What Is Etsy?
What exactly is Etsy?
Etsy is essentially a marketplace of custom, crafted goods that facilitates the connection of sellers and buyers. The main focus of Etsy is handmade and vintage items, like clothing, jewelry, home decor, greeting cards, and more.
The company describes its global marketplace as “home to a universe of special, extraordinary items.” Their mission is to keep the human connection at the heart of e-commerce and to help talented sellers turn ideas into successful businesses.
Many Etsy.com reviews rave about vintage items and unique factory-made items sold on the site. Often you can find things on Etsy that aren’t sold anywhere else. You also will find multiple categories to shop from.
On Etsy’s website, you can browse popular categories, such as:
- Jewelry & Accessories
- Clothing & Shoes
- Home & Living
- Wedding & Party
- Toys & Entertainment
- Art & Collectibles
- Craft Supplies
- Vintage
You might be wondering, “Is Etsy legit?” or “Is Etsy safe?” since anyone can sell products on the site — meaning you’re buying from an individual rather a large company that’s mass manufacturing items.
Etsy.com has been on the web since 2005 and currently has 2.3 million active sellers and 42.7 million active buyers. The site offers over 60 million items for sale.
Its headquarters are located in Brooklyn, NY, but it also has offices in eight additional locations around the world, including the cities of San Francisco, Dublin, Paris, London, and New Delhi.
In answering the question, “Is Etsy legit?” the answer is, yes. Etsy is a legit website. The more important question should be, “Is Etsy safe?” and can you trust the sellers you’re doing business with there?
This Etsy review will take a close look at the Etsy sellers, who are often found at the center of Etsy scams.
Who Sells Products on Etsy?
Many negative Etsy reviews online stem from buyers with complaints about sellers. Several Etsy reviews mention products of poor quality that differ from the descriptions or photos provided on the site by the sellers.
Other Etsy complaints state that products did not arrive within the promised time frame. One theme is common among these Etsy complaints: the Etsy seller does not always deliver as promised and some of them have “no refund” policies, making it impossible to return an item.
So, why are Etsy sellers at the center of several Etsy complaints? It could be due to the fact that almost anyone can sell on Etsy.
Do you crochet? Do you create handmade teacups? Do you build unique furniture pieces? If your answer is “Yes” then, most likely, you can sell on Etsy. The site is meant to offer a way for artisans to earn money, but unscrupulous sellers can also take advantage of it.
Many Etsy sellers are honest entrepreneurs with their own businesses while others like to sell items as a hobby to make some extra cash. Many are exceptional craftsmen who find that selling through an online forum is the best way to expand their business.
Other Etsy sellers, unfortunately, create Etsy scams. These are often the ones who cause buyers to write negative Etsy.com reviews.
Many Etsy reviews claim that Etsy does not screen its sellers. This is true. To start selling on Etsy, you simply have to register as a seller.
In Etsy’s defense, we did find some seller complaints about Etsy closing their shop after they’ve received too many negative customer reviews. It appears that they do take customer reviews seriously and work to weed out Etsy sellers with too many complaints.
The Etsy Review System
One way you can tell if a seller is safe to shop with is by looking at their Etsy reviews. The website has its own shop review system in place and this brings many advantages for both sellers and buyers.
This Etsy review will take a closer look at the review system to help answer the question, “Is Etsy a legit site?” A legit review system can be crucial to understanding the answer and providing more transparency to buyers before making a purchase.
How Does a Buyer Leave a Review on Etsy?
The Etsy review system encourages buyers to rate their transactions with sellers based on the following criteria:
- Does the product’s quality match what was described or expected?
- Did the product arrive within the stated time frame?
- Would you do business again with this seller?
A buyer can use the 5-star Etsy review system either on Etsy.com or the Etsy mobile app to award a star rating between 1 to 5 for the product and seller and also leave further comments regarding their experience.
While the Etsy review system will automatically attach a picture of the purchased item, customers also have the option to attach their own picture when leaving a 5-star review.
What About Etsy Reviews from a Seller’s Standpoint?
There are two sides to every coin — and sellers on Etsy have access to Etsy reviews left by their customers. This introduces the question, “Is Etsy safe to buy from with this Etsy review system in place?” That depends.
Sellers do have options available to address Etsy complaints put through the Etsy.com reviews system using the following methods:
- Hide photographs that the seller feels do not accurately reflect the product (
- Report photographs that the seller feels might be in violation of Etsy policies
- Reply privately to the reviewer to ask about their issue
- Respond publicly to an Etsy review of 3 stars or less on their reviews page
- Request removal of reviews if they violate Etsy’s policies
It’s important to note that when a seller responds to a buyer’s review publicly, the reviewer can no longer edit their review or rating, even if the seller deletes their response later, and the buyer can’t respond on the seller review page.
The Etsy reviews and ratings that are listed on a seller’s page are displayed from the past 12 months, and a star rating reflects the average over just that period. Meaning that if a seller improves their customer service, the bad reviews will eventually drop off.
What does this mean for buyers on Etsy? Does this mean that Etsy reviews shouldn’t be trusted? Is Etsy safe?
Let’s take a closer look at how Etsy sellers can access Etsy reviews from their customers.
Responding to Etsy Reviews
Although an Etsy seller has the ability to refute written reviews of 3 stars or less, and then stop the buyer from editing their original review, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Just like buyers, sellers should have the ability to address –and potentially resolve– a negative customer experience, both privately and publicly.
In this regard, Etsy does a good job at keeping multiple channels of communication open, both with private messaging and with the public Etsy review forum.
Sellers can only respond to a review once, so after that, any communication will have to be moved to their private messaging system. This promotes a thoughtful response and hopefully one aimed at resolving the buyer’s problem.
