I am extremely frustrated with Etsy's billing practices and lack of customer support. I closed my account and removed my payment method, yet I am still being charged small amounts months later. I no longer use the platform and do not authorize any further charges. Over the course of more than a year on Etsy, I only made about $5 total, yet I have been charged more than I earned and continue to see charges even after closing my account. I also invested approximately $150 into digital products and supplies while trying to build my shop, making this situation even more disappointing. What makes this worse is the lack of accessible customer support. There is no clear way to contact a real person, and attempts to resolve this issue have gone nowhere. Consumers should be aware that even after closing an account and removing payment information, charges may still occur, and getting support can be extremely difficult. I am requesting that Etsy immediately stop all charges and confirm that no further billing will occur.
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Etsy Reviews Summary
Positive Highlights
- Etsy provides a marketplace for handmade and unique items.
- Some sellers successfully build shops and earn positive reviews over time.
- The platform offers a wide range of products for buyers.
Negative Highlights
- Sellers report sudden account suspensions without clear explanations.
- Customer support is often automated and unresponsive to issues.
- Billing practices may include charges after account closure.
Most commonly discussed topics
The most helpful reviews behind these summaries
My Etsy shop (HoldTheMemory) was suddenly and permanently suspended without any explanation. I was actively delivering orders, communicating with customers, and had nearly all 5-star reviews. I did not violate any policies and never received a warning or notice. Etsy shut down my business without telling me what I allegedly did wrong, and every attempt to contact support resulted in automated, copy-paste responses. They refused to review my case and provided zero transparency. This decision completely destroyed my only source of income. Digital sellers deserve fair treatment and a clear explanation when their account is disabled. Etsy's lack of communication, lack of due process, and complete disregard for small businesses is unacceptable. I am asking Etsy to properly review my account instead of ignoring sellers who rely on this platform to survive.
Etsy blocked my account after 4 years of using the platform. I've sent multiple emails, yet I keep receiving the exact same automated reply: "To restore your account, please answer the security questions." I already answered those questions 3 times, but the response does not change, it feels like a bot, not human or even AI. Its all about my full name, previous order location. It almost feels like a phishing style loop rather than asking about my old password or confirmation my phone
My experience with Etsy as a seller has honestly been one of the most discouraging experiences I've had on any platform. I spent over a year building my shop from the ground up, learning Etsy's system, paying for subscriptions, creating products, and slowly earning legitimate 5-star reviews. Everything on my shop was perfect until I left an honest 3-star review on another seller's shop based on my actual experience. That same day, that seller purchased the cheapest item from my shop and left me a nasty 1-star review. Shortly after, another account did the exact same thing. What made this even more obvious was that one of those accounts privately messaged me and directly referenced the original seller, proving there was a connection between them and confirming this was retaliatory behavior rather than genuine customer feedback. I reported all of this to Etsy and provided screenshots, timelines, proof of the purchases, proof of the messages, and evidence connecting everything together. Etsy acknowledged my concerns multiple times and even told me I could publicly respond to the reviews. The problem is: I was NEVER given the option to publicly respond. I checked immediately after the reviews were posted and the option simply was not there. Years later, Etsy is now claiming I missed the response window, even though the feature was never available to me in the first place. Today, those reviews are STILL publicly visible on my shop. Meanwhile, the accounts that left them now show as inactive accounts. The original shop I reviewed also appears inactive. Yet the damage done to my shop remains. Those retaliatory reviews dropped my visible shop rating from a perfect 5 stars down to 2.3 stars, where it still sits today. Etsy tried telling me the reviews "no longer affect my stats," but that's misleading when customers can still clearly see the rating publicly before deciding whether or not to buy from you. Since those reviews were left, my shop activity and sales basically stopped. What's most frustrating is not even the reviews themselves anymore — it's the fact that Etsy claims to protect sellers and maintain marketplace integrity, but when presented with overwhelming evidence of retaliatory review behavior, they chose to do absolutely nothing about it. At this point, this isn't just about reviews. It's about trust, fairness, and whether Etsy actually stands behind the policies they publicly claim to enforce. I'm sharing this because other sellers deserve to understand how vulnerable small shops are on platforms like this. One or two malicious reviews can destroy years of work, and even with evidence, you may still be left completely unprotected.
I'm the owner of a small business, Roses Reimagined, in which I create rose products and upcycle unwanted items, with my customer rose work. Etsy permanently suspended my account before I could even open my first handmade shop, Roses Reimagined, and I received the following message from them: "This is Etsy's Trust & Safety team. Thanks for taking the time to submit an appeal. After a thorough review of your appeal and all relevant information, we regret to inform you that your appeal has been denied. While considering your explanation and the details provided in your appeal, we found risk concerns in your account, which violates our Terms of Use. To protect the security of our marketplace, we are unable to disclose the specific activity indicators we detected. What this means for you and your shop: You can't sell or shop on Etsy anymore using this account, or any other account you create. Any future responses or support requests will automatically be closed." I never received any email explaining why my account was suspended, and the dashboard link they provided only led to an error page. I appealed, asking for a specific policy citation or evidence of any violation, and Etsy responded with the above generic message — refusing to provide clarity or even acknowledge that their process failed to deliver promised details. Since then, I've reached out multiple times through email and Etsy's contact form, and they have ignored every attempt for months. No acknowledgement, no explanation, no human support — just permanent silence. This isn't just frustrating — it's devastating. Roses Reimagined is a legitimate handmade business I built from scratch, a labor of love and creativity. Etsy's unexplained lifetime ban shut down my business before it even had a chance to launch, destroying months of work and my opportunity to build a livelihood. Etsy claims to empower small creators, but this experience proves otherwise. Banning a creator without transparency, refusing to disclose the reason, and automatically closing all future support requests is not protection — it's negligence. Until Etsy provides accountability and a fair process for legitimate small businesses, I cannot recommend this platform.
Unjustified Permanent Suspension Without Explanation Immediately after my very first sale, my Etsy shop Atelier Drachenfunke was permanently suspended. At first, I received no explanation at all – only a message that my account was closed forever and could not be restored. I filed an appeal right away. After 2–3 days, I received a reply from Hazel saying the decision could not be undone. Later, she added a vague comment that I had supposedly violated Etsy's policies. However, no specific rule or action was mentioned. To this day, I have never been told what exactly I did wrong. I know I did nothing against their policies, yet I lost my shop without reason. For a small creator working with handmade woodburning art, this is devastating. Etsy is an important platform for handmade products, but instead of support or transparency, I was left without any chance to defend myself. This feels unfair and arbitrary. I am now forced to look for alternatives, but I want to warn others: your shop and work can disappear overnight, even after your very first sale, and you might never get a clear explanation.
I am an Etsy seller who recently experienced what I believe was an unfair and incomplete case resolution. A buyer purchased two handcrafted faux plant arrangements. Although my shop policy states that I do not accept returns, I agreed to accept a return and issue a full refund upon receipt of the returned merchandise. Instead of receiving the items, I received an 11x11x11 package containing only packing materials and no merchandise. I documented the unboxing with a video, obtained USPS documentation showing the return package weighed approximately 1 lb 1.60 oz. For comparison, the large arrangement originally shipped in a 14x14x14 box with a USPS acceptance weight of 10 lb 2.20 oz, while the small — in an 11x11x11 box weighing 3 lb 10.80 oz. The returned package could not physically contain the large arrangement and weighed significantly less than either original shipment. Despite submitting this evidence to Etsy, including the USPS weight discrepancy, photos, and informing them that a full unboxing video was available, Etsy refunded the buyer using funds charged to my account. After the case was closed, I contacted Etsy Support several times to explain that the returned package contained no merchandise and to request a review of the return evidence. However, none of my inquiries addressed the central issue that the merchandise associated with the refund had never been returned. Instead, the responses focused only on the buyer's claim that the item was "not as described." My concern is that objective evidence indicating that no merchandise was actually returned appears not to have been meaningfully considered before Etsy charged my account and issued a refund.
I am deeply disappointed and outraged by my experience on Etsy. I purchased a 'lifetime access' to a digital store from a seller named DesignsbyAnnaB, investing a significant amount of money. However, just two months later, she completely revoked my access and annulled our agreement without any valid reason. This is a blatant, calculated scam. Naturally, no partial refund was offered for the unfulfilled terms. To make matters worse, when I confronted her, the seller resorted to toxic threats and gaslighting, accusing me of 'harassing a small business.' Such extortionist behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Desperate for a solution, I contacted Etsy Support. While they initially sent automated responses, they did absolutely nothing to resolve the issue and have now completely gone silent, ignoring my follow-ups. It is sickeningly obvious that pocketing the transaction fees from this high-volume fraudulent seller is more profitable for Etsy than protecting an honest buyer from being defraled. This has been an absolute nightmare. Etsy provides zero buyer protection against scams and financial fraud. I have cleared my cart, deleted my account, and blacklisted Etsy forever.
15 years on the site, i'm done. I sold a $26 item, Lipstick... LOOK at all the charges i had to pay ETSY Fee and tax Net Balance Dec 16,2025 Marketing Fee for sale made through Offsite Ads Order #*******877 15% of order total -- -$4.05 -$4.05 Dec 16,2025 Fee Transaction fee: Shipping Order #*******877 6.5% of shipping total -- -$0.29 -$0.29 Dec 16,2025 Fee Transaction fee: Estee Lauder Pure Color 67 Mystic Mauve... Order #*******877 6.5% of item total -- -$1.46 -$1.46 Dec 16,2025 Tax Sales tax paid by buyer Order #*******877 Remitted to tax authorities -- -$2.64 -$2.64 Dec 16,2025 Fee Processing fee Order #*******877 3.0% of the order total plus $0.25 -- -$1.14 Charged almost $9.00 on a $26 sale... Cost and charges are 50% of my sales, and i'm not counting the cost of shipping supplies
Some very strange experiences with Etsy. The account was suspended from the 1st day without any product upload and then unlocked after appeal. Then I was suspended again for the 2nd time after I uploaded my 1st product. I appealed again as I cannot see what the issues were. They finally emailed me stating that they permanently closed my account due to violations. However, they cannot explain why and they will not respond to any questions.
I strongly believe that if a company is going to close your account, they should at least explain what the violations were instead of just quoting the Terms links. The product that I was aiming to sell is not dissimilar to other products they have on their site for sale.
I would not recommend them as they cannot provide clear guidelines and they can close you without explanation and based on their own subjective judgments. Imagine having a store full of products for sale with this sort of dictatorial power looming over you!
If you think Etsy is some amazing marketplace to generate quick bucks and be rich overnight, you have serious rethinking to do mate.
It doesn't matter how much money you're earning, how well you've done or how well you're projected to do. Etsy will single handedly be able to shut down your store without any warning or explanation.
I understand if it was a copyright infringement issue or a store which has a bad reputation, but from my experience and the tons of others sellers' experience, we ran very lucrative businesses on Etsy for years and were legit sellers in the game.
The money you've made just before the suspension will NOT be deposited into your bank account, and Etsy will hold HOSTAGE to your payment like a complete corrupt criminal.
Like the other sellers mentioned here, my store was in the top 3% on Etsy with thousands of sales and hundreds of solid 5-star reviews, with only 2-3 cases occurring in a period of 6 months.
I made serious 6 figures on there, only to have my shop shut down mysteriously one day.
No explanation was given, and only an automated bot email was sent in conjunction with the suspension which was AFTER the matter of fact.
I attempted to contact Etsy's customer service, which turned out to be a total joke. Keep commerce "human", when the bulk of your customer service agents are incompetent crooks who will not hesitate to disrespect and harrass and eventually end the call and cease further communication.
I've never been so disappointed and disgusted by this company's lack of ethical values. Their desire for profit over ethics and morals is genuinely shocking.
If you think you're indispensable and irreplaceable, think again.
Read about the rexburg seller who had 30k sales and five star reviews who were got unfairly terminated as well.
Recently, more innocent buyers AND sellers BOTH have been kicked off the site.
Most of the time this is due to a technical glitch, but even if it was an honest and innocent mistake, such policies have COST people's livelihoods and incomes.
Etsy will not give a TOSS about you.
If you're a real entrepreneur, start on your own website. LEARN how to do your own SEO (search engine optimisation) and drive organic or paid traffic to your OWN website domain.
Etsy isn't some American dream. Wake up. It feels exactly like working for a nasty corporate boss, because that's what it is. The CEO has utterly ruined and destroyed this platform. And it's shameful.
Etsy does not vet their sellers or buyers and when you get scammed like I did, Etsy says sorry this has happened and they wash their hands of it and you are on your own to get your money back.
I tried 4 different sellers and got nothing as soon as they received my money they left the site. And it's hard to get a refund. I regret ever ordering. It's been a nightmare
I been using a few weeks and I am seeing a lot of growth. I loves how it make my scalp feel. I recommend this product.
Dreadful online shopping experience and garbage website.
I ordered some fabric - paid extra for rapid shipping. The item still arrived a few days late.
The amount received was a third short of what I ordered. Thats quite a lot of missing fabric.
No response from seller after requesting assistance. None. Not a single acknowledgement.
(Seller still advertising the exaggerated measurements for their fabric and charging according)
Etsy has some stupid complaint procedure that wont allow you to register a complaint unless you upload a photo. Not suitable for dealing with fabrics that run into metres in length, but no they insist on that stupid photo.
A week on - not single response from either the Etsy seller or from Etsy.
A week on. No response. No attempt to rectify the problem and even though I requested express shipping, they don't allow me an option to request express rectification - the only thing to do is therefore to get a replacement from a reliable outfit.
I have absolutely no ability to rate the sellers - this is not like ebay. This is an absolutely shady situation.
Complete waste of time and money.
I could have got something next day from a larger retailer. The whole idea of supporting local business through Esty is bunk. Service quality is clearly an issue if they deny buyers like me an opportunity to leave feeback.
I imagine they make all their money from sellers and go the extra mile to protect seller from buyers who have been disappointed.
Absolute garbage. Will never use this website ever again. Zero chance.
The very existence of a site that is so rampant with overtly false and fraudulent products like this one is just beyond the scope of plain common sense. I have personal experience dealing with these people. If you think buying a used car is a mental nightmare, try communicating with these people. They make used car salesmen look like saints. The most obvious sign to me is even their advertising photographs are blatantly incorrect as to what they are trying to con you into buying. This site would be comical to any individual who has just basic level knowledge of a product they are considering buying but the big problem that I see is the public may not be aware of all the important characteristics of what they are considering buying and therefore suseptible to being ripped off. Avoid this site at all costs. The feds should have shut this place down years ago.
Etsy has a lot of shady products. They make it even easier for the customers to be ripped off, because there is a time limit on how long you can write a review on a product you've already purchased. They have a lot of bad customer service and it's fairly inaccessible.
I owned a small business on the Esty platform for a little time, in which I made just under $50. I had to wait a month before Esty support got back to me, (not the first time I've had to wait for help. They somehow got the wrong bank account information in my files, which resulted in my money almost going to someone else, and me not being able to change it). Meanwhile I had an order waiting to be sent this entire time. It had been 3 weeks since I've gotten this order, Esty finally gets back to me and says my funds are finally on their way. (Mid May 2021), I had funds sitting in my Esty account since early march 2021.
I was looking forward to sending my package (Esty was my only source of income).
A few days later I get an email stating that my business has been suspended due to financial problems.
Then, it was taken down.
The reasoning was I am not 18 years or older. I explained I live on my own, so my parent being in charge of my Esty doesn't make sense.
They denied it,
And my account is still suspended. In which I'm still fighting to get it back.
Bought a Handcrafted anti-bee design, very colorful, feeder from Yankee Glass Art.
I requested a return for a custom made unit and had full cooperation. Highly recommend their product and service. Bob K.
I like to support small local independent businesses just like those on Etsy. I have only dealt with Etsy UK, and only as a buyer. I am constantly amazed by the quality and workmanship of the items I receive. Always beautifully wrapped in eco-friendly wrappings and usually with a lovely note of appreciation for my custom even though I don't buy expensive items. I always feel I am dealing with real people, who have a genuine interest in providing the best possible quality, and service to their customers. I was so disappointed, then to read the reviews of sellers, on this site, and to learn how Etsy is treating them. I will continue to buy from Etsy UK for the reasons stated above. I sincerely hope that Etsy UK is providing a better service to these sellers; they deserve the best support possible.
I opened my store a month ago. And suddenly Etsy closed it without any warning. I did not receive an email from Etsy (yes, I checked my spam folder). I have no clue what I did wrong. I was going to sell prints of my own photographs and artworks. It's not on the prohibited list. It's not a copyright issue - it's 100% my photos and my original artworks. I am very new to Etsy, I read the selling guide and followed it in detail. I had Etsy payments, About page, policy, photos, descriptions, no external links except to my other items on Etsy. I subscribed to eRank and Marmalead, services recommend by Etsy, to optimize my items. I did not use VPN. I don't see any reason for what I did wrong. I very politely asked Etsy about a reason for closing my store. And received from Etsy a very rude and offensive response (I copied it below). I understand that Etsy has the right to not accommodate any store on its platform but without any explanation do not allow me even BUYING on Etsy?! It is not fair. Not just in respect of me but in respect all other sellers on Etsy because now I cannot buy anything in their stores.
Very disappointed.
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ETSY response:
After a close review of your account, my team and I have determined that we can no longer accommodate your business on Etsy. As a result, your account has been closed.
Please do not open any additional accounts for buying or selling, as they will be closed without notice.
This decision is final, and we will be unable to respond to any further outreach about your account. This email constitutes our final communication on this matter.
Thank you for your attention to this.
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ETSY is the WORST!
I bought items for 405 from Germany and seller sent from China with fake Documents! The invoice and receipt did not match and DHL could not give me the package! 3 months and ETSY still covers the seller.
Seller openly sais about fake documents etc and no help from ETSY
Thank GOD for Paypal that solved the problem
DO NOT TRUST ETSY!
Perfect! I purchased a blanket, 4 pillows and a mouse pad! Will shop again! Love the fabric
As a Piano student I Found at Etsy a very uniq and special gift is the designer music composition notebook hard cover a4 120 pages perforated blank staff paper it is a hand made! So beautiful fits amazingly on my piano bought three pieces great as a decent gift to any honored music person Olga was so kind she assist my search as I was there defiantly will do my next art item again at Etsy!
Thank you so much!
Beware! Etsy will close your account even when you are making good sales and they never disclosure reason. All earnings will be lost and purchases will become untraceable.
Don't go to such places if you are serious buyer or seller.
Ever wonder why every seller seems to have a 4.5 to 5 star rating? Mediocre reviews are not posted. By Etsy's own published policies, you can only post a picture of the item you received if you are giving a five star review. There are many talented, hard-working creators on Etsy, but as a buyer you are not getting the full picture from reviews.
Last week, I logged on to Etsy, It was super easy to set up my account but when I want to get my favorite stuff, It never arrives. I thought if I can leave Etsy alone for awhile but I think Amazon is better. I saw that the Fox miraculous must have 5 spaces, not like volpina's miraculous. I'm very confused and very annoyed a bit. But It is more cooler as I expect. I really think they can move to Amazon so they can work together more often.
So, ETSY is a little less straight forward to review than most websites. It is a platform where individuals can open their own shops. I have used it as both the seller and the customer. From a sellers point of view it's very easy to use. The platform offers a great opportunity, but you really need to do your own advertising for your shop to gain traction and customers. As a customer it is also easy to use, but DEFINITELY read the reviews. I have had great experiences with most shops; however, I have had a few bad experiences. ETSY is quick to work with customers to get refunds even when the shop owner isn't. So even if you have a bad experience, there's a little peace of mind knowing ETSY can still insure a refund depending on the situation. For example, I once didn't receive a product at all well after the agreed upon time and ETSY sent a refund and canceled it when the owner wouldn't respond. I'd recommend it from a seller and a customer standpoint.
I have had an online store and I am still waiting 3 weeks later for the escalation department to get back to me. Meanwhile Etsy is charging my credit card and still holding onto my credit card information and for no reason. Cheap is not always the best way to go. In this case it's definitely so true about Etsy! Do not go cheap. Pay a little bit of money. It will be cheaper in the long run and you get better service.
