Etsy is a marketplace in which people sell their homemade goods and other crafts to buyers around the world. At least, that’s what the market is intended to be.
Over the years, customers have reported a host of issues with the platform. For example, one shopper claimed that she found the website had been flooded with listings of items that could be purchased from Temu. Another claimed they bought a shirt on Etsy only to discover that it was originally made by fast-fashion giant SHEIN.
These problems aren’t just on the customer side, either. Now, a user on TikTok has sparked discussion after saying that her attempt to sell items on the platform ended with her losing money thanks to the site’s sizable, and unexpected, fees.
Why was this woman charged so much while selling on Etsy?
In a video with over 107,000 views, TikTok user Melissa Newberry (@darrsberry) explains how her attempt to sell art to a co-worker led to her losing money.
According to Newberry, after setting up a store, she made a sale to her co-worker. It was only after the $33.75 sale went through that she realized just how little she’d be paid for it.
“Etsy took this out in fees,” she says, pointing to the number $4.10, “and then they took this out in marketing,” indicating a charge for $16.47. “And I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. I don’t even pay for marketing. What’s happening?’”
As a result, her net revenue was just over $13, which Newberry says is “not even enough to pay for materials.”
To make matters worse, she claims that the charges have continued on her account, meaning that she only has about $7 left from the money she made.
“Long story short, I’ve made maybe $7, depending on if Etsy continues taking money from me,” she concludes. “So, I’m gonna delete all of my stuff off Etsy. I’m gonna take a loss from uploading it, and if anyone knows any good creative websites to upload to, let me know, ‘cause I don’t think I wanna use Etsy anymore.”
@darrsberry Where else do creative people sell their products? I know some how this is probably my fault that etsy isnt paying me out, im sure theres a fine print im missing but it is a bummer! #etsyfail #etsy #shopsmall ♬ original sound – Darrsberry
What really happened?
Newberry later posted a follow-up video explaining how she came to be charged so much.
In short, she had accidentally signed up for marketing and ads, which promotes her products on Etsy and other platforms. While she says she does not remember doing this, she admits it was possible that the setting was accidentally activated at some point during the setup process. She has now turned off ads.
That said, she claims that the whole experience dissuaded her from using the site again in the future, though she encourages people who are buying and selling to simply make their own decision about the website and do their own research.
“The moral of this story is just to educate yourself,” she says. “I posted that mostly looking for different places to sell my art that wasn’t Etsy. Etsy has never been it for me.”
@darrsberry It is your personal choice to use etsy or not. Will I use my etsy? No, Ive spent more than ive ever made. Can you turn off your ads? Yes. This was a learning lesson for me. I am thankful for all the wonderful suggestions on where to go after etsy and i am saddened to hear other people are in the same boat as me. #educateetsy #etsyfail #educateyourself ♬ original sound – Darrsberry
Commenters share their thoughts on Etsy
In the comments section, users shared their own complaints about the platform.
“This is why I started my own website,” claimed a user. “They weren’t sending any traffic my way and took all the profit.”
“This is why I sell my art and yarn on my own website,” echoed another. “Years ago, I tried to sell with no luck, not getting through the massive competition, uploading each item for a cost for a limited time. Sucked!”
“I’ve been selling on etsy for a few years and I feel like its time to give it up,” declared a third. “They just keep adding fees by the time I make a sale Im only making back what I spent on materials.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Etsy via email and Newberry via Instagram DM and TikTok comment.
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