To be cross with ETSY?

[Jessica3075]

So, six months ago, I bought an item on ETSY. Haven’t used the site before. The item came from abroad and was delayed. Not a problem for me but… it was also faulty and unwearable. It was expensive.

I contacted the seller (in India) and didn’t get any response so, some time later I put on a review which was honest and quite reasonable. At that point, the seller got in touch. They told me to get it fixed in the UK and they’d refund $20 for my trouble. I took the item to a local jeweller who wasn’t keen to sort the issue as he said there was no hallmark and he couldn’t guarantee the gold or the stone. At that point, I contacted the seller again, told him this and asked for a refund on return.

That’s when it got tricky. The seller said I’d have to send the item at my own cost (to India) and that for the purpose of customs, say the item was only worth £5.00 and immediately take down my unfavourable review. I refused both and contacted my credit card. They looked into it and I was given a full refund.

The seller then became quite aggressive and told me I’d caused huge losses to their company due to my poor review and they’d experienced loss in sales revenue directly as a result.

I still have this item. I WANT to return it. The seller then said they would “send an agent” to my home to collect the item. I was not going to do that. I said, I’d be happy to Royal Mail it to the Uk agent but they then wanted to meet me in person to hand over the item.

WTF!!!?

No. No thank you!

I’ve tried very hard to contact ETSY. The website is complicated and full of options; none of them fit my particular situation. There MUST be a way of speaking to a living person about this matter?!

I’m starting to feel quite uncomfortable about this.

AIBU to think these huge online outlets should be able to be contacted in person/via email? I’ve emailed them today and they just sent back the “contact us here and we’ll be happy to help” email.

They already have your address so I would arrange for them to collect, don't let them in, door on the chain if you have one, if you have a BF or DH arrange for them or a friend to be there as protection and a witness to giving it back. If they get difficult shut the door and say you are calling the police. If you don't think you could do that safely could you meet somewhere like outside the local police station.

Did it come directly from India or from the UK agent? If you have a UK address send it there signed for delivery and tell them that is what you are doing.

I don’t think they have a UK agent. I think it’ll be some guy (s) who turn up on my doorstep. I’ve just seen that this particular seller is “no longer trading on ETSY”.

The whole thing is dodgy and the last thing I want is anyone just calling round or even driving miles away to hand over this item to a complete stranger.

Why don’t ETSY have the ability to help? They are huge outfit. I feel like I’ve exhausted all avenues unless I make myself very vulnerable.

When I had a problem I contacted Etsy using the online option. It was very easy and they immediately refunded me the money for a damaged item where the seller was unresponsive.

Look for their online contact page. Although if the seller is no longer active on
Etsy there's nothing they can do.

Good grief.

Went on to their male address on the site and got this 🤦‍♀️😡

Also tried their community board…

Etsy are the worst. I am a seller and had an issue setting up my shop. Customer service useless. There is a ring back service which I suggest. I found the link in a reddit thread I think but try Googling etsy customer services call back link and hopefully you will find it. Then you can get to speak to an actual person

What is it you want them to do? You've got your money back. There's nothing they can do about the seller given they are no longer trading on Etsy.

@SoupDragon I want them to take this item off my hands and sort the seller out. I don’t think he’d be threatening ETSY as he has me. I’m in a catch22. He wants the item returned but I am NOT lying to customs. The item was £420 and he wants me to lie and say it was only costume jewellery and I paid £5 for it. I won’t do that. I’m not convinced it’s even gold now, as the jewellery maker here wouldn’t touch it.

Etsy ought to take some responsibility or at the very least, respond to me. Not everything can be dealt with by AI tick boxes and links!

I can’t sell it. I can’t wear it. No one is prepared to fix it and I definitely don’t want some guy showing up on my door step.

Use the instructions for speaking to a support specialist in the first email you posted.

The reason you haven’t got the usual contact options for Etsy is that you’ve had the item for six months, so they’ve expired.

Even under UK law, you’d have to prove that the item is inherently faulty or not as described to have many rights at this stage, and it sounds like you can’t quite do that yet, unless the jeweller is happy to write you a letter certifying that it’s not gold/whatever gem it is supposed to be? it doesn’t sound like he’s sure that it’s not, or he’s tested, just that he can’t see hallmarks and is uncomfortable attempting the repair.

Realistically you’ve got your money back and it sounds like Etsy have already removed him from the platform, or he’s decided to leave, so they’d be very limited in what they can do now anyway.

I started the process of “This item is faulty…” the day after receiving the item. I couldn’t wear it. It was badly made and it just sits in a box, unused. The entire rigmarole has TAKEN months to sort out re. a refund to card etc, as that is the process. The seller only wrote to me after a few weeks (I think) because I’d posted a bad review.

It isn’t that I’ve had it six mo this and now find fault with the item.

They can't "sort the seller out" though. They are Etsy, not some sort of law enforcement. All they can do is ban the seller and they're no longer on Etsy anyway.

I’ve tried very hard to contact ETSY. The website is complicated and full of options; none of them fit my particular situation. There MUST be a way of speaking to a living person about this matter?!

There's a link to email them that wasn't difficult to find. Did they not respond when you emailed them using this form?

I genuinely don't think anyone is going to turn up on your doorstep though. That sounds like simple intimidation techniques to get you to remove the review.

@SoupDragon Yes, they replied to my email. It was a paragraph done by AI directing me to their website!!! 🤦‍♀️. As I say, the only “real” persons involved are the intimidating seller and myself.

I guess, I’ll just keep it.

I posted their response to my email, up thread.