to keep the report alive. You may have to do this innumerable times, before anything is done but do not give up. DO NOT open a new issue or contact Etsy multiple times about the same issue (doing so closes the one you already opened and puts the new one on the bottom of the pile).

[MayaGaias]

Thank you! You’re absolutely right. I didn’t give up and I kept on speaking to the trust & safety team on the same email chain. They finally spot my issue on the 24th email lol! My issue is now solved.

[BaileysGarden]

Maya, how did you contact the 'trust and safety team'?? Don't even know what that is, lol, but if they helped I'm game.

[MayaGaias]

Hey I’m not sure if your issue is the same as mine. My initial issue was Etsy required me to upload ID to prove I’m the same person so they could verify my payment method. But I stupidly put my shop name as my legal name years ago so nothing matched with my ID I uploaded. Then I kept receiving Trust & Saftey team’s robotic emails telling me to update my name & DOB so technically I didn’t reach out to the team. And that’s when my issue kicked in, there’s no way for me to update my name. Whenever I clicked “edit” it only allowed me to key in a VAT ID (which I don’t have). After emails and emails changed with the team, they just sent me the same robotic system message asking me to do the same thing. Then on the 24th email of the same email chain, someone from their team finally spot what my issue was and changed some setting from their end. Then I could finally update my legal name & DOB to match with my ID. 

[Sapoi1]

Hello Maya, 
I am reading your issue from the top and read all the answers, I have exactly same issue like you I upload my first and last name while creating the shop and skipped the middle name and now when the sale come and need to verify my bank, the issue is the account holder name is includes my middle name, 
Now same to you I am submitting my ID to them and receiving same message every time that we couldn't verify your document please upload again. 
But after reading your message i got the strength that I should never give up, the bad news is etsy does not has any live agent chat service so I can tell them my issue. 
can you tell me which section you were using to email them,   Finances and billing ... Updating or verifying my bank account. Trouble verifying my bank account
Then, I still need help and then send them email.

is that the right way? 

[BaileysGarden]

I guess, yes, different issue, lol. But thank you so much for replying! That said, after lots of clicking and going in circles, I found where to change my legal name! So excited, lol! So, for anyone who ventures to your post like I did... To Change Your Legal Name: Go to the tab 'Finances' and then click 'Legal and Tax information'. Click Edit (top right). WooT!! 
Thanks again Maya for your time and effort to help!!

[TygaLastKings187]

Hi am goin theought the exact same issue i need help theres a error in the legal name my brother help me set etsy up fare few years ago and put his own name rather than mine and now i need it changeing can u help me what to write to etsy amd bellow it says they finaly changed it for you how did they do this and what did u have to write to them ?? Please help me my money stuck aswel ??

[CryzalisMasksUK]

@TygaLastKings187 name change can only be done in certain circumstances.

You can not change from another persons name to yours. You will have to start a new shop

Why do you have Ronaldo as your image?

[BagmakerSupply]

@TygaLastKings187: What you want to do is, for all practical purposes, a transfer of the account from one person to another which Etsy does not allow. https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040985353-Can-I-Transfer-My-Etsy-Account-to-Someone-Else?...

[TygaLastKings187]

my brother helped me set a etsy account he accidently put his name instead of mine iv been running the account for past 6 years only to realise the legal name is wrong so iv requested to change this as theres a clear error 

my name 

my emai

my bank connected is on my name all details are on my name byt the legal owner is on his name which clearly etsy say your bank account where your money deposits should match your legal name which clearly doesnt so thats where the mistake is in legal name not transfering account editing a error made years ago 

[CryzalisMasksUK]

If the Etsy account is in your brothers legal name and the bank account is in your name, you are lucky that you received the funds at all during the past 6 years.

Etsy will not change the legal name of an Etsy account, unless of course in situations where a person took their married name and then it is not as quick and straightforward. But they will not transfer an account from 1 persons name to another person.

If they have put your funds on hold because the bank account name does not match the Etsy account name, then the funds may be released after 180 days.

[TenGramsDesign]

So the help desk was already 95 % robots in 2022, now maybe 99, glad i'm not having any issue.