Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Hi Everyone, I have not been on this board for very long, but I have had my Shop on Etsy since 2014. 5 star seller, professional business with LLC and never had any policy violations. Every time I move a graphic or update my Shop banner, I get shut down. I have no products in my Shop, I even deleted all my listings to prove this is a complete technical "glitch". I have called my internet service provider and found out my  5G changes my geolocation data, every time our internet bounces to another 5G tower. So I thought, maybe it is flagging my Etsy Shop due to "suspicious activity" if it appears as if I am logging in from different locations? "However", my IP address for my computer never changes... I am in the same chair in the same home at the same exact computer. Could this be the problem?

How many of you have been suspended/banned by mistake, only to receive an email "We're sorry, this was an error" then proceed to get reinstated? 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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NanaLetha
Community Maker

Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Your shop is not suspended but you have nothing listed.

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Correct, my Shop has been recently reinstated & I have no products. I am reaching out because as soon as I move a graphic or make changes to my Shop, I get automatically banned with a big yellow banner. I am doing this as a test before I relist any products. I am reaching out to the community for help, I can't be the only one this is happening too. I am ready to close this account permanently if I can't get any answers from Etsy. Thank you for your reply. 

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

I used satellite internet for years that showed my location in different cities every day. It never caused the error you're seeing. I now have cellular internet ... same thing. It hasn't caused a problem. And I have changed my shop banner. My IP address changes with the service.

Any chance your shop banner is the issue? Is it your own photo? And if so, has it been stolen and used elsewhere? Do you use it elsewhere?

 

 

 

 

 

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

I would say it has most likely something to do with the banner

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Interesting that you never had any problems with your ISP, that just confirms it is probably not that. I just couldn't think of anything else that would be flagging the system. And in regards to my banners and photos, I am a professional designer/photographer by trade so everything is my own. I even have had some of my black luxury photos stolen on other platforms, I never even thought that was possible. Thank you for your reply, it is very helpful!

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

I have sold on Etsy since 2011. My other shop was even ranked number on in the USA years ago. Etsy just took away my star seller as well. I have my images stolen by Alibaba all the time. Etsy bots take down my listings when my photos have been stolen. Instead of supporting small companies they let china win. After so many years of being a loyal high volume seller they are giving me a final notice and there isn’t anyone to talk to. Funny they say they are keeping things human. In the meantime I can’t reach anyone to actually read my messages. 

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Oh that is so awful to read! It is so sad to see this happening to so many business owners. All we want is to make a good living and have a platform we could trust. Because yes, the internet has turned into the wild west lately, and it seems no one is available to speak to, to at least gain some reassurance. Everyone might as well create their own website at this point, it might be safer to have that security.

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

All of my banners and shop graphics are copyright protected and belong to my company. During one of the bans inside of my Shop, Etsy literally gave me a message about "logging in" and then banned me seconds later. I didn't even move a graphic or update the about section. Weird!

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

I had some techinal issues happen in my other shop where I could not relist things.  I reached out every single day for 7 months before they finally fixed it.  My shop has not recovered since then sadly.

 

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Etsy sends emails when they suspect suspicious activity.  I've had those emails when I got a new computer.  When my Internet switched towers.  When I used my phone during a recent power outage to put my shop on vacation.

So you should be receiving emails about such activity unless your provider is blocking them.  

Since you have no listings and no about page which describes what you do, it is hard to say if there is another issue at paly here.  A look at a cached versions shows vintage items.  It is possible you are getting caught in the named designer issue.  Do your items have the provenance to prove that they are from the designer and not a fake?  Have you looked for your photos elsewhere and issued takedown notices if needed.  

Are you receiving notifications from Etsy about possible issues?  Have you checked your service provider to make sure emails are getting through?  That can cause suspension if Etsy sends you an email and you need to work with the holder for an IP issue?

Do you have security on your computer?  That can also cause issues.  If using a VPN, that makes life with Etsy more difficult as Etsy system seems not to like most VPN's. 

The glitch may lie not with Etsy but with your computer and ISP.   You may need to ask your ISP for more information on security that they may use and if it is interfering. 

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

@LoveandRelic: Who knows what Etsy's 'thought' process is, but the IP address of your computer is essentially irrelevant, what Etsy (and other websites) sees is the IP address of your internet connection. But unless that IP address has ended up on some banned or black list, it should not be a factor. There is probably something else at play.

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Agree 100%!

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

First off, THANK YOU for that wonderful informative post JDTotesnDolls! So weird thing is, I have never gotten an email about suspicious activity, only an email for "Policy Violations". The standard cookie cutter generic email that I receive every time this happens, which never states what policy I actually violated. Then I appeal, ask what happened, and I get someone in another country sending me another standard email that states "We're sorry, this shop suspension was in error, we have reinstated your account. Please accept our apologies etc." 

This is why I started this thread, for everything you just mentioned above, so I could figure this out once and for all. I fully believe 100% this is nothing that I did and yes, all of my vintage jewelry was verified and every piece authentic. I deleted all of my listings to prove my case & have this happen with an empty Shop. But if my "previously sold" listings are flagging the system, I can't even remove those right? How could that even be possible?  

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Just wanted to add I have been a huge Etsy Supporter all these years, telling friends and family to shop here. I started this thread to help spread awareness and to help other business owners. Again, thanks to everyone for your replies, it has been so informative. 

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

@LoveandRelic: "How can you operate a billion dollar company but there is no Customer Support phone number and no one to speak to?" Unfortunately it is the direction the whole world seems to be going. Even companies like UPS have essentially discontinued phone support and want you to rely on their Virtual Assistants. The only way I see this changing is if shareholders feel that a lack of human support is costing them money.

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Lack of human support will lose them customers and money in the long run.

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

I had edited that response because I did not want to get too personal in my responses. However, I think the personal needs to come back into play here. You are so right, major companies are now deleting humans in more ways than one.

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

To Etsy Tech Support and the Etsy Admin Team: I literally just got banned again, today, for the 8TH time. My Shop has been suspended in error 8 times now since early June. I can't sell, I can't list, I can't even update anything without the yellow banner popping up and banning me permanently from the platform. I understand these are all technical errors Etsy and accept your apologies, but can someone please look into this on the back end? There must be something that can be done, and as I always say, any help is greatly appreciated. 

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UppNorthEh
Community Maker

Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

your shop looks just like it did yesterday.  open but with no listings.  there is no yellow banner on your storefront that says you are no longer selling here.

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Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Hi UppNorthEH, You are correct, my Shop is now open. I literally just asked for them to reinstate it via email for the 8th time. When these bans happen, there is no way to contact anyone at all. All you have is your open Appeal, or try your luck as I have, and just email Tech Support directly. 
The good thing is, it's not taking Etsy 3 weeks to get the Shop reinstated. Now when I email them directly, they are reinstating my Account within minutes. It's great progress, I am grateful, but apparently the problem has not been fixed. This last ban happened when I removed my Shop banner and changed the layout. Other times it happens when I update the About section and hit "save". It seems any activity inside of my Shop triggers it, which is really upsetting. I think I have sadly, lost this Shop forever. 

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GieseDeseiGns
Conversation Maker

Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

OP have you actually deactivated your banner to see if there is something with that?

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FunimalArtdolls
Inspiration Seeker

Re: Suspended/Banned 7 Times in Error!

Hi,

The same happened to me 3 times already, the only difference is that I know my shop had been hacked and spam messages were sent from it. Since it got reopened my shop was suspended twice again "in error". It's very frustrating.

5 years on Etsy and star seller for years.

 

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