Etsy Says Controversial Message Is a 'Local Shipping Badge'

by: LDWCallsOut

Most of the items listed for sale on Etsy were made in China or India.  It is better for the environment for buyers to purchase directly from the merchant in Asia than to purchase from an Etsy reseller shop and have the item packaged and shipped TWICE.  Counterfeit luxury brand bags have often been shipped at least 3 separate times before they reach an Etsy buyer in the US.  They are made in China, shipped to Turkey. and then shipped either to an Etsy shop owner in the USA or in the UK -- and then to the Etsy buyer.  Counterfeit items made elsewhere in Asia are shipped to an Etsy shop owner in the US, and then to the buyer.  Some of the Etsy shops reselling counterfeit merchandise are set up to say they do not accept payments/purchases in their shop and give a website address where a shopper can purchase.  Note that Etsy has no AI bots that scan Etsy item pages for these messages!  Until you visit the website, a shopper has no idea where in the world the item ships from, no matter what location is given (if any) for the Etsy shop.

The 300 mile business is empty greenwashing from dishonEtsy.

by: AddyUp

I think Etsy have more to worry about than "carbon footprints". Over this side of the pond they are currently all over BBC news, and not in a good way. Withholding seller funds isn't going down well which has been brought to the governments attention.

Maybe this will bring about the start of some necessary regulations for Etsy and their ilk. The news pages comments says it all.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66201042?at_medium=RSS
&at_campaign=KARANGA

by: The End

Etsy is being STUPID.
Because being STUPID is in vogue just now.
Erasing this statement is a violation of my 1st amendment right.

by: Stone Cutter

*** Then get rid of China and India ***

I heard some startling news this morning that Antarctica polar caps are melting at a faster rate faster than expected, due to climate change and global high temperatures. The planet will fry without its polar caps.

It was also said that even though the U.S. and their Western Allies are making good strides into alternative energy, China and India have no real interest in helping the planet, while China and India are adding new coal plants, daily.

If Etsy truly wants to save the planet, then Etsy should boycott sales from both India and China.

It may be best to squeeze economic activity from those two countries in order for China and India to change their environmental policies.  

by: LDWCallsOut

Dunno if Etsy (or any other corporation) is prepared to put the squeeze on the two most populous countries on the planet, China and India.  

Rather than help Etsy reseller shops pretend that their products ship from the US address the shop owner cites as SHIP FROM, sellers at all the major venues (at least) should be required to state COUNTRY OF ORIGIN for new finished products they list for sale.  That will put the squeeze on deceptive listings from US reseller shops and give investors a clue about just how many of Etsy's listings are selling products factory fresh from China and India.

by: Stone Cutter

@LDW

I agree. Corps won’t put the squeeze on India and China…YET.  

by: Lisa

bitter much

holy crap people

but the BBC article is good news, now the US needs to do it

by: AddyUp

The protests against Etsy withholding payouts are beginning to gather momentum with yet another BBC news article.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66362229?at_me
dium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

by: Sierra

@LDW - Too many of the items listed on Etsy don't abide by Etsy's House Rules, that's for sure! Since you're so familiar with these items, I hope you're reporting each and every one of them! Etsy may or may not take action on the reports, but they won't do anything *without* the reports. And, for the record, I am a handmade seller (who also lists an occasional vintage or craft supply item).

One of my biggest pet peeves regarding Etsy (or, more specifically, certain Etsy sellers) are the sellers whose shop location and "ships from" location are on opposite sides of the world. I occasionally message one of these shops to ask why the item ships from another country when their shop claims to be located in the U.S. and the answer (when they reply) is ALWAYS the same ... that they feel they will get more sales by appearing to be in the U.S. It's really too bad that Etsy can't match the stated shop location with the "ships from" location!

@Stone Cutter - I hope you've shared your suggestion with Etsy! Posting in the Etsy forums would be good too! Get other sellers talking about it! (And yes, there are legitimate sellers in other countries, but SOMETHING has to be done about all the reseller and counterfeit chit on Etsy!)

@LDW - What would stop a seller in another country from saying the item originated in the U.S., Canada, Australia, etc. rather than in the "sweatshop countries?"

by: Stone Cutter

*** Who is a U.S. ally? ***

Ebay has decently announced that they will stop some overseas counties from selling into U.S. and Canada, because the fraud coming from overseas Sellers is so thick. Etsy should do the same.

The reality…
As a U.S. citizen, if I were to commit counterfeit fraud, I could go to jail. If a Seller from China or India were to commit fraud, there is nothing U.S. companies can do, because China and India don’t care if their people commit fraud in the U.S.

And this is why, I believe, that Etsy should only do business with U.S. allies, as those allies would extradite a thief to the U.S.

And this is why Sellers from India and China are such a problem. These Sellers know they can sell counterfeit products into Etsy and nothing can be done about it. They will never go to jail.

One big reason why Etsy is holding onto “reserves” is because a bunch of mask Sellers from China came onto Etsy during Covid. These Chinese Sellers sold a bunch of masks, took the money, never shipped, and then closed shop. Etsy lost a bunch of money because there is nothing Etsy can do to nail fraudulent Sellers from China. China’s leader Xi Jinping doesn’t care, as he sends spy balloons into the U.S.

by: Stone Cutter

…meant to say. …”Ebay has recently announced…”

by: LDWCallsOut

Sierra -- the last time I reported anything to Etsy was during Summer 2015.  During those months, Etsy's Marketplace Integrity Team ceases investigating and removing items or shops proven to be reselling or proven to be passing off fraudulent vintage or antiques.  

Etsy has stated that reports have been screened by AI bots for years, and more than half of all reports from the Etsy community are simply discarded -- never reviewed by a human.  The reports that are reviewed are those that carry legal implications for Etsy corporate.  Listings involving counterfeit products or other IP infringements have to be reported by the brand's legal representative to Etsy Legal.  

As I type here tonight, there are many thousands of listings active on Etsy where the seller is located somewhere in Asia, but the shop address AND THE SHIP FROM ADDRESS shows as simply United States or some city/state here.  Deceptive listing practices, whether or not they are specified as not allowed in the ''House Rules'' are common on Etsy and the majority of listings on the site are deceptive in some way.  This is why my shops have been inactive for years, and why I rarely shop on the site.

by: AddyUp

Following on from the BBC's reports on Etsy there was a minister talking on BBC radio about expected up and coming changes in safety regulations which the UK would be taking over from the EU.

It was said that eBay and their ilk would be responsible for the products on their sites and talk of heavy non compliance fines.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out. It would certainly make Chinese electrical goods with their fake safety marks a lot less attractive for these sites.

But of course the government has been accused of kicking the can down the street for years over these issues so I wouldn't be surprised if things get watered down or just fade away.

by: Lisa

Only buyers who are within approximately 300 miles or in the same state as where your shop ships from will see the badge,

everybody calm down

by: Cbaker

This is about one thing. ESG Scores.  If you buy something from more than 300 miles from you, your ESG score goes down. Wake up. This is what’s coming for everyone.  

by: Lisa

but how does that affect the individual seller?

by: racheltreasures

@Stonecutter>>>
exactly!
Etsy is a public company and ONLY cares about earnings and shareholers...hence why this horrible marketplace is flooded with fake and manufactured goods from Chia and India.

by: epuise

Can we JUST STOP catering to the brainless 'Button Tappers'?
They don't READ as it is.
Etsy, eBay, FaceBook MP... NOBODY is looking for, READING the DESCRIPTION!
Description should be RIGHT UNDER Price, Shipping, Pics.
PERIOD.
I should NOT have to answer questions that are ADDRESSED when I created my Ad. I should NOT have to get a forced return cause somebody did NOT read.