• Etsy

Etsy

Overview

Etsy has a rating of 2.6 stars from 2,462 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Etsy most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and phone number problems. Etsy ranks 35th among Marketplace sites.

Is Etsy legit?

Founded in 2005, Etsy is a legit online marketplace focused on homemade products from close to 2 million sellers. Each seller on Etsy is different, so always read their individual reviews and policies before making an order. Over 2,000 shoppers have reviewed Etsy and advise that since sellers are from all over the world, shipping may sometimes take a while. If you experience issues with a particular seller, Etsy has a customer support team to assist you.

  • Service
    353
  • Value
    328
  • Shipping
    290
  • Returns
    244
  • Quality
    296

This company does not typically respond to reviews

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 14.2%
Positive
16
Neutral
5
Negative
92
205
See all photos

What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

  • The company is great to work with and the customer service was excellent.

Critical highlights

  • ETSY HAS NO phone number or anyway to contact them.
  • Within weeks of buying the items BOTH CREDIT CARDS HAD FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY ON THEM!
How would you rate Etsy?
Top Positive Review

“I like Etsy”

Dan A.
1/25/24

I like Etsy, I buy a lot through it and I recommend it. What I don't like is Etsy not enforcing its own regulations. One such rule says that sellers are not allowed to sell items that mock or demean any group or religion. Several Etsy sellers sell "art" that mocks Christianity. If they sold posters, prints and other items that mocked Islam, for example, you can bet those sellers would get an earful from Etsy.

Top Critical Review

“Etsy is full of fraud and scammers - beware!”

Stuart H.
3/22/24

Etsy is full of fraud and scammers. Their contradictory policies enabled a particular scam but they don't care to fix the problem. They won't refund my money, even though I follower their explicit policy, and they refuse to even make any changes to stop the same scam from continuing. Not to mention the site now flooded with cheap cr*p from overseas. Buyer beware. Avoid.

Reviews (2,462)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Reviews that mention popular keywords

phone number (49) credit card (69) customer service (261) shop owner (42) post office (19)
Thumbnail of user stuartah2
1 review
2 helpful votes
March 22nd, 2024

Etsy is full of fraud and scammers. Their contradictory policies enabled a particular scam but they don't care to fix the problem. They won't refund my money, even though I follower their explicit policy, and they refuse to even make any changes to stop the same scam from continuing. Not to mention the site now flooded with cheap cr*p from overseas. Buyer beware. Avoid.

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Value
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Thumbnail of user angelag2173
1 review
7 helpful votes
January 23rd, 2024

Etsy closed our store without notice, we appealed the decision 21 days ago and we are still waiting for an explanation. This is the worst company to work with, do not use them as a sales platform for your store. The charges are very expensive and there is no customer service at all, not even a phone number to contact them. In addition, they can close your store at any time with no explanation. And there is nothing that you can do, to re-open it.

Service
Thumbnail of user milanv27
1 review
4 helpful votes
January 31st, 2024

I had a seller account on Etsy, everything went well, sold good amount of products in first 2 months of opening my shop. On 25th of December, my account got suspended without any email or message warning. They closed my business just like that. Didn't get any explanation what happened, so today I don't know any reason why they closed it. Try to appeal, with no success. Worst thing is they still owe me over £580 of my money which I made and they still did not pay me. Them customer support is horrendous it's actually non exist as they have only option to send email, but they never respond. Absolute scammers! I advice for sellers to move out of this website, open your own website as ETSY ARE FRAUD.

Service
Thumbnail of user avmholdings8
1 review
1 helpful vote
April 17th, 2024

I recently decided to dip my toes into the world of online selling and thought Etsy would be the perfect platform to showcase my unique designs with print-on-demand. Oh, how wrong I was! My journey with Etsy turned into a nightmare faster than you can say "handmade".

Without any warning or explanation, Etsy decided to suspend my brand-new seller account. I had just set up shop, uploaded my first listing, and eagerly awaited my first sale. I noticed a banner on my shop saying my account was suspended and that they sent an email with details, but I received no such email. When I submitted a case to get more information, they said my account can no longer be reinstated and provided no justification as to why it was suspended in the first place. Etsy provided zero clarity on what I supposedly did wrong. It's like being punished without knowing the crime. I tried to delete my account out of frustration, but I have to pay a listing fee for something that wasn't even live. They also have my personal banking details which I can't seem to delete. Who knows what they might do with that sensitive information? It feels like I'm being held hostage by a platform that couldn't care less about its sellers.

Etsy's lack of transparency and accountability is appalling. It's not just bad business practice; it's downright unethical. My advice to anyone considering selling on Etsy: proceed with extreme caution. Your hard work and livelihood could be jeopardized at the whim of an algorithm or an overzealous moderator. In conclusion, Etsy isn't just a platform for artisans; it' a platform for frustration, disappointment, and feeling utterly helpless. Save yourself the trouble and steer clear of this scam of a website. There are plenty of other, more reputable platforms out there where your talents will be appreciated, and your rights as a seller will be respected. Etsy, you've lost a potential seller (AND BUYER) for life. Shame on you.

Service
Value
Thumbnail of user valorief5
2 reviews
4 helpful votes
December 20th, 2023

I bought four custom coffee cups from Angel City Galleria on Etsy. When they arrived, one cup was much thinner than the others and had lots of scratches. When I contacted the seller, they ignored my request for a discount and refused to address my concerns. I am still waiting to hear from them and Etsy does not provide customer service.

Thumbnail of user jeanclauded8
7 reviews
3 helpful votes
April 27th, 2024

I got caught three times with this shop. If you receive an item that is not what it is supposed to be, it is next to impossible to get return and refund. They represent sellers that have no ethics, and they won't support you in any ways. A wrong item is sent? They let you deal with sellers that will try everything possible to discourage you from asking for refund. You will be asked to take photos, take measurements, and so on, and when you do, they do not refund, they keep asking for more and more information, then your case gets closed! I did sent them photos showing clearly that the item I ordered and the item I received are clearly different; they just insist making the communication more and more complicated to the point you abandon. Fortunately I have a credit card that is solid protecting from fraud, so I finally got refunded, but my friends, this took so much time and effort, thank god I am retired, that the average person would simply abandon. Etsy will not help in the process, they let their suppliers get away with sending bad merchandise and that is it. As long as they make money, they won't support you at all. I will never again buy through this rip off shop. I hope sharing my experience will save people going through the trouble I had to go through. You do not save money buying from this shop, you just buy yourself headaches.

Tip for consumers:
I had first positive experience with them buying a piece of art. Twice it was ok. Then, I received a lousy reproduction made by somebody not even capable of making something close to what they were showing. I shared my last experience with them and all agree to never buy from this bad shop.

Products used:
I bought a pair of leather pants. They sent wrong size, and the pants never looks like what is shown. I sent them a pic of me wearing the pants; a joke! They refused to refund and closed the caee.

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Value
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Thumbnail of user jamesm9814
1 review
4 helpful votes
January 15th, 2024

I've been an Etsy seller for over a year now. Yesterday, I found out that my account was suspended without an explanation.

I've put so much time and effort into my store and building my business from the ground up and suddenly I wake up and it's all gone, without an explanation. This is absolutely heartbreaking and I deserve an apology and an explanation.

Etsy have removed all contact information from their sites and shut down their customer service lines. There is no longer any support for buyers or sellers using Etsy. This is an unethical way of conducting business and I will be pursuing legal action.

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Value
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Thumbnail of user elsv9
1 review
4 helpful votes
October 29th, 2023
Verified purchase

I ordered an article and payed through my bank. Then nothing happened. The article was still in my cart, although my money had disappeared. Etsy is not interested: take it up with the seller. What seller as I apparently never bought anything? And the shop wants to see the confirmation email. What email as I never bought anything, remember? So I lost 60 euro's and nobody takes responsibility. NEVER BUY HERE!

Tip for consumers:
That Etsy takes your money, but no responsibility.

Products used:
Nothing, as they never delivered the article I payed for.

Service
Thumbnail of user petere885
1 review
5 helpful votes
October 4th, 2023
Verified purchase

They cost my family more than $600,000 per year on the unsubstantiated hearsay libel of Mike Rothschild, a hit piece specialist who isn't a good enough writer to get a job as an actual journalist, and is know for always being wrong.

He wrote a fact-free, defamatory hatchet job, emailed it to Etsy's amateur PR staff, who predictably panicked even though less than 59 other people would even read the piece. They removed all my listings, but left up those of my competitors. No reason is ever given since no rules are ever broken.

Tip for consumers:
I provided irrefutable evidence on no less than six occasions proving Rothschild is an idiot who’s out of his league, and that nobody was reading his article anyway. Etsy did more harm by running us off than that hit piece ever would have done had they just ignored it.

Products used:
Their paid selling package. We made Etsy one of the world’s go-to destinations, let us make them millions of dollars for years, then one day some liar says some stupid and nasty things about us, and without even fact-checking Etsy took him at his word. A serial liar.

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Thumbnail of user thomass4152
1 review
6 helpful votes
November 1st, 2023

Etsy closes account permanently without me having violated any rule or giving any explanation. It takes ages to setup a shop, and they just kick you out, withhold outstanding payments for 180 days, sending pre-fabricates messages and obviously bots doing the work. Never again Etsy, and I sold (and do so) on many platforms.

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Thumbnail of user amna.ab375
1 review
3 helpful votes
December 7th, 2023

Absolute waste of time. I worked so hard on my store, had 80+ lisiting and it was doing so well and then out of nowhere, they suspended my store without any notification/communication. There is no way of getting in touch with them because the call back option keeps giving an error message and their is no phone number to call.

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Value
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Quality
Thumbnail of user db1125
2 reviews
4 helpful votes
January 22nd, 2024

WARNING, WARNING, WARNING!
This site is run by a bunch of apathetic people who will remove/deactivate your listing for NO VALID reason other than their own sadistic pleasure, because they can!
They are uneducated and ignorant and their ignorance will effect your goods and your store.
Stay away at all cost!
You were WARNED!

Service
Thumbnail of user clairep266
1 review
3 helpful votes
January 21st, 2024

I would give no stars if that was possible. I have recently started getting into making some little trinkets as gifts and someone suggested i sell on Etsy - so i decided to set up a shop. Before i had even received an email to verify my details they suspended it for 'appearing fraudulent'. - i'm trying to sell handmade cake stands and already have an account with them, so they have all my details. Anyway, I got a message via the legitimate app from someone claiming to be "customer service" who told me that I had to verify my email account and bank details. They then said they needed to verify my bank further by taking a small amount and immediately re-crediting it - and said this money would not actually leave my account. Usually this is an amount of £1 - they took £23.50. It did leave my account. They then said they would send me a request to return the money - and took a further £23.50. They then said "their mistake because they didn't realise what country my bank was in" and to accept another push notification to return both sets of funds. The next request asked for another £23.50 - obviously i refused to accept this as they are now just emptying my account. The so-called technical support advisor accused me of being unco-operative and "drunk" for refusing this and that they are "the most senior because they are the best at their job" and the only person higher than them to talk to would be the CEO. I realised this was a scam due to the vile way I was spoken to by this person and the constant requests for funds and attempted to contact etsy to have this rectified seeing as the scammers are facilitating this via their app. I have been completely ignored and had to go to my bank to have it rectified. I have attempted to follow up with Etsy after receiving a further 2 scam requests via their site in under 24 hours since opening my store, and have again been ignored. Etsy are not doing enough to remove these accounts purporting to be "customer support", "verification" etc despite some of them having sales accounts and followers of their own - while they scam other sellers! This is 100% an AWFUL experience and their support is SO BAD that getting any rectification via the site I am relying on is impossible. Appalling site management across the board.

Thumbnail of user ramons170
1 review
2 helpful votes
March 20th, 2024

Beware of investing time and effort with this platform. You may find at some point that you get banned and it's impossible to find out the reason. All you get is one chance to guess what you may have done wrong and if this fails that's it! Your site is closed forever

Thumbnail of user thesockpanda
2 reviews
3 helpful votes
November 17th, 2023

Interesting how a business that seemed to being a great job can blow it all up.

The last year has shown that they are inconsistent, and dishonest.

As as Seller: They utilize hidden fees for sellers, policies that only impact certain sellers and terrible customer service.

As a buyer: they are basically a dropshipper for Alibaba. 90% of the items seem like they could be bought o Shein or Temu.

Watching them fail is a wild change from their beginnings.

Service
Value
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Thumbnail of user ericaz60
1 review
2 helpful votes
April 25th, 2024

I am not the only one they have done this crap too I was a loyal customer with Etsy since 2017 2023. I decided to be a seller I made about $100 in one year just starting to get business February 2024 they permanently banned my account and suspended it for no reason I've lost money. I was a five star review, everybody loved my products. I did not violate any of their policies and they basically stole money even though my account was suspended and permanently banned from making any other accounts. They still had my information and was still charging my card every month. Etsy is a huge scam. Don't waste your time or energy with them, there is no customer support. They don't care about you. They just want your money and they will steal your information and make other accounts to have people get scammed with. They need to be sued and shut down.

Thumbnail of user lisaz9
5 reviews
20 helpful votes
December 5th, 2023

I recently had my identity stolen. During this time someone opened a shop using my name. The store was suspended. I attempted to open a new account and was rejected due to, the impersonators antics. I have sent more than a dozen emails to customer service trying to explain my dilemma. They have refused to answer.

Tip for consumers:
w awful customer service is. How they can suspend an account without explanation.

Products used:
I was selling dried wildflower art hangings.

Service
Value
Shipping
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Thumbnail of user bilalb35
1 review
3 helpful votes
November 11th, 2023

ETSY IS SCAMMER

I was working on Etsy last 3 years and last two weeks ago Etsy suspended my account for no Reason they didn't send me any warning email directly suspended my account and next day emailed me. Has done a violation for the past three years I've been using it never did anything like that I followed their policy carefully and they suspended my account I appealed my appeal was rejected The guy named Freddy They have cheated me of 14,000 euros. I made the products and sent to my customer. My expenses were incurred. They refunded the money to the customer and my product also reached the customer. Then I went from Italy to Ireland to their office in Dublin. There was a person named Muhammad Sanaullah. He did not open the door, but I told him everything, he said call the customer center, I made so many phone calls, Etsy didn't pick my call. This is a huge fraud, Etsy is a scammer these people wasted my three years of hard work in a minute I request all of you please never to do business with Etsy, ebay and Amazon is better than Etsy, they don't cheat you like Etsy

Service
Value
Thumbnail of user debrac1753
1 review
2 helpful votes
February 16th, 2024

The worse customer service ever. Will never buy from them again. Everytime I try to contact them, I get a out of office message. Will never buy from them again.

Tip for consumers:
There is no way to dispute with Etsy. You are stuck. Do not buy from Etsy.

Products used:
Received a mailbox without the post. They said later that it didn't come with the post. I tried to order the post and all I receive is an out of office message. Now I need to return it but Etsy won't help. I have to deal with the seller who won't answer any of my messages. Totally annoyed.

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Thumbnail of user dales759
3 reviews
4 helpful votes
December 25th, 2023

Received a GIFT purchased on etsy.com that was broken, there were no assembly instructions, and there was no contact information. Can't locate product on etsy.com. Can't leave review unless I create an account on etsy which I DO NOT want to do. This business is NOT customer-oriented. I recommend that people go somewhere else to buy products!

Tip for consumers:
Recommendations: make it easier to leave a review for a GIFT that was purchased on etsy; make it easier to locate a product on the company website that was purchased from etsy; provide a way for recipients of items purchased from etsy.com to contact the company regarding any problems with the product/delivery.

Products used:
Can't. It is broken.

Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user elsac110
2 reviews
5 helpful votes
November 28th, 2023

I made a purchase from an Etsy vendor, paid via paypal, but within four hours, Etsy sent me an email that stated the vendor was no longer in buisness. They issued a refund, but I have yet to see it. Etsy help line is a joke. Their solution for resolution regarding the refund from a vendor who willingly took my money, but closed the shop down immediately after. I shop on Etsy because of their fraud protection plan, but it too seems to be an figment of my imagination. It doesn't make sense why Etsy would help me by telling me to contact a business that stole my money, closed down the business, and their is no further information to contact them available? So I opened a claim with etsy regarding my refund. A claim was opened and supposedly refunded, but I have yet to see it. I am very unlikely to shop etsy again. And that is a shame.

Thumbnail of user rooa
1 review
2 helpful votes
February 13th, 2024

I received an incorrect chocolate bouquet from a seller in Maryland who is all about making chocolate/candy bouquets. I ordered a Reese's chocolate bouquet "explosion" and was incorrectly sent a candy "explosion". I left a 1-star review explaining the situation. Leaving a review is standard in most other industries to get things corrected. Instead, the seller got ahold of my personal email and said "I wish you had reached out before leaving us a 1-star review. We will ship a new bouquet on Monday to arrive Wednesday. If you could update your review once you receive this new bouquet, we would very much appreciate it". By the time this replacement bouquet reached my location, the occasion would have passed. Therefore, I declined. The seller was also trying to perform review manipulation, which is against Etsy policy. The seller should have refunded my money immediately but did not. I wanted to report this misbehavior.

Not only was Etsy's customer service number deactivated, but I could also not start a case independent of the seller. I should be able to reach out to Etsy privately and separately instead of having to go through the seller again. Seller was petty, rude, and unprofessional. The last thing I wanted to do was reach back out to see if they refunded my order.

Buyers have as much, if not more agency than sellers. Etsy fails to see that. Etsy has thousands of shop owners (which are not regulated) and you need to have a proper method of escalating issues. Making incorrect or low-quality orders right should not be in the hand of sellers who value dollars over their customers.

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Thumbnail of user janeb651
4 reviews
10 helpful votes
October 2nd, 2023
Verified purchase

Paid $105.47 a year ago for Kantha quilts from this seller. Never received order. Two months of correspondence with "Java Devi" at LaressaGifts yielded series of lame excuses (e.g., it's a FedEx problem, a festival holiday, mother in hospital, etc.). No package or refund.

Trying to file complaint on ETSY site, both then and now, led to automatic electronic responses, round robins, and dead ends. It also directed me to PayPal, which responded with irrelevant robot statements.

In fairness, I have been satisfied with most ETSY purchases. However, I will not be using the site again, having discovered this lack of customer service in case of fraud.

Products used:
My ratings apply to one fraudulent seller: "Java Devi" at LaressaGifts on ETSY.

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Thumbnail of user linda.v
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
September 24th, 2023

It takes way too long to ship. The owners of the companies don't Ever respond when you have a question about your order. The quality is not great. I ordered several things at one time hoping they would come in before our disney trip. They pretty much ruined that because they did not come in and would not return them or respond. There is no help for the buyer whatsoever. I would definitely recommend not using ETSY for your purchases.

Tip for consumers:
They are terrible with their customer service. I will never use etsy ever again to purchase anything.

Products used:
None they all came in too late.

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Thumbnail of user amyg1824
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
December 21st, 2023

Etsy allows crooked sellers (I bought a t-shirt from BajilstoreID, was sent the wrong shirt but seller refused to exchange for what I actually ordered). Etsy customer service is a joke. They did NOTHING about a seller who is difficult (being kind) and will refuse to ever correct HER mistakes. Etsy did NOTHING in spite of a detailed description of what happened and photos of the shirt I ordered and what the seller sent who asked me to "please understand." Excuse me? WTF? Who does that when they make a mistake? AVOID ETSY and BAJOLSTOREID! Morons.

Tip for consumers:
I only want to say BajolstorID rips people off, etc. and Etsy allows this because they will do nothing on the buyer’s behalf. Their reviews are well-deserved.

Products used:
I was stuck with a t-shirt that the store (BajolstoreID) sent wrongly and would not exchange. This shirt may never be worn but probably given away.

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From the business

Etsy is a marketplace for buying and selling crafts, handmade and vintage goods, as well as art and craft supplies. Etsy is a private company based in Brooklyn, New York and has raised more than $90 million as of May 2013.

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user alisas27
Alisa S.
Typically does not respond to reviews

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