Is Etsy safe? Is Etsy Legal?

If you are a regular online shopper, then you must have heard the name Etsy.  Etsy is an online marketplace, founded in 2005, with the motive to help small businesses to grow. It is a platform where buyers and sellers are connected. But Etsy is not like other online shopping platforms like Amazon, eBay, etc. What differs Etsy from them is that Etsy focuses mainly on selling and buying handmade crafts and antiques. It is a wonderful way of supporting local creative artists and also encouraging them to work more with their talent. 

There are people out there who have heard of Etsy and haven’t shopped there. These people may wonder “what is Etsy?”. Again, when reviewing the comments and reviews on Etsy that mention the scams and frauds occurring on the site, some questions such as “Is Etsy safe?”, “Is Etsy legit?” or “Can I trust the sellers at Etsy?” arise putting people in a dilemma. Well, the main goal of this article is to answer the questions.

In fact, like all other platforms, Etsy also faces typical issues such as fraud and scams. This results, Buyers as well as sellers being concerned about whether this platform is safe or not. Also, there is a large population that is not familiar with what Etsy is. To relieve the doubt, This article will clear all your doubts about Etsy, whether Etsy is safe or legit. In addition, We will try to elaborate on everything you need to know about Etsy. So looking at our review for Etsy, you can decide and clear your doubts.

About Etsy

Etsy was founded in 2005 and is actively growing since then. Their main headquarters is located in New York and they also have branches located in 8 cities worldwide. This global online platform works as a connection between people who buy, sell or collect unique crafts. Etsy is a wonderful online marketplace for custom-crafted goods. This online platform mainly focuses on homemade and vintage items such as bags, jewelry, clothing, home decor, and many more. 

There are very few online marketing places that take the initiative to support local artists with talents in making homemade crafts. This makes Etsy unique from these sites. Also, there are some things that are only available on Etsy. You can also collect antique home decor or other items for your collectibles. 

Etsy is one of the best places where you can find unique and attractive things to buy for yourself or to give to your loved ones. There are a couple of categories in Etsy where you can check out the item you prefer to buy. Here are the categories mentioned,

1. Jewelry & Accessories
2. Clothing & Shoes
3. Home & Living
4. Wedding & Party
5. Toys & Entertainment
6. Art & Collectibles
7. Craft Supplies
8. Vintage

Etsy is a wonderful platform that supports talented sellers to turn their arts and craft into small businesses. You can find all sorts of unique, versatile, and diverse items here. If you are a person who loves to collect antique goods, well Etsy is the site for you. 

However, sometimes questions are raised about Etsy’s integrity and authenticity. If you are wondering “Is Etsy Legit?” Well yes, Etsy is a legit site. Again, People often wonder whether Etsy is safe or if the sellers at Etsy are trusted. Well, Not all sellers at Etsy are frauds. Most of the sellers are safe and best at their job.

Who are the sellers at Etsy?

Well, Etsy mainly works with the motive to support local sellers to build up their small businesses. This online marketing platform paves the way for skillful artisans to work with their talents. It encourages them to master their gifted skills and earn money from them.

You can find all sorts of handmade goods along with beautiful antique products on Etsy. Now, you might think “who sells the product on Etsy?” or “Does Etsy sell the products?” To answer your query, we would like to let you know that, Anyone can be a seller on Etsy. 

If you are good at sewing or embroidery and can design a beautiful dress or any piece of clothing, you can sell it on Etsy. Again, you know pottery and use your artistic talent to make pots, mugs, or other ceramic materials, well you can sell your product on Etsy. We want to say that, whether you are good at painting, making jewelry, assembling home decor, or whatever your talent is, you can sell your product on Etsy. 

Etsy helps buyers discover hand-picked products under the categories of Home Improvement Ideas, Modern Farmhouse, Health and Wellness, and Art Finds. This assists the buyers in easily finding the type of product they want to buy.

Though Etsy supports talented artists to flourish their business, some immoral and fraudulent scammers try to take advantage of this site ruining the site’s integrity. Many scammers use fake images of products to assure money from the buyers. 

You can find many reviews from buyers who claim to have been scammed. Some reviews mention that the product received was in a bad condition and was very different from the one described on the website. 

Again, some products have a “No refund policy” or “No return policy” due to which people find it impossible to return the product if they didn’t like it or it wasn’t the one described in the description by the sellers. 

Another scenario shows us that the sellers fail to deliver their product in the promised time frame. Or, sometimes the buyer doesn’t receive the product at all even after paying for the product. 

These scams or mishaps occur mostly because of the reason that Etsy allows anyone to sell their products online. Most of the sellers are honest and talented entrepreneurs who handle a professional business of their own. On the other hand, some people sell their homemade or antique products to earn money. Since Etsy allows anyone to earn money on its platform, some dishonest scammers also try to scam on this platform.

You can find many reviews or comments on Etsy of buyers, who were the victims of scams, questioning the integrity and authenticity of the website. But, there have been some comments saying Etsy has taken actions against the scammers or businesses who fail to perform their duty. It can be said, Etsy takes reviews and comments seriously. But, we think Etsy shouldn’t make registering as a seller on Etsy easy, in this way Etsy scams occur ruining the reputation of the website.

Things to know before becoming a seller on Etsy

Etsy is the platform for millions of sellers to earn money and expand their business. Registering to become a seller on Etsy is easy. Well, there are some issues that you should know before registering to be a seller on this platform.

1. Etsy prioritizes buyers first and emphasizes buyer security
2. There is high competition among the sellers on Etsy
3. There are a lot of buyers who try to scam or extort legit buyers
4. There are some buyers who are tough to impress and leave untrue reviews
5. Some sellers are scammers who try to copy another seller’s trademark or violate the Intellectual Property rights

Well, every online marketing site has its controversy or issues and Etsy is no different from that. Every seller and buyer must be aware of these issues and work by their own judgment. Though there are some negative reviews that question Etsy’s safety and integrity, Etsy has ensured millions of honest transactions between sellers and buyers. Alongside the negative reviews, there are positive reviews that claim the authenticity of the site. Etsy is growing rapidly every day and this platform has over a billion dollars net worth. So it should be easy to understand that this site ensures proper security of buyers as well as sellers. 

Is Etsy Safe and trustworthy?

Sometimes you might notice some reviews or comments on Etsy that raise the question “Is shopping on Etsy safe”? or “Why are there so many negative reviews on Etsy?”. These questions make people wonder whether it is safe or trustworthy to shop on Etsy. 

Well, Yes, Etsy is a super safe and trustworthy online marketplace. This legit platform ensures the safe sale and purchase of products. But, it will be a good idea to use your own judgment before confirming the purchase of a product on Etsy. To ensure a seller is trustworthy, you can check out their reviews. 5-star reviews are extremely trustworthy and safe.

But, if any seller asks for your credit card details like full credit card number, password, Pincode, or tax transaction number, then try to avoid the seller. There is a chance that the seller is fake or a scammer. Etsy recommends that whenever you are making a transaction in person, refrain from saying the credit card details out loud and try to change your credit card password occasionally making it as complex as possible.  

There are many trusted sellers who provide proper service on Etsy. Among the honest sellers, there are some scammers who can’t be trusted. In case you fall into the trap of a scammer, Etsy will interfere right away and will try to resolve the issue with the scammer, by banning from Etsy. So, you can be worry-free that Etsy is safe to buy from. 

The reason how Etsy is safe

1. Etsy maintains the buyer’s financial and personal information privacy in a secure manner. It encrypts the credit card information, thus sellers can’t see the buyer’s information. You should know that sellers don’t get to see a buyer’s financial and personal information. This information is stored in Etsy’s buyer profile. 
2. Etsy maintains very strict seller guidelines. If any seller fails to maintain the guidelines, their business or Etsy shop gets shut down.
3. Etsy is a secure website, meaning Etsy has SSL certification
4. Etsy has a well skilled support team who ensure the safety of buyers and sellers.
5. Etsy has a supportive help center that helps buyers to communicate with the platform easily.
6. Etsy puts buyers or customers first. This means Etsy will intervene, when a buyer finds trouble with a seller.
7. Etsy maintains high accountability. It means it holds the right to close any Etsy shop or business if it provides unethical service.

These days, some people write negative reviews which may be true or false. But Etsy encourages both buyers and sellers to post pictures of their product when reviewing or describing to check the authenticity of the product. Etsy tries to maintain all transactions in an ethical way. But like all other e-commerce sites, anything like scams or frauds can happen that Etsy can’t control. In that case, buyers need to be careful and judge a seller properly before paying the seller.

Is Etsy safe for sellers?

In another case, if you are a seller on Etsy, just like the buyers, you might wonder “Is Etsy safe for sellers?”. Well, Etsy is a wonderful platform that supports enthusiastic talented artisans to build up their careers. And, Etsy assists the sellers with proper protection. 

When you are registered as a seller on Etsy, you just need to click good pictures of your product and post them on the website. After that, you don’t have to worry much since Etsy will protect your store and maintain the authentic selling process. But keep in mind to include your shop name and address on the packages you sell. 

Well, there are some sellers who hesitate to put their personal addresses online. In that case, Etsy allows them to give a professional shop name and protect their personal information. Registering as a seller on Etsy is very easy. And Etsy provides proper protection to its sellers. Etsy tries to maintain the integrity and authenticity of purchases done on its platform. This website always tries to support trustworthy sellers. And also intervenes when a buyer falls into the trap of a scammer.

Is Etsy Legal? 

New sellers often wonder whether Etsy is a legal marketplace to start a website. Well, Yes, Etsy is a legal platform. This platform is a unique website that works with the initiative to support local artisans to enrich their talents. Here, it can be helpful for sellers to start off their business and build a career out of their skills. 

Etsy supports mainly handcrafted or antique items. This means every item must be handmade. This platform doesn’t permit reselling other sellers’ products or products that are not handmade. Again, the seller must use their own photographs of the product or use any photo of the product from the internet. Etsy tries to keep the understanding of the product between the seller and the buyer transparent.

If you want to sell antique items on Etsy, you should collect the appropriate item with the appropriate age. According to Etsy, an item with an age equal to or more than 20 years old is considered an antique product. 

Here, the sellers who have a business are known as shop owners on Etsy. There are some legal guidelines that should be maintained by every seller or shop owner on Etsy. If you maintain the guidelines efficiently, then Etsy will help you grow your business. 

• The first guideline to follow is to select a proper business structure for your store. Your store is your business and choosing the right structure is mandatory. This is mandatory because this will create an impact on the taxes you pay or the paperwork you need to fill up to establish the business. 

• The second guideline states that every transaction is a contract. To explain this properly, Suppose a buyer likes a product you sell in your Etsy shop and agrees to buy the product at your price. When the buyer pays for the product then you have made a business transaction with the buyer. Here the business transaction means the liability of completing their part from both parties, in this case, the seller and buyer party. If any of them fails to complete their task, this means there is a breach in the transaction. And breach in the transaction means the failed party needs to face legal consequences.

• The third point in the guideline tells you to secure the intellectual property rights of your product. When you are a shop owner on Etsy, your product is the main aspect of your business. To make your product stand out in the market and create an impact in the buyer’s mind, you must have an attractive brand name, create logos, product designs, and good photos of your product. These are the intellectual property rights of your product. And you don’t want anyone to copy or steal your hard work to benefit easily. In that case, you need to include trademarks, patents, or copyright to protect your Etsy products. Etsy suggests every Etsy shop seek intellectual property or IP rights of your product. 

• The fourth point states what should be done when someone violates the intellectual property or IP rights of your product. There are copycats everywhere who try to benefit from other people’s hard work. The logo, photo, and name of your product are your intellectual property. In order to maintain your intellectual property rights, you can add trademarks or copyright marks. When someone uses your trademarks or other properties of your product without your permission, this is a violation of your IP rights. Etsy is very strict in maintaining the IP rights of its sellers and takes action against the violations. If you can detect any violations or infringement, you just need to submit a report notifying Etsy about it and Etsy will take care of the rest. 

• The fifth and last point mentions tax payment. When you are a registered Etsy seller, you have an obligation to pay your taxes. And when you are paying taxes, you need to understand the basics of the taxes you are responsible to pay for.

Is Etsy Policy and support legit?

Etsy is a safe and legit website. It provides means of earning money for local artisans. This platform supports small businesses to grow bigger. Etsy is a professional website with billions of dollars worth. The site’s popularity is rising along with its net worth. Etsy may provide proper protection to the seller, but you must know that Etsy prioritizes buyers above sellers. It means, Etsy emphasizes the protection of its buyers.

Whenever something goes wrong, Etsy generally sides with its buyers. So in case of get the wrong product or you got a product that doesn’t match the description provided, don’t worry, Etsy is by your side. You can always get help from Etsy if you think something has gone wrong. 

Etsy uses a secured payment processing system by encrypting the credit card information of its buyers. In this way, the sellers cannot see the credit card information. Thus, buyer safety is ensured by Etsy.

You should know that Etsy won’t always support the buyers. When a seller proves that they have shipped the product or the buyer is trying to frame the authentic seller, the seller has Etsy’s full support.

Closing Thoughts

We have tried to explain what Etsy is and the reasons how Etsy is safe and legit. It is up to you to decide whether it is safe to shop at Etsy. If you want our opinion, well yes Etsy is safe, legit, and trustworthy. We have tried to elaborate on everything you needed to know about Etsy. If you are a seller and wondering about opening a shop at Etsy, well we would recommend going for it. Etsy is an amazing platform that supports talented individuals to start up their businesses and grow their careers. This site emphasizes keeping the talent of making handmade goods and collecting antique items alive and in fashion. On the other hand, if you are a buyer on Etsy, you should take a look at the reviews of the products before buying them. Generally, five-star reviews ensure that the seller is legit and honest. And you should follow your judgment before making any transaction.

Every e-commerce has its ups and downs or positives and negatives and Etsy is no exception to that. This platform is growing in its popularity along with its net worth. Etsy strives to bring the best to its users. We have tried to put up the information you need to know about Etsy if you are using it as a buyer or a seller. Hopefully, these will help you shop and make transactions online with positive and clever enthusiasm.