Supplier to Provide Etsy with Seller Purchase Data

by: LDWCallsOut

When I sold vintage items on Etsy years ago I always re-used clean and sturdy boxes and mailers from stuff shipped to me, or scored at various bricks and mortar stores where I shopped, as shipping supplies.  Mail ordering ''eco'' packaging -- AND HAVING IT SHIPPED TO YOU -- has an environmental impact.  Only a dumb bunny would believe this type of business purchase is ''eco friendly''.

I can well understand why Etsy wants info on who purchases these items -- they are Etsy's ideal customer (shop owner) because they don't get all that science stuff -- or any stuff that involves numbers.  Seriously, on one of my first visits to the Etsy Forums in 2007 or 2008, a seller said she was thrilled to buy supplies for her craft from various Etsy shops BECAUSE IT HELPED THE ENVIRONMENT TO NOT VISIT OTHER WEB SITES.  She hadn't a clue that purchasing supplies from, say, 5 different Etsy shops and having the items shipped to her was NO DIFFERENT than ordering from 5 different websites and having her purchases shipped to her.  In fact, it is exactly the same.  

by: Snapped

Data mining in an eco-friendly costume.  How….seasonal.

by: fusgeyer

As an Etsy seller, I'd run away as fast as possible from this joint venture. The privacy invasion into your business is huge. Don't integrate Etsy into your back of office. That is not where they belong. They are the front of office - sales venue. That should be it.

Here are some very serious questions to ponder before you decide to accept buying through their link:

1) There are plenty of other companies that offer unbranded recyclable shipping products that do not share your information with Etsy. I doubt this EcoEnclose is the least expensive choice.

2) This agreement allows Etsy to see all of your purchases through this vendor and all of your information. This includes purchases through this company that you may not be using for Etsy. What exactly is the information being provided to Etsy. Purchase volume, dollar amounts, shipping and billing addresses and info, contact information, payment method, terms of sale, order-shipping-payment dates. Is this really any of Etsy's business?

3) Etsy's privacy agreement/policy pertains to information collected on Etsy's website(s). There is nothing in that privacy agreement that pertains to information given to Etsy by a third party's website. Stating that the information from EcoEnclose will be handled in accordance with Etsy's privacy policy is not a legally binding agreement. They have to disclose all of that in EcoEnclose's privacy policy - when you click on the link and agree to their terms AND it must specifically state/name Etsy in order for Etsy to claim any sort of legally binding agreement with regards to privacy.

4) Is Etsy going to compare billing information from EcoEnclose, with what Etsy has on file for a shop? What if it is different? Can they use that to close your shop? What if you have difficulty with an EcoEnclose purchase? Does Etsy get notified? Does Etsy track your EcoEnclose purchase through the time you use one of the EcoEncloses products to ship and item from your Etsy shop?

5) Does Etsy have future plans to require sellers to use this packaging? Inquiring minds want to know.

Overall, no thank you Etsy. I already have eco-friendly packaging that you do not control. I do not want Etsy branded packaging. I prefer to brand all of my packaging with my company's brand.  

by: Ophelia1

If enough sellers choose to participate in another Etsy crazy scheme, it will be forced down the throat on all sellers, exactly like the off-site ads.
No, thank you, Etsy.  

by: Stone Cutter

I checked out this site. Much of what this company sells are "custom boxes" for branding....which are not necessarily used as exterior shipping boxes. I found their site convoluted and time consuming in finding what I need.

I'll stick with Uline who gives me a fast way of finding what I need. And with Uline I use super strong boxes with a 200 lb. crush test for my jewelry and have never had damage with any shipment. Appears to me that Eco does not have the same box strength....so no, I don't believe this site can be forced by Etsy if it means sellers cannot provide proper boxes.

I think Etsy is trying to find ways to give sellers a more professional presentation, however, this will fail if personal information needs to be disclosed. It's creepy.

by: Sierra

I have been using a packaging supplier on eBay, however I was just notified by Etsy admin that I won a $100 gift card to EcoEnclose ... so it looks like I'll be trying their products!