Being a part of a platform such as Etsy is a great experience unless something goes south. There are plenty of sellers who’ve experienced Etsy account suspension. It’s in those moments that people start thinking about what they could have done to prevent it from happening.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at your options when your Etsy account gets suspended.
Keep reading to see what you can do.
Immediately Reply to the Suspension Email
If your store has been suspended, the first thing you can do is reply to Etsy’s Integrity Department email. Take a look at the email and check whether they’re asking something from you.
If you can provide the requested information, it’s best to create a thorough reply that contains all the details the Etsy staff request.
Once you send the reply, things can go in two different ways, you can either get the account immediately reinstated, or you have to take more action to get the account back.
Make an Appeal
If the reply to the suspension email is insufficient and your account is permanently suspended, there’s another step that you can take.
You can appeal. The whole process is simple. Here are the necessary steps:
- Head over to the How to Appeal a Suspended Account Etsy page.
- Click on the Contact support button at the bottom.
- It’ll prompt you to sign in to your Etsy account. Sign in.
- Click My Account and then click Reopening a Suspended Account.
That’s the part where you need to write your appeal. It needs to include the following details:
- Overview of your and Etsy’s business history.
- Factors that have led up to your suspension.
- What will you do to fix the issues with your account?
- Are the items you’re selling in compliance with Etsy’s policies?
Once you appeal, an Etsy specialist will take a closer look at your case. The whole process can take several weeks. While some policy violations are mild, and you might get your account up and running again, others will keep your account permanently closed.
For example, if you’ve been selling illegal products, the chances of getting your account back up are slim.
Open a New Shop
If Etsy denies your appeal, it’s not the end of the world. You still have more options available. For example, you can still open a second Etsy shop.
The process is also straightforward. All you have to do is:
- Click on the Register button.
- Use a new email address to make a new Etsy store.
- After filling out the details, including name and password, click Sell on Etsy.
- That’s it. Open your Etsy shop and start selling again on the platform.
Before taking these steps, it’s a good idea to take a closer look at all the critical Etsy’s terms of use. Learning everything about these rules and policies will keep your store from any suspensions in the future.
What to Do to Prevent Any Future Suspension?
There are some products and services that are simply not allowed on the Etsy platform. Following those policies will keep you away from suspension. Let’s take a look at a couple of things to pay attention to on Etsy.
Illegal Services
Illegal services are prohibited on Etsy. That includes item restoration and selling intangible items.
You can’t sell prayers for someone or anything else that doesn’t exist physically. Therefore, you can only sell tangible products to customers.
If someone wants to send you an item for you to modify and send back for a fee, the answer’s no. Taking part in such actions will immediately get your account suspended.
Illegal Products
There is a wide range of prohibited products on Etsy. That includes things such as medical drugs, drugs, tobacco, and alcohol. Also, you can’t trade human or animal remains on Etsy. Any dangerous items such as weapons and hazardous materials are not permitted.
Any kind of item that glorifies hate is also illegal. The same applies to pornographic and other mature content.
Ensure that items you’re selling in your Etsy store are not on the list of the prohibited items. Remove any ambiguous items that could be offensive or in any way support hatred or violence.
Customer Complaints
Give your best to provide outstanding customer service to your buyers. Work hard on solving any disputes because customer complaints can lead to an Etsy shop suspension.
That’s why it’s essential to feature outstanding images and detailed product descriptions. So, the customer can see what they’re buying.
Always play by the rules and comply with all the Etsy policies. Simply be polite, professional, transparent, and honest at all times.
How to Be Always Prepared?
You never know when you might get an account suspension. Following all the rules doesn’t mean that you can’t get suspended. That’s why you should take additional steps to be ready in case of suspension.
Here are a couple of things to consider.
Backup Your Data
Keep backups of all the relevant Etsy shop data. That includes order history, reviews, product listings, and anything else that’s important. You can use tools that export all your data as a CSV file.
While they’re not usable for another eCommerce platform, they can help you set up a new Etsy store.
Keep Your Finance Safe
Make it a habit to have a low balance on your Etsy accounts. Regularly transfer money to an account that’s completely independent of Etsy.
Even though you’ll get all the funds in the Etsy account at the moment of suspension, this process can be complicated and last for a long time.
Keeping everything off Etsy simplifies the whole process.
Notify Your Customers
Building a big email list pays off here. Whatever happens, you can always reach out to your audience and let them know where they can find you if you have to move your store.
Run an Independent Shop
Taking this step will require a lot of work on your side, but being independent means higher profits and complete independence over time. While you can keep running your Etsy shop, it’s a good idea to start developing your shop.
That way, you’re safe from any suspensions in the future.
Finishing Thoughts
Relying on a tool such as Alura can help you steer away from any account suspensions. With our optimization suggestions and trademark checks, all your listings are going to comply with Etsy policies.
However, we strongly advise you to read all the policies to ensure that you’re compliant with all the platform’s rules.
If you’re eager to learn more, please reach out to us. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
