After a few good experiences with Etsy sellers I took a chance and ordered a costly dream item. I paid for insurance ofcourse as it would have to be sent to Europe. It did not arrive. The seller never responded to my repeated convo's. Etsy couldn't help. It took me months to save for that. After that I have been loath to risk such an amount again.

overall i have had good experiences as a buyer and a seller (though i no longer sell there now after all of the privacy changes and resellers being allowed to peddle their mass produced crap). however, one time i spent $30 on bath and body products which never arrived and the seller never responded to convos... hundreds of negative feedback were left for the seller thereafter; obviously i wasn't the only one. the profile was changed to say something about family emergency, but now a year later i never heard back and was never able to do anything. unfortunately i paid outside of paypal at the seller's request so i had no recourse. NEVER AGAIN!!! i do believe etsy eventually closed the shop, but not before thousands of dollars were sent to this seller who made off like a bandit. etsy does not do enough to protect its buyers and will rarely respond to requests for mediation or for closing a shop that violates TOU.

you should post the seller's name so we can know to beware

MyAliya: I think the clue is in the picture and the source credited for the picture.

I've become very disenchanted with Etsy. All the poor quality Chinese goods pawned off as handmade or vintage. All the knit/crochet stuff not even resembling the picture :-(
You have to sift through so much garbage to find something that might be worth while, and then hope it's actually as described.
Oh, and the time I ordered a sheet music book that had shapes cut out of the pages. I took it up with the seller and she replied "I said "as is"" *sigh* The next day she was selling sheet music shape cut outs for $3 each.

i've bought dozens upon dozens of things on etsy and only had one bad experience, but oh boy was that experience bad. no product, no refund, and the woman finally went MIA. luckily it wasn't an expensive purchase and was literally the only remotely bad purchase i've made on etsy in years and years now.

I haven't done an enormous amount of shopping on Etsy but so far I've had really good experiences (including two international purchases). I had some very poor experiences on eBay until they instituted a 'your purchase is protected' policy. Etsy really should have a similar policy to protect buyers and a method to hold sellers accountable.

As for the cookies, a box can arrive looking perfect but if the interior wasn't padded perfectly and the cookies divided from each other they can/will break during the ordinary shipping process, I've shipped decorated cookies to friends for their events and it took me awhile to pack properly to ensure 99% would arrive safely (individually wrap cookies and lots of bubble wrap for cushioning - absolutely nothing should touch each other or move inside the box when you shake it). I really don't think I'd ever order food by mail unless it was from a reputable brick and mortar shop or food purveyor who checks those things. After all, most Etsy folks are making items in their own home, how do I know if their kitchen meets the basic standards for cleanliness?

It's really frustrating as a seller, too, because the resellers have become so prolific that they're always on the front page. There are bad sellers out there, but then there are a few of us honest ones who try our best and work our hardest and still the package gets lost in the mail.

When I first started selling on Etsy, I wanted a custom logo/banner for my shop. I searched through a number of sellers, read feedback, looked at their buyers shops to see the logos they'd created, etc., and finally decided on someone. I made my purchase, paid for the service, sent a convo with some basic idea of what I wanted and then waited. And waited. And waited. I finally got a "first draft" from the seller (which sucked) and sent back a convo saying, "No, this really isn't what I'm after."

I think at some point I noticed on the shop announcement that the seller was dealing with family issues. So I tried to be patient. I convoed a couple more times, no response. I finally asked for the seller to cancel the sale and refund my money--well she cancelled the sale but never refunded my money. Because I'd waited so long (since it was a custom item) I was past the time to file a complaint with Paypal or with my credit card company. I was out more than $100 with no recourse. I contaced Etsy and they communicated with the seller and eventually closed the shop, but I never got my money back.

I know that many sellers want money up front for custom orders but I don't think I would ever be willing to do a custom order and pay 100% up front again. 50% to pay for materials? Fine. But 100%? No. Never again.

The real problem with etsy is the feedback system. No one leaves honest feedback. Sellers flip out if you leave even neutral feedback and there is great pressure to be positive or leave none at all. I have started looking at # of sales versus # of feedbacks given as a possible clue. That said, I have had no trouble ordering a lot of simple, off-the-shelf things, but when I have ordered complex, costly, or custom items...um, never again. And, when I left negative feedback which I very carefully worded to be true to the experience and not just a slam? Let's just say I had to block sender after the emails I got...

GregoryRoad, what a terrible experience and it makes me sad to hear that. As a freelance graphic designer, I think it is bad practice on the Etsy seller's shop. A deposit up front is all you need, not 100%, although I think dealing through Etsy can make that process difficult as there is a charge to the seller per item listed.

I'm sure you're beyond this point now, but in the future, I would ask your local sign shop (a place that prints banners, if that is what you're looking for) to recommend a local designer. Having worked at one of those shops in my early design days, I would not recommend having your design done there as it can be overpriced or more expensive per hour than a freelance designer. Many shops are happy to suggest someone, if they have a contact to give out, hoping that you'll come back to their shop to have your design printed (not to mention they normally don't leave much time for their designers to spend a lot of time on a single project... at least was my experience).

I had an experience similar to hikatie. Luckily the item I ordered was small and inexpensive. I never received the item, never a response to my convo, and then (since I was checking frequently for a response) learned that the shop was closed without an explanation. I apparently wasn't the only person stuck in that situation as much negative feedback was being left by other customers in the same boat. There was some comfort in knowing that I wasn't unique in getting ripped off by that person, but still a bummer (and out of that $ - too late for a refund through paypal).

The only problem I've had with a seller is a quality issue with some perfume oils. The feedback was 100% positive, so I was surprised to receive oils that had the consistency of water, smelled nothing like the fragrances they were suppose to smell like, and lost their smell very rapidly. I messaged the seller, whose response was essentially that I was the only person who had ever complained about her product, so the problem must be me, not the product. I never bought from her again, but I didn't leave feedback because I didn't want to hurt her 100% rating. I wonder now how many other people had the same issue and same reluctance to damage her reputation?

i agree with that feedback isn't reliable but really is the only think one has to go on to judge a seller. i try to buy local even when using etsy. i've had all positive experiences so far.
feedback/reviews, whether on etsy, ebay, amazon or whatever is a tricky thing. so many folks are chicken to leave honest info for fear of damaging someone's standing meanwhile others either have an ax to grind or are being paid to leave bogus +feedback. grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

awhile back a post was made on thekitchn regarding "keep calm and have a cupcake" prints. i - like many, many others - placed an order with that seller. to my knowledge, i'm one of the only people to receive my order....6 months after the purchase was made. the item was originally purchased for someone who died before i could give it to her. the couple handling that Etsy store knew this, but ignored my emails requesting my item arrive sooner.

i haven't been burned since, but i'm much, much more careful about my purchases. it wasn't an expensive item but dang, communication would have been nice!

I have had really great experiences on Etsy. I think you can find a lot of really unique things that for the most part, are made by honest creative folk who will go out of their way to make a special order or to ensure good customer service. My only somewhat negative transaction was recently when I something I ordered finally arrived a month after I'd paid for it, and inside was some religious propaganda. It was late and it totally annoyed me that on top of that I was being proselytized to. I have yet to leave feedback for this person because I'm not sure what to say.... as one person stated, it seems you only leave positive feedback or just don't leave feedback at all.

So far I've had all good experiences with sellers that I've bought from. One lady couldn't find the item I ordered, but immediately refunded. She found it a year later and sent it to me all free, which was super nice! You have to be smart about what your buy...read reviews.

The cookie mishap is bad, but I don't think the seller should have been reliable to return the money. She clearly noted what her polices were and had good feedback, so it was probably just a postman's mistake. The seller can't control that. However, she could have offered insured shipping. Then both persons would have been safe.

I am a seller too and have had bad experiences with customers. Several never paid or responded to messages, so I had to contact Etsy to re-list the item. Another lady clearly didn't read the description and blamed me that it wasn't what she thought it was. Those are the only times though.

Etsy should have a buyer policy though! More people would probably shop though them if they did!

It's not that nice to claim that she 'swindled' the money. I don't think that would be someone's intent who took a bunch of time to make cookies like that! It just sounds like it was a mistake of the mailing service.

I've never had a problem with a seller, although I do have issue with some of the shipping charges people use. It's crazy, when I know for a fact that it doesn't cost that much to ship. I ordered something, 10.95 shipping (which I knew was too much). When I got it, label said 2.65 postage and it was wrapped in newspaper and in a craft envelope that cost about 1.00. They made over 5.00 profit on the shipping alone.

i forgot to mention that i also experienced a problem with proselytizing... i ordered some makeup that i was very excited about, and would have re-ordered from the seller if there wasn't scripture all over the packaging. i wish she'd warned me or i wouldn't have bothered or wasted the money, i would have found another seller who respects their customers more than that.

Gypsygoth, I think I bought from the same person. Fortunately, I hadn't ordered much, but it definitely made me more reticent to click that PayPal button before I heard from the seller...

i've had really great experiences on Etsy.. even ordering from an artist in Italy to ship here to MS. Not so great on eBay. eBay is a bunch of knock offs, while if you actually pay attention to the artist on etsy, their reviews, pictures and ad in general i think you'll be okay. always good to have an attention to detail when purchasing anything, especially online.

As a seller on Etsy, I believe it is my responsibility to make things right, regardless of whether or not something was damaged or lost in shipment. What I may lose in income, I gain back in customer good will.

I've had many more positive experiences on etsy than bad ones, but of course the bad one sitcks in my mind. I ordered a lip tint, because the one I had previously bought was running out. I loved the stuff, but it just never arrived. They said they sent it again and it never arrived again. They refunded the $, which is great but I really wanted that lip tint! Haha.

And as a sidenote, I always refund the money if an item arrives broken, it just means I didn't pack it well enough (it's only happened once thank goodness).

Almost all of my experiences on Etsy have been very positive but I've become very careful about buying jewelry. You can easily be fooled by a great photographer into thinking you're buying a well made piece but after a couple of purchases leaving me extremely disappointed I now look closely at the materials and won't buy anything that doesn't have multiple images to view from. That's always frustrating for me because it's not the seller's fault. I recently ordered a small "gold" ring. Due to the price, I assumed it was real gold - it wasn't. It tarnished the first day I wore it and while I thought it was a solid piece it turned out the seller had glued a small tin charm onto an adjustable metal ring. Very sad - it's a cute ring, just not worth the listing price at all.

I've bought about 6 or 7 things and have had wonderful experiences each time. Last time, a shirt shrunk after washing (more than I thought was reasonable) and they promptly sent me a new one in a bigger size without any hassle.
I haven't had to do it, but I wouldn't hesitate to leave less than positive feedback if a seller didn't address any concerns I had. and I read the negative feedback of any seller, even if it's just 1%, before buying anything.

Perfect timing! I'm in the middle of trying to get my money back from a seller who hasn't responded to my communication attempts since placing the order two weeks ago.

I emailed her. Nothing.
I opened a non-delivery report. Nothing.

I want to order a similar item from someone else, but not until I'm sure I get my money back, which means I'll arrive sans present to a birthday party. It's kind of ruining my week :(

This is also her first negative review from hundreds of sales, so you just never know what kind of service you'll get -- you could be the .1% who gets screwed over by a seller who everyone else loves.

Also, don't be afraid to leave negative feedback!

Just pretend you're a lawyer when you write it -- keep it dispassionate and to the facts and it will come off harsher and scarier-sounding than if you unloaded a bunch of expletives!

Phrases like "unprofessional conduct" or "neglect to reciprocate communication" strike fear in the hearts of online merchants.

A couple people have said they had a bad experience but didn't leave negative feedback because most/all of the other reviews were positive. I wonder how many people have had negative experiences but not said anything because they didn't want to rock the boat? It's entirely possible that these weren't one-off happenings, but if no one's willing to say anything, they'll keep on happening.

Honestly I would never order something like cookies from Etsy. Read the shop policies too.

Hmm looks like that Etsy seller account no longer exists.

I recently purchased an bundle of 4 handmade/sewn children's items. It took a month to receive said items, which wasn't as big of an issue as they didn't perform as stated. When I contacted the seller with the problems I was having, looking for guidance as I really wanted the items to work, she got really defensive and hostile. Through our conversations it became very apparent that she had not researched the product she put into her end product...but expected me, the buyer, to do the research myself. Huh? Why would I doubt a seller's word when they have 100% positive feedback?

Since I was getting nowhere fast, a friend suggested I contact PayPal for help, since that's whom I paid through. The end result was in my favor and I'm just waiting for the money to hit my account before I go in and provide my straight forward, very professional feedback. No one should be bullied by this seller again.

This was my first purchase through Etsy, I had just wishfully window shopped previously, and unfortunately it was quite a poor experience. But I do have to say that working with PayPal was great, and their people were most helpful.

I was about to go to PayPal for a non-delivery and a seller who wasn't answering emails when I finally heard back.

It turned out that my shipping address (my office) wasn't an official PayPal address for me (or something like that), so the seller didn't want to ship it "for my protection."

Now, I don't use PayPal terribly often and had no idea how this works. Even though later I did find that the seller had warned to check this setting in her directions, since I've had every PayPal purchase I've ever made shipped to that address, as far as I knew it was just peachy.

When she had finally responded and explained, I sent her a polite email pointing out that not everyone uses PayPal as often as Etsy sellers do, so you can't expect them to know this, but that on top of that, ignoring repeated inquiries about any purchase for days is incredibly unprofessional.

Well I got a scathingly condescending email back (think of the tone you would take if you were explaining the internet to your grandma). I didn't hesitate to write bad feedback about her service and attitude -- I can't say that I understand this mentality of not writing back feedback because the seller's other feedback is good!

I think it's odd the seller didn't offer ANY kind of help, but I would never expect her to offer a full refund for cookies. Pottery, perhaps.

If the cookies were clearly not packaged correctly, that is one thing. But there is honestly only so much one can do - once the package goes out, it is truly out of their hands. I feel like completely blaming the seller is extremely unfair. You, nor I, nor the seller knows what happens during shipment. It's impossible to predict. Perhaps the buyer should have asked specifically what the seller's packaging methods were and even requested their own preferred methods.

I live in Europe, and as a crafter myself, I shop on Etsy primarily for supplies. I had several non-delivered items. For two of them I never had a reply from a seller on my repeated inquires about my purchased items. Eventually both shops were closed without explanation. It was not a big financial issue, but I wanted those trinkets!
Some other sellers were very kind. When packages didn't arrive, they kindly sent other shipment with the same/similar product on their own cost, or refunded the money.
I have some problems with people stating the "everywhere else" shipping, and then, after I pay for items, contacting me that they don't ship overseas. They all refunded me the money, but I really, really, REALLY hate when that happens. (not to mention that I'm loosing money with each transaction, due to currency conversion).
On the other hand, some sellers that stated ridiculously small shipping for the rest of the world, sent me my purchase on their own loss. When package arrives, I always check shipping cost, and refund the difference via PayPal. I think it's fair, those people sell things for a living.

I've learned the hard way to make sure the seller has a return policy. I bought some lockets from a seller and was very disappointed with the quality once I received them. I kindly asked to return them and she got very nasty and said she didn't do returns. She then immediately cancelled the order so I wasn't able to give feedback.

The feedback system is definitely faulty if sellers can cancel orders when they find out someone may leave them negative feedback.

I have had many great experiences though!

As an Etsy seller I always want a customer to be satisfied with my items!

I did have one bad experience that was ultimately resolved in my favor. I ordered a print from a seller whose blog I also followed. In her blog she mentioned that she was working to find a new print shop and so print orders would be delayed. She was also in the process of buying the farm she'd been renting and so was understandably busy. I waited until 3 months had gone by with no direct contact from her. I wrote to her a number of times (both through the Etsy site and via her email) and still had no reply and no print. It was too late to apply for a refund through PayPal so I reported her to Etsy. Ultimately she sent me a note saying she would not be able to send the print and she refunded my money. Her shop has since been shut down by Etsy.

I had a few good experiences but the last one I had really was upsetting I purchased a hand made light fixture for $200 only to find out that the light bulbs on the fixture continuously fell off due to only gluing them on with a hot glue gun. She refused to take the fixture back even after it almost hit my studio manager's baby when one of the blubs shattered onto my table where he was sitting on her lap! I took it down immediately and got a new fixture from someone on CL for $40 and it looks better then the one I paid $200 for!

Oh in regards to the negative feedback.. etsy doesnt make it easy to leave feedback or reach out to them as a company when a seller has been at fault for a product or customer service.. I tried at least 4 times to leave negative feedback on my experience and was unable to do so and gave up!

My sister ordered bridesmaids dresses off Etsy for her back-yard wedding. They looked great online, but the real-life versions were not true-to-size, had seams in funny places, and were more a flop than a success. They made it through the day, but the quality wasn't what it should have been nor what it was promoted as being.

I actually went back to look at feedback I'd left because I couldn't remember. I think I've had overwhelmingly positive experiences on Etsy and when they're bad, it's usually an Etsyian who is a little green and doesn't understand customer service. The few custom orders I've had done (soaps for a baby shower, a custom tie clip) were exactly what I'd asked for.

I almost forgot about this one - such great customer service:

"Super awesome seller - These shoes, although they looked perfect as far as I (and the seller) could tell, fell apart upon first wear. Vintage is usually as-is but deborahjeanvintage was amazing about the whole experience when I contacted them and *offered* a refund. So nice and I would definitely buy from them again! Super friendly and I wish there was a Really-Positive option here!"

I wouldn't hesitate to leave bad feedback for the people who are bad at their businesses though!

I'm an avid Etsy shopper and have luckily never had a problem. I don't purchase things that I consider "risky" like clothing, shoes, food or any custom. If I were to purchase a custom item I would make sure the seller would send me updated pictures of the item in progress. I also stick to the old adage "if it seems to good to be true then it probably is".

I've had dozens of wonderful etsy experiences and only one negative experience. I spent 20 dollars on bath craft supplies and, after a week with no package sent, I messaged the seller asking if the item had been shipped. The seller apologized and said their had been a family emergency and that the item would be shipped immediately. A couple weeks later? No package. After many additional attempts to contact the seller with absolutely no response, I reported them to both etsy and paypal.

BUT, this is only one bad experience among many wonderful ones. I am still an avid etsy fan and am very grateful for the what the company has done for small businesses everywhere.

Etsy and Ebay these days have, frankly, bizarrely protective policies surrounding their feedback systems. Individual sellers need to be just as responsible as large companies that open themselves up to frank reviews over the internet and through independent consumer reports everyday. It shouldn't be about business protection -it should be about consumer protection. But everyone needs to understand that for etsy and ebay, it is about customer protection -meaning THEIR customers (the SELLERS). Keep this in mind.

most of the experiences i've had on etsy have been beyond positive. however the most negative experience i've had has also been the most recent. about a month ago, i found a le creuset skillet at a ridiculously cheap price, but the cost of shipping was not included in the listing. i initiated a convo asking what the shipping on it would be. i waited about a week or so, with no response, but the item was still available so i sent a second convo. another week later, and i finally received a response saying that she had been out of town, and that she would have an answer for me the next day. another few days go by, with no answer, and i'm like eff it, apparently they don't take this store seriously enough to check their email and respond in a timely manner. so two days ago, i was just casually checking my favorites and noticed that the skillet had been sold. that pisses me off because i probably would have bought the skillet at the beginning had i known the shipping cost upfront, which most seller provide within the listing. so i wrote the seller a note saying that maybe she should reconsider having an etsy shop and that if i had the ability to give feedback (since i didn't actually buy anything, i couldn't), it would definitely be negative.

my other negative experience was as a new buyer. i bought a pair of earrings and it took more than a month for them to arrive, which i thought was waaay too long. i gave the seller a neutral rating and explained in the comments that i absolutely loved the earrings, but i thought they took too long to ship. well, that pissed ms. lady off. she gave me a negative rating and 'explained' to me that ratings should be based on the merchandise alone and not on any other factor (which is bullshit).

I've only used Etsy once, for a hair fascinator that I wore during my wedding, but here are my observations from reading the above comments:

There seems to be a disconnect between customers' expectations of sellers and sellers' perceptions of their own business. Nowadays customers (understandably) expect online sellers to be responsible with their money and as professional as a corporate retailer. They want sellers to deliver what they say they will, when they say they will. On the other hand, sellers are often selling as a part-time gig or even as a hobby, and they expect customers to give leeway for personal matters like moving, family vacations, etc. Would you give a retailer your money if it couldn't fill orders due to a headquarters move or an emergency in the CEO's family? No way. From what I've read, the full-time sellers take it much more seriously than the on-the-siders. When the two parties expect different things from the same transaction, someone will be unsatisfied.

Yes on petworthy's comment.

Etsy sellers who truly make things by hand/have limited runs are selling on a low profit margin and generally cannot just resend something handmade. In the case of a print, if they can't find a print shop to do the work for the right price, there won't be a print. These are not multinationals with loads of resources at their fingertips, and as a buyer you should understand that before making a purchase.

Yikes. I had no idea so many people were having problems with etsy. I have purchased many times before without any real issues.

I won't buy handmade children's clothing again. I know how to sew...well. But usually I sew as if the devil was at the door. And seriously, if I wanted cheapo fabrics and shoddy construction and "designs" thatare horrible for a child to wear I would do it myself. I never returned any of them (the more expensive stuff, was in fact nice) but I probably would now.

I did return one handmade child's toy and received a full refund. The blocks were engraved with teeny tiny print and suitable for display only. I wanted a toy. No problem with the seller and I've bought from them before and would buy from them again.

I've had only good experiences with Etsy, however, several of my friends have had trouble with unreliable sellers.
I ALWAYS use pay pal. If a seller doesn't like using it, I consider it a red flag that there might be other areas where they are difficult to work with.
Join the community message boards and teams. This is a great way to make contact with sellers who are active and dedicated to the etsy mission.

Ingedesign is right, I too, am a seller on Etsy. If a customer has a problem with an item I refund their money.

Anyone buying from an Etsy store should ask questions if there is even a little doubt. Many times you can tell from the seller's response (or lack of response) if you should be dealing with that shop. Another clue if the item is truly handmade is to look at the quantity of items posted. 400 "handmade," cheap looking items probably means a reseller, not the artist themselves. Read the seller's profile too, you can tell a lot about the shop from these clues.

Always go through Paypal. Always.

I have ordered many items, from household/kitchen to clothing and have always had satisfactory experiences over the years, even with many international sellers. I do take care to check feedback, comments, shipping prices, and item descriptions carefully - just as I do on eBay. I had one package arrive but with only one of the item in it. The box was crushed and wrapped in plastic by the post office. The seller gave me a full refund and I advised her to use a private shipping service. I left the seller neutral feedback with an explanation of how the seller reimbursed me for the lost item, and the situation was resolved. I HAVE sadly noticed an increase of poorly made items and trash trying to be passed as vintage, though.

I've bought from Etsy for years and had nothing but awesome transactions... Up until I decided that, rather than wait years before I have the time to make my own roman blinds, I should pay someone else to do it. Unfortunately, this entailed buying $200 worth of organic cotton and having it sent to the seller. Months later, she still hadn't completed the blinds. Reading her feedback revealed that she was probably a very talented seamstress (many good reviews) with a penchant for madness (a handful of *insane* stories of her unresponsiveness/hostility/dishonesty). Sure enough, as soon as I inquired about my shades, she lashed out and said I was an impatient *%$#. Oof! She cancelled the order, but refused to send back the fabric or refund me for its value. Etsy support was kind and sympathetic, but their ultimate policy is that you shouldn't send materials to a seller. So that's just how it ended. I see now that she's no longer selling under that name, but I hope this can be a lesson to someone else!

I made a purchase that was completely custom ordered-including personal pictures that were sent to her. They were to be made into personal plaques for a Christmas gift. At the time I ordered, she had a 100% buyer rate. It never came...after starting to see some bad feedback appeared, I started emailing her over and over. No reply. I contacted other people and they said she wasn't responding to their calls or emails either. I contacted Etsy, and thankfully between me and others, they shut her shop down. Since then, I've tried to contact her at her home phone number listed on facebook, and even contacted some of her family members...two replied back and said that they would let her know that I was in touch. Paypal never returned my money (over $50). I am still trying to make contact of sorts...

I to do a lot of buying on Etsy and had never had a bad experience until now. I purchased from a seller who only sells gem stones. I hand make jewelry using quality materials. I would never sell an item knowing that the gem I used was a fake. I purchased what the seller described as AA grade lapis stone, and another set of stones she called Adventurine Jade....part of this was my fault for not knowing enough about these particlular gems and trusting that I would not be sold fakes, but that's exactly what happened. When I got the lapis beads they looked to uniform in color, so I did some research and tested them in a small amount of acetone, the acetone turned a deep blue very quickly, a sign of a "dyed" stone made to replicate real lapis. The problems I have is that she even puts a AA rating on them, when I looked up gems on reputable sites, I found B grade stones that were smaller than what I bought and three times as expensive, the reputable site also sells "dyed" stones, but at least they disclose that they are in fact "dyed" The other part that peeves me is her Adventurine Jade stones, are two different stones, yet her listing has them as one in the same. Adventurine is from the quartz family and much less expensive than real jade. The stones I received are nothing more than run of the mill common tumbled and polished quartz stones. I learned my lesson, but I really wonder if Etsy will even look into my report on her shop, and if so, will they do anything about it. It's awful to think someone can mislead and rip off buyers like this. She sent me an e-mail telling me Etsy would NOT tolerate me reporting her, as if I was the one who was wrong. Needless to say next time I buy any gems it will only be from reputable companies. Her shop is called Day Beads, just don't want anyone to go through what I did.

It's awful how many of you have had problems with Etsy Sellers. I've not had a single bad experience, as a buyer or a seller, but reading some of your experiences worries me that people are being turned off from Etsy entirely because of one or two experiences.
Etsy don't protect just their customers. If you want to focus on money, the fact is, Etsy makes money from sellers listing products, but they also make money from people buying those products. Even if you only look at the financial side of things, both buyers AND sellers are important to Etsy, but if the dispute can be resolved without an Etsy Admin being present to watch over the squabble, then why would they stick their nose in? It's only if sellers refuse to communicate or ship items that Etsy get involved, and sometimes it takes a while. Etsy is a huge market place with a lot of users, and a lot of problems, including website bugs and trying to come up with new ways to improve the shopping experience.

Another problem I find is that every seller is different - as has been stated, some sell full-time, others as a hobby, and some sellers do expect people to be patient with them. I disagree with this, as the rest of you do. Amazon wouldn't take a month to ship because of a family issue with one of the packagers, would they? But on the other hand, Amazon has more than one person behind it. But having said that, if sellers are unable to fulfill orders within a reasonable time frame, they should either shut shop for a while, or let their customers know that there will be a delay upfront before purchase.
But because every seller is different, packaging and protection will not be consistant with eachother. Some items will be beautifully packaged, while others will be poop. Some will be over protected, some will arrive broken (though in some cases, buyers need to understand that the seller is not a courier themselves, and no one knows how the postal service handle items - though, it seems, poorly)

It's such a shame that there are so many poor sellers out there, and I don't understand why sellers don't always respond within a suitable time frame - I usually respond within 12 hours, and that's only if I've gone to bed when a message was sent!

I enjoyed reading this thread - it's a great place for sellers to go and get a better insight into what buyers expect - even as a buyer myself, I can forget what a buyer expects. It also reminds us of what not to do, and that by doing things poorly, we will also be called out on it, and rightly so in most cases.

I also believe that people should ignore the feedback rating when leaving their own - NO ONE wants to buy from a seller and feel like they're the .1% that's been screwed over, especially if they're not. Negative feedback covers the item and the seller. Shipping times are not always in the seller's hands, and if it takes a long time it's a good idea to contact the seller to let them know and see if it is normal. And if there's a problem with the product it makes more sense to contact them and see how it can be resolved BEFORE feedback, but at the same time, if the seller was rude or unprofessional at any point during the transaction, then that should still affect feedback. There's not much they can do to correct THOSE mistakes.

My first Etsy buy was my last. I tried to buy a Herman Miller Eames lounge chair. The ad claimed that it was a MCM Eames chair so I bought it. No where in the ad did she say that she didn't know if it was real (Eames vs eames style is a $2000+ difference). This only came up when I asked about it's documents. Needless to say I told her to cancel the order if she was not willing to vouch for authenticity. I left a neutral comment because I was a fault for not asking for details for such an expensive purchase and she was for not posting a disclaimer. She bashed me horribly and sent rude messages.

I've had great experiences. But one seller was just bad. She tried to be good at the beginning but all she ever wanted was her money. The package got lost in the mail. It's no one's fault. But her attitidue was awful. We convoed and she was really snarky and sassy. She said things that you're not supposed to. Sassy things, and just purely unprofessional. I had to pay 12 dollars in shipping. Then since I paid for shipping twice I left 2 negative reviews. And she sent me all these things to make up. So I did. I don't know why. Because she never appologized, ever. She hasn't responded to any convos since she got her little make up. If I hadn't had great experiences I won't shop at etsy anymore.