Etsy Issues

Settle down. This is a long read.

I’m feeling deflated at the moment. I sell artwork via Etsy, like so many people, and I’ve just been informed that I have a payment reserve on my account for the next 90 days.

What is it? What does it mean?

Whilst I have this payment reserve on my account, I can only access 25% of my sale revenue.

Reasons why this happens:
-When you make your first sale. ❌
-There’s been a copyright infringement. ❌
-sudden increase in sales ✅

Argh! I feel like I’m being punished for a success. Instead of feeling happy, I feel bloody miserable. I went from selling 1 or 2 prints a month to selling 4 in a week. A short, sudden spike after releasing my latest Swallows artwork.

I’ve been stung by not issuing tracking numbers too. If tracking is not provided funds are withheld for 45 days.

I send artwork first class via Royal Mail. They issue ‘reference numbers’. And if my buyer is local, I’ll refund P&P and hand deliver the artwork. I’m being punished for being nice to my UK Bedford based customers too!

Of course I tried to appeal, but big corporations do love an automated response.

So rant over! If you sell on Etsy too, I hope this is useful info. I understand why they do it, they have to protect buyers and prevent fraud. I see how my actions have triggered their algorithm, but a human only needs to visit my shop to realise I am running just a very modest arty side hustle here.

sigh! what a pain in the arse! I might have to move my online operations elsewhere. But it’s such a faff!

What are your experiences selling online? Good and bad!