Disclaimer: Everything shared in this post is based solely on my own personal experience as a seller on Etsy. It reflects my opinions and my story only. I am not speaking on behalf of anyone else, and I recognize that experiences may vary from seller to seller. My intention is simply to share what happened to me honestly and to help others who may be going through something similar.
I've debated writing this post for a long time. But I think it's important — for other makers who might be going through the same thing, and for my customers who wonder why I chose to build my own store instead of staying on a big platform like Etsy.
The truth is, Etsy broke my heart. And it cost me thousands of dollars.
I sell handmade jewelry, accessories, clothing, craft supplies, and gifts — things I create with love and care. And yet the platform I trusted to help me share them with the world failed me in ways I never could have imagined.
The Harassment
I sold on Etsy for years. And during that time, I experienced something I never expected when I started making — harassment. Not just the occasional rude comment, but mean, hateful, relentless messages — and I mean at all hours. We're talking 2 and 3 in the morning. There was no boundary, no respect, no letting up. It went on for so long and got so severe that at times I was genuinely afraid for my safety. The threats were serious enough that I feared for my personal wellbeing and my livelihood — the thing I had poured my heart into building.
It got so bad that I put my shop into vacation mode for over a year just to get a break from the abuse. Over a year of lost sales, lost momentum, lost income — because I needed to feel safe. No seller should ever have to make that choice.
The example I share later in this post — the customer who harassed me for days over a return that was past my policy, ruined my vacation, then lied about me in a review that still sits on my shop today — that is just the most recent example. It is not the worst. It is not the only one. It is simply the latest in years of being failed by a platform that was supposed to protect me.
I was making handmade goods — things I created with love, with my own two hands. And people felt entitled to treat me this way over it.
Etsy's Two-Faced Support System
Here's what made it even harder: Etsy's customer service is not for sellers. It never was.
When I reached out for help — when I was being harassed, threatened, and losing money — the support I received was dismissive at best and nonexistent at worst. Etsy as a company showed very little care for the people actually making and selling on their platform. The response times were poor, the resolutions were worse, and I often felt completely alone in dealing with situations no seller should ever have to face.
But here's the thing — if you're a buyer on Etsy, they jump to help you. Immediately. The platform bends over backwards for buyers while sellers are left to absorb the losses, the abuse, and the stress. It's a system that was never designed to protect the makers. We were just a means to an end.
Overcharged and Overruled
On top of the harassment, Etsy's fee structure is brutal for sellers. Between listing fees, transaction fees, payment processing fees, and offsite ads you're often enrolled in whether you like it or not, Etsy takes a significant cut of every sale. For a small handmade seller, those fees add up fast.
But what hurt the most was the refunds. Etsy has the power to force refunds to buyers — even when the seller did nothing wrong. Let me give you a real example.
A customer contacted me wanting to return a necklace — a beautiful piece with absolutely nothing wrong with it — well past my clearly stated return policy timeframe. I couldn't accept the return. That should have been the end of it.
Instead, they harassed me for days. I reached out to Etsy for help. Their suggestion? Mark the messages as spam. I did. The messages kept coming. Then Etsy support told me to contact the very person I was trying to get protection from — to ask them to open a case so Etsy could review it.
So I did. And what happened? The harassment continued right inside the case messages. Lies, more attacks — and complete silence from Etsy. An entire day of this, and crickets.
I was so worn down that I finally just refunded the customer myself — just to make them stop. They got free product. Exactly what they wanted. And there was nothing wrong with what I sent them.
That's not right. Policies are put in place for a reason — to protect both sellers and buyers. If a platform won't uphold those policies, what is the point of having them? A seller shouldn't have to choose between their mental health and their money. No one should.
And it wasn't just that one case. I lost thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars in refunds to customers who claimed they never received their order — even when tracking confirmed it was delivered. Let that sink in. The package left my hands. I packed it with care, I shipped it on time, and tracking showed it arrived. And yet I was the one who paid.
USPS lost it? Still my problem. A customer lied? Still my problem. And it didn't stop there. There were customers who damaged their own jewelry — broke their own necklace, snapped their own earrings — and then came back demanding a refund. And Etsy forced me to issue one. My pieces left in perfect condition. What happened to them after delivery was out of my control entirely. But none of that mattered. There was no investigation, no protection, no accountability for anyone but me. Those refunds should never have come out of my pocket. But they did. Over and over again, for years. And it didn't just hurt my business — it put me in debt. A small handmade seller, in debt, because a platform worth billions couldn't be bothered to protect the sellers who built it.
To the Customers Who Showed Up With Kindness
In the middle of all of this, there were good people. Truly wonderful customers who appreciated my work, left kind words, and treated me with the respect every small business owner deserves. I don't want this post to overshadow them.
To every customer who sent an encouraging message, left a genuine review, or simply trusted me with their order — thank you. You kept the light on during some very dark times. I am so grateful for you, and you are a big part of why I kept creating and never gave up entirely.
You are the reason this business exists today.
Why I Am Leaving
After years of this, I am left with lost wages, lost time, lost product — and a pain that's hard to put into words. I poured everything into my business, and the platform I trusted to support me failed me over and over again.
I came close to shutting everything down entirely. I almost walked away from all of it. And I think about how many other makers have done exactly that — quietly disappeared because the weight of it all became too much.
But I didn't quit. Instead, I chose myself. I am leaving Etsy and have built my own store — a place where I have control, where my work is protected, and where the people who find me are here because they genuinely love what I make. Not to tear it down.
It wasn't easy. Starting over never is. But it is the right decision. And I'm still here.
For years, I also had my own website — but I neglected it. I poured all of my time and energy into developing my Etsy shop instead, because everything I ever heard was that Etsy was the king — or queen — of handmade and supplies selling. That you couldn't make it without them. That they were the only way to be found, the only way to survive as a small maker. I believed that. And it kept me tied to a platform that was hurting me, long past the point I should have walked away.
I was wrong. And the hardest part? My husband tried to tell me. Year after year, he communicated this to me. And year after year, I said it would be okay. That I just had to work harder. That it would pay off in the long run. I kept believing in a platform that never believed in me.
Why It Matters Where You Shop
When you buy directly from an independent maker like me, you're not just buying a piece of jewelry or a handmade gift. You're choosing to support a real person — someone who designs, creates, and ships every single order by hand.
You're also helping that maker build something sustainable, outside of platforms that don't always have their best interests at heart.
I'm grateful every day for Shopify, which has given me a platform that actually cares about the people selling on it. A place where I can run my business with dignity, on my own terms. That means everything to me.
If you've ever bought from me and left a kind, positive review, thank you. Not every customer I've encountered has been good to me — and those of you who have shown up with kindness and support mean more than you know. You're part of why I kept going.
A Note to My Husband
I could not have gotten through any of this without my husband. He has been by my side through every difficult customer, every unfair refund, every sleepless night, and every moment I wanted to give up. He saw the truth long before I did, and he stood by me anyway — through every hard moment, every setback, and every time I chose to keep trying.
To my husband — thank you. Thank you for your patience, your encouragement, your unwavering support through all of these years, and for always having my back. Right now, as I take this next step, I am reminded that this business exists not just because of my hands, but because of your heart. I love you.
Where Things Stand Now
My Etsy shop is currently in vacation mode and all of my listings are deactivated. I am in the process of transferring everything over to my own website and downloading my tax information. Once that is complete, I will be closing my Etsy seller account permanently.
This chapter is closing. And I have never felt more at peace with a decision in my business.
With love,
Amanda