seller problem

[MetalAccess]

Hello, I am a seller on Etsy. I am a beginner and I have listed a few items for sale. Today, I received an amount in my balance but nothing in the "order" section and a few minutes later the amount disappears. Same thing last night. Am I doing things wrong? Is Etsy buggy? I don't know and I really need help. Thank you.

[NanaLetha · Accepted solution]

It was a scammer. Just ignore it.

[GieseDeseiGns · Accepted solution]

Scammers target new shops trying to get you to put your bank or CC number in a message saying they are Etsy and that you need to relish your account # before your purchase can go thru, luckily for you Etsy caught this before you were scammed. When you get these messages with a sales # and oh something was not right you need to put in your #'s again so your order will go through. You do want to mark those as SPAM as all they want is the # to steal whatever you have in the bank. Sometimes they will say you need a certain amt. in the account like $800  before a sale can go through. That is so it is worth their time to steal from you only. If you are unsure of the message look in the messages, there is a "from Etsy" folder if these messages are in regular messages and not that folder they are scams, ignore and mark as SPAM.

[MetalAccess]

Okay, so it's because of scammers that my balance goes up and down? For example, they place an order for my balance to go up and then cancel it?

[ModAngie · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Etsy is actively engaged in preventing scammers from targeting our community members. If you receive a suspicious message, please proceed with caution. Etsy Support will never ask you to provide personal information via Etsy Messages, such as your email address or password. Any legitimate message from us will show in your "From Etsy" folder.

If you receive a suspicious message, here’s how to report it:

1. Sign in to Etsy.com and go to Your Account.
2. Go to Messages. 
3. Select the suspicious message from your inbox. 
4. Choose Report.

You’ll find examples of common scammer techniques and phishing messages here in our Help Center. Read our Account Security Checklist in the Seller Handbook for more steps you can take to protect your account.

[MetalAccess]

This doesn't answer my question. I'd like to know why my balance appears and disappears. Why is it that when it increases, I have nothing in the "orders" section ???

[mommawhazelsquilts]

The reason you don't have any orders is because you "don't have any orders."

If someone is trying to purchase with a bad credit card, just be thankful that the order didn't go thru.

Just be mindful that if you get a message to "verify" your bank account by telling them how much money you have, hit the spam button so hard that you might break it....lol

Just be glad that those "balances" are disappearing because you have "0" orders.

[PrimFun]

@MetalAccess   You have no sales.

The potential sales were canceled by the payment provider.  It was probably pending and the payment provider found an error or fraudulent card.  

BTW, finish your shop.  Shop policies, location and about page are needed.

[NanaLetha]

@MetalAccess  The payment processing company is cancelling the order because they could not process the payment. Might be a stolen credit card or something else.

[MetalAccess]

Okay, but why does it happen to me 5.6 times ?

[VivianJoel]

@MetalAccess because you are a new seller and on scammer(s) radar.  My advice is ALSO wait, do not ship same day or immediately, sometimes the reversal of funds can take 24-36 hours.  You do not want the situation when you have shipped and then the funds are reversed.

[BagmakerSupply]

@MetalAccess: New shops always seem to be targets for scammers, and incomplete (no location, about, policies, etc) shops are particularly attractive to them because it makes you look like you did not take the time to research how Etsy works and therefore you would be more susceptible to their scam. They also like to target shops that appear to be break Etsy rules - with no about section and no real information in the listing you appear to be a reseller rather than that you  personally make the the items you are selling.

Besides being a target, you are also hurting your chances in organic search unless you address these things.

[mommawhazelsquilts]

Incomplete shops like yours are prime subjects for scammers.

You barely have a shop open so scammers know that you didn't waste any time on learning how to open a shop so they figure you as an easy target.

[NanaLetha]

Because you are a new shop with no sales. Scammers are rampant!

[ButterflyFeetDigital]

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/Protect-Your-Account-From-Scammers/m-p/143158945#M1882

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Managing-Your-Shop/How-to-Spot-a-Scam-No-a-Buyer-Doesn-t-Need-Your-Ema...

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/New-From-Etsy-section-in-Messages/m-p/143722497#M1899

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000343128-How-to-Handle-Spam-and-Suspicious-Messages

If you receive an actual order, you will see it in your "Orders and Shipping" section and you will receive an email from Etsy notifying you that you have a sale, and there will be a notification in your dashboard as well.