Arts & Crafts Rant about Etsy

cola262

addicted
O.G.
Oct 24, 2006
4,531
36
I've been shopping on Etsy lately and it's incredibly frustrating. Nothing on Etsy is a necessity. Everything is an "extra" fun item or maybe a luxury version of an everyday item (costs more than equivalent things in retail stores). Everyone has perfect feedback. EVERYONE! 100%! Fast shipping, great product, great customer service. Everyone's cookies are delicious and everyone's soap smells so good and is so great.

I've had very very mixed results with etsy. I think I tried 5 soap sellers with many many fans before I found a good one.

Lotions I got mostly were not as moisturizing as cheapo lotion, with very strong scent (stronger than bath and body works). The food has been delicious or so so but never better than the local bakery (perhaps the 3-day shipping equaled it out). The crafts have been very fun and creative but would fall apart a week after I leave feedback. Another snack I bought turned moldy after I left feedback. Another craft I bought did not perform as well as store bought. Some soaps dried up my skin after continuous use and I needed intensive lotion. All these sellers have 100% perfect feedback.

I bought another few things that have 100% many feedback but really look crude IRL...

I am starting to just not leave feedback and just give up on Etsy.

Now I'm itching to buy a purse from Etsy, but it's the same price as some very nice brands, and from their feedback, they're the best purses in the world. Unlike the nice brands, there is no return policy. I already bought another bag on etsy but I haven't gotten it yet so I'm majorly crossing my fingers.

Can some of you rant with me, or somehow impossibly restore my love of Etsy? :graucho:
 
About the feedback issue, Im thinking that general users might feel guilty leaving a harsher/more honest feedback as they dont want it to effect the sellers products. :shrugs: Dont let that stop you from leaving honest feedback though or you'd be one of the people you're complaining about! lol.

I can say one thing for sure. I know a lot of people on etsy promote their shops to their friends and in tight-knit communities such as craftster and other communities Ive seen. In that case, they're friends and friends dont want to step on each others toes. I think the general idea is if you have nothing nice to say, dont say nothing at all? Im thinking a lot of the users who buy are sellers too and dont want to step on anyones toes.

People love etsy.. Ive only ever heard good things about the site and the products. People get excited because the items are hand-made, individual and original. I think the major thing is (and what you pointed out) that at times the quality may be over-looked because they see or use the product once and think its great, only to find out later that it wasnt so great after they've already left feedback.

No nothing on Etsy is a necessity.. lol.. but I dont see that as a bad thing. You have to understand that although yes, some people overcharge.. you have to understand that the cost to make the products does not come cheap. Nothing is mass produced in a factory by a machine. Each item is paid particular attention to by the user but most of all it takes a lot of time/effort for a lot of these people to make their items and thats why its so expensive. I spent a countless amount of hours/days and money just buying, researching and then putting together products to sell (not on etsy) but you have to know what took effort/money and what didnt.
 
I love etsy! With that said, I 've never bought soap or lotion from there because I know I am really, really picky about quality when it comes to those things. I think etsy is just like any other web shopping experience: caveat emptor. I am willing to put up with the occasional "mistake" purchase to support the overall purpose of etsy, which is to offer handmade things at a reasonable price point.
 
i have had some great stuff from etsy and some not so great stuff. i bought a few custom things that did not come out as i had hoped and i was disappointed. in that case i just didn't leave feedback. one item i bought came damaged and the seller rectified it immediately. could not have been nicer. actually that happened in 2 cases but the second one took a little longer to get fixed. i just got something last night that i was excited about but wasn't as great as the pic. still cute, just not stellar. hoping the 2 things i ordered yesterday are good. i think it's like anything else- hit or miss. the good news is that the things i buy are usually pretty reasonable so i'm not wasting a ton of money if i don't like them.

i would never buy beauty products on there bc i just don't know how they're made and i am a little skeptical of that.

i also would stick to bag brand that you can return if you don't like it. i've seen lots of lovely bags but am bad about dimensions and without being able to try it on it would make me nervous.
 
It would be great to have more of a rating system in etsy IMO. I feel guilty about leaving less than positive feedback myself. I've given up on soaps and for lotions I just dont really trust the formulas to be that great. Btw many sellers have a return policy so I try o stick with those. Overall I've gotten some great unique items so I'm happy. Actually it's sort of like eBay I figure you have to go by your averages not just one purchase.
 
I love Etsy!!!!. I have purchased many items- ALL have been incredibly well made(some quite expensive,too) and I am a very picky person. I have never purchased soaps or lotions, so can't really comment on those, nor have I purchased a purse. I'm sorry you've had some bad experiences. There are a lot of vendors, so I'm sure the quality can't be great with each one, but I've been lucky so far. I tend to order from the same vendors when I find someone I like- most of my orders are custom and I find the sellers very willing to work with me to get the final items just right. I will continue to order- in fact I just received 2 items yesterday!!:smile: Both perfect!
 
I have never had a problem with anything I bought from Etsy. I have bought some of the most beautiful Lush dupe soaps and bath products and have been happy with them I doubt if I would ever purchase food online from them. I do buy art-usually photographs and I am so impressed with the ones I bought. I think with anything it is hit or miss. I bought a beautiful purse at a sample sale and the designer no longer has any past seasons in stock but someone is selling one on Etsy but the price is just too high. I have also bought some nice jewelry from Etsy. I had a one of a kind rose gold ring with a colored stone that is my all time favorite ring, and a really cute beach charm necklace that is so unique that I get asked questions about it when I wear it.
I do get ideas from Etsy on things I can do myself. I love to repaint old furniture and it is nice to see similar pieces and the different ways they are painted.
 
I've never had a problem with anything I ordered, aside from one custom alchemy order that turned out bad. However, the seller ended up refunding me on her own, because of the problems. I think a more detailed rating system would be good though- some sellers have poor communication or shipping, but a great product.
 
I love etsy and have bought some fabulous items there, BUT-- if you have any special requests you MUST communicate them to the seller when you place your order. I ordered an item from a seller and after 2 weeks I had to email her to enquire about it, I had wanted it by a specific date but had not informed her, erroneously assuming that she would act on my order immediately. She sent me a rather snotty message back detailing some personal problems which to her excused her lack of action, and correctly pointing out that I had not let her know that I needed the item by such-and-such a date. I received the item within a few days of that but by then obviously it was too late and the item was hastily-made and rather shoddy-looking. Live and learn, etsy is not like ebay.
 
Etsy is impossible as a seller... even with taking time for each personal email and potential buyer. I honestly think everyone just goes on there and add you to their circles and favorites... ugh...
 
So far I've had nothing but good experiences with Etsy. The handmade items I've purchased have all been very well made (some of them I use every day, like my handmade passport case, tissue case and card case. I love them and really put them to good use).

However, I am very careful with my purchases... If its a handmade item, I try to look very closely at the photos to see how the stitching & alignments look. I try to pay attention to the materials used and sometimes I'll google to see if I can find owner photos and reviews...

I do like etsy's rating system (allowing you to leave negative & positive for BOTH seller and buyer). So make the most of the system as a buyer and seller, if the item is poorly made or service was terrible: Let other buyers know! If a buyer was a nightmare: Let other sellers know!

Saves other buyers and sellers trouble all around.

Also, many sellers welcome a little bit of customer critique. If their soap is too strong smelling, maybe tell them you enjoyed the scent but it was over-powering. They may take it under advisement and reduce the strength of the scents they use.
 
my only gripe about etsy is that all the items i want are normally from over seas so it takes about 2 weeks for me to get the item and i get very impatient :biggrin:
but thats hardly anything to be mad about. i love etsy! never had an issue with any sellers.

@madamefifi i think none of that is your fault. when you buy something on etsy you expect a seller will mail it out ASAP unless it's a custom item. unless the item was custom made at time of purchase i would never think to tell a seller that i need it by a specific date. i think that was just poor business on the end of your seller.
 
As a seller I understand your frustration. Always check to see if an item is made to or or ready to ship. I sell photographs and I don't have them in stock. I order them as they sell. Thus It takes a few days for my items to get to me before they ship. Custom items and large orders usually take longer to ship. If you went into a store and wanted something custom made it would take longer, wouldn't it? Though in this case it sounds like the seller forgot and that's their problem!

If you are ever unhappy with a product don't hesitate to contact the seller. It's always nice when a customer writes to me instead of leaving negative feedback so that I can correct whatever problem they have (usually a dented print!)

My experience as a buyer has been mostly positive. But I've never purchased anything as tricky as food or soap.

I suppose etsy isn't a place to buy things you need. It's just a great handmade store to purchase fun items and decor!
 
I love etsy! With that said, I 've never bought soap or lotion from there because I know I am really, really picky about quality when it comes to those things. I think etsy is just like any other web shopping experience: caveat emptor. I am willing to put up with the occasional "mistake" purchase to support the overall purpose of etsy, which is to offer handmade things at a reasonable price point.


What they said lol. I have been browsing on etsy for a long time, but have just very recently bought something from there. I have nothing mean to say about the site because I've had pretty good experiences so far. I also just opened up my own shop on etsy too. And over time I have become friends with a few sellers that I am considering for making wedding purchases. I feel that people on etsy are more friendly.

Now off topic I HATE ebay, I stay away from there and stick to etsy.com and bonanza.com