Unexplained deactivation, support needed

[#1]

My listing for the Lemurian Starchild Oracle Pocket Size Edition (SKU: 9781916029231) was deactivated, and I’m not sure why. This is a product I co-created with my partner. It’s an original, self-published oracle deck that we’ve been selling on Etsy for a while. We’ve followed all the guidelines, and the listing even has reviews, but now it’s been taken down.

My partner sells the same product in the UK, through a separate Etsy shop. We both contributed to the designs of the Oracle Deck.

I’ve already contacted Etsy Support (Ticket #17350634), and I’ve been told I might need to create a new listing. But doing that would mean losing all the reviews and sales history tied to the original listing, and it would take quite a bit of time to make the new listing and connect it to apps.

• Authors: Michiel Kroon and Leanne Ta’Iki Anawa 
• The deck has 88 original designs—we created the artwork and the deck ourselves.
• We have a production partner that manufactures the physical product, which we’ve disclosed in the listing as per Etsy’s guidelines.

I feel like our listing follows Etsy’s creative standards, but I haven’t gotten a clear explanation for the deactivation, which makes it difficult to know what to fix. I suspect it might be related to the fact that we also sell this product on Amazon and our own website, but it’s definitely not a reselling situation—it’s our own creation.

~ Michiel

[AnnaleasFinest]

@AAANativeArts 

they also stop replying in open threads... telling the seller it's final.

[LightLanguage777]

Thank you @AAANativeArts , I'll definitely try that.

Thanks for your tip about the chat people too. I got the same listing reactivated through the chat a while ago, but I guess those support staff had their permission revoked in terms of doing anything about deactivations.

I've still got an email thread open, although Etsy say that they won't respond any more. I'll keep trying on there. Attaching an image is a good idea too, it's pretty obvious when you see the box with our names on it.

~ Michiel

[ArtDollsbyJD]

USe email or phone and then both of you present the information that you are co-writers.  Ask them if you can both sell or not.  I would not use chat.  If they say you can both sell because your shops are separate from each other.  Not linked in any way then fine.  If they hesitate I suggest you two decide who can sell the item and then make a new listing.  Sorry but that may be the only way.

[LightLanguage777]

That's a good idea. There should be a way to sort this out with Etsy. If we know what they want we could find a way. They only need to tell us.

[cindylouwho2]

Etsy Support told me today that sellers are no longer allowed to appeal removals. I've been through 5 rounds with them now. A shop I had been trying to help has just been closed for multiple bot takedowns, too. They make it impossible to appeal. 

It's not a good time to be an Etsy seller, that is for sure...

[LightLanguage777]

I was unlucky... A message appeared on my Etsy dashboard to change the cover photo, because it looked too much like a collage. I followed the guidance, and next thing I knew my listing was deactivated.

[cindylouwho2]

@MeggiexStore at least some of those people seem to be getting help for some reason, but not all. The closed shop I mentioned had their thread closed by a mod as well, but no listings were restored. 

I will be releasing a report on this early next week and working to get public attention on it. That usually can push Etsy to do the right thing. So please help spread the word then! 

[LightLanguage777]

@cindylouwho2 Great idea, hopefully the feedback in your report will help to bring positive change.

[PWOriginals]

@cindylouwho2 

What????

Unbelievable! A shop can have listings removed or get shut down entirely with no "human" review, all on the "word" of a bot?

I'm speechless.

[cindylouwho2]

@PWOriginals @LightLanguage777 Support contacted me an hour ago and told me my listing was reinstated. I am so confused LOL

I did follow up with questions, as I am not sure why I got attention when I was told they couldn't help me. It might have been from posting here, I suppose. 

I will still be doing the report I promised, though, as all of this is just ridiculous! 

[PWOriginals]

@cindylouwho2 

I noticed earlier today that Mods were stepping in to some of the deactivation threads telling those sellers they were sending their concerns to the "team." Then the threads were closed.

Hard to know if anyone will actually respond to those sellers. What a mess.

[cindylouwho2]

@PWOriginals in my experience, some of those sellers will get things resolved and some will not. I have recent examples of both. 

[LightLanguage777]

@cindylouwho2 Congratulations on getting your listing reinstated, just wondered if you have any tips? Makes me wonder if we all need to start writing reports about Etsy LOL

[cindylouwho2]

@LightLanguage777 I will be writing a blog of tips for sellers after I write the "report", but as someone who has be helping other sellers with this problem for over a year, there is no single guaranteed way to be successful at getting a listing reinstated. It's gotten even worse recently, so I was kind of excited to have one of my items removed just so I could go through the steps myself. 

I currently do not know why my listing was reinstated just hours after Support told me that was not possible. I have asked the manager who contacted me a few questions along those lines, but who knows if I will ever get any answers. 

[LightLanguage777]

@cindylouwho2 Thank you, I really appreciate your reply and communication here. I’ll look forward to your blog with tips, will you post it on this forum?

[cindylouwho2]

@LightLanguage777 It's against the rules to post your own blog etc. here in the forum. I send out most things I write to my blog email list, although the "report" will probably not be a post on my blog. I'm thinking LinkedIn for that. 

[LightLanguage777]

@cindylouwho2 I’ve found your blog now so I’ll keep an eye out for the tips post. Thanks for your helpful comments here.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@LightLanguage777 

My partner sells the same product in the UK, through a separate Etsy shop

you can't sell the same thing in 2 shops,

........

This is a product I co-created with my partner.

if it was designed by both of you, it can only be sold in a shop you both run as a partnership or business

so your partner shouldn't have it in their own shop, as they didn't design it by themselves

you have a double hit on this listing

[LightLanguage777]

Hi @CraftyCornishMaids  quote “if it was designed by both of you, it can only be sold in a shop you both run as a partnership or business”

It can actually be sold as long as the other creator is mentioned as shop member in the role of co-author/creator, from what I understand from this page https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000336867-How-to-Add-Shop-Member-Roles

[ChantillyAvenue]

@LightLanguage777 

That's all written for one shop with two or more production partners.  Your co-author/creator can be your production partner in this shop. She has a separate shop, and I suppose you can be a production partner there.  But you can't sell the same items from two different shops.  Maybe you could split your product line, with some items selling from her location, and some selling from yours?  It may not be ideal, but I'm sure there are ways of making this work that won't trigger the bots.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@LightLanguage777 

This alone, will get one removed

My partner sells the same product in the UK, through a separate Etsy shop

you can't sell the same thing in 2 shops,

[OneEyeCatStudio]

@CraftyCornishMaids 

"you can't sell the same thing in 2 shops"

Could you can point me to where Etsy says that?  I was told differently by Etsy, but that was a few years ago.

All I can find is that we

"Not create duplicate shops..."

under Managing your Etsy Shop here:  https://www.etsy.com/legal/sellers/?ref=list

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@OneEyeCatStudio 

I can't cut and paste from my call log - forbidden

but, basically, you have to have a different target audience,

I had large and small tea cosies,

I could split my shop, to sell large tea cosies in one, and small in another, as the target audience for large tea cosies tended to be for families,

where the small tea cosies tended to be for individuals, and those that that drank expensive specialist teas,

however I could not open a second shop, and sell both my large and small tea cosies in it.

..... I think it will become even more important for Etsy, now they are limiting the number of same-shop items on the first page.

people will open second shops, and third shops, to get first page - like they used to, before etsy brought this in.

I also had to reference the shops in the about section - which the OP hasn't done either

........

The example etsy likes to give, is that you can have two clothing shops, and open a second clothing shop

If the first one is adult clothing, and the second one is childrens clothing

[cindylouwho2]

@OneEyeCatStudio you are correct. I cannot find anywhere in the rules where it says you cannot ever sell one item in 2 shops. Support has often told people that a few duplicate items are ok, as long as the shop isn't a duplicate. 

I suspect that isn't @LightLanguage777 's problem. 

[ChantillyAvenue]

@cindylouwho2 

I'm confused then, because I've seen forum topics from sellers who had one or even a few of the same items in 2 shops, and people  always telling them they can't have the same items in both shops:/  I was under the impression some had been shut down and it was the consensus as to why.  Details are murky at this point.  I don't see anything in the rules that addresses it however, besides the duplicate shop rule.  It wouldn't have made any difference to me, because I've never needed/wanted two shops, but it would have been nice to know all these years that this was misinformation, lol.