There has been much confusion in the forums regarding “free with purchase” listings. Some people have thought it was okay to list such items, some have thought it was a no-no. Admin has stepped in to give an official word on this issue.
stellaloella says:
Our rules state: “Don’t create listings which are solely advertisements or promotions (no item for sale).”(From the DOs & DON’Ts > Selling > What can be sold on Etsy > No
http://www.etsy.com/dosdonts.php#a4 ).Listings of this type are not allowed. If you wish to include a free gift with purchase, you may. However, you cannot create a separate listing to promote the free gift. This not only pads your sales and feedback stats, but also has the potential to cause problems if the “free gift” listing is purchased separately (as evidenced by this thread).
Please contact support [!at] etsy.com for further assistance in this situation.
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Posted at 4:55 pm, August 30 2007 EST
September 4th, 2007 at 8:07 am
i hate those stupid free gift listings i see them all the time in the TM2 and it really bugs the shit outta me.
September 12th, 2007 at 2:52 am
Free gifts and PIFs are essentially the same thing with a different name. Should we be flagging them?
September 12th, 2007 at 2:55 am
I think that is a question for Etsy admins. (whether to flag)
True PIFs are free without purchase.
If it requires a purchase, it is not a PIF.