Since its inception in 2005, Etsy has grown tremendously. Millions of transactions are made every year on the platform but you may be wondering is Etsy safe?
If you are considering starting a handmade business or a vintage business on Etsy, here is what to expect.
The Pros – How to stay safe on Etsy
Easy Set-Up
Etsy has made it easy for sellers to set up their shops and manage them. You can effortlessly add your products, manage your orders and keep track of the traffic you are getting.
The platform enables you to post multiple photos of your physical products. It also allows for the sale of personalized products. If you are selling digital products, buyers can easily download them as soon as they purchase.
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In addition, Etsy also provides the option of selling on a Pattern site. Here you can sell anything you want, and your sales are exempted from Etsy’s transaction and listing fees. Designing your Pattern website is straightforward, and you have multiple styles, themes, and fonts to work with.
Check out, and shipping is trouble-free. Etsy calculates the taxes for you. For shipping, you can buy shipping labels through them.
Global Customers
With Etsy, you have access to customers all over the world. To ease their shopping experience, Etsy translates your shop to their preferred languages. Also, the prices are displayed in their currency of choice.
Marketing
By simply having your store on the Etsy platform, you already have a broad audience. However, Etsy offers two advertisement options to increase your reach and sales. That is advertisements that show in the Etsy marketplace and those that appear on Google and other search engines.
Pricing
Etsy offers two seller plans, Standard and Plus plan. Now, the standard plan is free and offers basic features. The plus plan costs $10 a month and has extra features than the standard plan. This pricing is quite fair and could be cheaper than running your own online store or selling stuff on Ebay.
The Cons
Suspension and Deactivation of Accounts
Since Etsy tries to provide a safe environement for everyone on the platform, this is a regular complaint from Etsy sellers. If you do not follow Etsy guidelines, you could easily have your account suspended or deactivated.
Hence, as a seller, you must read the terms of service and seller’s guidelines. Ensure that your shop is compliant.
Etsy Siding with Buyers
In case of a dispute with a buyer, Etsy tends to side with the buyer. It’s best to try and resolve issues with buyers when you can.
Customer Support Issues
It’s sometimes difficult to contact and get help from Customer service as a seller.
Copycats
It’s possible to find someone selling something they have copied from you. If that happens, you can file a notice of infringement using Etsy’s online reporting form. Etsy can deactivate the reported content until the issue is resolved.
Is Etsy Safe?
Yes. Etsy has put up measures to protect both the buyer and seller. To protect sellers, buyers cannot leave reviews before the estimated delivery date. That way, there are low chances of them reviewing a product they haven’t received.
Further, if a buyer leaves a violating review, the seller can request its removal. Even more, a seller can pull down any product pictures posted by the buyer that are misrepresenting.
For buyers, one principal protection offered is that their card details are not visible to sellers. Hence, no illegal transactions can be made.
Conclusion
Having an Etsy store has its pros and cons. The pros, however, outweigh the cons. If you are a seller and are sitting on the fence about establishing an Etsy shop, now is the time to set up one. For buyers, all your details are confidential and you can be sure your card details are safe.
