EN Etsy Account Suspended: What to Do?
Why is my Etsy Account Suspended? There are many reasons why Etsy can take down an account. If there is a reason for the website to believe a policy has been violated, the profile will be blocked for a period that can vary.
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Types of Etsy Account Suspensions
Among the possibilities that can get an Etsy seller account suspended, there are the most common cases of suspension a user can face.
Locked Shop and Removal of Privileges
When a user has a debt in their account, they will need to pay as soon as possible in order to avoid getting sanctions known as overdue balances.
An overdue balance is an amount of money that the account holder has to pay since it is past due. In order to recover the suspended account because of this, the user will need to deposit the amount unpaid. Once the balance numbers are positive again, the profile will be reinstated.
Etsy seller accounts may also get a penalty related to account privileges, different shop suspensions, and their Star seller badge removed.
By clicking on Shop Manager, Finances, Payment Account, and paying the amount due the statement will be done. Remember that a payment method must be selected, and some countries (especially from the European Union) will ask for verification.
If the account is not enrolled in auto-billing, dues start on the first day of each month, becoming overdue on the 16th (or 15th depending on the timezone). For auto-billing, in case the payment is not successful, the account owner will receive an email and notifications within 5 days to provide the full payment.
Temporary Suspensions
There are many reasons why an account can be temporarily suspended. A banner will be shown in the Shop Manager telling the user what’s their status. An email notification is always sent to the owner to notify them of this situation.
For those who receive an email notification from an Etsy specialist, all issues must be addressed and fixed and then directly respond to it. If it’s a “no reply” mail, reaching the contact support is a must to recover the account.
Checking why is my Etsy account suspended is something every user should do after noticing that they cannot longer do the following things:
1. Placing orders
2. Receiving a new order
3. Access any of the Etsy apps
4. Create new listings
5. Cancel an order
6. View reviews
7. Purchase labels
8. Run ads campaigns
Users may also notice that their Star seller badge is removed, funds are being held and some other features are partially restricted. For example, reading and answering messages, asking for refunds, viewing orders and balances, and more.
Permanent Suspensions
There are some cases where users get their Etsy account suspended permanently. This means they will not be able to buy or sell products anymore, or even sign into the website depending on the severity of the violation.
Filling an appeal for Etsy to review the suspension is possible. Before doing that, all account issues must be addressed and resolved (such as paying outstanding balances and resolving open cases).
It’s vital to include what factors led to the suspension and how the user is going to solve the problem in order to recover their account. An Etsy specialist will review the appeal and account history, leading to an email reply with the final word. It can take up to two weeks, depending on how difficult the situation is.
Being honest and transparent during this appellation is very important since it is the last chance for the user to get their profile back. While appealing does not guarantee the restoration, it ensures the case will be checked. If the response is negative, there will be no further considerations.
Permanent Removed Shop Suspension
Sometimes, permanent suspensions are only related to the user’s shop being removed. While they will still be able to access any of the other features, their shop will be blacklisted and disappear from Etsy searches.
If the owner paid for ads before the suspension, they will not appear but no cost will be charged. For those using offsite ads, the fee will be kept.
How to Resolve Buyers’ Help Requests and Avoid Suspensions
If a buyer ever has a problem after purchasing one of the user’s products, it is very likely that they will try to contact to get help or support. The buyer may report the problem and directly contact through the Etsy message system, opening a case.
Before a case is opened, it is required that the buyer has contacted the seller through a message. This will appear labeled as Help request messages and there’s a limit of 48 hours to solve the issue before the buyer can open a case.
A seller should always have their Etsy shop prepared for help requests, to maximize the time of response and reduce the issues. In order to do that, there are some steps that can be followed, such as:
1. Follow Etsy’s Seller Protection Policies to get direct assistance from the website.
2. Completing shop policies to provide extra info and set expectations for the buyer.
3. Reply to answers from buyers regularly to prevent problems from escalating.
4. Ship the orders without exceeding the stipulated processing times.
5. Be transparent and honest with the items being sold.
6. Package sold items properly to prevent them from damaging.
What to Do When a Problem is Reported
Once a buyer sends a message reporting a problem, both parties will need to negotiate and find a common ground to reach a solution that benefits both.
In most cases, the customer will ask for a refund. If it is in the line of Etsy policies, it is recommended to agree with them. If it’s not the case, keep working for a better solution.
What Leads to an Open Case?
If the buyer’s request did not come to fruition, the seller might notice that they got a case opened in their Etsy seller account. This happens when the buyer didn’t get a response in 48 hours or both parties didn’t reach an agreement to find a solution.
Cases can be opened for many reasons: an order that did not arrive at the destination, an item or product that wasn’t what Etsy described or a damaged product. Cases are applicable once the processing or ship time has passed and lasts for 100 days.
How to Resolve a Case
Cases are automatically closed once the issue is resolved. This occurs when the seller agrees to make a full refund of the product or the product is delivered to the correct address. Sometimes it is just when the buyer is simply satisfied with the solution.
Etsy can intervene and do further investigations in some cases and has the right to resolve the case on the seller’s behalf if necessary. The Etsy account seller must respond if this happens. The proof is required that the refund was done if the transaction was made with PayPal instead of Etsy Payments.
Managing a Case
It is necessary to attach proof of shipping and refund when dealing with an open case. Scanned copies of delivery, shipping receipts, custom forms or a tracking number work to demonstrate that the article was sent.
What Happens If a Case is Left Unattended?
If the seller does not participate in the open case, there’s a chance of getting their Etsy account suspended. Etsy looks forward to providing the best service and assistance, and not doing so means the shop owner cannot fulfill their orders.
How to Delete an Etsy Account?
If you ever look forward to closing your profile because of some kind of misunderstanding or problem with the website, it’s important to know something beforehand. There are options to keep the account active but disable some features that you don’t want to use anymore.
For those who still want to know how to delete an Etsy account, it is crucial to remark that some things have to be done before taking this permanent and irreversible process. Depending on what account the user had (buyer or seller profile) the steps may vary.
The seller requisites before closing their account are: having no amount due in their payment, all orders fulfilled, every case resolved, and saved all info for taxes or record purposes. Buyers will only need to resolve all their cases and have no additional cases looking to be opened before removing the profile.
Once everything is set, going to the “Account settings” and “Privacy” tab will lead users to request the deletion of their data and the permanent closure of the profile. The process can last for more than two weeks depending on the services used by the user and if they have violated any policy.
How to Temporarily Deactivate an Account
Instead of closing an account forever, there are ways to suspend it until the user decides to reopen it. Other features such as closing the shop can be done without the need of completely deactivating all the options Etsy has to offer.
Creating an Etsy Account to Start From Scratch Again
For those who tried to recover their permanently banned account through appealing and didn’t work, the only option is to start from scratch again. It can also help those who could not find a solution to a problem and the tech support was not enough to make an account recovery.
Knowing how to make an Etsy account and join the community is quite simple and straightforward. Besides, the registration process is free for everyone, no matter how many accounts were created before.
Make sure to read carefully the Terms of Use, since it can help not to get the account disabled again due to a term violation. After that, users need to fill a form and receive an email notification with the steps to set up their account.
Remember it is not possible to create a new Etsy seller account with an old email. If the account was closed or suspended, it cannot be used anymore. To use an old email address in a new account it has to be changed in the previous profile before changing to the new one (only if it was not disabled).
The Importance of Using Etsy Hunt
After creating the new account, it will be possible to sell, buy and search for products normally again. To achieve greater effectiveness, we recommend using Etsy Hunt. Our website is a very important tool that allows users to choose the correct product, avoiding further problems again.
EHunt is the world’s largest database to search and find Etsy products quickly and fast. More than 48+ articles are listed on the website, along with shipping prices, logos, photos, and fees.
Selling with EHunt
Setting up an EHunt account will automatically allow users to start selling products online more efficiently. Research tools help people to navigate through trends such as sales, prices, favorite items, and reviews ratings. It updates every day, so no one will not lose any new trending product.
Calculate Costs
Etsy seller accounts can also use the Fees, Profits, and Pricing Calculator, in order to administer items, know how to price them properly, and earn profit.
The tool has a currency conversion feature for users to know the pricing of an item around the world, along with revenue and seller costs. Everything is clearly detailed: labor, material, shipping and extra costs.
Optimized Searching
Using the EHunt browser extension, users can quickly read product analysis (product tags, item prices, reviews and dates) and find the best product. It also prioritizes those with a complete profile information: the most complete info items will appear on top, measuring the sales possibilities.
Selling Charts
Users can search through different charts and look at the top seller items on Etsy, during the last week or month. It is possible to also filter by country or region, or check the latest trending item that everyone is buying.
Conclusion
The website has a big compromise related to offering the best support and customer service. That’s why enforcing the rules is necessary if an Etsy account seller doesn’t fulfill the expectatives like they should. Doing so will end with them getting their Etsy account suspended.
These suspensions may vary depending on the gravity of the policy violation, and penalties can last for some days or forever. Users will always be able to do an appellation, but if not approved their account will be closed permanently.
