If there is one lesson to learn from this latest round of closures it's if you speak out, in anyway (even mildly) against Etsy - immediately go make sure your store is in order and spotless, free from anything they could even twist as being a violation. Don't give them an hair of cause. They will use it against you.
Essentially, you are in violation if Etsy decides you are. Whether you are or not is inconsequential. If you tick one of them off, hurt their widdle fweewings, you are gone.
If you link to a blog, weather or not it's linked to another venue, kill the link. If you link to your twitter and you ever tweet your items on other venues kill the link. If you link to your Flickr, and your profile there has a link to your other venue or website or Facebook where you sell.. Kill the link. If you dream of other venues while you fart in the wind, kill a link. Any link. All links. There is Etsy and only Etsy. Capeche?
I bet if they could figure out how to give everyone a cookie to track them around the web, and see if you visit those other sites and report back on you, they would, and then if you do shut you down for visiting those other sites. Shit maybe I've said too much...
However if you are Etsy favorite, who links to websites they also sell at blatantly - oh that's just fine, they love you after all, it's all cool. Everyone outside Brooklyn though who dresses like an adult is shit out of luck.
If your livelihood depends on Etsy, kill ALL outside links. They will use it against you. They will shut you down regardless if they items are the same as what you sell on Etsy, regardless if you even sell on it at all. You will not get warning. They haven't given warning yet, they won't start now. And anyone who tells you differently is lying to you. We've been here from the beginning. We've seen this too many times to count.
They won't tell you, you won't get second chance to grovel, you will not get a warning shot so keep your store so clean it squeaks and they will have a harder time finding anything to finding a hammer to nail you with.
And smile damn it, smile when you type so they can hear it! The People's Republic of Etsy is watching you. Don't give them anything to convict you on.
Remember - if you want to bitch, grab a pseudonym and bitch here. And we'll let you cuss as much as you want.
Here is the wrap up since the last post (it was getting long so I thought I'd follow up on a seperate one.)
The original article on the Dorque has been locked with a chastising by a pouty lipped admin scolding everyone for thinking bad things and saying worse things about their little playhouses. They aren't sounding too keen on making a hard fast clear ruling so everyone understands, since we'll those sort of rules don't give them wiggle room to shut of who they want when they want.
There was once quoted a "two click rule", you couldn't link directly to another venue, but could link to say your blog even if it has a link to the other venue, or to your website if it didn't have the identical items. Well now they are all but denying the two click rule was valid without saying what is actually policy or not, or well anything really at all.
If they think your red earrings at Etsy are the same as the orange earrings at venue B - you are in violation and will shut you down. If they feel like it. If it is Tuesday. If Mommy forgot to send them the allowance check. If their handmade underwear rubs them the wrong way that day and need an non-Etsy insider to punish.
Forum Action:
RobWhite or other Admin, Can you clarify? - shut down.
"OMG Etsy Freaking out here please help!" - shut down.
"Robwhite, please at least answer these questions--thanks" - shut down.
The closing admin remark was made a post in announcements as well.
"Once more, with feeling"- shut down.
"RobW, I am still confused on links in shops (sorry!). Please bear with me.." - shut down.
"Bottomline: Will you give us notice and a chance?" - still going. Shall we take bets?
"Am I allowed to ask?" - Still active.
Monday's posts:
"So im breaking the rules?!"- Still active.
"Facebook Fanpage Link Legal?"- Still active.
"Re: links to other websites - what are the 'same items'?- Still active.
"You are welcome to list/sell your items wherever you choose. Etsy does not claim exclusivity over your items. Our rule is merely concerned with using Etsy as a means to direct shoppers to make purchases somewhere else online.
Rather than getting nitpicky about semantics, it's best to consider this in the spirit of the rule"
No, we NEED to get nitpicky, because YOU assholes are the goddamned nitpicky ones. YOU don't even know your own rules so can't/won't tell us, because if you make them too solid you have to follow them! If you set it we'll follow them, but then you will have nothing to jump on to get rid of us when it serves you.
"2 ?'s re: Phone Support and the Phone Booths"- Still active.(Etsy if you aren't getting the clue here, it's time to make a solid definition what is or isn't "linkable" one even your moronic staff can understand.)
There is no way Etsy comes out of this latest debacle NOT looking like they are punishing critics. It's clear as day. The fact they are still talking in vague circles what the rules mean proves it. They fucked up and now they are working frantically to wash off the blood stains on their vintage Chucks.Not working assholes. You have fingerprints all over the crime scene.
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