I did it!

I left Etsy!   After much consideration, I decided to leave Etsy and open my own store.  There were several factors that contributed to my choice, each making it increasingly difficult to continue as a small seller on the platform.

1.      Etsy clearly favors its large sellers, giving them more visibility and advantages in the marketplace. As a smaller seller, I often felt pushed aside and left at the bottom of the pile, making it challenging to compete or gain recognition.

 

2.      Another major issue is the significant portion of profits Etsy makes. To make any sales, I chose to price my products in line with other sellers. However, after factoring in Etsy’s fees, the effort and long hours invested often didn’t seem worth the return.

 

 

3.      Finally, there appears to be more scammers now than when I started my very small business.  Etsy allows unruly customers to publicly (and through private emails) harass sellers and make false claims without offering any support or sympathy to those affected. This lack of protection made the selling experience stressful and unpleasant.  Even though most of my reviews are 5 stars, one person’s opinion and rating can lower the 5 star rating to 4 stars.

Conclusion to the story:

Read the store policies and communicate with me.   I’m a grandmother and former 2^nd grade teacher.  My reputation is squeaky clean.  I have no intention of scamming anyone.  I’m a pleaser and I enjoy happy customers.