Etsy listing deactivations are on a rampage! What to do to protect your shop.

If you're an Etsy seller, you need to know that Etsy is on a rampage of deactivating listings using bots, so you might be caught up in a mistaken takedown. This video goes into what's happening right now and what you need to do.
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[@KaraBuntin]

Check the description of the video for links to the policies and review request form. While you're waiting to hear back, go join my membership for Google SEO and start your own website. classes-by-a-cake-to-remember-llc.teachable.com/purchase?product_id=4480558

[@fluffyotter4691]

Is there a tip or trick to prevent or remove disabled comments on Etsy? Thanks.

[@KaraBuntin]

@@fluffyotter4691I’m not sure what you mean by disabled comments

[@EileenCollins-rl2ct]

I've had a few listings deactivated too. I'll be looking for another forum to sell on. Etsy is really out of perspective with deactivating and it's becoming a waste of time for the seller. They really don't appreciate their sellers at all.

[@danimotherofchickens479]

What was the reason they gave you

[@jmbelkadi]

For me none...

[@tanchamalimbu]

Yea I agree too. I am thinking to look other platform . You can’t guarantee in future they won’t deactivate more . I need to do research which platform .

[@jacobisded646]

I just had a couple of listings taken down for "not being handmade".... Hello? That's why I sell on Etsy I make handmade products 😤🙄

[@Autumn77077]

I don't sell soap or any body care but I found this video very informative. You are the queen of knowledge, I go to your channel when I want to learn - thank you, I'm going to check my listings now to make sure I don't have something that could be misinterpreted. This is scary, I wish etsy cared more about the people who are making them money.

[@KaraBuntin]

It’s definitely not just the bath and body category that’s being hit!

[@annkeenan372]

I got an email from them telling me to review my listings that had Cashmere in them for accuracy. Since I raise the actual animals that cashmere comes from, then spin and weave the fleece into wearables, I think my descriptions are accurate. Hopefully Etsy is removing all the fake cashmere shops! Maybe I'll make more sales then.

[@ecouturehandmades5166]

That letter came to me, also. The support person actually looked at my shop and said I didn't need to worry, but ... Of course, this comes as I just bought a bunch of cashmere and cashmere blend yarn from Mongolia (a Kickstarter campaign that supports nomadic folk by getting their hand raised, free range yak, sheep, cashmere and camel yarns to market. Oddly, recycled cashmere is also under scrutiny, which is really odd - keeping it out of the waste stream by recycling the yarn should be applauded by any truly "thinking" people.

[@jodiethington245]

Hand dyer here and some of my listings have cashmere blended in. I also received the cashmere email and freaked out. I went in and have since made sure the description is clear. Hope that helps. Good luck to all with the cashmere in their fiber and yarn.

[@KaraBuntin]

Chances are that the bots will pick it up even though they'll reactivate things that are deactivated. It's irritating.

[@cristinavargas9435]

I received a similar email stating that soap can't say cashmere if it's not made of cashmere, i explained to them that is the name of the fragrance and some of the fragrance oils has it mentioned as well. So to their understanding it's not cashmere, so i removed only because all it was sold into a wholesale order. It's very interesting if they decide to say you can't use the word moisturizer or moisturize cuz I sell lotions as well. I do have a website as well so I can offer the other stuff there. It's weird though that they sent you an email when that's what you offer.

[@FiestaBuckeye]

I'm a top 100 seller and just had like 30 listings deactivated about 2 weeks ago. After dealing with Etsy's "Trust and Safety" department, they said it was due to medical claims. Unfortunately, they delisted items that had no claims at all. Like none. After 2 weeks of haggling with them, Etsy restored all of my listings. Their bots are clearly running amuck. It's absolutely ridiculous.

[@KaraBuntin]

At least you got them restored! They just told me i could relist the ones they deactivated but i had to make new ones, so I’ve lost the sales history on all of them.

[@ajmachin1134]

ROFL - but they STILL allow the resellers and Disney, Marvel infringers. Simply schtoopid.

[@KaraBuntin]

no kidding!

[@chanabayla1823]

What? There are a trillion sellers on etsy it takes time.I'm sure as soon as they realize that copyright infringement is being done that shop is screwed

[@giggalz]

@@chanabayla1823with the bots they should be able to run through them pretty quickly

[@viennasugar6340]

This weekend, the mass deactivations have been for drug paraphernalia using keywords rather than a combo of that and image scanning like other platforms. So far I know clip on earrings, ear slides, hand painted press on nails, enameled spinner pins, spinner rings, resin cups, and lip oil have been removed for being drug paraphernalia. Apparently clip, slide, coil, spinner, nail, resin, and oil are all drug slang. After comparing notes with other sellers who were affected and those who weren't, but sell the same types of items, we determined that the automated takedowns are targeting accounts that have been labeled as potential problems and are on quiet probation. 1. Increased refunds from returns, cancellations, or if Etsy has refunded a sale that was scanned a delivered but the buyer says they didn't receive. 2. Other listing deactivations even if they were later determined to have been removed in error and reinstated. 3. New shops.

[@KaraBuntin]

I’ve seen a bunch of shops, myself included, who had takedowns for whatever thing they’re looking for with none of those risk factors. I think it’s just that Etsy decides to focus on one thing at a time and if you get hit you get hit. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern of returns or anything that i can see, but anything is possible.

[@TessieDobey]

Oh my goodness, let me tell you that Etsy is on a rampage. A friend of mines was a top seller on Etsy with over 300K in sales and their account was suspended for copywriting. Many of us warned her but she did not listen. So a week ago BOOM!

[@KaraBuntin]

Was she selling Disney or something like that? The day will come when Disney decides to get tough with Etsy and thousands of shops are gone overnight.

[@TessieDobey]

@@KaraBuntin Yes it was Disney and photos & other images.

[@happyhoneybee]

Thanks for the information. We had 3 listings deactivated. One listing first, followed by two more three days later, even though we had changed those listings and removed everything that would, could, or suggest a medical claim (that by Etsy is vague for their interpretation). I messaged Etsy, over a week ago and have yet to hear back from the on the listings. Needless to say, we removed all our other sale listings, emailed our customers to let them know that we will no longer offer those listings on Etsy. We sold out in three hours of that email going out.

[@KaraBuntin]

Wow!

[@TierraHensleyRealtor]

Thanks, this was helpful! I have been selling on Etsy for over 10 yrs and all of a suddent they started deactivating all of my listings! Not easy to get customer support either!

[@KaraBuntin]

Ugh.

[@HeyYou-ii3kp]

Etsy remove some of my listings but I keep seeing the same thing with other sellers. I'm getting tired of the platform, they required you to do alot but we get nothing in return.

[@KaraBuntin]

They don't remove everything at the same time, it seems to be coming in waves.

[@karinasmith5183]

I am so sorry about your experience, a few days ago etsy deactivated 9 items in my shop. I sell my school notes. I am in school to become a nurse practitioner, so all my notes is about medicine, disorders and way's to treat them. My notes is custom made.

[@KaraBuntin]

Anything medical is going to be difficult to sell. No platform lets you sell medical advice or anything like that, so if it has anything to do with medicine it's going to get caught in the filters.

[@xxxnamkhaxxx]

... and anything with the word Ukraine or Ukrainian! Good golly!@@KaraBuntin

[@sciencesnark833]

I had two novelty joke candles removed this morning for violating the medical policy. I never made any medical claims in the listing, but I after watching this video, my guess is that I used some sort of trigger word. I did send an email to support, but my guess is that this will take a while to sort out. Thanks for making this video. It's nice to stay informed! 👍

[@KaraBuntin]

I’m glad it was helpful

[@hazethere9410]

It would be good if they actually removed people selling counterfeit items. For example anyone that sells Disney or Marvel items etc they're going to get more sales as they're well known trusted brands but at the same time anyone selling in a category where those counterfeit items are being sold, then the algorithm is pushing the counterfeit items higher up the listings giving them more visability because they're more popular. Anyone selling genuine handmade items will be losing out on some of those sales who won't be using those popular keywords for their genuine products, so it's about time some sellers had to prove how their items are made.

[@KaraBuntin]

It will take the companies filing claims, or a lawsuit, for that to happen.

[@hazethere9410]

@@KaraBuntin Etsy, eBay and Amazon basically just tell everyone else but them to police it, so if you have a problem with a listing selling counterfeit items, they're happy to turn a blind eye, make money from it until they're told to take it down 😅 etsy is in the media again in the UK due to them selling counterfeit items and even trade and standards, a legal body within the UK government is starting to get involved now with other companies like 'which' who are advising people who visit the site to be careful.

[@jessicabernstein5523]

I had my bestseller listing taken down this morning for a medical claim. It is a temporary tattoo that is made with skin-safe FDA-approved ink but the description said "made with skin-safe ink" (which is actually important and safer for customers than the ones people print with their home printers). I was averaging $500/day from this one listing and it literally disappeared this morning with no warning. :(

[@KaraBuntin]

It’s the FDA thing, remove it and ask for a review.

[@toyamichelle]

One of my candle listings had the word Cashmere as the fragrance oil & Etsy sent me a notification regarding the word use and that it was being reviewed. I just left it as is.

[@KaraBuntin]

Ah, the cashmere thing too...I forgot that one.

[@artsfarmstudio6405]

I;ve been thinking about this, and if you pay attention to commercials and print ads for H&B products, you'll notice the linguistic acrobatics they use to avoid violating laws (and lawsuits). They all do it. Things like "may help", "the appearance of young glowing skin", "Can give your hair a healthy looking shine" etc with the key words being 'may', 'the appearance of' and 'can/looking', get them off the hook over making actual claims. They can say that they aren't promising anything, but that it's possible. This is basically what Etsy is aiming for, to eliminate actual claims, but using individual target words for the bots without the surrounding text just acts like a 'slash and burn' and forces sellers to leave buyers wondering if their products are actually worth buying, even when they are.

[@KaraBuntin]

Oh sure, those commercials are one long conditional statement.

[@lin90210]

Your cake decorations....cures....hunger 😅

[@marzwolfe4037]

I wish Etsy actually told you what is violating their terms when they deactivate listings! I just had my shop temporarily shut down this past week because I had 2 listings that were removed. I have noooo idea what key word set them off, because I’ve had those 2 listings in my shop for over a year with no problems or changes to the listings 😭

[@KaraBuntin]

That's the aggravating part, you have to go do detective work to figure it out.

[@Janetkaylila]

agree……………

[@nicholeurban9997]

I sell clothing and accessories and have been dealing with this for almost 2 weeks now. They have deactivated about 8 listings so far. The 2 that happened tonight were for "counterfeit" Ive been on etsy since 2016 with no issues yet no one is willing to answer WHY my shop is being targeted. Its beyind frustrating

[@KaraBuntin]

It’s all done by bots, so there must be some words in your listings that’s triggering the takedowns. Try to figure out if there’s a term or something in the listing anywhere that’s the same as a brand name or anything like that.

[@wephotogal]

I was flabbergasted when I purchased a belt and then got a whole bunch of recommendations for adult toys! I couldn't believe it. They have these shops on Etsy!

[@cristinavargas9435]

I don't know if they have private parts in soaps & candles but that would come up a lot when I would search for candles

[@thebikeracer]

I ended up down this rabbit hole too because of a search. Lots of X-rated stuff on Etsy. Who knew?

[@wephotogal]

@@thebikeracer - Lol. Yes! And then I kept getting it on my homepage and it made me bonkers. Luckily, I don't have to see it anymore, but I was shocked.

[@wephotogal]

@@cristinavargas9435 - Insanity!

[@thebikeracer]

@@wephotogal me too!!

[@ChingTeoh]

Kara, thanks for your informative videos. Btw, you look great today in the blue shirt. 😊

[@KaraBuntin]

Thanks!

[@handythingsbyamy4307]

it's a shame they dont deal with genuine copyright and trademark issues with all the counterfeit disneyware etc. Surely their investors would want that given the recent disney cases that reached the news...surely the investors will want to know what is happening about that, even though they will be earning alot from all those 700k odd listings for disney items

[@KaraBuntin]

One would think. It's not necessarily true, though.

[@caveman6685]

It is so brutal. I had something that has been selling for 2 years and the listing renewed several times. Then all of a sudden my listing got delisted. It's freakin insane. I have more and more items delisted with no apparent reasons. Etsy will shoot itself in the foot by these insane AI scans and eventually lose some major sales.

[@KaraBuntin]

They're deactivating a lot of things for not being handmade right now, it seems like they're doing it if the photos are on other places online.

[@hashmitech1268]

I used stock photos from a production partner and my listing go deactivated.@@KaraBuntin

[@sharlitagiles2337]

It is a part of me that can't help but find this comical. I was beginning to think Etsy never enforced anything, when I think of all the copyright violations they let slide.

[@KaraBuntin]

They enforce things that they're getting in trouble for. I guarantee that if Disney ever serves them with a cease and desist they'll take things down.

[@marisam7560]

So many copyright violations all over that site. Even unauthorized copies of digital books now... it's a mess

[@sharlitagiles2337]

@@marisam7560 It's ridiculous!

[@myTotalHandmade]

Be careful with the crystals too. If you sell jewelry or decor items with crystals don't mention any "healing" or even "soothing" , "calming" properties.

[@jennyjumpjump]

On some of my listings for my artwork I describe some colors as soothing or calm. Now I'm worried that Etsy will think I'm making a medical claim

[@KaraBuntin]

If they remove that kind of thing just ask for a review of it.

[@KaraBuntin]

Yes, anything that claims it causes calming etc etc isn't going to be kept up.

[@chanabayla1823]

​@@jennyjumpjumpu don't need to make that claim unless you're a dr.

[@JackChristoper]

Im having listings removed daily without explanation. I have reached out to Etsy multiple times. It's always fun when it's how you make a living.. and yes, I know I need to diversify

[@KaraBuntin]

Good lord…they’re out of control

[@JackChristoper]

@@KaraBuntin It's so bloody stressful 😫

[@deborahmcdonald4371]

They should have to notify you first so you can correct the offending word or ask a question, before they just flat out remove it.

[@KaraBuntin]

It's all done by bots, so there isn't any consideration behind it. They told me (after I harassed them about it) what the problem was but that I would have to relist it, I couldn't edit it and have the listing reposted. It's annoying.

[@YogaBlissDance]

Just happened I THOUGHT I FORGOT TO SAVE??? No I found the sucker under inactive!!!!! I used the word "Cuban" only thing I can think off...which is like duh, the item has a Cuban name...?

[@KaraBuntin]

Yep, can’t use that word at all!

[@recipeboxdesigns4029]

In my descriptions I have FDA food safe bags. Listings removed! Started on Sunday, Sunday they removed 5, Monday they removed 8 Tuesday they removed 11. I finally figured it out what they were flagging on Monday and removed the word but they still remove 11 more Tuesday (and these were ones I removed the FDA) I have tried to contact as well many many time. Thanks for the appeals form. I want to start a petition for Etsy to have a Contact Number like they use to. It is so disappointing that we do not have someone to actually talk to. Thanks for the info

[@KaraBuntin]

Definitely appeal it, they should relist them

[@keyonna]

I love this video! I am a 6 figure shop on etsy specilizing in hair restoration and since this policy change it has really affected my shop and lots of my listings are getting deactivated. Many times they are taken down " in error" and are reinstated after several emails back and forth. The bots as you said pull down listings even the ones that arent violating policies. I have begun to transition to my website, am opening an amazon store and looking for ways to get in touch with etsy's legal department. I have seen a 58% drop in my sales since they deactivated my listings without properly informing me of what i was in violation of. They never specify what verbiage is being classified as a medical claim so you're right to say there's no telling how much worse this will get! Thank you for this video

[@KaraBuntin]

For me it was the FDA term that they finally confirmed was the problem. I don't know if you have anything like that in your listings but that, or anything remotely medical, could be the problem.

[@KasheeraLatasha]

I've experienced a 50% drop in views and sales as well. Did you reach out to them and did they reverse this? I'm wondering if my sales will bounce back or if I am shadow-banned or something. I had 1 candle and they said i made a medical claim - I wish they had real people reviewing these deactivations for accuracy.

[@Acaketoremember]

@@KasheeraLatasha They finally emailed back with a human response but they didn't reactivate the listings, I had to relist them.

[@JanetMinxyDesigns]

I had 3 of my listings deactivated and I thought maybe it was because they had some mature content in them, but they did have FDA approved and BPA free so that could be the reason. I'll be cleaning up my descriptions. Thanks for this video, I've tried opening my own website before and became a bit overwhelmed, but looks like I'll be trying again 😁

[@KaraBuntin]

It's definitely the FDA thing, it's mentioned specifically in the medical claims page.

[@denniswedll5034]

FWIW I had an item removed. I had "fda compliant" in the description in reference to the epoxy being used. I went to the appeal link and it said that I had no cases eligible to appeal. I am going to add that Etsy Chat proved to be totally worthless. Enough worthless that Etsy may become a thing of the past for me. My dissatisfaction comes from the fact that the person "helping" me on chat would not tell me the why or the exact infraction that caused the deactivation and then just said that this convo is done. And would not help me find someone that could help. I had to figure out the FDA wording from discussions outside of etsy. That is the worst customer service that you can offer etsy. Kara, nice to the point video. thank you.

[@KaraBuntin]

They basically told me the same thing, the people who answer the chat questions really aren't trained in anything other than the basics.

[@dezignationNYC]

I think those are not real people. I corresponded with someone called Tom and another one called Adam. I'm pretty sure that was AI. They kept sending me exact same paragraphs, and responded to my questions with 'thank you for your inquiry' . It's was weird.

[@LipiCursive]

My shops which sells digitally downloadable version of my illustration was suspended for reasons unknown. It was just 1 month old. Don't know what to do.. Interestingly, people who creates artwork using AI are still there on the platform.

[@anastasiak7305]

I don’t get it, a listing is deactivated but customers are still able to leave a review for that listing? I’m still getting customer reviews on a deactivated listing. 🤔

[@KaraBuntin]

People can leave reviews for 100 days regardless.

[@TessieDobey]

I only had one deactivation and it was my fault, in skin care you have to be certain not to make claims and word usage. You cannot say the cream heals or treats or use the words hyperpigmentation or any other medical condition. I notice on KZbin that many in the cosmetic industry are claiming that Yoni cures ovarian cancer and other nonsense.

[@KaraBuntin]

Yeah, that's what should be avoided so that's legitimate.

[@Jessicarbt510]

Yes, Etsy just suspended my entire shop 😭 it's just POD apparel right now, they didn't even tell me why they shut my shop down either, it's been down for 4 days

[@KaraBuntin]

oh no! How old was the shop? They tend to suspend shops that are new when you get your first sales, but if you appeal it they'll reopen it unless you're selling something that's against the terms of use.

[@Jessicarbt510]

@@KaraBuntin the shops was just over a week old with no sales. I'd be hard pressed to find anything among my sweatshirts and hoodies that violated their policies. I'm getting my website up as we speak and am adjusting my strategy to be more real world focused and to integrate my own website in a lot more. Clearly Etsy cannot be relied upon

[@KaraBuntin]

@@Jessicarbt510 It's pretty common that new shops will be suspended. Appeal it to see if they'll reopen it they usually do, but keep working on your website in the meantime!

[@Jessicarbt510]

@@KaraBuntin that's horrible service! That and having to wait 14 days for a response is insane in this day and age. How discouraging... Welp, I'll still use Etsy but now I'm investing more in other sources of income.

[@debbietulk4846]

Karabuntin I just deactivated with my new store, only 2 products. Mugs! No violation at all. I can't reach anyone. Thinking about moving to Amazon and my own store. So much wasted time!

[@heatherm2428]

Thanks for the video. It is good to know that Etsy is botting us. Two deactivations for "children’s upper outerwear with drawstrings for size/age 14 and under." I am guessing it is because I had a kids hoodies in my shop without any drawstring. I contacted Etsy via email and I am assuming the response was canned as it did not respond to my message, only provided generic blah, blah, blah. No more kids hoodies in my shop!! lol

[@KaraBuntin]

It's the drawstrings.

[@heatherm2428]

@@KaraBuntin But the hoodies do not have drawstrings. That is why I am sharing so that my story could help others.

[@thebikeracer]

@@KaraBuntin What's wrong with drawstrings?

[@KaraBuntin]

Choking hazard. If you have the term in the listing (even if it says "without drawstring") then it will take it down.

[@heatherm2428]

@@KaraBuntin I understand. I was just sharing my experience so others could possibly benefit and remove theirs before the same thing happened to them. That is why I took all the hoodies out of my shop as mentioned in my original comment.

[@laurab8450]

Thank you, Kara. Etsy seems to always shoot from the hip, then have to go back & tweak what they've done!

[@KaraBuntin]

exactly

[@StijnHommes]

It's always depressing when a website is using a badly designed bot to moderate its content. They typically ignore the fact that words can have multiple meanings and without human assessment involved, a whole lot of innocent people are caught in the crossfire. All they had to do was test their bot on a subset of users FIRST and give them direct access to human moderators to make sure errors are smoothed out BEFORE implementation. By the way, yes, the law says you can't call your soap or whatever product FDA-approved when it isn't, but if you can prove those inks are actually FDA approved with information from the manufacturer, you're not violating any laws and those listings should be reactivated.

[@KaraBuntin]

Yeah, that's not the normal M.O. for Etsy bots as far as I can tell. It's do the takedowns then correct mistakes later.

[@WhiteWolfos]

Deactivation for nonhand made item when I make them myself. SMH

[@KaraBuntin]

They’ve been doing that too.

[@SaveTheSunF1R3x]

Thanks for posting this. I literally just created my etsy account and i was permanently banned with no follow up email as to why i was banned.

[@KaraBuntin]

That happens pretty frequently to new accounts. Did you request a review but they denied it? What were you selling?

[@muzettecasas1242]

Thank you for sharing. I had 24 listings taken down and I assume it was for the words FDA Compliant, but not 100% as they missed 2 listings. Have you heard of anyone having issues with the terms "BPA Free"?

[@KaraBuntin]

No, but I removed the terms "vegan" and "gluten free" because I didn't want to take any chances.

[@annabanana50]

I’m so afraid of etsy shutting down my shop because Of deactivations

[@KaraBuntin]

All I can say is start working on your own website, because if it's not this it could be something else down the road. If you're on any platform, you're at the mercy of that platform's algorithm. At least with your own website you don't get taken down for stuff like this.

[@annabanana50]

@@KaraBuntin I have my website since 2018, but etsy brings a lot of traffic even if work on my socials and email list. I also deactivated a lot of my listings that may have anything that could be deactivated

[@analolic4797]

My description - I am selling something 😁

[@KaraBuntin]

I was thinking of doing some like this to see if anyone reads it!

[@sciencesnark833]

😂😂😂

[@LostinThought444]

They told me not to use the term eczema. I removed it from all listings. There are currently still 11k listings using the term. If it is bots why aren’t they removing all the listings? It doesn’t make sense if it is all automated. It should remove all listings with that term at once??????

[@KaraBuntin]

It should but it’s also based on how it’s phrased. For me “FDA approved” wasn’t allowed but “FDA compliant” seems to be okay.

[@OtisRobinson-np3id]

Ugh. Who even shops on Etsy? The search is totally F’d.

[@KaraBuntin]

Lots of people shop on Etsy. And yes, the search is f’d.

[@jordanwhite5470]

Too bad etsy doesn't police things that really count: i.e., people who had an idea once, farmed it out to a mini-factory, and still call something "handmade". Or how about the people who have fake "sales" almost 365 days a year in order to look like people are getting a better value, when they're really just putting a falsely high price and then "discounting" 50% or so.

[@KaraBuntin]

yep

[@ramblinrosecottage5983]

You can't say anything you want about soap. The FDA does not regulate soap. If you make ANY claims other than your soap cleanses, it is against regulations, it is no longer considered soap and comes under FDA regulations and then you have to prove your claims. This is why Etsy is cracking down. People are making claims that FDA does not approve of.

[@KaraBuntin]

Right, but my point is that you won't have to worry about arbitrarily having listings taken down because the platform decides that a specific word isn't allowed, I wasn't talking about soap specifically.

[@TheBeadicorn]

Etsy deactivated a listing and said I violated the handmade policy. I decided to check to see if my photos were redistributed. I found that Aliexpress stole my exact photos of my listing. Im pretty sure the Etsy bot assumed I stole their product listing photos. What can i do in this situation?

[@KaraBuntin]

You have to contest it with Etsy, but the easier thing would be to change your listing photo. Don’t do that until you press it with them first, since they might reinstate the listing if you show them that it’s your listing.

[@TheBeadicorn]

​@@KaraBuntinThank you!

[@kristen5396]

I’m a brand new seller on Etsy and they took down one of my home made hair oil it’s bizarre. Yes I keep looking to see and I guess I put scalp but I never put cure. I guess I’ll double check everything.

[@KaraBuntin]

Yeah, anything even remotely medical can be targeted even if it’s not medical.

[@kristen5396]

Yes wow talk about a learning curve first day on lol

[@ASMRDreamLab]

How were you able to “talk” to someone at Etsy. I am unable to locate any numbers or any way to communicate with them except through their support case submissions only to receive an automated response and no additional support. Can you please help?!?

[@KaraBuntin]

There’s a link in the description of the video and in the first comment to file an appeal. I had to key responding to the emails before they actually answered my question, but if you don’t stop writing back until they actually give you an answer they might tell you something useful.

[@hannahmitchell87]

What a palaver! Sorry for everyone affected by this. Wonder what other verboten terms are? Hypoallergenic? Skin-safe? Hygienic? I sell jewelry so this kind of thing is worrying

[@KaraBuntin]

We won't know for sure until they start removing those listings. My guess would be that they'll have some kind of system to identify terms used in certain categories, but who knows.

[@laurenbeckerle7977]

A while back this was maybe 1-2 months ago. I got an email about ppl selling fake cashmere. I sell my knits. I tried to find out if they were talking about specific listings or if it was just some like mass heads up email. I didn't have any listings deactivated. I don't know what else they want you to do to "prove" the authenticity of the yarn. For my expensive shawls I'll list yarn names/brands. I list all my fiber contents. I had the idea of well I could send the yarn label with the shawl but that just seems like a massive time suck to keep organized, and a bit of a nightmare.

[@KaraBuntin]

That was a mass email, Etsy was sued by the cashmere and camel hair association or something like that because of all the fakes on the site.

[@cynthiaweatherbie3981]

Thank you for all the great info you provide. I just had 5 listings deactivated saying they violated “dangerous goods policies”. They are empty glass roller bottles which absolutely do not fall in this category. 😮 The link here to file an appeal does not work now. Is there a new link?

[@KaraBuntin]

I don't know of another link if that one doesn't work...If there isn't one in the email they sent about the deactivations you mgiht be out of luck unless you contact them by phone by requesting a call back. My experience with deactivations for that kind of thing is that they won't reverse the decision.

[@aamirakhtar133]

Hello i sell physical items (rugs) on etsy one of my listing removed by etsy and saying this listing doesn’t a handmade product,and they removed my badges,the question is how can i regain my badges?

[@KaraBuntin]

You need to contact Etsy and ask for a review. But if you didn’t make the rug yourself then it isn’t handmade according to Etsys policies. If you did make it then you’ll need to prove that to them with videos or whatever they ask for to show that you made it.

[@anaromerov]

Which number do you call etsy support I can't found any number on anywhere, I discovered what is happing with my listing! I found 2 more stores with my photos, I reached out them, and one of them said " I took it from Ali express website, I didn't steal anything" and the other one said " I paid for those photos to a company" so I'm OMG that's can be happing, Ali express stole my photos so I'm the one paying the price , they think I'm buying my own creation to Aliexpress , this is the craziest thing ever happened to me so far..

[@KaraBuntin]

There is no direct number to call, but if you go to the contact page you can request a call back. Search for contact etsy on my channel and I have a video about it with the link for the help page.

[@bethanielynn1279]

​@@KaraBuntin I don't know why, but it doesn't bring up that option for me. I'd love to request a callback.

[@debbietulk4846]

I can't find anything either for contact. So frustrated!

[@chanabayla1823]

They did it to me and when i called my local news channel and my attorney and when the ceo josh silverman got a letter both in the mail and in email they now know who theyre messing with. My listings now arent being touched

[@KaraBuntin]

hee hee!

[@richardcunningham1902]

Thanks Kara, you are a superstar. Time to make a website haha, thanks again.

[@KaraBuntin]

Please do!

[@bethanielynn1279]

I tried filing an appeal. It just results in an automated email that says there is a link at the bottom for customer service, but there is none. Everything is just taking me around and around in a loop. I can't get anyone to actually allow me to plead my case and explain why my listings are being removed unjustly. I make wire wrapped jewelry, and they keep deactivating my listings saying it's drug paraphernalia. I can't figure out how to get this resolved, or how to get to an actual person.

[@KaraBuntin]

It's probably a keyword that you're using without realizing it. Some of the ones they're targeting now are clip as in clip on earrings, clip art, clip on hair bows, bride clips, paper clip boards (drug paraphernalia) stash box cannot be used for trinket box poppy flowers/red poppy

[@webguypro]

​@@KaraBuntin I just did the bulk update to remove the word clip because I have paper clips and it took down 10 clean listings. The first time they did this I filled out the form and asked for help and they apologized and brought them back. Did the same today and they sent me a canned message saying the exact opposite 🥺.... I just found the other support form and I begged them to call me and to look at my listings. I couldn't find the request a call back feature, although I asked for that in the latest form submission. Any advice to keep me from jumping off a bridge 😅?

[@webguypro]

I wonder though, I had a product taken down today that was already brought back after the first appeal. It went down shortly after someone posted a review and used a flagged word. Do you think the bot is checking people's reviews for flagged words as well? If so that's even stupider than what is currently going on. Anyone can just buy your product and leave a review filled with red flag words and goodbye business?

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

@@webguypro I wouldn't put anything past the stupidity of the Etsy bots at this point.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

@@webguypro Try to be patient but don't assume that they'll put the listings back.

[@vjo38]

Happened to me today with a dress I made . Customer Support just kept referring me back to the email. I even sent then the dress pattern I drafted and got nowhere. So frustrated.

[@KaraBuntin]

They don't help with this, the only reason they responded to me was that I had filed an appeal and I kept pestering them.

[@vjo38]

@KaraBuntin I contacted them twice and got nowhere. I'm a dressmaker and miliner and this was a kick in the teeth.

[@KaraBuntin]

@@vjo38 Do you have another listing that's the same keywords etc? I could look at it to see what might have set the bots off.

[@vjo38]

@KaraBuntin No and I've deleted the item - I'll sell it elsewhere - Etsy's loss. As a dressmaker I periodically do one offs. Thanks anyway. What they need to do is just ban certain words when creating a listing - it would simplify things.

[@vjo38]

The item was reinstated and I broke no rules. They need to get the bots under control.

[@blissessentials524]

Not sure why but etsy deactivated a listing..it is a shirt with different kinds of butterflies, no text or anything.

[@KaraBuntin]

They don't tell you why...It could be something in the text of the description.

[@blissessentials524]

@@KaraBuntin maybe because I used "vintage" butterfly, that's the only thing I can think of, but there are millions of vintage words.

[@lauraamartinez5586]

same, I have a tote bag with butterflies on it and apparently another shop owner said I stole their design lol. I didn’t even notice it was deactivated until I saw the email.

[@blissessentials524]

@@lauraamartinez5586 oh yea another store owner probly reported us, but I didn't copy anyone, it just looks similar, it's butterflies I got from creative fabrica which I paid for the whole year and pod allowed/commercial use allowed.

[@donnaconnolly4852]

Such a great video, and so informative! You mentioned the book editing video, which was great, and I did watch, but I am not sure how to remove a word from the listings using the tool. Can you help? Also, I kept remembering your words, you can do this, it’s easy. It was an encouragement, and it was very easy.

[@KaraBuntin]

YOu need to choose the title or description, then tell it to delete a word, or you can find and replace it.

[@donnaconnolly4852]

Thank you!@@KaraBuntin

[@sophiemasters4689]

they just took down 30 some listings... they are not in my deactivated, they are not in my expired, cause I check those daily... they are just gone and by they.. I mean, I have no idea what listings they are or why. It does say at the top of my screen that I 'may have violated on or more of the etsy policies' and that is the reason. It does not mention which listings, it mentions to check my email. However nothing in my email or spam folder. I have way too many listings to know which ones are gone and no idea how to evaluate the reason. What is the purpose of removing listings, not saying or showing which ones and not saying or showing the reason(s). who comes up with this kinda protocol, makes no sense...

[@KaraBuntin]

They should be in deactivated, so if they're not there then it's worse than usual. At least when they put them in deactivated listings you can try to figure out what happenes.

[@sophiemasters4689]

agreed, and I have had that before with a supposed copyright issue... and its clear they would be in deactivated and it clearly shows deactivated by etsy. Now it does not. This is the first time I have a 'policy violation' notice. But they just removed them, not kidding. Nowhere to be found, no email, no explanation and no way to know which ones they removed... absolutely bat shit crazy way to treat a seller in my opinion....@@KaraBuntin

[@heatherl6712]

I had a weird thing in my account. I make wreaths and handmade bows. I’m very new and still not on social or anything. I sold only 3 products in 2 months, but today I sold 5 to multiple people. Maybe a competitor got listings deactivated or something? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@KaraBuntin]

Very possible!

[@LipiCursive]

But how is it possible?

[@KaraBuntin]

@@LipiCursive If a competitor had their own listings deactivated then it's less competition.

[@anaromerov]

They deactivated one of my bestseller yesterday, claiming that I'm no following handmade policies, I'm like what??? I make and sell jewelry , and that particular necklace is on etsy since 3+ years ago , I design and make that necklace myself by hand , I tried to contacted them trying to appel, send videos of me makeing the necklace, and also conversaciones with other sellers that steal my photos from that particular listing and using as theirs, and I asked kindly to remove the photos before I denounce them by copyrights this is insane, I'm just so upset

[@KaraBuntin]

Did you file an appeal with the link I have here? I only found it when they deactivated my listings, I can't find it anywhere else.

[@anaromerov]

@@KaraBuntin yes I did, but I haven't received a response yet.. do you have had positive results appealing?

[@KaraBuntin]

@@anaromerov No, they told me it was final too bad for me. So I relisted the listings after fixing them.

[@anaromerov]

@@KaraBuntin OMG, that listing of mine has sold almost 20k in life time. loosing is such a bummer. And how to be sure if I relisted again they don't come back, because I don't have idea what is wrong .

[@KaraBuntin]

@@anaromerov They've been taking things down for a few reasons. What is the listing?

[@curtismyrick9715]

What about all the copyright products?

[@KaraBuntin]

Good question. The copyright holder has to file those takedowns, Etsy doesn't do it themselves until they're legally required to after the copyright owner contacts them.

[@shandelblentlinger431]

I'm in the planner sticker side of Etsy and in our shop owner groups we've had 2 shops get their listings for contact lenses stickers get deactivated with no explanation. I just forwarded this information to them. I don't think any of us even pay attention to the forums, Etsy needs to email sellers this important information. Etsy is the last place I would go to look for answers because they never answer any of us with our issues.

[@KaraBuntin]

I'm just wondering what contact lens stickers are... Okay I just went to Etsy to look...It could be that the Etsy bots are assuming that since it has "contact lens" in the title it's a medical thing, or that it's real contact lenses. The other possibility is that there's a trademark issue, but if one of the planner companies decided to issue trademark takedowns Etsy would tell you that, So I'm thinking that it's something to do with the contact lens/medical rules connection, and a bot just went crazy with it.

[@shandelblentlinger431]

@@KaraBuntin the shops that had them taken down got no response as to why, we all thought it was infringement but with no email from Etsy we were sure and confused

[@KaraBuntin]

@@shandelblentlinger431 I would say that if there wasn't a notice it wasn't a trademark or copyright claim, it probably has something to do with "forbidden" words in the listing. I really had to push them before they confirmed what the word I had used was, so they're not transparent about it.

[@cherylonlinebiz]

My listed was taken down and I am clueless of why. The listing was; "Refrigerator Door Storage Container". It was deactivated and I don't know why, but my Kitchen Sink Mats was not taken down and still listed. 3 Listings taken down and 9 active... Why? Help please!!!

[@KaraBuntin]

Did they send you a message about it?

[@EJPARSONSUK]

Hmmm, I wonder about hypoallergenic jewellery findings? People, including me, need to know this and they search for this. I can see the need not to dupe folk, but Etsy is going crazy. My website build is in progress 😇

[@KaraBuntin]

That's a good question.

[@kaistockman6443]

I was listing some beading cord and they instantly deactivated my listing because the color name is Amber. I’m not selling any amber necklaces or beads.

[@KaraBuntin]

It's the word, it triggers the takedown. Use a different color and it will work.

[@barbrawhite1239]

@@KaraBuntin I guess amber is no longer a color to Etsy either. Several people have had listings taken down for amber as a mother gave their baby amber beads to "teeth" on. A baby could not swallow the inch ball lucite amber bead a bot took down my listing down. The bots are not written with the proper algorithms?

[@KaraBuntin]

@@barbrawhite1239 Amber has been on the no-go list for quite some time. You can get that reviewed, though.

[@muddyduckworkshop3419]

I had 2 listings removed because I mentioned Iran (in a historical context). It would have been a lot less stressful and an easy fix if they'd sent me an email saying why, rather than just leaving it for me to find. Then there's the weird feeling that you've just had an email conversation with Chat GPT, but you're not quite sure.

[@KaraBuntin]

You probably did, hahaha

[@mypointofview1111]

Looking at setting up my own website now. ETSY isn't what it claims to be and this kind of treatment towards those that bring in revenue to them is beyond the pale.

[@KaraBuntin]

It's the same on any platform, though, you're always beholden to what they do. For me, the most irritating thing is that they're not clear about what's wrong with the listing, and it's really hard to find a way to contact them.

[@VanessaAscunce]

I started my Etsy shop for printables 2 weeks ago and every thing I’m posting is inactivated. I’m literally making these myself I have no idea what weird words are the problem. It’s sweet Disney stuff lol

[@KaraBuntin]

If it's Disney that's probably why, that's infringement.

[@VanessaAscunce]

@@KaraBuntin One is a disney song quote but Disney name isn’t listed anywhere on it.. so wierd

[@rovacalayag5932]

It's actually sad that Etsy deactivated 2 of my listings as well just right after I switched my renewal from auto to manual 😂. Those listings are my top selling products 🙄

[@KaraBuntin]

Oh no!

[@tanchamalimbu]

Same here one of my top selling belt was deactivated . Idk why . I am waiting their reply. Same description is explained on other listing. They need to be straight forward what I need to remove on my description . I think I am done with Etsy now

[@rovacalayag5932]

@@tanchamalimbu I just got curious, they're maybe doing this because of the switching of listing renewal. I just switched to manual only because I felt like they've been grabbing money from me. I just created my listing with 100 stock just a week ago and I got 6 sales from it. It was supposed to expire next year, to my surprise they've deducted auto renewal thrice 🙄 how annoying..

[@rovacalayag5932]

@@KaraBuntin I just got curious, they're maybe doing this because of the switching of listing renewal. I just switched to manual only because I felt like they've been grabbing money from me. I just created my listing with 100 stock just a week ago and I got 6 sales from it. It was supposed to expire next year, to my surprise they've deducted auto renewal thrice 🙄 how annoying.. what do you think about this? Could you explain what just happened? TIA!

[@rovacalayag5932]

@@KaraBuntin question also, do you pay for your listings? Or do you have free listings from the referrals? I tried referrals to get free listings but as soon as my friend successfully created and started her shop the free listing reward didn't reflect into my account 😥

[@step2it7]

I made leggings for Little League. The name of the team was eagles. My leggings got deactivated for infringement from the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team. There was no way to explain it to Etsy. They did not kick me off of the platform but I am no longer a star sellar😢

[@KaraBuntin]

You need to contact the legal department for the Eagles and explain it to them, they might remove the claim. A lot of the time those trademark claims are run by bots (it's always a bot) and they take down things incorrectly, but if you contact them they can retract the claim.

[@step2it7]

@@KaraBuntin thank you so much! And I have taken your advice on building my own website. You Rock 💙

[@nadinacamdzic152]

Yesterday they removed 2 of my listings and when I checked it’s candles that used FDA approved waxes. I right away changed it in other listings but today I got email and like 20 of my candles listings are removed that previously had FDA approved waxes in description, although I removed it yesterday.

[@KaraBuntin]

They might be looking at an earlier version. I would file an appeal, because that's not a medical claim, so if you removed it you should be fine.

[@elizavella]

they have been deactivating like crazy its ridiculous. They deactivated my original art hand drawn coloring page , my original clipart i drew. all my own original drawings and no reason to deactivate them. And they have also been putting reserves on payouts to sellers for no reasons too.

[@KaraBuntin]

I know, it’s all we’ve been talking about for the past two weeks, they’re on a rampage.

[@jmbelkadi]

Just put your shop in vacation until they pay you.

[@marionmoynihan6643]

Thanks for the timely video. I have had 3 listings de-activated over the last week. Etsy cited medical claim infractions. I inferred that the use of “FDA-approved” was inappropriate. I re-posted my listings without the prohibited language. In case I need it in the future, where is the appeal form you referenced? My email from Etsy indicated that there was no appeal process.

[@KaraBuntin]

I linked it in the description of the video. I had to go hunt it down.

[@jessicabernstein5523]

I reposted my listing that was taken down and the SEO/ranking is absolutely not kicking in yet.

[@KaraBuntin]

@@jessicabernstein5523 I have a feeling that those listings will have some sort of penalty on them for a while

[@timothyhills8424]

Thanks for the info. I just found 2 deactivated listings and didn't receive an email or information. After reading through your website link I think I've worked it out. My listings referenced various Jazz music genres and I included the word "Cuban" in both (Afro Cuban Jazz). Thank you for the heads up about this! I've removed the words. How long until the listings get reviewed by the bots and reactivated?

[@KaraBuntin]

You need to contact Etsy to ask for a review of the listing, but if they won't relist it you can just list a new version.

[@mml5794]

I tried to create an Etsy account. I was at the end of setting up my shop and it was suspended. I don't know of any rules I broke. I was trying to follow the regulations set up by Etsy. If I missed something, it was not intentional, but I supposed they don't really care about that! It's very unfortunate and seems like they don't really want new shops. Lots of people are having difficulty setting a new on up right now. If Etsy does not want new shops, why don't they put a freeze on it or have people apply for one or something like that?

[@KaraBuntin]

They suspend new shops pretty frequently, but if you ask for a review they'll probably fix it.

[@alinemantovani2381]

Thank you for the advice!

[@KaraBuntin]

Thanks for watching!

[@diaryofastyleillustrator]

I am selling hand block printed scarves and I am not adding any medical claim why it's getting deactivated or under under review as soon as I upload the iteam

[@KaraBuntin]

There must be something in the wording of the listing that’s setting it off. If you have the term FDA in there or non toxic about the dyes, take that out.

[@shahrokhbiniaz5862]

For the past few days Etsy has been deactivating my listings one by one and I have no idea why!!! Can you help me with that, or tell me how to contact Etsy. Thanks.

[@KaraBuntin]

What are you selling? If it's something that's not allowed on Etsy, there's not a lot that you can do.

[@shahrokhbiniaz5862]

Sublimation Mugs, Plates and mainly sublimation stuff@@KaraBuntin

[@shahrokhbiniaz5862]

Another Mug was deactivated just now as a buyer put an order for it. I really don't know what is going on with Etsy. After each sale, Etsy deactivates that item!!!! It's driving me nuts. Specially not knowing why and there's no explanation.

[@KaraBuntin]

@@shahrokhbiniaz5862 maybe it’s because you’re using mock-up photos that aren’t from the printer? Etsy was removing those recently. You have to use the mock-ups that are provided by the company that makes the products.

[@shahrokhbiniaz5862]

No. I'm using the same prints and photograph the items myself.@@KaraBuntin

[@aerosoniatunes]

Hey Kara. My etsy shop was suspended temporarily, 2 days after opening up the shop. It has been suspended for 3 weeks now and i can not get in touch with anyone for support. They didn't send me any email explaining why i got suspended. When i try to email them from etsy support, nobody even sees my mails, it goes straight to bots. I also watched your etsy help video. Although i clicked every single "still need help" button from every section, didn't get anything other than mail help. Can you please guide me? I tried literally everything and can't reach anybody for help.

[@KaraBuntin]

What were you selling? If it's not "etsy-legal" they won't reopen the shop and they won't communicate with you about it at all.

[@aerosoniatunes]

@@KaraBuntin I just had listings, didn't sell anything but i was trying to sell t-shirts and mugs.

[@aerosoniatunes]

@@KaraBuntin POD products

[@KaraBuntin]

@@aerosoniatunes Was there anything that infringed copyright on them? Or that was against Etsy's Terms of Service? They frequently deactivate new accounts but they'll usually restore them after a human looks at them. If you were selling something that was infringement or not TOU-okay, they won't restore the shop.

[@aerosoniatunes]

@@KaraBuntin I don't think so. All of them must be copyright-free. Do you think i should send an appeal? I read something about only permanently suspended accounts should send an appeal, but i don't know.

[@blakem2068]

Does it affect visits or views if you get flagged with one or two listings that are against policy?

[@KaraBuntin]

It can, especially if it's something that happens after you've been warned before.

[@pinkwitchapothecary-crystals]

I think I need to recheck my crystal descriptions for any metaphysical properties that might say medical terms like anxiety etc.

[@KaraBuntin]

Definitely do, because these removals are still happening, and they don't let you relist them, you have to list a new version so you'll lose the old sales history!

[@pinkwitchapothecary-crystals]

@@KaraBuntin thanks

[@Bponyi]

They deleted my listings after the new battery policy. I sold no coin battery with my items, and they still removed my led listing. Noticed their stock is continuing to fall.

[@KaraBuntin]

Bots remove the listings, so ask for a review and they’ll probably relist then.

[@Bponyi]

@@KaraBuntin they auto replied stating their decision is irreversible. I believe they put my email address on their block list now because they don’t even reply anymore

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

@@Bponyi Another thing that could be happening is that what you were selling wasn't Etsy-legal as far as what you can sell on the platform. What was the product?

[@Bponyi]

@@KaraBuntinTutorials it’s a hand made led glove item I sell . I have them on eBay and Amazon . Won’t find my items from those China website or any other websites but mine. So I definitely knew that no one took my ideals and tried to resale them

[@KaraBuntin]

It's POSSIBLE (I don't know for sure) that Etsy sees your products on Amazon and assumes that it's mass market. I don't know how thorough they are with that, but I do know that other people have had their listing photos stolen, then Etsy accuses them of copying the people who stole their photos, so it's a mess. It could also be what you mentioned about batteries, but I don't know the battery policy you're talking about so I can't say for sure. Only Etsy knows, and if they're not telling you anything else is just guessing.

[@Janetkaylila]

Good morning. I have a question regarding a listing that was just deactivated because it violated one or more of etsy’s policies. After much searching on my end I found out it was a adorable vintage girls poncho with a drawstring around the neck. Supposedly you cannot list anything for young girls that has a drawstring 😫. Do you think I can relist and not mention drawstring? I am a “follow the rules” type of girl so I don’t want to do anything that may get me in trouble.

[@KaraBuntin]

I wouldn't relist anything that has a drawstring, it's currently considered a choking hazard in kids' clothing. Even if it slides by on Etsy's end, you could be liable if some kid wears it and chokes. That's why someone sued Etsy about the teething necklaces, it's a CPSC thing not an Etsy thing. If you can replace the drawstring with elastic or something like that I would alter it, but I wouldn't sell it.

[@Janetkaylila]

@@KaraBuntin ok. thank you so much. i appreciate you always responding

[@im7348]

Can we delete the deactivated listings? Will Etsy be still able to see/review them in that case?

[@KaraBuntin]

If you delete them they’re gone forever, so Etsy won’t be able to do anything with them.

[@infection835]

I got an email that one of my listing is ban from etsy. I am Doing dropshipping from CJ dropshipping what should I do ?

[@KaraBuntin]

Dropshipping isn't allowed on Etsy, so you should sell that stuff somewhere else!

[@infection835]

@@KaraBuntin But Many users are doing it mam and they are not getting any threat

[@KaraBuntin]

@@infection835 Well they banned your listing so there's that.

[@daisybrown7644]

I know, I had some cute jeep style products and they deactivated all of them.

[@KaraBuntin]

Jeep protects their trademarks pretty fiercely.

[@monabaeza4204]

My listing got taken down saying it was suspected of being counterfeit, this makes me laugh. I designed the tshirt myself and there are no others Iike it. Ironically i got the email the minute I had just published tag words so there must be something in the tag but I have no idea what tag it could be. Between this, the reserves they slapped on my account and the hidden “offsite ads” I’m very skeptical of being a seller . My shop has only been open 2 weeks!

[@KaraBuntin]

Newer shops tend to be looked at closer and get shut down (usually temporarily) more often these days. All you can do is appeal it if there's a way to do that, but you're probably right that it's something in the tags. Go through and make sure that there's not a brand name in there at all, which is what would trigger the counterfeit thing, then republish the listing without it. As long as you're not actually using someone else's IP it will be fine, but if you're using any tv show, movie, singer etc names, then that's not allowed.

[@monabaeza4204]

@@KaraBuntin that listing was quickly reinstated but they have since taken down another listing. It seems to happen after I've created tags. Also, how do I get in your fb group, I was denied when I tried to join?

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

@@monabaeza4204 What's your shop name? If the moderators turned you down for the group it could be that you have something in your shop that's infringing on copyrights, which would also explain why Etsy is deactivating your listings. I can look at it to see what's going on with my group, I can't answer about what Etsy is doing!

[@marsillustrationsanddesign1476]

I wish Etsy would have a take down on sellers selling AI-generated art prints and merchandise. My listing got deactivated a while ago but I'm pretty sure the system deactivated it because I was using copyrighted brands and trademarks on my tags/titles. I deleted the listing now. I hope they make the system better and not just randomly taking down listings without any explanation or reason.

[@KaraBuntin]

They should clean up a lot of things.

[@WhiteWolfos]

Compared to that the bigger issue is dropshippers selling stuff from factories overseas

[@marsillustrationsanddesign1476]

@@WhiteWolfos There's no 'bigger' issue. Both issues need to be equally addressed by Etsy. Etsy's branding and mission has always been to give platform to ORIGINAL handmade crafts, art created by independent artisans, designers, creatives. They have lost sight on this since the site has been overrun by listings made by AI-generators, dropshippers - as you have mentioned, and 'passive-income' marketers.

[@thehustlinggranny]

My issue is Etsy's policy on "discrimnation". I have my listings removed that are selling well and have been posted for several weeks and then "boom" . . . it's taken down as violating Etsy's discrimination and promoting racial segregation policy. However, I look at other sellers selling the EXACT SAME PRODUCT and their listing is uneffected (and they are making mega sales), even though their listings use some of the most deregatory terms. I know there is nothing I can do about it . . . just needed to rant.

[@KaraBuntin]

I haven't heard of that reason...

[@thehustlinggranny]

@@KaraBuntin This has been on their policies since 2020.

[@KaraBuntin]

@@thehustlinggranny I know, I meant that it's the first time I've heard of someone having their listing removed because of it. They usually go in waves, so my guess would be that they're taking things down because of this now and we'll start hearing about more people with that reason for removals.

[@juliehamer5957]

They deactivated one of my ceramic dog bowls, one that I have multiple versions of, I sent a chat request to ask why, they forwarded my message and someone at Etsy reached out to me and said they couldn't figure out why. So they messed up! But never reactivated the listing for me so I had to do it myself. They are dumb.

[@KaraBuntin]

Good lord

[@juliehamer5957]

@@KaraBuntin they actually just reactivated it and apologized for the inconvenience of them messing up! 😆🤦‍♀️ So sorry it's happening to you as well!

[@HeyYou-ii3kp]

After how many strikes they close your store?

[@KaraBuntin]

It used to be three, but there isn't' a specific number now. It seems like it will matter how close together they are, too.

[@billybaloneey7635]

Thanks for your video...I've been trying to figure out a way to contact someone at Etsy. I raise and grow super rare plants and 2 species of plants I raise had multiple listings removed due to a plant policy violation. An international organization...CITES...polices the importing and exporting of rare and endangered plants. I found a USDA document that mentions an exception to the CITES organization if the rare/endangered plants are raised and only sold within the USA...and I only sell within the USA. Thanks for your Etsy contact link...I have submitted an appeal along with supporting documentation. Crossing my fingers.

[@KaraBuntin]

Good luck! Also, your username is hilarious.

[@caramontana4948]

Few days ago I tried to list 2 Baltic Amber necklaces and they were disactivated before being active and placed by Etsy on "inactive" category but in same time they charged me $0.80 and any attempt to move them to "active" category was unsuccessful. I appreciate your opinion. Thank you!

[@KaraBuntin]

It’s the Amber, it’s a real problem getting that through the bot filters.

[@caramontana4948]

@@KaraBuntin It is real Amber from 1980's , my late husband brought a lot and I don't need and I want to sell it, witch is your advise ? Thank you!

[@KaraBuntin]

@@caramontana4948 I would sell it on eBay, Etsy has the "amber" filter turned on because they were sued because of a toddler choking on an amber teething necklace. If the bots take the listing down and a human puts it back up after reviewing it, the bots will just come and take it down again, so I wouldn't bother trying to get any consistency from Etsy on this!

[@caramontana4948]

@@KaraBuntin Thank you for your kindness and your advise. For personal reasons I have been absent from Etsy for the last 6 months and I am not up to date with the news so I can ask you one more thing - the problem is only for amber or any kind of gemstone because I have many other necklaces made of various gemstones? One more thank you for your kindness.

[@KaraBuntin]

@@caramontana4948 It's only the amber that's the issue, no other gemstones. And you're welcome!

[@beckhamiliria5670]

Mine says: “this listing can’t be loaded at the moment. You might be able to get to it later.” It’s been doing it for a little while and I don’t know if it’s a problem or what to do. Thanks.

[@KaraBuntin]

It sounds like a bug. If it doesn't fix itself you'll have to contact Etsy to let them know it's happening.