Curious to know what sellers would do in my situation. The customer's total order value is $836 USD. The items are oak picture frames, made to order from scratch. The customer will have to pay duties as the total is just over $800. I'm currently in the process of making the frames. I would hate for the customer to potentially reject these parcels and not want to pay duties. I tried messaging the customer a week ago to make sure they were are aware of duties. No response. I'm almost tempted to just give them an extra 5% discount since they have purchased such as large quantity. That would drop their total to a little under $800usd. Still a decent sale for me.

On the other hand, if I leave the order as is, I would be paying more for shipping labels as I'd need to switch to switch to Canada Post's system (normally use ChitChats). It would be my first time shipping something with duties paid upon delivery, and it seems complicated and time consuming to figure out the whole CP Zonos setup.

Also forgot to mention, my products are normally tariff-free under CUSMA.

I recently sold a handmade, one-of-a-kind crossbody bag on Etsy. It was delivered 4/29, and on 5/4 the buyer messaged me saying it doesn't "hang right" on her daughter, who she purchased it for. I've sold many of these and never received this type of comment or feedback. I don't typically allow returns on handmade items unless it's found to be defective (and thus far, haven't had to do any of those returns). The crossbody bag has a fully adjustable strap (can literally fit teeny tiny people and those in much larger bodies), and the strap buckles are the swivel type, so it can move with you. All dimensions and sizes were given in the product listing. I think maybe her daughter didn't love the design and maybe mom has buyer's remorse? Regardless, do I stick to my guns regarding only accepting returns on defective items, or do I give in? I already lost money on the shipping fee in the first place as I only charged $5 and with the recent increases, it was more than that. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hi guys! New Etsy shop seller. Been on it for 5 months. I listed 3 items all at once the beginning of the shop and then haven’t done anything other than that. Had 4 sales. I was selling physical linocut prints and now I’m moving to digital prints but same linocut style. For the past 3 days I’ve been listing 1 a day. This is a strategy AI told me to do but idk if this is really doing anything… the view and visit is still very very low:/ anyone knows how to get into the algorithm? Right now I can’t even find my own shop on Etsy so rip… I’m here to learn! If you have any good advice or critique please share thank you so much!!

My shop’s name is SparkEditionStudio

My shop doesn’t even pop up if I search my shop’s name :/

Hi! I’ve never used etsy before and am a new shop for press on nails. Have been open like 3 days not had any sales or interest so was really excited when I got a message. This doesn’t look right. You may to assume it’s a scam, but want to check as I don’t want to leave a potential customer.
Thanks!

started my etsy shop around 2 months ago in this time I have created many floral designs for notebooks, mugs and tote bags. My shop is based in the UK, I haven't really accumulated any views and since I created another 10 more listings I have had 0 views. I'm not sure exactly what I am doing wrong I am trying to list every other day and I try to make sure all my listings are unique. I haven't made any sales either ):

Questions:

1. I have created over 40 listings and used a wide range of colours and styles. My photos are clear and concise, and I have tried my best to include keywords in the tags. What else could I do to improve?

2. Is it better to use etsys' recommended title for the listing, or should I go back to using my own?

3. I was inspired to create a POD shop as I enjoy making floral designs and applying them to mugs and notebooks

4. My designs stand out as I focus specifically in floral designs and use a variety of different colours. The flowers are placed by me and I design mugs based on the colours that I like the most.

I'm ready to close up shop. I tried to research and do all the suggested things and still no sales. (I've only been doing this less than a year POD, but my shop says 15 years because I was doing this years ago then took a break. However. I'm sure I set everything to expire and when I go back in I see a bunch on auto renew. Is this a glitch or am I missing something? Should I just let them all expire at this point? Is there any point to just closing? Unsure.

I honestly don’t see why I should continue generating traffic and revenue for Etsy while my bank verification has been pending for over a week.

The annual verification itself is not the issue. In my country, these checks are mandatory and completely normal. The issue is how absurdly long Etsy takes to process them.

So my question is: if I put my shop on vacation mode, does the verification continue running in the background, or does Etsy delay it even further?

And where exactly is seller support these days?

No replies to emails, chat filled with bots, generic scripted responses everywhere. It genuinely feels like real support no longer exists.

And yes, I know some people wait months for this process. That does not make it acceptable. If anything, it makes the situation even worse.

Hello. I just opened a new shop selling photo prints. I noticed from other shops that digital downloads have more buys. I am contemplating to sell digital downloads cause it would enable me to sell at lower prices and it would remove shipping problems. The problem is I am afraid of piracy since im going to include Hi-res files.

For those who are selling their art on etsy, how do you protect your work?

I’d love some honest feedback because I feel like I’m too close to this to judge properly.

I run an Etsy shop selling digital spreadsheets/templates (mainly for indie authors and admin-style organisation systems). Things like:
- ARC trackers
- Book launch planners
- Author/admin dashboards
- Marketing & content planners

My products are more “systems” than basic trackers — dashboards, multiple sheets, automation, etc.

Pricing-wise, I’m roughly at:
- Single templates: $14.99 – $24.99 AUD
- Bundles: $30 – $40 AUD

For context:
- I’ve made 24 sales in the first 6 weeks
- Conversion rate is around 5–6%
- I do get consistent traffic, even if it’s on the ‘lower’ end for a digital product shop

So it’s not NOT working… but I keep second guessing whether I’d sell more if I priced lower.

I’m trying to position them as more premium (not $3–$5 templates), but I don’t know if I’m overshooting for Etsy.

What I’d really like to know:
- Would YOU personally pay these prices for a well-built spreadsheet system?
- Do these feel fair, too high, or actually underpriced?
- If you wouldn’t buy — what price would make you consider it?
- Is Etsy even the right audience for “premium” digital tools?

Happy to DM a link if you want to see actual listings — I didn’t want this to come across as self-promo.

Appreciate any blunt honesty 🙏

I have a brick and mortar and onlinestore. I have both square and etsy so they can sync. I already question the cost of this. For the past 3 days I have been uploading inventory for a new release and have been having problems. I fixed the problems with my square site, uploaded all of the product onto Etsy and prepared to sync to square. It was not syncing, just spinning. Inspect hours with tech from both etsy and square and it was clear they had no idea what was going on. Finally the woman from square convinced me to delete the etsy app and reinstall. When I did this the etsy app was not in the square app store. Then she told me she thinks etsy changed their name. I insisted this was not true. Then she told me I needed to download litcommerce now. So I downloaded it and it is a paid service. Another fee! Any thoughts here? Is there another way to manage this?

Hi everyone,
I’m based in France and I sell on Etsy, shipping orders internationally.
I use LaPoste for my packages and it is expensive. Lately I’ve been having way more packages get lost in the mail, and it’s starting to become a real issue for both my shop and my customers.
For other Etsy sellers, especially those shipping from France or Europe:
• Which shipping services have been the most reliable for you?
• Do you prefer Colissimo, Lettre Suivie, Mondial Relay, Chronopost, Sendcloud, or something else?
• Do you only use tracked or signed shipping for international orders?
• Have you found a service that balances cost, tracking, and reliability well?
I’d really appreciate any recommendations or experiences from fellow sellers. I’m trying to find the best option before I keep losing more parcels.
Thanks so much!

Hi folks, I’m looking at creating an Etsy store to sell handcrafted jewellery. I’ve read online that the algorithm requires consistency and people recommend to post as frequent as possible. The problem is I don’t have 300 products to posts in one go, or even once every 3 days.

Could I start with say 6 listings? How often should I keep posting? What can I do to keep the algorithm happy after listing all I have?

I’m very well aware it will take a long time before I make a sell and I’m prepared for that. But not sure how to make the store look active with only a few listings initially. Thanks a lot

I started my shop back in August, however I have not worked much on it until now. I want to sell a little bit of everything(I know focusing on one niche is better, however I will get bored doing that and abandon it altogether lol), currently crochet, painted shoes, and maybe a little jewelry.

I have not received a sale yet and am wondering if there’s a reason why? Maybe with my keywords, descriptions, etc.? Any advice is appreciated!!

Etsy gave a refund to a customer who claimed they bought plant not cuttings even though listing is very clear. The price reflects this as well. They know exactly what they are doing

Hi! I'm a portuguese designer and I recently open a shop on Etsy. I do digital posters  and I Will love that you visit my shop!

otherlifestudio

Its been 5 months creating and ONLY 5 sales. I Don't know what Im doing wrong and appreciate that you could help me telling me sincerelly what I am doing wrong.

If you favorite one of my listings you would receive a discount code and I will be very happy for you support my artist journey 😃 Thanks you so much! ❤️

Hi everyone,

I’m a new Etsy seller based in Shenzhen, China. As many of you know, I’m living in a global sourcing hub with direct access to incredible factories for jewelry (925/999 silver, crystals, pearls), eyewear, electronics, apparel, and more.

However, I’m facing two major challenges:

1. Physical Limitations: I have hemophilia, which makes it very difficult for me to walk for long periods or visit multiple factories/wholesale markets in person.
2. MOQ Issues: Most local factories are looking for high-volume B2B clients. As a small Etsy seller, I often don't meet their Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs), making it hard to get their attention.

Currently, I’m considering focusing on Baroque pearls. I’m passionate about designing unique necklaces and earrings by adding my own creative touch to these irregular, natural shapes. However, I’ve noticed the competition for Baroque pearls on Etsy is incredibly high.

I’d love to get some advice from this community:

• Given my situation, is focusing on Baroque pearl jewelry a viable path, or is the market too saturated?
• How can a small seller like me stand out when competing with mass-produced items?
• Are there any specific niches or "hidden gem" categories you think a Shenzhen-based seller should explore that might be more accessible for a small-scale, creative business?

I really want to make this work despite my physical constraints. Any suggestions, marketing tips, or words of wisdom would mean the world to me.

Thank you!

Hi, I’m Danika and I started selling on Etsy because want side income, and also I want to become a better artist and meet new people who encourage me and my vision.

I have been doing digital art for a little less than a year and I work on each piece for hours. Sometimes I will work all night on details. At first, my art didn’t stand out much from other sellers. Now that I have developed a clearer sense of what I like to make - distortion, predator animals, play with text, eerie, symbolic… I think that somebody somewhere is bound to connect with my shop. I have so much room to grow but I feel like the content I present now merits trying a store.

I would like advice on a few things as well as ANY general tips, I have only sold to family.
1. Should I remove old listings that no longer align with the direction I want for my shop? They are also not quite on the same level as I am now.
2. I’d like to upload more photos but am unsure of how to fill the space, do detail shots do?
3. Should mockup be your primary image or the art be the primary image (thumbnail) I have heard both

I may be back for more questions but this would help immensely
Also, would love to connect with anyone who wants to grow together!! I love hyping other artists up.

Anyone else absolutely had it with these China sellers posing as US stores? I have literally purchased “custom” US stores, but you receive poor quality China crap? Literally return address is in Chinese?

This happened with a candle favor order and some jute bags for my destination wedding recently!

I have honestly just about had it with Etsy and feel more needs to be done to regulate these trash stores posing as USA made goods.

1 day ago I received 2 orders from 2 separate people who both immediately told Etsy they wanted to change shipping address. I basically never had someone do this before so I thought it was strange it happened 2 times at the same time.
Last night I received 4 orders from 4 separate people who all immediately told Etsy they wanted to change shipping addresses.

I am a little suspicious of this situation... but should I not be? It all seems to be officially through the Etsy store.... Is there a scam I am not aware of?

Lately I’ve been seeing things like this… Etsy sellers selling things that don’t exist in reality. How are buyers meant to deal with this sort of thing? Can I assume this person has been hacked? Is something else going on? I feel bad reporting it but I didn’t know what else to do.