This year, I decided to take the plunge to start an Etsy shop. The idea was simple: create a print-on-demand T-shirt shop using Printify for production, market them on Etsy and Creative Fabrica for design inspirations. (Here’s why I think Creative Fabrica is the GOAT when it comes to print on demand designs!) I spent a weekend researching the best practices for running an Etsy shop, selecting high-quality designs, and perfecting product descriptions and photos and launching my shop. I didn’t expect my Etsy shop got blocked within a day!
Launch Day Excitement
The day I launched my Etsy shop was thrilling. I had integrated Printify with my Etsy account, ensuring a seamless process for order fulfillment. The designs from Creative Fabrica looked fantastic on the T-shirts, and I felt confident that customers would love them.
(Note: use this link to open your Etsy shop and get 40 listings for free!)
As I clicked the “Open Shop” button, I was very excited. I was officially an Etsy seller! Throughout the day, I watched as visitors started to explore my shop. Not much, but even those few first people were enough to get me excited and get me hopeful for the future.
Got Blocked the Next Day! 🙁
Literally the next day, I was deleting some spam messages on my Etsy account (yeah, they are very common) when suddenly I got a banner on my Etsy account. My heart sank as I read the line: “Your Etsy Shop Has Been Blocked.” I couldn’t believe it. My Etsy Shop got blocked? Like why though? I was just deleting some messages that were clearly spammy. In less than 24 hours, my dream had seemingly come crashing down. There is no reason stated at all, which is even more disappointing for me. Panic set in. Had I done something wrong? Was there an issue with my Printify integration? It pretty much felt like this the end of my Etsy journey before it had even begun.
I immediately reached out to Etsy’s support team, trying to understand what had gone wrong. My excitement had turned to anxiety and frustration. I felt utterly defeated.
Researching
I started researching around and apparently this is not an uncommon problem. Some sites suggested that if you haven’t put a payment method, Etsy would do this. I mean, shouldn’t they reach out first before blatantly blocking? Maybe it doesn’t affect them to the slightest but to some sellers, that’s their entire livelihood! I couldn’t sign in so I couldn’t check but I was quite sure it was all fine.
I didn’t open my Etsy account for 2 weeks, firstly I was on holiday but secondly I felt a bit hopeless being banned within a day of launching my shop.
Thankfully, 2 weeks later I checked my email. I received another email from Etsy the following day after I got blocked. I couldn’t open the email fast enough. To my immense relief, Etsy acknowledged that there had been an error on their part. My shop had been mistakenly flagged and blocked. They apologised for the inconvenience and assured me that my shop was now active once more. Yay!
I just couldn’t believe they would be willy-nilly blocking my Etsy shop but hey, apparently this is a common complaints people have. Etsy seems to be very easily ban a shop, even without a good reason, even though for many people, these shops are their livelihood. This is why many people move to Shopify at the end.
Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
This experience taught me a lot about resilience and the unpredictable nature of running an online business. The initial setback was disheartening, but thankfully it got resolved relatively easily. I suppose mistakes happen, but what matters is how they are rectified.
Now, my shop is back up and running, and I’m more determined than ever to make it a success. I’ve learned to prepare for the unexpected and to stay calm under pressure. Most importantly, I’ve learned that setbacks are just part of the journey, not the end of the road. And keep calm!
What I learned
A few things I learned:
- Setbacks happen – I just have to prepare for it.
- Reach Out for Support: I’m quite happy I contact Etsy’s support team immediately instead of ruminating for long. They can provide valuable assistance and help resolve problems, at least in this case.
- Stay Positive: It’s difficult, but I try to focus on my goals and remember why I started. Hopefully my passion and dedication will shine through in my work.
- Learn and Adapt: Use every experience, good or bad, as an opportunity to learn and grow. Things change all the time. I have to adapt to changes and continually improve my shop.
Thank you for reading about my experience. If you have any questions or would like to share your own Etsy stories, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy selling!