Etsy is a terrific online shopping site for everything from handcrafted goods to vintage stuff. How can you tell if Etsy is legitimate when you're looking for those imaginative, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items? We're here to assist you evaluate which Etsy merchants are authentic and to provide you advice on how to be safe when shopping on the marketplace.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE SCAMMED ON ETSY?
Etsy is a very secure online purchasing site! It is a major, publicly listed firm that has been in operation since 2005. This organization is a well-known platform for both entrepreneurs and online consumers, with a track record of reliable transactions.
Despite this knowledge, it is still possible to be defrauded by an individual Etsy merchant.
The vast majority of complaints on Etsy are about its merchants. Because purchasers must pay in full before the seller can send the goods, there is a chance that you may be cheated on Etsy.
An Etsy shopper may meet the following undesirable scenarios:
Not obtaining a product after paying for it
Receiving a defective item
Obtaining a product that does not correspond to the listing description or is of much lower quality than initially specified
Having a parcel go missing in the mail while on its route to you
Receiving an item outside of the shipping window
To be secure on Etsy, it's crucial to understand a few recommended practices to ensure you're making a safe purchase.
Examine the Etsy seller's shop thoroughly, including listing images, shop policies, reviews, and other details.
Before you make a purchase, be sure you understand their refund policy.
Never provide a vendor your credit card information.
Do not start or finish a purchase outside of the Etsy site.
THE BUYER PROTECTION PROGRAM ON ETSY
Etsy has developed a safety scheme to make shoppers and merchants feel more secure on the marketplace. If you are the unfortunate victim of an Etsy scam, the platform's buyer protection program is available to assist you.
Etsy's customer protection service was designed to provide buyers with piece of mind when purchases go awry.
Qualifying orders of up to $250 will be returned under this program if the item does not arrive, arrives damaged, or is not as represented in the ad.
This service assists Etsy shoppers in shopping with confidence.
IS IT SAFE FOR CREDIT CARD USERS TO SHOP ON ETSY?
Yes! Credit card transactions on Etsy are secure.
Etsy sellers must use either Etsy Payments or PayPal to handle payments from their buyers. This is wonderful news for both vendors and buyers since it eliminates the need for sellers to handle payment information and gives customers peace of mind that their financial information is safe.
While Etsy sellers will obtain your mailing address, they will never have access to your credit card information. This is fantastic since it ensures that no Etsy merchant will ever have access to your payment card information.
Never provide an Etsy vendor your credit card information.
Because Etsy merchants do not require your credit card information and are never exposed it by the site, you should never give them your credit card information. They're not going to use it for anything.
WHAT PAYMENT METHODS ARE AVAILABLE ON ETSY?
If buying with a credit card on Etsy still makes you anxious, purchasers can choose from a range of different payment options. Among these payment alternatives are:
Credit cards
Gift cards from Etsy
PayPal
Pay with Apple
Google Wallet
Klarna Financing (available in the United States)
Visit the Etsy Help Center to learn more about the payment methods available to you based on your area.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO SELL ON ETSY?
Anyone, from potters to woodworkers, may sell on Etsy. When looking for places to sell products online, Etsy is one of the most popular options.
The vast majority of vendors are legitimate company owners trying to expand their operations. Understanding the individuals behind the Etsy stores might help you get a better sense of the platform's spirit.
Sellers do not need to have a business license to sell on Etsy.
Here are a few examples of Etsy merchant personas:
Stay-at-home parents seeking for a rewarding side job to boost their household income Full-time craftsmen who are experts at their craft
Entrepreneurs attempting to diversify their revenue streams
Everyday folks trying to supplement their income via their hobbies
Students in college who want to augment their income
Retirees who enjoy crocheting
THE PROCESS OF BECOMING AN ETSY SELLER
For becoming a vendor on Etsy, there is no lengthy, difficult, or rigorously reviewed procedure. This is fantastic news for artists who want to start selling online.
This, however, implies that fraudsters may quickly set up an account.
The process of opening an Etsy shop is fairly simple. It is as simple as opening an Etsy account, uploading a profile photo and bio, entering payment information, configuring your storefront, and adding listings. Etsy takes each seller through the simple, step-by-step procedure.
WHEN DOES ETSY CANCEL A SELLER'S ACCOUNT?
Even while anybody may join up to sell on Etsy, that does not guarantee that they will always be able to do so. If Etsy detects that a seller account is fraudulent, it will be removed from the marketplace.
Etsy will terminate a seller account if the following conditions are met:
Policy violations on Etsy
There are just too many bad reviews.
Has an excessive number of consumer claims for fraudulent transactions
Ships too many orders late on a regular basis
Receives allegations of copyright infringement or trademark infringement
Has erroneous personal information in their profile, such as their location
Runs up an unpaid Etsy seller fee debt
HOW TO DETERMINE IF AN ETSY SELLER IS LEGIT
How can you identify which merchants are authentic and which are not? You can tell whether someone is a star seller on Etsy by checking through their profile and reading their reviews.
Here are our recommendations for determining whether an Etsy vendor is legitimate:
Examine their vendor profile.
Check out their Etsy feedback.
Examine the caliber of their listing images.
Examine their client service.
CHECK OUT THEIR SELLER PROFILE
The first step in determining the genuineness of Etsy sellers is to properly review their profile. Understanding each seller thoroughly is especially vital if you plan to launch an Etsy affiliate network.
When assessing their profile, check for the following characteristics:
If they are a top seller
How long have they been an Etsy seller?
The amount of sales they have Any store announcements
Important store policies, such as their return policy
Details about the owner
ARE THEY A BESTSELLER?
If a store has the "star seller" emblem, which is a purple star icon, it implies they are an exceptional seller. Making money on Etsy is a process, and a star seller badge indicates that they've mastered it. They provide excellent customer service, routinely receive five-star ratings, fulfill items on schedule, and communicate effectively.
This crucial symbol is yet another approach for vendors to establish trust with their customers. Buyers will feel more safe in the shop from which they are shopping. It indicates that the customer service promises they're making may be trusted since they've been validated by the numerous reviews and sales that have come before them.
HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN AN ETSY SELLER?
The length of time the Etsy seller has been in business is a significant factor to consider. If they've been selling on Etsy for a while, it's more probable that they're a reputable merchant.
While being a new seller isn't generally a bad thing, it's only one factor to consider when judging the vendor's legitimacy.
THE NUMBER OF SALES
The quantity of sales made by an Etsy seller will tell you whether they have a successful track record on the marketplace. If they've been in company for over a year and have only made 5 sales, it might indicate that the quality of their items did not entice any repeat customers.
If, on the other hand, the seller has more than 100 sales and positive feedback, they are most likely a trustworthy store.
However, take in mind that a business may be new to the site, which explains their modest sales volume. It's all about integrating this information with the rest of the stuff we've discussed.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE SHOP
Reading Etsy store announcements is vital since here is where sellers may share company updates.
Typical store announcements include:
Information about current deals or discounts
Product availability updates and temporary store closures
More details on the store and its items
Etsy store announcements also allow you, as a consumer, to assess how active they are as a seller. If they have a professionally selected store introduction, it sets the tone for the great experience you'll have and how seriously they treat their online business from the start.
THE RETURN POLICY
Knowing the return policy before purchasing is critical to keeping safe on Etsy.
Knowing if an item is returnable before making a purchase might provide you with additional peace of mind. Knowing you have the option to return your purchase will make you a more confident customer.
However, not providing returns does not imply that the seller is a fraudster or that Etsy is not legitimate. Sellers, for example, are unlikely to accept returns on items that have been personalized for you.
Another factor to consider before making a purchase is the seller's return policy.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OWNER
Although not all stores will feature this, being able to read further information about the owner might help you feel more confidence when making your purchase. If they include a headshot and a short bio on their seller profile, it further demonstrates their transparency and credibility.
CHECK OUT THEIR ETSY REVIEWS
Is Etsy legitimate? Reading the seller's reviews is part of evaluating the validity of an Etsy account.
Buyers on Etsy, and online consumers in general, have always been brutally honest in their evaluations. This implies that the feedback Etsy shoppers give after their order experience might assist you verify the seller's authenticity before making a purchase.
The overall rating of an Etsy shop is determined by the average of the previous 12 months' sales.
When a buyer goes to post a review for their recent purchase, they will be given a number of questions. Buyers must also complete their review within a certain time frame after receiving the product to ensure that their experience is top of mind.
Among the Etsy reviews are:
A rating based on whether the product's quality fits the description, if the goods came on time, and whether the customer would do business with this seller again.
The buyer wrote freeform text
Photographs shot by the buyer
Etsy store evaluations are especially useful since they frequently include images. This allows you to assess the quality of the things available from the Etsy shop.
Reading unfavorable customer reviews is just as crucial as reading good customer reviews. Positive customer reviews are one method that Etsy sellers increase the exposure of their business, so browse through multiple reviews before making a decision about the seller. You may use your critical thinking abilities to decide whether reviews are genuine.
ETSY REVIEWS FROM THE SELLER'S POV
The seller's side is the opposite side of the Etsy review system.
While some shoppers are scammed on Etsy, other merchants are victimized by unfavorable reviews. The Etsy website understands this, which is why it allows merchants to register complaints about unjust ratings.
Sellers can respond to negative reviews by:
Responding to reviews with three stars or less in order to address the problem openly
Requesting the removal of reviews and images that violate Etsy's regulations. Privately emailing the buyer to address the problem and try to settle it amicably.
Hide photos of their items that are wrongly depicted
An Etsy review is considered a violation of the platform's regulations if it:
annoys the seller
There is spam, vulgarity, and racial statements.
Invades either the seller's or the buyer's privacy.
There is an advertising included.
It is about the Etsy platform, not the individual merchant.
Allowing sellers to openly reply to reviews with three stars or less is also a terrific method for consumers to see how the seller interacts and, ultimately, manages customer service. If a seller replies to an unhappy client calmly, politely, and professionally, it demonstrates that they take their Etsy company seriously.
You may observe how the vendor addresses difficulties directly.
This will give you an indication of how they could handle any problems you may have while purchasing from their business.
Knowing how sellers can respond to unfavorable reviews gives customers a complete knowledge of the Etsy review system. This means that while going through favorable and bad reviews, as well as the seller's answers, you may use your best judgment.
CHECK THE QUALITY OF THEIR LISTING PHOTOS.
Another method to tell if Etsy is legitimate is to look at the quality of the listing images.
If the images are low quality, fuzzy, or look to be false, it might indicate that they do not have the things for sale that they claim to have. They might also be stealing images from another website and utilizing them just for listing shots.
On the other side, some Etsy sellers may have lower-quality photos because they lack a high-quality camera or are unskilled with photography. Knowing what to sell on Etsy can be challenging, and this merchant may be inexperienced at photographing the item.
Here are some factors to consider while analyzing Etsy merchants' listing photos:
Are the images grainy or of poor quality?
How many images are there in each listing?
Do the images look to be stock photos from another source on the internet, or are they their own?
Is the product description consistent with the photographs in the listing?
While the quality of the listing images does not necessarily indicate the genuineness of the Etsy seller, it is an essential factor to consider when making your selection.
EXPERIENCE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE
While you don't want to waste their time or ask needless questions, testing their customer service is sometimes the best method to tell if Etsy is authentic.
For example, if you have a product query that isn't answered in the description or a question regarding product availability, you might contact them and send them a message.
Using their customer service will reveal whether or not there is an active account manager behind the Etsy business.
This will also provide you with an indicator of how fast they will dispatch your purchase. If they don't respond to your message within 1-2 business days, they're probably not regularly maintaining their Etsy seller account, and they're also not likely to send your item fast.
What you actually want to know is if they respond to incoming communications from potential purchasers.
IS ETSY SAFE? HOW TO BE SAFE ON ETSY
As an online shopper, you're wondering if Etsy is legitimate. Yes, Etsy is legitimate and completely secure. You may help protect yourself from possible fraudsters and have a great shopping experience by following the suggestions we mentioned for being secure while buying on the marketplace.