Unfair Targeting: Our products get delisted while 100s of sellers with the same products are allowed

[DamureStore]

Our company's Etsy listings for our sexual wellness (sex toy) products keep getting delisted, even though we have complied with all of Etsy's rules regarding mature content. ETSY keeps stating: "It does not qualify for sale as a craft supply, vintage item, or handmade item."

Any product search on Etsy will show hundreds of accounts selling sex toys, several of whom violate Etsy's mature content rules, yet are allowed to sell without being delisted.

Does anyone know why Etsy chooses to target certain brands while ignoring the rest?

Thanks in advance. 

[OneEyeCatStudio]

They are understaffed?

[bradgoodell]

^^^THIS^^^

[CuriosAnCollectibles]

Well, any seller, no matter what they're selling not meeting the Etsy criteria of vintage, handmade or craft supplies shouldn't be selling here according to the platforms policies. That's it. 

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Because they are understaffed?  Vastly understaffed?

What difference does it make what anyone else does? If they tell you you cannot list it, don't list it.

And there is no secret way to get around it, if that's what you are asking.

[secondarycreations]

Are the sex toys handmade (by you) or vintage? If not, they can't be sold on Etsy. From the message you received, it sounds as if this is the problem, not the mature content. 

[BriarMoonBeads]

@secondarycreations 

"vintage"...............

Me: ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

DEADSTOCK, they could mean deadstock, brand new never 'used' unopened, yeah, factory sealed.................yeah that's it

[audreytherese]

"even though we have complied with all of Etsy's rules regarding mature content."

But have you complied with Etsy's rules that they're specifically telling you you're not compliant with? "It does not qualify for sale as a craft supply, vintage item, or handmade item."

If you are selling sex toys that you did not make yourself, or that are not a design you created and someone makes only for you, then Etsy is right to continue delisting them. 

[TheHomespunLoft]

@DamureStore 

You are just "lucky" that way.. who knows? maybe the right person saw your forum posts or another seller or buyer reported your shop. Not everyone gets caught selling the wrong thing here.. but many do. It is like speeding on the highway.. lots do it and some never get caught and others get a ticket every time they do it. Etsy has never seemed to have enough staff to fully take down the shops (or items) that don't belong on the site.

I would think that if Etsy told you not to sell something here ('products keep getting delisted') that you should listen to them and not sell that item. They have been known to just shut down shops for less. Once closed.. they won't let you back.

[Marmalady]

You might think it unfair that others are still selling whilst your items have been deactivated

No doubt the sellers who's items were deactivated last week thought exactly the same about your items.

Etsy just hasn't got around to the others yet -- but they will. Probably not today or next week, but eventually, they will.

Many deactivations happen when an item is listed / relisted or sometimes just when it is edited. So within 4 months the ones you see today will most likely be gone. But by then many more new ones will have popped up

It is a never ending game of whack-a-mole

If you did not make the item in question, or at least design the product and have it made for your company only by a named production partner, then it is not eligible to be sold on Etsy, no matter what other sellers are doing.

[PriddeyThings]

I agree with the others - it's most likely nothing to do with the mature content and everything to do with your items not being handmade. And just because you see others breaking the rules doesn't mean it's OK for you to do it. What you don't know is how many others have had their shops shut down for the same violations. Don't be one of them.

[PlatypusDream]

The single product in your shop is actually breaking ANOTHER rule - you are making medical claims that are not allowed.

Etsy may not be the right place for your items.

[OmasFabricStash]

How many hundreds got taken down along with yours? How many shops did they close? All we see is who is left not who is gone. If your items were against Etsy policies then they should get taken down. It doesn’t matter what the other shops are selling, It’s wrong if 5 people are doing it and still wrong if 5,000 are doing it. Sort of like speeding, just because 90% are driving well above the limit doesn’t make it okay.

Just wanted to ask why you don’t ship to post office boxes  They are the best way to keep the orders from being stolen and a lot of people only have delivery to the post office, home delivery is not available. 

[TinTeddy]

Is the item in question handmade by you? 

If no, there is the reason it was removed. 

[bradgoodell]

How long did you get away with it before Etsy "targeted" you?  How many shops did Etsy close long before you came along?  

Life may not be fair, but it is fair that Etsy removes products that violate policy.  We can only hope the other violators are "targeted" tomorrow.  

[RainierEstates]

Happens to me often! I posted an item - there are a LOT of them in other shops - exactly the same item - a 1930's elks tooth pendant from the Elks club, and they delisted it because the elk is 'endangered or a threatened wildlife product'? Really? Has anyone told all the elk hunters that legally kill them? Does Etsy even look at what others are selling? Or is this just some bot? It's so random, and of course there is no real person to ask about it..

[Stall69UK]

I imagine the elks tried to tell the hunters, but no one understood them, on account of them being toothless.

[RiversEdgeRelics]

Looks like the shop has been closed:  "DamureStore is currently not selling on Etsy."

Odds are good the products being sold were not handmade and/or not designed and manufactured by a production partner who was not listed.

[OmasFabricStash]

This thread is over a year old so there is no way of knowing what happened. 

[HouseofWhisperingFir]

The elk teeth that are made into jewelry are ivory.  Each elk has  two upper canine or eye teeth that are actually ivory. 

[bradgoodell]

And selling ivory is banned on Etsy.  So that makes sense.

[Jewels2at]

Were your sex toys handmade?

[bohemians]

Sellers who actually make the things they sell, don’t think it’s fair that they have to compete with non-handmade items listed in the handmade category. So I guess who’s being ‘unfair’ is subjective.

[NoFrogsAllowed]

The last time the page was crawled was 9/24/2023 and they weren't selling anything at that time either.  Definitely weird.

[BootifulLabels]

Sorry, wrong thread.