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Etsy review: Class action against etsy for their unfair, fascist and discriminatory conduct. 178

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2:33 pm EDT
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We are looking for other users willing to sue Etsy for their unfair contract signing and unreasonable suspensions, most of which come without even explanations. It is written on the contract with sellers, innit? True, And it's just that the keystone of a lawsuit against Etsy… we are not under Fascism or Nazism, and a contract discussing work relationships should be democratic and reasonable for all parts involved.
Etsy behaves like they are not in a democratic state with laws protecting workers and people in general, but in a self proclaimed dictatorial "Etsy state" we're they can make the rules, no matter if they go against all the protocols in defense of workers, companies and entrepreneurs.
We would love to create a go fund me campaign and connected petition to find as many contrihbutors as possible for a class action against Etsy for their discriminatory unreasonable practices that are sometimes considerable as instigation to suicide, and we have readen many horrible situations like the one we encountered.
Please start sharing your experience also here and if someone else here wants to join I will share informations on the Camoaign and class action.
We may get at least a refund For the huge loss of money, time and moral damage this company did us.
It so mislesding that Etsy sells itself as a "human and sustainable" platform and then gives the shoulder to the big companies and low quality high volume sellers instead of protecting the small, finest quality sellers that made the fortune and were (WERE!) the soul of this vintage and handmade marketplace. Now let's delve in our case… we have 5* reviews and sell for the most 99, 6 % authentic vintage items, and a very little part of customized and handmade items… Etsy shutted our shop for good, and more "funny" they have put it in forced vacation mode so the buyers don't get worried about the shop "disappearing"…
They just demonstrated they are slaves to the big companies, other than HUMAN and SUSTAINABLE….
They shut our shop because of some rings We made out of vintage buttons (authentic ones) taken from broken garments that otherwise would have just no use (or they could have just been sold as substitute buttons)… Of course, also if we believe it is totally fair and within the circular / recycled market values to make such objects, we would have removed those listings and never list such items anymore if they just gave us a second chance… but they didn't, and We have more of a suspect on the reason, here some proofs.. they also removed a totally authentic pair of Chanel sunglasses, with absolutely NO REASON if not bending their knees in front of the brand's legal department going around reporting shops without a reason (there is an unreasonable reason: the item was authentic, but they hate circular market and they demonstrated this in the last few years with tons of lawsuits against companies similar Etsy, but with more courage and willing to defend their sellers…and this is also why they shutted us: cause they don't care if a seller is right, they prefer avoiding from the start problems with big companies… and we would have understood if they just removed our items and explained the situation to us… but destroying 2 years of work of a 5* shop and leaving 3 people without a job NO. It is not understandable, and they don't even think we deserve an in depth explaination!
But we have ourselves one: probably they promise to the brand lawyers/reporters hanging around vintage marketplaces to report listings,
to shut the shops disturbing them instead of discussing with their sellers and trying to mediate and protect them…. and Inrepeat, I have proofs, they reported and removed also an authentic pair of Chanel shades, and I have seen Chanel is use to these practices, hav a looked around the web… with the difference that the real real, for example, protected their sellers instead of taking Chanel's part…. by the way, evidently the brand legal department reported our listings and Etsy instead of just asking to remove (we surely would have removed and never list anymore similar items) decided to shut our shop for good, destroying 2 years of hard work listing on this website…..
It is evident that they are just doing so if the big brands report, cause I have been reporting REAL counterfeit items (Cartier sunglasses) which are filling the first three pages of the Etsy website if one searches for Cartier sunglasses, but they never removed them after months… and those are clearly AUTHENTIC FAKES, Sold as Cartier for 70€ when the actual value is around 4K, and they're very hard to find but those listings have like 70/100 PCs for each model… clearly fake also the quality, easily visible in the pictures if one is trained and a connoisseur… so Etsy leaves these cheater in 1st page of searches without a problem, but instead our rings which were described as artisanal pieces made out of buttons, never trying to mislead our buyers (you can see some review with photography of satisfied buyers that purchased them) were enough to shut out shoo for good.
Probably when a big brand reports they ensure them that the seller will just get thrown out of the site to avoid expensive lawsuits, as it happened last year between Chanel and The Real Real.. but The Real Real had balls to go through the lawsuit demonstrating basically that Chanel was lying about the fact the items were fake, and just trying to give a stop to circular market and recycled which takes our a lot of money from their pockets.
It is so sad that Etsy sells itself as a human and sustainable platform and then gives the shoulder to this brands instead of protecting the small sellers that are the soul of this circular market. We understand if one sells counterfeit items, but in our case we have 5* reviews and only authentic vintage items, and the only error we did was making rings out of branded buttons, which in our opinion and also in that of many satisfied buyers were also cooler than most of the actual rings made by the brand! Reviews with photo are available to see! And products are available to see too, described and titled as artisanal items made recycling authentic parts from the brand.
This is disgusting and a class action would be the best thing to do for all the sellers like me.
Will start a gofundme campaign and a petition to start this, follow me and help if you're having similar issues. Reviews with photo are available to see! And products are available to see too, described and titled as artisanal items made recycling authentic parts from the brand.
We just opened our shop and found it as "on vacation" then checked our mail and found a message saying our shop was suspended for good, and that there was no possibility of an appeal on this decision.
It is absurd, dishuman, disgusting.
I thought of suicide for their exploit.
I don't think their contract is of any value, it is just another an attempt to intimidate some right claims against them, but when there is a business relationship within 2 parts, it is not civil, not educated, nor human, non good adjectives can describe a company saying they can take a decision about a business partner (call it dependent, call it workers, call it whatever but it is a business relationship in the end) and literally kick them without an explanation. This is what they make clear in the contract, but this is what should be the focus of a class action against them, they should write a contract that is protecting both parts and not giving them the full powers of a dictator and their "workers" NO RIGHTS at all, not even to get an explaination when they are suspended.
This is not a game, Etsy Trust&Safety.
You are playing with real businesses, families, people.
Somebody would kill himself for your medieval way to treat partners.

Desired outcome: Class action against Etsy for unfair, dictatorial contracts, unfair business conduction, shutting w/o a reason not an explaination businesses relying on them instigating entrepreneurs to suicide.

178 comments
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AllieA
Panama City Beach, US
Sep 19, 2023 1:35 pm EDT

Where do I sign up?! I am willing to fight for this. Etsy DESTROYED my family. I was in the top 1% of global shops and they shut my shop down. I fought, appealed, and wrote a 10 page dissertation to them as to why the shut down didn't make any sense. I was on Etsy for 5 years, quit my full time job and opened a warehouse with employees to help run my shop. We were thriving. Etsy shut my shop down overnight with a permanent suspension. It was the most devastating thing to ever happen to me, my family and my employees. Etsy Trust & Safety ruined my life. They act like there are no consequences for their actions for discrimination.

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Ter Terwatts
US
Sep 23, 2023 8:38 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am down, one day and they suspended my account for no reason, waste of time, horrible human beings they are.

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D. Loebis
US
Sep 24, 2023 3:38 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Yes, I would like to join. I have spent countless hours in making my Etsy shop work. But just like that my shop was permanently suspended. I read the T&C over and over again. I am pretty sure that I had not broken any part of the T&C. I appealed twice, and the result was still the same. No explanation whatsover.

Sign me up: buyingstock@rocketmail.com

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Bsssss
US
Sep 25, 2023 8:35 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I'd like to be a part of this as well. Etsy is full of crap and glitches.

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Christine Stephen
US
Sep 28, 2023 12:57 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Sign me up. I just started my line with them and they wrongfully suspended my account (the first day of creating it), Then after 2 weeks of back and forth, they reinstated it, only to pull my listing down permanently (stating compliance issue), mind you, people who have been selling products within the same line are using their non-compliant words, as well as boldly making claims. Unlike my listing which had a more structured approach and made no claim within any part of it.

Their claim is that the system picks up accounts that are non-compliant, like what? I've seen listings from 2018 with those very same terms and they are still going. I feel they have targeted my account wrongfully, because it went from the account suspension, to their removal and apology of the suspension (got that email), and immediately that day my listing gets flagged.

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Mrsjetpup
Olympia, US
Oct 02, 2023 6:01 pm EDT

I too, will happily be involved in any lawsuit for mismanagement of my money. After several years of selling items with no complaints against us for anything, they suspended our account and are now holding our money that we rightfully earned. Every time I try to contact customer service I get zero response and the ticket closed or I get a canned response and the ticket closed. When I call, the agent says they will escalate my ticket and someone will call me back within 24 hours and that NEVER happens!

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kitty reese
US
Oct 19, 2023 9:56 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more
Replying to comment of Mrsjetpup

Same here! I was selling on Etsy for almost a year, and they pulled me down two weeks back and have permanently banned me! They refuse to tell me what I specifically did wrong. Their bot did this to me. And I had over 600+ five star reviews, was a full star seller & had zero complaints against me! My clients are outraged and annoyed that this happened to me! They are keeping my 1200 dollars as well for an undisclosed amount of time! This is all around [censored]!

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One Buttafly
US
Oct 17, 2023 4:28 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I’d like to partake in this. I sew and sell team buckets hats, but Etsy deactivated a listing of mine for i”intellectual property infringement” meanwhile tons of other shop are doing the same thing.

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Kb33
US
Oct 18, 2023 4:32 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Our small business had the same experience. Willing to sue! Were you successful? Any updates since? Thx

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Eliza_Etsy_suspension
US
Nov 22, 2023 6:32 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My shop with digital products was suspended 2 weeks ago, star seller, over 28k sales. Account was created in 2016, but started selling during Covid and it has become my full time job with no other source of income.

I’m still extremely emotional about this and it’s hard to go over all the messed things and experience I’m going through. They are holding $2k of my money as well.

I would like to join the lawsuit. This is terrible.

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RedHanded Trade
US
Dec 19, 2023 9:21 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We feel you!

Its a huge disappointment to see a good initial partnership, based on honest relationship,.deteriorate slowly into a Monstrous scheme to fund somebody's Venture Capitalism schemes and dreams!

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Eliza_Etsy_suspension
US
Nov 22, 2023 6:33 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Veta.wh@gmail.com

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Kat Hollidy
US
Dec 12, 2023 10:07 pm EST

Please add me

They have destroyed my income. I’m a top seller and they removed my badges. Restricted 30% sales revenue to insure I ship packages. I have been selling since 2012! I have one more violation and they are closing my shop. Sales are at zero now. My email is khollidy70@yahoo.com

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RedHanded Trade
US
Jan 20, 2024 12:52 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Yes, I discovered that 30-70% of my sales was being held back, to be deposited in a " Buyer Protection Program" that was later described as " protecting me" the Seller, in 2023.

Ive been a seller for over 10 years.

I have NEVER, not once, not sent a buyer their order.

I trusted Etsy implicitly.

But since the sale of parts of Etsy to the non-Irish Corporate entrepeneurs, trust is violated!

Hidden fees, micromanaging, no access to CS for sellers, etc

Most recently, I was told that my shop " wasnt authorized" to OPT-OUT of " offsite ads" @ $10 per month. WHEN did I opt IN?

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CheriLynnW
Loomis, US
Jan 16, 2024 8:16 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I totally agree. My shop had Great reviews and etsy permanently suspended my shop over posting a Nfl Jersey that is currently on etsy now through a seller from another country. Its ok for them to sell NFL items but NOT the people who live here in USA.

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Organic Healing Oils
Richmond, US
Mar 03, 2024 1:45 pm EST

Im all in! organichealingoils

organichealingoilsshop@gmail.com

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BlueJay7777
deming, US
Apr 29, 2024 3:59 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Hi my story I sold zappers and books that deal with curing cancer and all diseases and a semi celeb Mario godeva ordered a zapper he received it and was satisfied a couple of weeks later he ordered some replacement copper handholds I mistakenly thought it was another zapper and sent him one when he received it he played twist and shout instead of admitting that he was accidentally sent a zapper plus handholds he spoke cryptically saying he wanted to return the coils only and keep the other portion of his order I couldn't make out what he was saying he also was acting confrontational saying I was a very deceptive seller and he was going to leave a nasty review he also didn't make it clear that he bought the handholds the day between perpetual sales I explained that I have a no returns policy and offered him two complimentory ebooks and asked him to refrain from posting a bad revew and he basicaly said he would take me down! so he filed a complaint and was awarded full refund I then descovered he received the second zapper and asked him to return it then he opened a case for the first zapper he received saying it wasn't as described so etsy told me if I want both zappers back to make him a label I did later that day my etsy account was perminently suspecded I was told I could never sell or buy there again a few days later today another customer I had been working with despite being band who had there item waiting at their local post office and demanded I do something about it opened a case and with out letting me make a statement awarded them 765$ from my bank putting me out mor than 1000$ for the items I put a lot into my shop and expected with new items added to make 100,000$this coming year

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