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 27th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
but apparently Etsy feel its fine to be a featured seller with 18 negatives and over 40 neutrals …….
wow. just wow
February 27th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
so sorry halfyng!
February 27th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
actually brepettis’ post sounds abit like the way rob would speak. in the way that they think etsy is benevolent and bestows upon people a chance to sell their things (”a site that gives people who make things a chance to support themselves by making things”).
i think that the sheer power that the admin have over the livelihoods of sellers went over their heads, and they feel like they can do whatever they want because there is nowhere else really we can go.
you get the sense that any criticism of etsy is “ungratefulness”.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Halflyng, sorry. :(
I hope the 27million is also being used to send staff into some business workshops. Give them a crash course in PR, sound management practices, customer service procedures, and remedial lessons in how to conduct yourself in public when you speak on behalf of your employer.
Etsy needs an HR department. The hiring appears to be haphazard and at whim.
This might serve a young company well at the beginning, but not once you have over a few dozen employees.
The offices of Etsy Corp must be more like a clubhouse for play than an office.
At least that’s the impression tbey convey at each turn; I’ll be sticking around long enough to see the employee roster in about a year. It’ll be interesting seeing how many of these people still have jobs when the company is under real management.
Behaving “professionally” isn’t a negative, kiddos: it could actually ensure you have a job in the future.
Rob, time to buy some muzzles. You need to reel in some of your mouthpieces.
They are hurting you.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I just find it baffling that Etsy doesn’t have a corporate policy requiring its employees to consider what they write in public places. Anything that’s out there can be construed as an official statement on behalf of the organization, and can be used as evidence in a dispute. That means you’d better know what your employees are saying about policies, and that the things they say had better be consistent.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
brepettis’s (gotta use the Etsy ’s, dont cha know) post was very revealing, I thought. I’m sure he’s a nice guy and all, but his post encapsulates the unthinking and unconscious arrogance, condescension and demeaning attitude prevalent at Etsycorp that’s got the company into this position.
And absolutely no sense of irony.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I’m so sorry, Halflyng. :(
BrePettis’ post was classic - a shining example of why many Etsy admins are criticized as being immature and unprofessional. Perfect.
Ironically, I’m not grumpy or a hater, man. I’m actually known for my enthusiasm and idealism. However, I’ve learned to project these qualities on endeavors that deserve such treatment.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:02 am
That’s terrible Halflyng! My work just went through a round of layoffs, and we’re still feeling the aftereffects.
February 27th, 2008 at 9:59 am
So, all these projects that I mentioned? I’ll have plenty of time to do them now. I was terminated from my job this morning.
February 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I wonder if brepettis ’s post is an official etsy response or is he acting in the spur of the moment putting his two cents in.(he must be human like the rest of us)
If this is an official etsy response ,banning people for extreme grumpiness and protecting buyers from deadbeat sellers by closing shops overnight are interesting disclosures of Etsy’s policy.
I would like to replace the famous now :”misinformation” word with disinformation which is exactly what brepettis did in stating that:
“Most of the info in this article is from a one grumpy person” .He made it sound like one person a “public hater” took the time to patch toghether a whole story for the consumerist just because they are grumpy at (with ?on? )Etsy.