I am an occasional Etsy buyer but haven’t used my account in almost a year. Last week, a hacker got into my account and charge almost $1000 to my credit card to a seller internationally. They immediately after for a refund and received it which converted the refund into an Etsy credit. I saw this a few hours after it happened and immediately contact Etsy.

The hacker started making smaller purchases before Etsy locked the account down. The account is secure now but trying to communicate with Etsy corporate customer service is like pulling teeth. I have asked for an estimate on when they expect to resolved and refund the charge and haven’t gotten zero response or a team is working on this but zero updates. I just got a message my issue is resolved which is false. Should I just accept that I will need to dispute my credit card charge to get this resolved or is there a phone number anyone has that I can call? I don’t want the Etsy credit I want my refund.

Hello! I use Etsy very rarely and have never had to return anything. Unfortunately my dad naively purchased what was advertised as natural gemstones from India but on arrival they turned out to be cheap synthetic stones. He spent around 180 euros total.

I raised an issue with the seller who has agreed on a return at our expense (asking we describe the content as artificial, a gift, and with a value of 10$ for custom purposes).

I've been reading Etsy's return policies but have found them a bit confusing compared to platforms like Ebay or Vinted, I also was not able to get in touch with a physical person at Etsy support but only got bot replies.

I have the seller's messages confirming they accepted the return and will refund upon reception, I'm planning to pay for tracked shipping back and send the seller the tracking number in the chat, is there anything else I should be doing to ensure I get a refund or is this enough?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Had it happen three times this month alone. Someone messages asking for a custom piece, reclaimed wood shelf or a specific vintage tool restoration, we go back and forth for a few days nailing down details, I spend real time on measurements and material sourcing, sometimes I even pull wood from my stock and set it aside. Then nothing. No response, no order, just silence.

I get that people window shop and change their minds. Fine. But the back and forth that goes into a real custom quote is not nothing. It is actual unpaid work, and when someone drops off midconversation after I have already sourced materials, it stings a bit more than just a missed sale.

I started asking for a small deposit upfront before I commit any time beyond the initial reply, just to separate serious buyers from tire kickers. A couple people pushed back on that, which honestly tells me everything I need to know about how serious they were.

Wondering if other custom or handmade sellers deal with this regularly, or if woodworking and vintage stuff just attracts a lot of browsers who get excited and then disappear. And if you charge deposits, at what point in the conversation do you bring it up? That timing feels like it matters a lot.

just my 2 cents

Good evening, everyone!

A few weeks ago, I made a post about a message I received from Etsy regarding the number of cases affecting my shop.

I had five cases, opened between June and July.

Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I want to make something clear: I'm not trying to avoid responsibility for what happened, nor am I looking for judgment or criticism.

Sometimes life happens, we make mistakes, and all we can do is learn from them and try to do better moving forward.

I'm specifically hoping to hear from people who have gone through a similar situation. Has anyone else received this type of warning and then had their shop placed in Vacation Mode 15 days later? If so, after submitting an appeal, how long did it take for Etsy to respond?

My other metrics are currently doing very well. I have excellent reviews, all recent orders are being shipped with tracked delivery, and my messages are answered very quickly (except when I'm asleep 😅).

My shop is TinyTreasuresByMe, if anyone would like to take a look.

The five cases were the result of a significant period of shipping delays. I recognise that this was a serious problem, and I've already made changes to my business practices to prevent it from happening again.

So, please, if you've personally experienced something similar, I would really appreciate hearing what you did and how long it took Etsy to respond to your appeal.

I'm genuinely looking for advice and experiences from people who have been through this process. Thank you!

I don’t wanna screw her over and make her lose money, but I also never got my item, and it was relatively a decent amount of money for me. It was a custom thing. I never actually saw proof it was made, so maybe it’s some kind of scam but I doubt it since why would she offer me a refund?

Anyway, should I take it? Is this gonna screw her over? Would it be the fault of the mail?

I bought the files as without logging in, and when i try to link my Etsy account with the guest account, following the instructions in the mail i get an error message saying: cannot connect to the server on "ablink.account.etsy.com." I've tried reaching out to etsy support but the contact/chat with us button doesn't work.

Hi,

So...I need some help on what could be done or what to do next.

I bought a product, and I waited for it to arrive but it never did.

To explain further: unfortunately I had to go to a short trip so I got confused about the amount of packages (everything else artived), and when I noticed this one package was not there. I called my Postal office, checked everything, and then I had the idea (too late, should have first) to check my Etsy, and it said that it was "Shipped" but it hasn't moved from the country they are sending.

So I went and put up a complaint (is it called that? Too much thinking in spanish lately) and I sent a picture about the shipping status in Etsy and everything, but the person did not answer through that message, they sent a other message. In it they told me they couldn't reship because they where not there and to please wait 2 more weeks (at the ending of August) for their vacation to end. I said yes, its alright, its all good, and it would have ended there...but I have not received anything. I am going to send a message again, because maybe they forgot or something, but my question is: what if this person doesn't want to send it anymore? Is there something I can do?

I am the first person to admit that I should have filed a complaint before, because I took too long, and that I am mostly in the wrong by not seeing anything beforehand, but I would like some help. (I had to take a longer trip than what was warranted and did not notice until the middle of August almost a month after)

For the second time in four months I received a past due notice for 20 cents when Etsy stated the charge could not be processed. Both times I had a valid credit card on file, but the letter threatens to suspend the account.

The first time, the only option to contact customer service was using the AI chatbot. The bot did not deny or check for a valid credit card on file for automatic billing. The AI bot gave non-specific answers, like how to make manual payment or updating an expired card. I requested escalation to a human agent, but received another AI agent instead. That agent claimed sometimes Etsy can't connect to the bank or gets disconnected. It would not explain why Etsy does not try again, then the chat ended.

This time, I requested to speak with a live agent because it was the second occurrence. The chatbot claimed it was a live agent, but only gave automatic replies. It said it understood the frustration, then asked for a screenshot. I asked screenshot of what? The past due notice? My billing history? The credit card on file? It would not answer. I noted the previous time this occurred and said Etsy used a chatbot to blame the bank connection. I said that was ridiculous and this was Etsy's internal error. I requested a human agent or phone call. The agent said my issue is a known problem for four months and is still under investigation. Then it ended and disconnected the chat. No solution offered, no human intervention, no attempt to reprocess the charge.

I just want to find somebody that could 3D print this so I can have this or wear this on my back.

This is not Etsy specific, and I know I am preaching to the choir, but my recent experiences have solidified some things in my mind. I am not anti-automation when it is helpful, but an "analog" experience with customer service shines a glaring light on the limits of automation/AI.

I recently moved house after 26 years in the same place. The number of institutions and companies I needed to contact to change my information was astounding. In some cases it was easy to accomplish on line, but for security concerns, some required a phone call. The companies/institutions that allowed easy access to human customer service agent were a pleasure to deal with. I felt understood and my changes went through smoothly. In some cases the agent suggested other/further changes and updates to my account information that were useful. On the other hand, the companies using AI agents frequently pushed me into repetitive circles trying to think of language that would make the AI understand what I wanted to accomplish. To say that the stupidity of these AI systems was frustrating and exhausting is an understatement. I will remember the companies that quickly connected me to a human, and I will be back.

This is a long way of saying that any company, including Etsy, that wants to distinguish itself I the eyes of shoppers/sellers can do so in a heartbeat by going back to allowing easy access to human help who also have the authority to make decisions. A good customer service experience is incredibly valuable.

I don't know the economics of going back, but it should include some calculation of those customers who are lost forever due to a bad experience trying to get help.

Off my soapbox now.

Any tips on selling beef tallow on Etsy?? I've been trying to sell for a while but I haven't had much success. The AD only has 4 views

I purchased a vintage watch that was said to be working. I received it and it wasn't... so I submitted a help request saying it wasn't working. The seller replied saying it was mechanical and it needed to be wound, not just set. They said they had wound it twice before sending it and that it worked fine. And that if it was wound then they wouldn't be able to issue a refund because it wouldn't be in the condition it was received.

ugh. so I tried winding it (googled and watched a youtube vid), and setting the time and then the crown just broke off when trying to pull it out. so now the crown is detached and its obviously still not working.

I feel bad because this is probably user error and I don't want to blame the seller but I never saw the watch working at all so I don't know whether there was already an issue with it.

Should I open an case and explain this or just eat the cost because I feel like I fucked it up?

Gahhhh. Just so much derivative photographic manipulated prints. Cannot figure out how to find art prints from small artists selling prints of their artwork. Not a single query works. So dumb.

My question is pretty simple. Were there any videos you watched that exponentially helped your store?

Hey! i bought something a while ago but i have no record of it under my purchases nor do i have it on my email. what should i do? is it to do with the fact i bought it with apppe pay and not my debit?

So I (US) bought something from Europe to be super vague, but theres no tracking and its late which puts me on edge. I want to give the seller time for it to come in the mail just in case they're honest, but I also don't want to be scammed either. The internet says the time to open cases from estimated delivery date is 30 days and its been 27 days, but Etsy is giving me 38 days. What should I go by? I have trust issues. The seller was also no help, messaged them a week ago about a possible refund and all they did was tell me tracking is more expensive so that's why they don't use it and they hope it comes in before then. It's understandable, but I feel it's also super sketchy. Can someone give this people pleaser some advice?

Do you think good product photography matters more than having a long product description on Etsy?