It’s a privilege to have this opportunity to share my ideas with you. As you may have guessed, in the past two days I’ve had several people reach out to me, share similar stories, offer support for my work, and wish me the best for when the time came to write this email.
My goal with this letter is to highlight more general changes that I think could help strengthen Etsy’s relationship with their sellers and by extension, their public image. I’d like to bypass the details of my own experience as I am confident it would have never occurred had any one of the suggestions below been in existence at the time. If you’d like to know point for point where I thought your staff member made mistakes, I’d be more than happy to send you another email.
Put an end to the “shoot first, ask questions later” policy concerning suspicion of a shop’s legitimacy.
No one with which I have spoken is able to see the logic in immediately closing shops based upon computer algorithms or accusations from community members who could either be competitors or entirely ignorant of the construction processes involved.
Is it not possible to send an email giving the seller seven days to provide evidence that their products are in fact made by their own hands? Can’t the one item in question be removed and not the entire shop? How much more difficult would be to display this policy in detail on Etsy’s “Dos and Don’ts” page? Or at the very least, make sellers aware of the charges against them, so that they may defend themselves with exact evidence?
Etsy staff are not just normal customer service representatives. Due to the artistic and craft-based nature of Etsy, accusing a seller of lying about their work is quite possibly the greatest insult one could serve a craftsperson.
I find the Etsy staff unable to sympathize with the actual trauma shop closure causes their sellers, many of whom depend entirely on their shops for their livelihoods.
Your staff are not just telling people their planes are late or their orders got messed up and all they’ll have to do is wait a bit. This is an incredibly personal accusation.
The robotic and rigid emails I received instilled such a great sense of fear and shame that I wondered if it was Etsy’s intention to make me feel terrible as I scrambled to meet unrealistic expectations. Expecations that I worried were even possible to meet as this one story demonstrates.
You can be sure, that if someone survives the interrogation process through which the Integrity team subjects them, they won’t be happy about continuing to sell on Etsy.
I would highly recommend the hiring and training of empathetic and knowledgeable employees to handle these cases.
“Guilty until proven innocent” is no way to treat human beings, much less the people you depend on for your business
This will be one the few times in my life I will go as far to call a practice decidedly un-American. You can rationalize this in anyway you please, but in the process of enforcing it, you will without a doubt, upset people on a moral principle they’ve had instilled in them since before they could read. It’s the epitome of what many consider injustice.
A clear and detailed update to the “Do’s and Don’ts” as well as the Terms of Use sections of Etsy’s website.
I can see no benefit to having undocumented policies. In my case, I’d never had released my email exchanges with Etsy if anything along the lines of what follows appeared anywhere on Etsy’s website.
“Sellers are expected to document, through the use of photographs, their construction process for all items and be able to supply those photos to Etsy staff upon request or risk having their shops permanently closed.”
Possible solutions I envision include creating community review or appeal boards and discipline specific Marketplace Integrity teams lead by knowledgeable craftspeople. You could easily recruit respected members from the Etsy community to act as consultants by offering to waive their seller fees by some amount. Make sellers advocates for Etsy.
Regarding my case, a policy that protects seller’s who’ve made under so much money/year from accusations, seems at the very least an idea worth consideration. It could also be helpful to sellers if you established a set of guidelines and principles for their specific mediums. The electronic artists on Etsy could benefit from this greatly.
I’d like to let you know that I do not intend on returning to Etsy. The prospect of another review, which I’m aware do occur, is too great for me.
As many people have pointed out in forums and personal messages to me, that they see little hope or realistic possibility in eliminating resellers entirely. I can only hope with this letter that you will be able to refine your process and spare other craftspeople the pain and financial loss you’ve caused me and many others.
I’ve managed a shop on Etsy for the past 5 months selling electronic devices and synthesizers. I recently resigned from my job to pursue electronics design and fabrication.
Two days ago, my shop was unexpectedly CLOSED and I received an email stating that there was suspicion that I hadn’t constructed my devices by hand. At first I was a bit flattered and followed their instructions to confirm that I had in fact built them myself. I supplied the following photographs…
Shots of my workshop (soldering iron, electronic component cabinets, work bench)
Photos of the device (outside, inside, and the laser etched logo on the back with my etsy shop html link)
Photo of the raw materials used to construct the device (walnut and basswood)
However, they also requested I supply photos of the build process. I didn’t take photos during construction so I didn’t have any. Then I realized this was a more disconcerting request when I noticed NOWHERE in Etsy’s Terms of Use or Do’s and Dont’s page does it say anything like…
“Sellers are expected to document, through the use of photographs, their construction process for all items and be able to supply those photos to Etsy staff upon request or risk having their shops permanently closed.”
I appealed to the representative to no avail. Was I suppose to take it apart and build it again? No, I would just have to document the build process for my next product I posted and my store would remain closed until I did so.
Disregarding the fact that having my shop up gains me at least one follower a day, it just so happens I don’t want Etsy to know exactly how I go about constructing my electronics and especially the enclosures. I realized this was an intellectual property issue and that Etsy was making an unfair and undocumented demand of me.
I’m upset by the suddenness. That at any point, you can be immediately removed from a community of builders and musicians for no other reason than a hunch.
Music from Outer Space (MFOS) is a online synth hobbyist store/information goldmine that sells PCBs. Ray Wilson, designer and owner, allows for the resale of his PCBs in the form of completed kits as is the case for my item.
—— ——- ——- ——- ——- May 12, 2013 From: Etsy Marketplace Integrity To: me
Hello,
This is (representative’s name) from Etsy’s Marketplace Integrity Team. Thank you for your interest in selling on Etsy.
Unfortunately, some of the items listed in your shop do not appear to qualify for the Etsy marketplace. We are a venue for independent artists to sell their own handmade goods as well as Vintage items and Craft Supplies.
As your items do not appear to meet the criteria to sell on Etsy, your shop has been suspended.
Here is some information about what can be sold on Etsy:
Items Handmade by You: Artists and crafters can sell items they have made. Some production assistance is allowed, but the person running the shop needs to have a large part in creating the items for sale.
Vintage Goods: These must be at least 20 years old. “Vintage style” or “vintage inspired” items less than 20 years old cannot be sold in the Vintage category.
Crafting Supplies:
These are items intended for crafting. This category is for raw materials and tools that may be used to create things sold on Etsy. “Ready to use” items do not qualify as Craft Supplies.
Do not open other Etsy accounts. They will be closed immediately and without notice. Your other Etsy accounts may be suspended as well.
This message is a private conversation between you and Etsy. Please respect this confidentiality and refrain from distributing this communication without permission from Etsy. If you feel this message was sent to you in error, please delete it and let us know. Thank you.
——- ——- ——- ——- ——- May 12, 2013 From: me To: Etsy Marketplace Integrity
Hi (represenative’s name),
My items do fit these qualifications. I build my electronics by hand.
Can you please tell me which item you have an issue with?
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May 13, 2013 From: Etsy Marketplace Integrity To: me
Brendan,
Thank you for your attention to this matter. In order to consider reopening your shop, we need to know more about how your items are made.
Please respond to the following questions within 5 days. This information is for internal use only.Incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise false information may result in your account privileges being revoked.
Step 1 - Information about your shop
1. How many people are involved in your shop? 2. Write the name of each person and their role in the shop. This includes making things, creating listings, running the shop, and shipping items. 3. Do you outsource any aspect of production of your handmade items? If so, what part(s)?
Step 2 - Information about a specific item in your shop
4. In detail, please outline the steps used to make this item. Include as much information as possible.
Step 3 - Attach images
In all of the images, please include a piece of paper showing: • your username • the date This will show us that the images are current and taken by you.
Attach images of:
• Raw materials used to make the item in Step 2 • Step-by-step images of your handmade process in Step 2 • Images of the finished product in Step 2 • Equipment and work space
Thank you for providing us with this information. We look forward to hearing from you.
——- ——- ——- ——- ——-
May 13, 2013 From: me To: Etsy Marketplace Integrity
Step 1 - Information about your shop
1. How many people are involved in your shop?
One.
2. Write the name of each person and their role in the shop. This includes making things, creating listings, running the shop, and shipping items.
Brendan Byrne - Design, fabrication, assembly, administrator, and everything else.
3. Do you outsource any aspect of production of your handmade items? If so, what part(s)?
I outsource the circuit-boards. They’re printed in China. The chemicals involved in the production of them are not suitable for homes.
Step 2 - Information about a specific item in your shop
4. In detail, please outline the steps used to make this item. Include as much information as possible.
The wood panels and acrylic front and bottom panels were cut using a 75 watt laser cutter that I have at my disposal. I designed the enclosure in Adobe Illustrator. The PCB was sourced from Music from Outer Space, an online synth hobbyist store. The owner, Ray Wilson, explicitly gives permission for the resale of his boards in finished projects. I adhere to his policies.
The knobs, potentiometers, and jacks were all secured by me. I did all of the wiring as well. Ordered the parts and soldered them all to the board too. Easily a day’s work to assemble not including the time to design it.
Step 3 - Attach images
In all of the images, please include a piece of paper showing: • your username • the date This will show us that the images are current and taken by you.
Attach images of:
• Raw materials used to make the item in Step 2 • Step-by-step images of your handmade process in Step 2
I didn’t take documentation during the build process, but this is a very similar item that I used the same techniques on.
May 13, 2013 From: Etsy Marketplace Integrity To: me
Dear Brendan,
Thanks for getting back to us. We appreciate the time you have taken to answer our questions.
However, we still do not have enough information about your items to confirm that they comply with our policies.
In order for us to have sufficient information, we need to see images of the specific item we inquired about in our previous message being made from beginning to completion.
Please note that any and all information you share with us is completely confidential. We look forward to receiving this information.
——- ——- ——- ——- ——- May 13, 2013 From: me To: Etsy Marketplace Integrity
I don’t have photos of me building the item from start to finish. I checked Etsy’s “Do’s and Don’ts” page and nowhere does it even suggest that sellers be required to supply photos of the build process.
I’ve supplied photos of a device that I’ve documented the construction of that is nearly identical to this item. It’s linked to my Flickr site and to my Gmail which are direct representations of my craftmanship and practice. I’m wondering what the problem is? And why if the problem is so focused on this one particular item my entire store was suspended without warning. It should be obvious these devices were made by me and no one else. Where else could it have come from?!
I know electronic devices are an offshoot of what Etsy does and I’m always amazed by what items pop up there. However, I can’t help but doubt how well you or your staff is versed in the production of these devices, which I completely understand and don’t fault you for.
The photos I’ve supplied should be evidence enough to anyone that I’ve built this device.
If at all possible, I’d like to discuss this over phone. Are you able to schedule a time to speak with me tomorrow?
I’m currently putting together a large batch of devices that I’m planning to sell through Etsy and need my page functional. This downtime is incredibly embarrassing. I usually pick up 1-2 followers daily and depend on them as my base market for my next products.
——- ——- ——- ——- ——-
May 14, 2013
From: Etsy Marketplace Integrity To: me
Brendan,
We appreciate your cooperation with this process. This is a standard questionnaire used to learn more about items on Etsy and ensure they comply with our policies. We reach out to many sellers to ask for this information. Unfortunately, we’re not equipped to offer phone support at this time.
As you’ve indicated you’re currently working on some devices for your shop, if you could take photos of that process and provide them, we can review them for compliance with our policies and revisit your account status. Thanks.
——- ——- ——- ——- ——-
May 14, 2013 From: me To: Etsy Marketplace Integrity
I’d appreciate a link to the section on your website that states sellers are expected to document their build process and can be asked to supply those photos on demand by Etsy staff.
I’ve done nothing wrong and have cooperated by showing photos of my workshop, the item in question which was obviously assembled by my own hand, and my technical process for constructing an almost identical device already. I consider this to be MORE than enough evidence to settle the question of who built it. I find your further insistence for evidence completely unnecessary and insulting.
When I look over Etsy and see cases of rampant copyright infringement and “prints” that were generated using Photoshop filters and standard copiers I can’t help but feel persecuted for the nature of my items. Do you ask those sellers for photos of the work coming out of the printer? Or images of them adjusting levels in photoshop?
At this point, I’m going to ask for access to my account and an apology or I’ll take my business elsewhere.
——- ——- ——- ——- ——-
May 14, 2013 From: me To: Etsy Marketplace Integrity
A photo of my logo and etsy shop address laser etched into the back of the item in question.
THANKS!
——- ——- ——- ——- ——-
May 14, 2013 From: Etsy Marketplace Integrity To: me
Brendan,
The information you provided in your response did not adequately demonstrate your Handmade process. Based on what you submitted, we are unable to approve your shop to sell on Etsy at this time.
If you would like to submit additional information that clearly demonstrates how your items are made, we will review it. However, we cannot reconsider your account status or respond further until we receive information sufficient to confirm that your items meet our policies. Thank you.
——- ——- ——- ——- ——-
I sent a final email stating that I would be sharing the email thread with my school’s listserv.
