‘It’s time for a class action against Etsy’: Seller accused of sending wrong item says Etsy did nothing. So, she files a police report
An Etsy seller is calling out the platform after alleging that a scammer tried to fraudulently claim she sent the wrong item.
While Etsy remains a popular marketplace for homemade goods and other crafts, buyers and sellers alike have complaints about the platform. One of those complaints is a lack of transparency when it comes to disputes over sales on the site.
Now, a user on TikTok has taken her complaint to the next level. After a buyer alleged she sent the wrong item—and Etsy sided with the buyer—she decided to get the police involved.
What Happened With This Etsy Sale?
In a video with over 79,000 views, TikTok user Megan (@meh__gan) explains how an Etsy sale led to a call with the police.
According to Megan, she is an Etsy seller with a “nearly 5-star, perfect rating.” Recently, a customer bought a silver coin from her shop. Megan says that she even made the shipping free for this customer and paid for it herself out of pocket.
“A couple days ago, this lady opens this claim that I sent her this weird random coin that I’ve never seen before, ever in my life, saying that I’m the one that sent her that,” she says. Megan then shows the coin. “I have a nearly 5 star perfect rating. Why would I send you some weird, weird [expletive] coin? I wouldn’t do that.”
Looking at her profile, Megan saw that the buyer was a coin collector. This leads Megan to believe the coin is simply another from her collection.
Concerned, Megan reported the issue to Etsy.
Things Take A Turn
Even though Megan says she provided considerable documentation that she sent the coin she listed, Etsy sided with the buyer.
“I send another message to Etsy support saying, ‘Hey, this was fraudulent. You guys just sided with the buyer without using any of the evidence that I just provided for you,’” Megan explains. “And they still say that…it wasn’t covered by Etsy Protection because it violated their policies and blah, blah, blah.”
After this, she received “no response” from Etsy. Frustrated, she decided to call the police.
In a follow-up video, she shows herself calling the police—first in the jurisdiction of the buyer, then in her own jurisdiction.
“I also reached out to the postmaster and had them record each weight at each stop, and the weight never changed, so I don’t think that it happened in the USPS, and I’d hate to file a claim against them for insurance if that’s not really what happened,” she says on one of the calls. “So I wanna file a police report against this lady that stole it.”
Etsy Responds…Sort Of
In another follow-up video, Megan says she received an email telling her that the money from the buyer was being returned to her. However, she received no contact or explanation from Etsy—and the site still has a case open against her.
“So I still have one case that has been refunded out of my payment account. But if you guys refunded it to me now, doesn’t that become invalid? So why is the case still on there?” she asks.
Megan posed the same question to a customer service representative in another video. She did not receive a clear answer. That said, she claims in the caption that “the guy basically said it doesn’t matter and it’s not negatively affecting me.”
It’s A Known Etsy Problem
Across the internet, many users have stories similar to the one shared by Megan.
One user on Reddit claims that a buyer opened a case despite the seller providing what they listed. They say Etsy immediately sided with the buyer and refunded them from the seller’s account. Eventually, customer service refunded the seller. Others have offered comparable stories.
In many of these cases, the seller is able to get their money refunded. However, they say it can take considerable pressure, including prolonged contact with Etsy.
Often, issues are covered by Etsy’s Purchase Protection program. This allows for both the buyer and seller to be refunded if there are issues outside of either of their control. That said, there are limitations on this program, and sellers who are not in good standing are not eligible.
If attempting to solve the issue through Etsy is ineffective, one can try calling the police, though internet sellers say this is usually fruitless. Additionally, one can file a report with the Better Business Bureau.
What did the seller say?
In an email, Megan wrote that there was no additional update from Etsy.
“The only ‘update’ I’ve received from Etsy was in the form of a refund sent to my account. However, no response email or explanation was ever sent,” she wrote. “A different customer service agent also gave me 40 ‘free’ listing credits, as it costs .20 cents every time you list a new product on Etsy. The case is no longer ‘open’ but does show as a strike against my account (1 of 24 cases refunded from payment account).”
She then offered her thoughts on how the company could have responded.
“Etsy could have handled the situation better by thoroughly investigating the incident and considering the mountain of evidence I provided, versus the minimal amount of evidence the buyer submitted. They also could have waited until I received confirmation of package weight at each scan from the postmaster before closing the case,” she stated. “I still have not received an apology or explanation from Etsy regarding the totality of the situation or regarding the refund they sent.”
“I love Etsy as a platform and as a means of connecting unique items & their soon to be owners. They used to value their buyers & sellers equally & created a sense of community that was highly sought after. Recently, they’ve shifted their focus to more AI, more automation, less human connection, higher fees etc etc — ultimately taking away from the sense of community that once existed,” she said.
The creator continued, “With so many fast fashion and fast/cheap products around, Etsy used to support a sense of calm & the guarantee you’d receive a high-quality item, with high quality customer service to match. As you can see, that’s not the case anymore.”
@meh__gan @Etsy what is this? Is this how you treat your sellers and creatives? #fraud #etsy #scammer #wtf ♬ original sound – meh__gan
Commenters Say It’s Common
In the comments section, users vented their Etsy frustrations.
“They are just going to say they did a one time courtesy refund,” claimed a user. “They aren’t going to admit anything and I’ll be surprised if they remove the case against you.”
“This is why I video record all my packing videos for any rare merch or high ticket items,” detailed another. “I will even record them scanning the package at the post office.”
“Scammers are given WAY too much leniency, thats why they can keep doing it,” stated a third. “Hopefully they take you seriously with the report!”
The Mary Sue reached out to Etsy via email.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
