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
They do not honor scheduled order shipment dates. I am 5 weeks into a placed order with no ship date yet despite several broken promises.
Be VERY careful about using this website!
We found product description (earrings) misleading in that an antique was strongly implied but what was received was cheap modern. Similar things are available almost anywhere. We paid GBP £36 but US parcel carried customs declaration value (by sender) of USD $9.99 which is approx max GBP£7 at current exchange rate.
Attempted to return goods (as is our right under UK Distance Selling), but no reply to email.
US supplier had originally made preposterous claim that the nature of the goods meant no return would be possible. Because ETSY has what purports to be a UK website (and thus, registration), and because we were paying in GBP£, we stupidly assumed ETSY UK would properly abide by Distance Selling customs... should have known better.
The goods we want to return are absolutely unused and pristine in every detail in original unmarked packaging. Goods are fit for resale without contest.
We have ZERO RESPONSE to attempted communications.
For ourselves, we shall NEVER deal with ETSY again... and suggest you think twice.
I ordered and paid for my item promply, after a week I sent numerous messages to the seller in regards to when my item would be sent, after another week they responded that they were sorry about the delay and would send it, after almost a third c week he or she finally sent it but the tracking number is still in the same area after another 5 days! Iron icky the seller is no longer a seller and etsy wants me to try and work it out with the seller! Well I'm still being redirected to a seller that no longer exist! No money and no irem!
Wouldnt use this site ever again, ordered an item through them it was sent within a week, that bit was ok, need to return as it didnt fit thats where the problems begin. You are asked to contact the seller about returns policy before they can help you. Tried this sent four e mails to seller and not one response from them, there is no address to write, no invoice in with the goods, no telephone number to contact them.So if the seller wont respond and Etsy wont help until you've contacted the seller your basically left with goods that are of no use and £30 out of pocket. Am now going to seek further action.
I ordered 2 Christmas tutu's from Chacha Tutu and absolutely love them! My grand daughter looks so precious in them, I will for sure be ordering many more from them. If you have a little girl in your life check them out at *******@yahoo.com or www.etsy.com/shop/chachatutu
This is by far the WORST website I have ever used! DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE! I ordered a lawn decoration from this website on Nov. 16 and paid $78. When trying to contact the seller to get a ETA on the order, I received an error message that they are not a valid user on etsy. I tried emailing the seller from my personal email account with no response. Their website sends you around in circles trying to find a contact email or phone number for etsy for some resolution to this. Because I ordered a Christmas decoration, I thought I had ordered in plenty of time, not realzing I am now out $78, have no decoration and no responce from the company. Thank goodness I paid through Paypal and they actually care about their customers satisfaction unlike etsy. Most worthless site ever!
Never received item from the seller, who replied that she'd look into it then did nothing. Was not only told by Etsy that I couldn't open a case when I contacted them, but the Open a Case button is missing from my purchase page, even though the 54th day from purchase and supposedly 60 days from the item's processing date allowed (btw, I don't recall ever seeing an Open a Case button for this item). Etsy also informed me that their sellers are not obligated to replace or refund non-received items (wow)! Your remedy? Contact your Credit Card company and dispute the charge within 60, even 90 days (check the claims limitation of your own credit card company to be sure).
I have ordered a piece of jewelry online on sept 29th and as of this date nov 22 have not received anything. All though they have credited my credit card. I have tried to contact them. And even though their web site looks like they give you a way to do so after writing it comes back undelivered. The piece I ordered was sub let to wishingstone design. Which I also tried to contact with the same results. I guess I could kiss the $$ good bye? Just in case they see this my order# *******
I paid £30 for an item on etsy, estimated delivery time 1 week its bee 5 weeks and I still haven't received it. Horrible website never ordering off of it again.
I am a seller and buyer on Etsy, have been since 2008. I sell handmade (really) jewelry and also supplies. I have had one bad experience so far in all these years of buying supplies, gifts that are truly handmade. First I read reviews. Then I ALWAYS make sure they have been on the site for long enough to earn those good reviews. If I ever decided to buy from a mass-producer, I would expect to get exactly what I paid for. Maybe if more buyers would search for real handmade (shame on Etsy for allowing otherwise) then the mass-producer would disappear. They are cheap and that's what you will get... or not.
I've been reading through more Etsy reviews and frankly I am appalled. The claims that Etsy favor sellers over buyers. Not true. If you have a complaint and want your money back for item not received or not sent, you have recourse either through your cc or Paypal to get every dime back.
Many buyers are grouping ALL Etsy sellers as one store. That's not so. There are thousands of sellers on Etsy, much like an enormous mall with thousands of individual shops, each run by a different shop owner, some good, some very bad. So please stop saying etsy as a whole is a scamming website. It is not.
I recently bought a leather bound journal from an Etsy shop. When it arrived, I was horribly disappointed in the quality. It was some cheap imitation leather. The image on it was already wearing off around the edges. I asked the seller if I could return it, and initially he said yes. But, once I put it in the mail back to him, he disappeared. After multiple unanswered messages, I finally left a candid 1 star review for the purchase and opened cases against him both on Etsy and PayPal. The seller contacted me right away after I posted the review, demanding I delete it or he would not refund my money. Anyway, PayPal took care of what Etsy did not, and refunded it. However, I was very surprised to find when I went back on Etsy that the review on that purchase had disappeared. I contacted Etsy asking why it had been deleted, as it was an honest review. They sent me back a message saying that while they "realized the seller had initiated the exchange about deleting the review or else no refund, but it violated their anti-extortion policies." It went on to say they would take action against my account if I used reviews "again in this way." So basically, this guy is selling cheap crappy journals at a premium price, keeping money from products returned, and then HE blackmailed ME demanding I delete an honest review or else he wouldn't refund my money and I have Etsy threaten ME with action against my account?! How does that make sense?! Talk about victim-blaming! What a horrible, horrible company. I will NEVER buy on etsy again!
I got scammed by etsy! They took the money, the seller no longer exists and I cannot get a hold of them in any way. Etsy can't do much about it either since they are just a hosting site for the seller. It is unfortunate that people like that are able to register on this site and scam people like this. I am a poor college student and need every penny I can get. This was the worst online shopping experience I have ever had.
If I could, I would give this site a zero. Ordering and paying for an item is easy. Keep your fingers crossed that it comes because apparently the sellers on Etsy are just allowed to rip you off. There is absolutely NO buyer protection or customer service. The only response I received was an automated email telling me not to identify the company that ripped me off for privacy reasons. Yeah right... so that they can continue to rip other people off! By the way, it was "Southern Royals" out of Florida and they essentially stole $57.50 from me. Stay away from this website.
6/29/2015 - Just a follow-up to say that I never received the item and was never refunded the money. I am quite sure that there are plenty of ethical people who sell items on Etsy. The problem is, as a buyer you have no way of knowing who is ethical and who is not. The vendor I purchased my item from had received raving reviews. If the website has no protection for the BUYER, then you are taking a risk anytime you purchase something from this site.
I ordered two barn wood jewelry organizers - one for my daughter and one for myself. They are really nice. I love it. Now my jewelry can be on display so I can see what I have - no more tangled necklaces. I have always been completely satisfied with the items I order. Betty Davis, Eagle Grove, IA
I was thrilled when ETSY came along. I am a fine artist, oil and watercolor paintings. But after a few years I got tired about the lack of support for fine art. Even when I list a painting there is no style specific to fine art, like Impressionism, Drawings, line art, etc. styles that pertain to fine art. I can't recall ever seeing the front page promoting original paintings. ETSY became a place much like EBAY huge and a Goliath of rules to wade through. From what I have read from other sellers that were removed, there seems to be an arbitrary removal of sellers over Handmade rules. I see people list nothing but images from Society6, an on demand maker of pillows, bed spreads shower curtains etc. These seller list these items as handmade even using the pictures off Society6. Yet they are made in a factory and basically drop shipped. I stopped listing much of my original art since ETSY simply is not a good place for fine art oil paintings. My average start price for an original is $300+ The exposure and love I get from ETSY is dismal. ETSY is best for under $ 100.00 stuff. If you are a serious artist listing on ETSY is not the way to go especially since the literately hold your lifelyhood in their hands and can drop you without any due processes and without any explanation much like EBAY did. I now have my own online presence, my own domain and a storefront created with shopify and I control my SEO. I have sold some originals already. Now when I spend advertising dollars I promote my art, my web site. Not ETSY. I occasionally I list an original and make it for a limited time only, then it gets moved to my website. ETSY isn't doing anything for me as a traditional fine artist. All my buyers had been happy, and many signed up with ETSY just to purchase one of my paintings or two. ETSY started out as a great idea of uniqueness and handmade and has morphed in to the New EBAY, where true artisans have to compete with lots of junk and mass manufactured items, claimed to be handmade and the high end spenders/consumers don't look at ETSY.
As far as a buyers I can say that I sometimes buy soap or clothing on ETSY and my experience has been positive. It does take time to investigate the sellers and make sure you're not being mislead.
I am a print graphic designer. I work for a printer. People more than once or twice have sent me files for invitations that they paid for that were supposed to be "print ready" and they were anything but. They were fuzzy, low-resolution files that were not even set up properly for printing at all, indicating that the "designer" had never even gotten through Graphics 101. If you want something designed, please remember that just having a computer and some Adobe software and some clip art does not make someone a designer any more than having an expensive set of pots and pans makes someone a chef.
AWFUL! Ordered something for the first time and it will definitely be the last. On the sellers page it noted 5-11 business day for delivery. Ordered on October 4th figured that would be enough time to get here for Halloween party on Oct 25th. According to confirmation the merchandise shipped on the 7th. NEVER GOT IT! When I demanded to know where the merchandise was was told could also be held for customs for up to 4 days. Why wasn't this said? When I asked for a tracking number so that I could find out where it was the seller told me that she doesn't ship items with a tracking number or insurance. WHAT? After a few more emails I was offered a refund for the item. Today got an email saying will report me to Etsy for not being polite and accusing of scamming. Imagine I was mad about something I paid for and never got! Said go ahead already closed my account. I was then told couldn't refund yet because not enough time has gone by to open postal investigation. Oh and by the way the seller wants the merchandise back if I ever get it. REALLY you want the money and the item. You know what FORGET IT. LESSON WELL LEARNED WILL NEVER USE THIS SITE AGAIN!
Thinking of opening a shop on etsy.com? think again!
Good article. Etsy shut me down about 1 1/2 years ago out of the blue one day. Luckily, i always maintained an ebay business too but concentrated and sold mostly on etsy over the years. Etsy was and became my lively hood (huge huge! Mistake) i fought etsy 's action s with a lawyer but after a while could not afford further legal proceedings any longer, also filed complaints with the better business bureau.
I figured after the shock i better move on and tripled my business on ebay instead and opened my own website, went to artfire and bonanza. In hindsight i am glad i did. I had 7000 feedbacks on etsy 100% positive and was selling there for over 7 years supplies and my own handmade jewelery – all gone by the click of a mouse.
Reason: one day i bought an NYC subway iphone cover in a wholesale place in manhattan to resell so buyers could use that item to bling with my offered rhinestones like many other iphone covers with flower motives i offered. Then i got a complaint from the New York City Port Authority claiming copy right infirngment as they apparently own the NYC subway map! Outragous!. Had no idea the nyc subway is copyright and as i bought the item in a legitimate wholesale outlet in the city on 27th street and broadway ( buyers beware!)
What pissed me off the most is they are sending emails to unsuspecting and potential sellers (including me) urging sellers to give up their day jobs and make etsy their career! What a scam! Every job is more secure then they are. I highly recommend to anyone if you ever consider them as your outlet – don"t take that etsy business serious – you could be in the streets in a second out of the blue totally unexpected! On top of that – their customer service is about the worst one can imagine. No phone calls, emails get answered so every other day if your lucky and if your shut down forget about it – no appreciation for any members and you will be treated as their slave having to be thankful forever to be able to sell on their site. Feel free to copy and paste my story to any site you wish.
I have all good things to say about this site... Everything I have purchased so far has been handmade, unique and great quality. Customer service has been excellent, communication thorough and professional.
However, I wish to point out that each order experience is reflected on the actual individual shop and seller within the Etsy site, not the site itself.
I find that if you make an honest review using criticism instead of just negativity your comment is likely to remain on the seller's profile and could possibly be addressed by the original seller to resolve the issue.
If you have greater issues with an order, you can make a complaint with the Etsy site to investigate the matter. Just look for the "Do you have a problem with your order?" link under your order history for more information.
I had a shop on Etsy and as of yesterday it has been suspended as because they are claiming that I am somehow linked to this other Etsy shop that has been closed due to policy violation. From what I understand, based on Etsy's vague emails, this other shop has a few open cases that were opened up by angry customers before they were shut down. Etsy is saying that somehow my information (email and address) overlaps with the closed shop's account - whatever that means! So they want me to take care of the open cases before they can reinstate my account! The problem is I have no relation to that other shop! I've stated this to them numerous times already and in my last email I asked them to show me a screenshot or something so that I can see if someone has committed fraud and used my information without my knowledge. It all sounds very fishy to me and Etsy has been very, very evasive. It is very frustrating because I am being wrongly accused of being this other person, and they have suspended my account until I can get this sorted out. They are not giving me any help whatsoever. Their customer service sucks! When they do respond, they are evasive and vague. I have lost sales, all my time and effort putting up my listings, not to mention the longer my shop is suspended my credibility with my existing customers will be shot down. I would stay away if you are looking to open a shop with them. Read the reviews online - oeople's shops get shut down for no reason! Something needs to be done. They are a fraudulent, unprofessional company that should not be allowed to practice!
