very inappropriate suggested " goes well with these items from my shop " notice to buyers

[SilverSeasDesigns]

I've just noticed that Etsy has added a suggested " goes well with these items from my shop " to a number of items/listings in my jewellery shop. Problem is they don't pair/ well at all. I've also noticed this in a number of other shops as well. I thought it might be something that Etsy added to my listing that I could at least edit, but I can't find it anywhere. It looks very tacky and inappropriate. Any suggestions as to how I can edit or delete this? I've heard now from "Etsy Forums" that a lot a shops are having issues with this new Etsy "feature". The first time I noticed it was this week when I purchased an item on Etsy for myself. I purchased a piece of Indigenous art from a seller and one of the suggested paired items add ons was a set of vintage taxi key chains. I thought this very tacky of the seller to set something like this up at the time - that was until the next day, I discovered that my shop was automatically doing the same thing. Etsy has assumed that it can suggest any random piece of jewellery goes together. Not so at all. All of my jewellery is one of a kind. Where I think it is appropriate to suggest pieces complement each other, I do it in the descriptions and add links and photos in the descriptions in a professional manner. Please tell me, and the many other Etsy Shop owners who don't want this OPTION  how to get rid of this. I even got a negative/comment regarding this from one of my regular customers. 

[MichelleArtStudioCo]

Me too! I’m entering bridal bouquet preservation and they put Weird items from my shop next to them. Weird in the sense they don’t match.

[blzopbhi]

There is no way to get rid of it. It is signage the mall owner (Etsy) puts up at their sole discretion. I agree that this issue has minor potential to harm an individual shop, but Etsy's goal is not for any individual shop to succeed.  Etsy is a shopping mall and their goal is to make money by getting shoppers in the mall doors and spending money.

Putting those suggestions are the same as a physical mall putting up signs for competing shops outside the doors of all the competing shops.

Shoppers who enter a mall, digital or physical, to buy a particular something from a specific shop will do that despite any signs. Shoppers who are just shopping without a particular shop in mind can be affected by signs, but considering the amount of competition, the odds of that shopper entering, or buying from, any specific, shop are pretty low.

Although the potential is there, if the signs steer shoppers away from a shop, perhaps there is more going on with the shop than just the signs outside their door.

[SilverSeasDesigns]

I don't think I explained myself clearly. I'm not referring to the suggested other items or shops you might like, that promotes other shops- not on your listing page. That doesn't bother me. I'm talking about a new feature that Etsy just added beneath where the buyer puts your item in their cart. Etsy randomly picks two other items from my shop as suggested pieces that will go with their selection/listing.  They are all items from my shop, but in no way are they particularly matching or look good. All items in my small shop are one of a kind and if they have matching or like pieces as in an earring and pendant set, they are already listed together or linked anyway. This is just Etsy trying to sell more at the checkout, like a large volume online store. I take pride in my presentation of my pieces and my shop, and this just looks plain tacky. As I mentioned earlier, I have even had a repeat customer comment on this to me already. 

[Thedinkydoodlestudio]

The good news part is that if suggested stuff looks tacky,  no one will be tempted to go over to take a look.

[SilverSeasDesigns]

I don't think I explained myself clearly. I'm not referring to the suggested other items or shops you might like, that promotes other shops- not on your listing page. That doesn't bother me. I'm talking about a new feature that Etsy just added beneath where the buyer puts your item in their cart. Etsy randomly picks two other items from my shop as suggested pieces that will go with their selection/listing.  They are all items from my shop, but in no way are they particularly matching or look good. All items in my small shop are one of a kind and if they have matching or like pieces as in an earring and pendant set, they are already listed together or linked anyway. This is just Etsy trying to sell more at the checkout, like a large volume online store. I take pride in my presentation of my pieces and my shop, and this just looks plain tacky. As I mentioned earlier, I have even had a repeat customer comment on this to me already. 

[SilverSeasDesigns]

I don't think I explained myself clearly. I'm not referring to the suggested other items or shops you might like, that promotes other shops- not on your listing page. That doesn't bother me. I'm talking about a new feature that Etsy just added beneath where the buyer puts your item in their cart. Etsy randomly picks two other items from my shop as suggested pieces that will go with their selection/listing.  They are all items from my shop, but in no way are they particularly matching or look good. That's what is tacky, not the items themselves. All items in my small shop are one of a kind and if they have matching or like pieces as in an earring and pendant set, they are already listed together or linked anyway. This is just Etsy trying to sell more at the checkout, like a large volume online store. I take pride in my presentation of my pieces and my shop, and this just looks plain tacky. As I mentioned earlier, I have even had a repeat customer comment on this to me already. 

[Bibolde]

I think it's great as long as I can choose the items that go well together.

And if they don't go well, it doesn't matter, maybe the buyer will discover another nice item in my shop .

[SilverSeasDesigns]

You can't choose the items that go well together. That is the problem. Etsy just random picks other items from your shop. It sounds as if for your particular shop, that it maybe doesn't matter anyway. Unfortunately in my small Jewellery shop, it really does matter to have it suggested that one or two completely different styles of pieces of handmade jewellery would look good together and that I as the designer and maker would suggest it to make a quick sale.

[Vintageables]

@Bibolde -- the trouble is you the seller CANNOT choose the items.  Etsy does it for you. And boy, do they screw up!

[GoneDigital]

I agree with OP. Imagine if you were someone who sold cards or keepsakes for people who suffered a loss and one of the suggestions was something inappropriate like a party gift or party decorations. It's different scrolling past these types of items in a shop to find a condolence card but to have the words 'goes well with....' followed by an inappropriate suggestion under a condolence listing WILL rub customers the wrong way and you are likely to lose a sale or lose existing customers. We need to be able to choose which listings are recommended. 

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

When you said "very inappropriate" I assumed you meant mature listings being suggested alongside your jewelry, which I now see is not the case. This is Etsy's computer system doing this. There is no Etsy staff person looking at your shop and and matching items. I've seen it myself when shopping and when looking at my shop incognito and I ignore it. 

[howtobooksandmore]

This is a test, it is only a test by Etsy but don't expect it to go away anytime soon.  It might disappear for a while but these things always come back because Etsy can never let anything go except promised improvements to programs like Pattern.  Sellers complained when Etsy suggested items from other shops and this is their answer to that complaint.  Etsy doesn't seem to be able to resolve any complaint without generating at least two more problems.  At least they don't select items from another shop in this test.

[SeasideRoseCreations]

At least they don't select items from another shop in this test.

Exactly!

[SeasideRoseCreations]

Your shop is small, cohesive and nice. IMO (yes, we all have them) ALL the items "go well".

So, while you are upset and think it's tacky, I don't see an issue.

That said, Etsy doesn't care what we think.  Truly.

[SilverSeasDesigns]

It might not be an issue for some shops, even a lot of shops but we should have the option of not using feature if it is a problem, as in my case and from what I am hearing in other Shop's cases as well. But you're right Etsy does not seem to care what we think. It was just added with no announcement or questions asked.

[SeasideRoseCreations]

When has Etsy ever asked the sellers before making a change? As for announcements, that’s hit or miss.

[JDTotesnDolls]

I've heard of this but have not seen it if it is one test you are referring to.

Is it in the marketplace?  That has some different ways of trying to buyers to buy.

Or is this the FSG suggestions?  Of course that would be items in the same shop,

It's computer driven just like any other place.  There is no human looking at it.  I've seen dumb things from the A place and others that make no sense either.  Computer systems on the retail level are not all that sophistcated like the other scientific and business oriented ones.  Retail programming is not yet very sophisticated.

[vintageNCtreasures]

@JDTotesnDolls 
If it is what I've seen and see in the OP's shop and other shops, it's on the listing pages.
I've been seeing different variations of this for a while.
I've seen it with shops that have the FSG and shops that don't.

I'm seeing it now with shops with "free" shipping (Not the FSG) or shops that charge shipping.

This is shown below add to cart and above item details.

It has "Goes well with these items from SilverSeasDesigns".
Shows the item in the listing and another item.
Below that it has "choose add-ons".

ETA: I might see this and go back to the shop in a few mins or hour and I don't see it at all even on items that mins before had it.
No rhyme or reason.

I don't understand why the OP thinks the other item shown is "very inappropriate" since her shop is all jewelry.
The bracelet listing I looked at had a pendant showing for "goes well with these items". 

[SilverSeasDesigns]

Yes all of my items are jewellery, but they don't all  "Goes well with these items from SilverSeasDesigns". I had only one item in this category that actually showed a pendant that matched a bracelet for a short time, then that disappeared and the listing suggested another bracelet, and a pendant that clearly did not go well. All jewellery does not look good together!  I just want the option of not using this feature if you can't choose what goes together or not.

[Vintageables]

@SilverSeasDesigns -- same thing is happening to me.  9/10 recommended items do not go together.  Actually, they are mostly ridiculous suggestions!

[MissPussinBoots]

I completely understand. I sell costumes, and the 'goes well with' suggestions are laughable. Nope, a vintage black wool scarf DOESN'T go well with the floral sundress, but thanks for playing Etsy... (eyeroll)

[SilverSeasDesigns]

Thanks for that. I fully understand that for some shops this "add on goes well with suggestions" might not even be an issue. Fine for them, but for the Shop owners that don't like it or find it appropriate - it should be an option to opt out of this feature.

[BagmakerSupply]

These kinds of "enhancements" will live or die solely on Etsy deciding that it increases or decreases their revenue.

[Former_Member]

I have it too, and yes, I agree that it is not done well like so many other things here (such as search function) , but I guess this is what Etsy finds is important to spend resources on...