Seller ArtfulMarket is the latest shop to be shut down under confusing circumstances, according to this forum thread started by ArtfulMarket using another account. ArtfulMarket is one of Etsy’s most successful sellers, with close to 15,000 positive feedbacks, and who makes regular appearances on EtsyTools top sellers lists. At the time of this article’s publication, the ArtfulMarket shop is the “brick wall” indicating a closed account.
lynn61056 says:
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am trying to find out why my shop is gone. I have tried to contact Etsy about it and they sent me an abuse report from a customer who says they never received their order. Funny thing is I can’t find any record of the order in my PayPal account. So it appears they may have shut me down over an order that was never paid for. To all of my loyal customers I will continue to get all of your orders out from the invoices in my PayPal account until I can get this resolved. I am in shock that Etsy would shut me down considering I have almost 15,000 positive feedback. It appears there has been a BIG misunderstanding. I have sent several more emails to Etsy and have not received any response. Please be patient…I am still around!
Please note that Etsy’s version of this incident is not currently available, and ArtfulMarket’s post cannot be verified by UEN at this time.
edit by JB February 25
artfulmarket’s Etsy shop has been reinstated
As well, earlier today, seller Whatyoumacallits reported on the forum (via another account) that her shop had also been closed without warning. Their shop has since been reinstated. Whatyoumacallits has over 140 positive feedbacks and no negatives.
Edit:
A THIRD shop has been reported as closed without prior notice: Thatsmycharm, according to this thread posted by the sellers’s girlfriend (who is a top seller herself). As of February 11th, Thatsmycharm had over 1300 positive feedbacks and no negatives.
Thatsmycharm’s shop was reinstated on Saturday.
According to a statement by admin Kfarrell in this thread, this is Etsy’s notification process:
kfarrell says:
Transaction report emails go out automatically whenever a customer files a nondelivery report. The seller receives an email to let them know a report has been filed, and the buyer receives an email advising them to contact the seller directly. The emails do not assign blame to either party.If you get a notice of a nondelivery report filed against you, contact both the buyer and support ASAP with any information on when you mailed the package, how it was shipped, where it was shipped from, etc.
for previous coverage of this issue of shop closures without warning, please see these previous articles:
http://etsynews.com/584/two-seller-accounts-deleted-under-strange-cicrumstances/
http://etsynews.com/73/unwarrantedaccidental-shop-suspensions-sellers-be-warned/
http://etsynews.com/75/another-case-of-erroneous-shop-suspension/
http://etsynews.com/80/how-does-admin-handle-shop-suspensions/
http://etsynews.com/312/etsy-says-no-double-billing-has-occurred/?cp=5
(see comments, not main article)
Edit by Serena 2/22 1:30 ET:
Etsy admin daniellexo recommends the following steps to ward off surprise account closure:
1) Please make sure your email addresses are correct on file. If this address isn’t correct - we can’t contact you and neither can buyers.
2) Add support [!at] etsy.com, abuse [!at] etsy.com and billing [!at] etsy.com to your address book. This way it will not be forwarded to your spam/junk mailbox.
3) Keeping open lines of communication with Admin. We will try to contact you numerous times.
Source: Fora.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
http://etsynews.com/569/etsy-censors-comments-on-storque-articles/
see this article
also a new UEN member “MM” has just posted in the most recent UEN article that they had a comment deleted from the Storque and their entire account was deleted too, just for that one comment.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
JB: I didnt know that! If nothing is ever written in stone, maybe there is no hope for the policies either!
February 26th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
well actually they delete comments from the Storque ALL the time, and lock articles from further comments too.
I take screenshots of every comment i make in the STorque even if it’s super positive
February 26th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I am reading all the comments made on the Storque article regarding the Customer Care Update.
It gives me a little hope as it is not a thread that can be closed or deleted by the admin.
People are finally allowed to read the truth and see the real picture regarding the erroneous shop closures, and the way that a wishy washy policy, that is not followed correctly, can do more harm than good.
We may finally see some action on this that insures these situations will never, ever happen again.
Maybe there is still hope that Etsy will pull its finger out and fix these problems before the company gets flushed down the loo!
February 26th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
*giggle*
btw has anyone read some of the admins profiles, very professional!
February 26th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
quirke Says:
February 26th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Whatyoumacallits, it was clearly your fault for attempting to purchase something. Geez. Etsy won’t tolerate that sort of buying.
(don’t forget to read that in a playful manner!)
~~~~~~~~
No No No, quirke. It’s not (don’t forget to read that in a playful manner!) it’s
*giggle*
February 26th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Whatyoumacallits, it was clearly your fault for attempting to purchase something. Geez. Etsy won’t tolerate that sort of buying.
(don’t forget to read that in a playful manner!)
February 26th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
exactly artfulmarket, I have tryed to work out the mistakes they would have to have made with that policy in my sistuation, I dont think its covered anywhere though.
I dont see anything about sending email notification to a buyer warning that their account will be closed for NOT receiving an item!!
February 26th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
The Storque article is interesting if these are their polices:
” Why does a Buyer file a Non-delivery complaint?
- Buyer has placed an Etsy order and paid for it”
In my case:
***the buyer had not paid for the order but was filing a complaint because they were not able to get their PayPal payment to complete.
“When does a Seller get banned?
We try to wait at least 24 hours before closing an account after we have sent the Suspension Notice as a last ditch hope that a Seller will respond. This Suspension Notice usually arrives least a month after the Buyer has filed the complaint.”
In my case:
***I received an email suspending my account on Friday afternoon about 4:30. My shop was closed shortly after which did not allow me time to contact Etsy before they left for the weekend. The customer also got a notice that my shop has been suspended. I did not hear from support until 11:30 Monday morning telling me the case was closed.
Hmmmmm…….seems to me if they had followed their policies I never would have been shut down..,,,no mistake?
February 26th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
JB: yes, I had a few questions from Mums that I knew on Monday, they were shocked when they heard what had happened, especailly since I am always saying what a great place Etsy is, and always showing them the great items I have bought from the talented artists that sell here!
Who knows what the Mums who dont know me are thinking??