Etsy Sellers Beware! Temu & Chinese Sellers Will Destroy The Platform

[@mywifequitherjob]

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[@belindaroadley]

Junk from Temu and Aliexpress are ALREADY flooding the platform. I'm a sculptor and apparently "handmade ceramic sculpture" is synonymous with "janky resin illegal copy of someone's work" according to these dropshippers on Etsy.

[@sjastram]

And have been for years. Where has this guy bern the last 10 years?

[@BlackWarriorLures]

Facts. As someone who makes and sells handmade fishing tackle, this is a battle I have to fight everyday.

[@dropshipincanada]

😿😂

[@islandwills2778]

At least something like fishing tackle your more likely to have people willing to pay the fair price, your moderately insulated from china as without a doubt you already have to compete against china prices. The real danger is most likely in dilution. Shops like yours (and mine) need to be found. Yes our stuff is more expensive but people are willing to pay for it. But if we cant be found none of that will matter.

[@BlackWarriorLures]

@@islandwills2778 Totally valid points.

[@TigerChic]

I’m sorry but this really pisses me off. It all pisses off! Americans are already struggling because China, and other countries, are given the advantages and We can’t compete with their prices. I keep trying to get a business up and running, and there are these roadblocks set up on every route I choose. Steve, I am trying my best to stay on track and follow your lead. I just keep getting knocked down 😞 But I am not a quitter. I don’t give up and I won’t stop trying. Thank you for all your help and advice!

[@mywifequitherjob]

If you focus on content and branding, you'll be fine. It's the low end unbranded companies that will be affected the most. It's particularly bad for Etsy because many Etsy sellers are hobbyists

[@TigerChic]

@@mywifequitherjob Okay, it helps to know that. Thank you again 🙂

[@sandycartwright521]

Don’t lose hope. The number one requested item for two years has been handmade.

[@Winger222]

Etsy needs to handle this very carefully as it can hurt it's customer base. Nothing more annoying than seeing tons of poor-quality products on a platform that prides itself on handmade and personalized items. Etsy should not try to be a Temu 2.0. It will only hurt its customer base as well as the seller base. Most people will buy things from Temu once or twice and stop once they see the quality.

[@MrHowardMoon]

This is the problem with a publically traded business. Nobody at Etsy cares enough to try and combat it because the Chinese sellers will show as growth which will in-turn keep investors happy until the platform is nothing but Chinese sellers and people stop using it like we've seen with eBay and Amazon.

[@islandwills2778]

@@MrHowardMoon People are still using Amazon but Ebay is essentially dead. Oh did you know that the current ceo of Etsy used to be the CEO of Ebay?

[@MrHowardMoon]

@@islandwills2778 Yes I know people are "still using Amazon" but it's now filled with AliExpress crap and people are starting to notice. I can't speak for Americans, but I had an Amazon employee literally tell me "we've had a lot of people close their accounts recently for that exact reason" when I phoned to close my account and explained that Amazon UK was now nothing more than a Chinese drop-shipping site and that I'd rather give my money to local businesses instead of Chinese shops masquerading as UK businesses.

[@StitchAndMakeUSA]

Sadly They don’t care as long as they can make more profit

[@alicee2952]

@@StitchAndMakeUSA 💯 this is the driver $$$$.

[@berner]

Crazy idea: 1 - If you're an online market place like Amazon, Etsy etc, don't implement things like allowing sellers to pay money to push their ad to the top. 2 - If you're an online market place like Amazon, Etsy etc. have a feature on your page where you can shop by country.

[@mywifequitherjob]

Not a bad idea!

[@tanataylor4769]

I've been able to filter Etsy search results for years. On a computer (or mobile browser) do a search. Click the ALL FILTERS button. Under Shop Location, I can choose from Anywhere, United States, or Custom where I can enter a specific location. Imagine that, searching by location is already an option!

[@khucngantieu]

They won’t do it. Short term $$$ and bonuses. After the company dies the CEO jumps with a golden parachute.

[@wiremonkeyshop]

This happened to me. I had a successful product on Etsy and it was knocked off almost immediately. And good luck enforcing a trademark or patent in China.

[@sheahardy1653]

Same thing happened to me only it was China AND India. Etsy was no help. I closed both my stores at the end of last year. I still have a large presence on eBay and they have been VERY helpful in helping me fight copyright infringement on their site

[@therocknsanta]

Steve, thank you for this video. I'm seeing this just as i was about to start an Etsy Store! That just saved me time! It goes back to the safest platform to be on is our own website. Thank you for sharing insights and wisdom! You da Man!

[@wolfgangrotkiske6068]

I totally agree with you. I've seen the way Chinese sellers play dirty on Amazon. Even making false claims against other sellers. Driving prices down. Buying up competing inventory. The list goes on. I don't think some of the Etsy sellers are up for it!

[@delladenny-abbott4517]

Unfortunately, you are correct. Etsy will eventually regret making this decision. Its identity will be lost.

[@vintagenr5]

I sell on Etsy, and this video is worrying. But it's making me think about my business differently. I can't rely on just one place to sell. I need to think about other options too.

[@chuckrobinson599]

Always. You never trust your future to some company on the net. You always look for a better deal for you.

[@berniethompsonus]

This is a very well-done explanation of what's happening and why.

[@mywifequitherjob]

I didn't know you had a channel!

[@stevenreid_youtube]

Fascinating insights on China's impact on Etsy! It's clear there are both opportunities and challenges ahead for sellers and the platform. It'll be interesting to see how Etsy adapts to this evolving landscape. Thanks for breaking it down!

[@nospoon1111]

Appreciate your content Steve. I always learn something

[@PrettyVintageFurniture]

I’m so demoralized!!! I did hear about this and I agree with you 100%. There’s no way to compete with rock bottom prices, stealing, etc. I opened my shop in January finally got my first organic order last week. I’ve been working very hard and know that it’s a long game on Etsy. It takes time for the algorithm to kick in. I get that and I’m in for the long haul. But one are the prospects for a new store owner like me?

[@LennyTim]

Etsy seems like it's own little universe with its own community. It's strange and I'm not sure why. Generally, everyone is mostly positive and always leaves good reviews. I'm also surprised at how many people shop on Etsy too.

[@sandycartwright521]

I stopped shopping on Etsy when it became ok to lie about handmade items.

[@LennyTim]

@@sandycartwright521 true, some people don't like that.

[@mkay3751]

Why are you surprised about the amount of people shopping on Etsy?

[@TheTycoon2bee]

If you're selling authentic vintage items, I don't see how they can compete

[@emerislinmer]

I think Etsy needs a class action lawsuit against them from the sellers who are getting banned for no reason.

[@mywifequitherjob]

It's an algorithmic ban. Amazon went through something similar

[@emerislinmer]

@mywifequitherjob Well, they are responsible for the algorithm. It seems like it needs to be fixed.

[@LolaAngola-s4v]

Agree, is time to do that...

[@hippdip]

Etsy has it in their terms that you can't file a class action lawsuit against them. You have to go through mediation. Sellers aren't getting banned for no reason. There is always a reason. They either don't want to say because it's something shady they did (selling fake handmade, trademark/IP infringement, evading fees, spamming people, too many late deliveries, etc.) or because they didn't realize they were doing something forbidden because they can't be bothered to read the rules of the site they sell on.

[@LolaAngola-s4v]

I know from many examples that they ban for no reason for sure. They use to have opening bans, closing shops down one day after set up, with only one listing. My mother in law for example she set up a shop for selling her self knitted hats, one day later she got banned. She was a legit seller for her handmade items, and I know many like this

[@succulentgarden7854]

Hi - I like your channel. I have a friend who sells on Etsy. Her sales are slow.

[@penstar]

Fantastic info, keep up the great work. Very informative!

[@flippingforreal109]

It's only a good thing if Etsy does it's sellers like amazon and Alibaba which is show proof of ID or business and making sure they offer trade assurance , also a way for a buyer to get their funds back if the item isn't what they expected. Another things is Etsy need to make sure that the materials aren't copyrighted, also all products need to be US compliant with our standards over here in the States. There is a lot more that Etsy can do to make it an even selling platform for everyone.

[@yst6868]

Every bit of your comments is 100% correct.

[@eurekaelephant2714]

Thankyou. Im a new seller. I havent started selling yet, and am really getting disheartened by Etsy. Any suggestions on where is best to sell now? Sick of cheap Chinese cr$p that doesnt even work or last when uou buy it, too.

[@stuartist]

Our government should impose a massive tax companies that pull this. Amazon and Etsy would stop real quick. Of course, to do that, politicians would have to actually care about our well-being. So that's not gonna happen.

[@islandwills2778]

they love to say they care about small business. And some they do, like start a tech business and there is all kinds of government aid... but the reality is most small businesses, well they hate us. We cant be easily controlled, bullied or cancelled if we have unacceptable thoughts.

[@Ivanjlong]

@@islandwills2778 You know too much

[@julieann5196]

I've heard that in order to open a shop now on Etsy you have to pay a $15 non refundable fee and you have to prove by way of a drivers license or pass port that it is you and you have to take a selfie of yourself. Then you have to wait to get your money from buyers because they want to make sure you aren't going to take the customer's money and not send them their items they bought. They didn't say how long they are going to keep your money though. So I don't know if this is a good thing or not.

[@MEDICARE-TRIVIA]

Having a picture of someone in China is as valuable as having a picture of a seller in Mexico. Good luck with that!

[@playframe6231]

im pretty sure that etsy can both allow Chinese sellers on etsy and still uphold their standarts,

[@shageevideo]

Etys has shown for awhile now they don't care about their sellers

[@YetiMusicCity]

Oh Man , that's why I've been getting just a few visits per month since April , I used to get 100ish with no Etsy ads.

[@kimmello2762]

i might be wrong but I'm pretty sure Temu has a warehouse in Boston thats why shipping is quick.

[@willownest4075]

It’s a horrible thing happening. My sales are way down due to this after many years of success. Luckily I have a large direct customer database I’ve built over the years with high customer loyalty and can reach them through that because it’s useless to waste money on ads (meta or Etsy) because of this. If it wasn’t for this I’d be screwed. Just horrible.

[@pinksugarfluff]

Temu is horrible junk for the trash. Thank goodness for folks on KZbin who bought stuff and reviewed it so I didn’t have to spend my money.

[@ritawaters2804]

Everything I've seen and read says temu is more about collecting your information That's why all the stuff is crap. They aren't concerned with quality . They already got what they wanted from the customer

[@GotchaPong]

Is there a way Esty or Amazon can have a filter for products origination location? I would love to be able to filter for products by country.

[@bellamin4549]

I filter products by country when I order on Etsy. I always try to buy local first.

[@MrHowardMoon]

You can on Etsy and eBay, but Chinese sellers just list their location as outside of China while their business info is based in China. Next time you're on eBay, scroll down to the bottom of a listing that is supposed to be located in your country, I bet it's a Chinese owned business.

[@islandwills2778]

you can already filter by country in ETSY i dont think most people use that feature because most of my sales come from the USA and i am in Canada

[@botanicalwaters]

So the entire video highlighting there is no point or hope of making a living selling handmade goods in the US (which I agree). I wish there would have been a glimmer of hope…like some advice on what us Etsy sellers can do now to have a fighting chance of survival 🤷‍♀️

[@mywifequitherjob]

Hmm. That shouldn't be the conclusion of this video. The point is that Etsy just opened a huge can of worms to appease their shareholders

[@sandycartwright521]

Yes you do…. MICHAELS has their own site for it now. It’s right in their Michael’s website. Trust me…. I’m in the industry. The last two years at the largest trade show in the U.S. the number one requested item is hand made. Americans are seeing what we done to ourselves by not supporting USA made and handmade.

[@berniethompsonus]

Big marketplaces are aligning with direct-from-factories brands in China -- that's where all the volume and revenue is. Probably the #1 piece of advice, while it's not easy or for everybody, is building your own loyal customer base who buys on your own Shopify site. Steve has put out lots of great content helping people with that.

[@nospoon1111]

Etsy did it to themselves with the way they rip off the sellers, woke policies, deplatforming sellers who's views don't fit their narrative, and forcing ads down everyone's throats and not allowing sellers to dictate what ads they're money goes to. The beauty here is human ingenuity and another platform for crafters will rise again and probably be better. Every door closing in life forces us as entrepreneurs and makers to shift and though it's hard, once we figure it out it will be better

[@pinksugarfluff]

Woke policies? 😂😂😂

[@MrHowardMoon]

China is a virus when it comes to online selling platforms and when a company goes public, it's already game over for the little guy.

[@nospoon1111]

@pinksugarfluff yep, I said it. Don't care if it upsets your delicate sensibilities Pink Sugar Fluff. 😀

[@NaturesOpus1212]

We just got our Etsy shop shut down. I’m not sorry now. On to Shopify.

[@anitadreyer9359]

Gosh so tired of inferior product not lasting. Just filling up landfill in an unwanted way. One store I worked at, there was so many small appliance returns it was crazy. Why are we so consumed at buying things. (That we don’t need probably). And then they come and buy up all our houses and force the prices up, so locals can’t afford to buy. The world is so unbalanced 😢

[@JB-hv6ge]

Contradiction at the end of video by saying it’s not game over for Etsy. When it’s game over for Etsy is in your thumbnail 😂

[@Sett4Paws]

Sounds like low prices from competitors and the need for more to be paid for advertising is going to be a problem for sellers.

[@SamanthaMalgieri]

Would you do a one on one coaching session for an hour by any chance? I already started a brand, but need some advice for expanding my product line. If so, how can I get in touch with you? If not, can you please point me in the right direction? Thank you!

[@mywifequitherjob]

Hey Samantha. Check the description of any video to reach me

[@surgeonrecords]

Great content

[@KaiWenFranklin]

There is an interview process to get on Amazon? Is that a new process? I am doing the Amazon KDP but getting on the print on demand Amazon is next to impossible!

[@PeteTheRock71]

From experience Etsy customers are very fussy.They come to the platform for something special, otherwise they'd shop elsewhere. I'm wondering how the average Etsy customer will react to very long shipping times and receiving inferior goods. Not well I suspect.

[@alextang1030]

I am from Hong Kong, and I am so tired of people thinking China is a 14B people market. More than 50% of them are getting paid less than 1000RMB a month; how the hell do they have money to buy things they don't need outside their home town?

[@alextang1030]

Western business men are so stupid when it comes to knowing the China market ngl.

[@sjastram]

Yup....ruining Faire too.

[@tanataylor4769]

What did I miss? You said the seller won't have to pay duty or sales tax on their orders. Of course not! It's the BUYER, not the seller, who pays sales tax on the orders (and duty, when it applies).

[@mywifequitherjob]

I'm telling about import duties, not sales tax

[@tanataylor4769]

@@mywifequitherjob I believe you mentioned both sales tax AND import duties. (at about 6:30)

[@cnq1806]

etsy also suspended me without any reasone all the item are handmade

[@ritawaters2804]

This is sad. It is going to ruin Etsy. All of the platforms say they protect copyright but obviously they really don't. Etsy's stock will go up so there will be no incentive to fix things.

[@islandwills2778]

This is very worrying for me, now i already have to compete with china prices but im more worried about the dilution making it harder for me to be found. I dont really worry about the china price point buyers because those people would never choose my product anyways. But I do rely on being found by a steady stream of new buyers. Some just buy once but some become repeat customers and a few become long standing customers. If I lose this its going to be difficult. I am going to keep my eye out for whatever comes along to take all those handmade etsy sellers that will be displaced by these moves. Etsy has proven that there is a market for this type of product and if the situation gets bad enough for etsy sellers... eventually someone will come along and say, why thank you i will provide a home for those refugees.

[@jtswan007]

wish there was aother handmade site - made i the usa

[@Krush0-0]

Why isn't the department of homeland security not do anything to rectify China abusal of the de minimis duty?😡

[@mywifequitherjob]

I believe they are evaluating it but the government always takes a long time to do anything

[@Krush0-0]

In view of the prevailing anti CCP attitude among the partisans of both GOP and Dem, I am confident administrative actions against cn sellers and temu/shein will come fast and severe including anti-dumping tariff and lifting the de minimis rule.

[@seazestyt]

Since Etsy became a public company it has been a downhill to sellers who make their own product. Etsy became another Ebay or Amazon with no much differentiation. Artists who sell at Etsy no longer can make a living having only an Etsy shop. China coming back to Etsy is the final nail in the coffin.

[@lesahenderson7365]

No ETSY regardless of China’s re-entry to the platform. ETSY forgot that sellers have options too❗️Bad attitudes lead to bad decisions which leads to bad outcomes.

[@mariad4337]

Sad, but I don’t buy from Etsy anymore

[@NaturesOpus1212]

Maybe what Etsy needs to do is have another side that is for dropshippers.

[@everay1846]

Is Blackrock or Vanguard invested in Etsy? If yes, it's part of the agenda, not just about Etsy's interest, in my opinion.

[@marlenemacias2875]

I'm a bit confused with your video as I've been selling on Etsy since 2020 and China sellers have always been there since I've been selling. I checked on Etsy and China is listed as being allowed to sale. Am I missing something?

[@mywifequitherjob]

I'm referring to sellers physically in China. They weren't a supported country for Etsy payments until just recently. In the beginning of the video I address this

[@MoonCrone902]

Yep they are toast!

[@chrisvalverde8288]

I would never trust etsy. Too many stories of good standing accounts being shut down for no reason. I truly hope it backfires on them

[@hippdip]

There is always a reason. Sellers just don't tend to admit to their own wrongdoings.

[@chrisvalverde8288]

With etsy, wrong doing or not doesn't matter. Not a good choice of platform for sellers

[@kathylovesmk]

I've seen sellers selling the Chinez crap for the last few years, so I don't understand how this is new.

[@mywifequitherjob]

Sellers physically in China can now sell

[@LoneBagels]

Etsy, Amazon, meh… build your own store and sell. This gives you the most control and you won’t lose your business overnight because of a poorly coded bot.

[@cindyfuller8556]

It’s all about the almighty dollar. When people get tired of mass produced products and want handmade items again, the sellers will be long gone. So sad.

[@dinorossi6611]

If you are Chinese can you influence them not to destroy it ?

[@mkay3751]

WHAT? ARE YOU 5.

[@dinorossi6611]

@@mkay3751 LOL ... 5.5 papi .. almost 6 mijo. :)

[@sonyasspot355]

I agree ☝🏾 I been on Etsy when they first started and it certainly change since then. I’m going to have to change my strategy to find other products that they are not using and go from there.

[@MacarenaRiveros-x5t]

Etsy used to have high end craftsmanship, now it's gone POD tacky!!!

[@islandwills2778]

Some of us are still there selling good quality good. Im a button maker and EVERYTHING i make is of top quality and hand made.

[@StefShock]

This explains why Etsy shops are being shut down without warning. Etsy is using ai technology to shut off accounts that seem off. They’re going to use this to shut down new accounts (ie China).

[@karasni7814]

Etsy is heading same way as eBay did about 15 years ago. eBay had vibrant US handmade community artists and patrons from 2000 to maybe 2007. After eBay got greedy and let cheap China products in, it destroyed eBay art platform in just few months. Luckily for artists Etsy popped up right after. It was life saving vest for many US artists selling on eBay auctions. After Etsy went publicly traded we all new what's going to happen. 2024 is year of death of Etsy art community and it will never return to previous original Etsy. Best way for everyone to quit Etsy cold turkey if you can afford it and let Etsy be in the bed alone with China sellers and become Walmart #2. Etsy is using tactic to strangle US sellers slowly so Etsy can have smooth ride and become just like Amazon or Aliexpress. In my opinion for many US hand makers Etsy party is over unless you match prices which is impossible. If you want to match prices you have to emigrate from US and EU to country with cheaper currency, energy, food prices etc.

[@andreaperrybevan]

This is happening to TikTok shop

[@Bholisoul]

if etsy does not take some advantage of his position and name is going to disappear under the chinese megamarkets, they are better in the marketing,competitive, has multiple accounts, and had 1/4 the world population, etsy are just trying to mantain a piece of the cake, I think the dragon is just much more than any of us could anticipate , lets see how it finish

[@Tee-hy9uk]

Everybody has opinions but Etsy just has a name for itself and I really don’t think Chinese people will have such an impact

[@mywifequitherjob]

Amazon is 100x bigger than Etsy and Chinese sellers are 50% of the platform. Don't think it will have an impact?

[@arsaura]

Steve but on Etsy there are already so many handmade products sold directly from China, what you can do is to find a good producer in China and they will be more happy to work with you rather than with a Chinese resellers.

[@colgatetoothpaste4865]

GOOD FOR ETYS BAD VENDORS

[@adammcallister9675]

I have a feeling Etsy has been captured

[@kurisu3000]

Etsy CEO already sold itself out.

[@SolarOcean365]

Temu doesn’t sell what I sell😄

[@4DesignsBySNK]

Handmade! Gone on Etsy!

[@StitchAndMakeUSA]

Definitely bad thing.

[@SoulEscalator]

🙏

[@TomMcHugh-l4v]

It's a good time for sellers to leave Etsy.

[@CM-oj3oi]

Nah, done with Etsy and I guess they should move to china. USA is done with them

[@sherac80]

Very sad

[@zulasurfing_studios]

"I believe you have the ability to create a new website similar to Etsy that can verify handmade items through a community approval process. This may be challenging to implement, but it would be great to keep the cost of sales low. Alternatively, there may already be a website that offers this service."

[@islandwills2778]

the problem is reach, im sure such places already exist... but they dont have the SEO of Etsy, they dont have the standing customer base or really many other things. At that point its generally just as effective to create your own webpage via wix or something similar and market yourself. What needs to happen is someone with the money and resources needs to come along and create and heavily advertise a new Etsy alternative and provide and encourage as many etsy refugees as possible to join them. Once you get enough sellers who are verified as being legitmate hand made so long as you can control the process and keep the bullshit out i think a lot of people both sellers and customers would change to the new platform. I just dont think this will happen as yet because to much of that community is stuck with Etys, but its a possibility for the future.

[@chuckrobinson599]

You already know it's a horrible thing for American sellers.

[@gomezpits]

Etsy is no longer Etsy. I see fake AI crochet patterns being sold

[@woodentoyscom]

Dina needs to post some videos of her winning!

[@RuthmarieHicks]

Who is Dina?