Etsy Card Readers Wipe Out Sellers' Transactions

by: TeddyElectron

Either a) One of Etsy's servers is intermittent and has a software issue that causes it not to update its own database or b) users are being tricked into downloading malware in place of the Etsy payment app and the information is going somewhere else.

by: Tiffee Jasso

No venue or their software can be trusted to handle your money without you being able to have all the buyers information at hand, including name and address and in this case card number & expiration date and security code. I also doubt anyone will get their money back from Etsy as they have no record to show.

by: Bird Mad

I can only imagine the nightmare! I have a few thoughts.

Uber drivers have had a similar problem. They resorted to taking cell phone screen shots of transactions. Current Samsung model lets you do a simple side swipe that saves a picture of the screen. It gives you something to fight with (some proof). I assume there are apps for other phones.

If Etsy reader sends an email for each transaction, setup an email that pings your phone. That way, if you are not getting confirmations of payment, you are tipped off there is a problem, sooner better than later.

Probably worth having another payment option like Square (I prefer) or PayPal.

by: Watching the Wheels

Etsy's quality standard has been and always will be mediocre, at best.

I can understand wanting to offer credit to help facilitate sales. Go to your bank or credit card companies and figure out how to do this legitimately with companies who have REAL CUSTOMER SERVICE and a means to get in touch with them 24/7.

You cannot afford the risk of allowing a company access to your money with only a BUGS forum set up to deal with problems.

It's up to you guys to CYA. It's business.

by: sundance

I've always used my laptop at fairs (where there's WiFi) and buyers can pay using Paypal and they can either use their own PayPal account or they can pay with their credit card without even logging into PayPal.  And my Samsung Note4 also could be used.

by: Ed Gadfly

You ought to contact your local police department and media.

by: Robin
Web Site

Absolutely terrifying. But honestly, I wouldn't use one because there is no phone number for Etsy.  It's one thing to use forums to report your sections look funny, but totally another that MONEY isn't being deposited!

by: NoFreeLunch

By the way they run the site, I have no idea why anyone would even use Etsy's DC, let alone a credit card reader from them. These people are not to be trusted with your money, as they have no clue what responsibility and security mean. Along with the definition of " handmade" they have changed the definitions of those words, too.
Did you know that Etsy company policy is never to hold anyone accountable for their mistakes, except for the sellers, that is? As an employee, if you mess up, they give you a three armed sweater award. If as a seller you mess up, you can get muted from the forums, your shop closed, and your livelihood destroyed.
With the change coming to all chip embedded credit cards, we signed up with another company for a credit reader. At the time of sign up, we were told to keep a paper receipt of the transaction, including date, items, last 4 digits of the card number, and the authorization number in case we needed verification of the sale .
Many people on Etsy are just starting out in business, and need the processor they use to explain the ins and outs of what has to be done. Etsy doesn't do this.
Plus, as of October 2015, the magnetic strip card readers will supposedly be obsolete, so if you use Etsy's present card reader after that date, all of the responsibility for bad cards, or this type of thing will fall on the shop owner. When Etsy was asked about this in their Forums, they talked around the issue, and did not answer the question.
Etsy doesn't communicate with their sellers or even have phone support, so why , oh why would anyone rely on them for advise on money transactions?
This is a company , who in their IPO offering, admitted to poor book keeping practices.
Goes to show you people can be talked into anything.
My advise to anyone who had problems with this, is to file a complaint with the Attorney General of Delaware, where Etsy is incorporated, and also those of New York State, and the state where the seller lives.
If Etsy is handling credit card processing, they need to be held legally responsible .

by: The End

ARE YOU CRAZY ? ? ?

Nobody in their RIGHT MIND, puts a buttinski 3rd party like Etsy between themselves and their PRECIOUS BUSINESS!

Get hooked up DIRECTLY with Square or one that deposits your money into your bank account within 72 hours max.

This is RULE #1 !

by: SammyCat

I don't understand how 1) people trust Etsy with this sort of thing; 2) that for people using the card reader Etsy didn't provide a phone number in case of problems.  

IF they are going to act like a bank or credit card company, they must have 24/7 contact with an agent for immediate help.

How were they even approved for this form of processing by the government or whomever, without requiring this?

The idea of having to go to a forum to report this kind of serious problem as a 'bug' is a bloody joke.

I have always thought that their sales reporting lacked the serious business end of things, i.e.: exchange rate and a conversion that is laid out so you understand what's gone on with your money.  

Easy to say we convert to US then pay you out in your currency, but what exchange rate are they using?

by: gizmo

You take those type of payments , you end up with what you get.Hmmmm

by: Watching the Wheels

@NoFreeLunch, why do you think Etsy mutes people? They don't want anyone having the ability to warn the newbies.

They have been pulling STUPID since day one. Back in 2009 when the Meta Tags scandal broke, support tried to convince me that it had BEEN ME who had managed to put HAND MADE into all my VINTAGE LISTINGS.

Now seeing how much hard work has been put into sanitizing the site, and hiding how to get in touch with Employees and Chad's very healthy salary and perks. I have to assume that the Meta Tags fiasco, had been his idea. After all he was the CTO during that time frame. This theory also has some very interesting theories about the scruples of every single person involved.

Mark my words. TECH is the next bubble that's going to crash and burn the market. It doesn't natter which site is being IPO'ed and run. The lot of them only sell advertising space, with plans to continually Hawk New Seller Services.

by: SammyCat

55 Washington St
Ste 712
Brooklyn, NY 11201
United States
b/t Water St & Front St
DUMBO
Phone number (718) 855-7955  

by: ajeweler

terrible thing computer are only as smart as their programs are, there will always be someone trying to hurt another thru ecommerce it is very unfortunate now buyers will be afraid of another scam this is what is hurting ecommerce these type of issues

by: Noneya

No surprise that Etsy had no response to sellers until this appeared on ecommercebytes.
Etsy regularly ignores sellers concerns until someone 'important' raises the red flag.
 The other questions from ecommercebytes pending a response from Etsy will go unanswered. Like the massive search fail in 2014, follow up questions will go ignored, threads will be closed, insistent sellers posting questions too close to the bone will be muted. The person/s at Etsy who are responsible will be treated to an ice cream party and given a pep talk. Possibly a raise. And then they'll change the entire site layout. Again.

by: Twisted Sticks
Web Site

Another reason I am glad I left Etsy in my rear view.  Their support is pathetic.

by: DebS
Web Site

This is the latest post by Etsy in response to a seller. Looks like all funds could be lost. Can't wait to see how Etsy handles this one.

''We have found that this is also affecting other shops, so we really appreciate that you brought this to our attention.

We're finding that sometimes when completing an order through the Sell on Etsy Android app, we're not getting the final signal indicating this, so those sales are stuck processing.

The $5.00 USD card payment is showing as processing in our system. If it is not successfully completed due to this bug, the authorization will be reversed around 7 days from when the card was initially swiped. Then, the amount will be credited back to your card.

Since you are affected by this, you may wish to wait until we have a fix out for this app issue. I'll also write back with an update as soon as I have more information. I'm very sorry for any trouble and concern this had caused.

Please let me know if you need help with anything else in the meantime.''

by: tawhite

well there's always something.

The newest ''Bug'' is that Etsy sellers cannot use PayPal to pay for their shop fees.

Here's the link:
https://www.etsy.com/teams/7720/bugs/discuss/16307095/page/1<
BR>
Etsy and its sellers are being sabotaged from all directions.

by: Gina

This phrase says it all!!!!!:  
"No one from Etsy responded to the complaints"
Dirty rotters!   One reason I quit that site after it was the original site on which I used to sell.
I will probably never sell again-there are simply too many scams and schemes to steal hard earned money!!!!

by: SammyCat

So is that a too bad, so sad post?  What are they going to do for the ship owner?  Nice to know that the purchaser will be refunded, but what about the cost of goods to the seller?  Does this mean you get the $5.00 processing fee back and nothing for the item?

They sound so damn unconcerned as to what this means to anyone using this!