Etsy reopened its discussion boards after a nearly 2-week hiatus, along with Etsy “Teams,” the company’s version of groups. Etsy expanded the new forum topic sections, including adding a new shop critique section.
Etsy said the new platform makes it easier for users to interact with each other:
- Enhanced comment functionality lets you @mention and “like” other members’ posts.
- After posting a new thread, you can now select an accepted solution that indicates when another member’s reply addresses your question effectively.
Other features include “robust activity settings” that include onsite notifications and email alerts.
There’s also a new resource page for Etsy Team leaders that includes education, toolkits, and updates on opportunities for sponsorship. Team leaders will also have access to self-service workshops and guides designed by Etsy experts.
Etsy provided the following Summary of Forums sections:
Announcements – Stay informed about Etsy news, product launches, and other important announcements.
Etsy Success – Join in Q&As and other programming that connects you with Etsy staff and fellow sellers.
Bugs and Technical Issues – Report bugs and technical issues here. We’re grateful for your help!
Creative Process – Chat about all things related to making your products come to life: design, materials, techniques, your workspace, and equipment. And don’t forget work-life balance!
Setting Up Shop – Whether you’re new to Etsy or taking your shop to the next level, here’s the place to share advice about the Sell on Etsy App, subscription packages, and selling in person.
Photography Tips – Share tips for taking photos that get shoppers to click and buy, including advice on lighting, shooting, editing, and more.
Pricing and Finance – Share and receive best practices for pricing your items, bookkeeping, and taxes.
Branding Your Business – Trade advice on creating a cohesive and memorable brand presence, from refining product packaging to customizing your shop home.
Marketing Your Business – Talk best practices for marketing your shop on and off Etsy, including tips on Etsy Search, Analytics & Shop Stats, social media, advertising, sales and coupons, Promoted Listings, Targetted Offers, and SEO.
Providing Great Customer Service – Trade advice with other sellers on how to surprise and delight your buyers, including tips for responding to Convos, taking custom orders, and handling refunds, returns, and exchanges.
All About Shipping – Simplify your shipping with tips and tricks, region-specific advice, and best practices for using Etsy’s shipping tools and services from fellow sellers.
Shop Critiques – Shop Critiques are a great way to give and receive tangible, specific advice. Join these discussions here.
Read more about the changes in the Etsy Seller Handbook. You can also compare the new features with the old features on this page.
And Etsy is hosting a Q&A about the changes in this thread.
Going over my Credit Card Statements for the year :
Etsy DOUBLE DIPPED from me and took over $90 TWICE, 10 days apart at the end of a month.
Looks like it happened when they were switching over the system to deduct from the balance rather than bill it.
It was far enough in the past that my credit card company won’t deal with it now.
SO WATCH YOUR STATEMENTS ! ! ! !
That doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m also a seller, and last year, my credit card was charged THREE TIMES for supplies that were just SITTING IN MY SHOPPING CART. It took many hours to sort out the almost $400 mess, which ended with Etsy profusely apologiziing and OWNING the error.
I never did get an explanation as to why Etsy accessed my credit card and sent charges through–3 times! for things I hadn’t even purchased.
I suppose, like always, they were just playing around.
Etsy has used this new layout to mute the dissenters by removing the Chitchat section and forcing sellers to discuss only the permitted topics that Etsy allows. Threads outside these topics get instantly closed down. I suggest you read the views of the sellers, many of whom have been long-term Etsy members.
I spent 2 hours figuring out the new Etsy forum. HORRID
Etsy figured out another way to ruin this site.
I noticed many threads that closed down because it’s off the topic of the main category.
I use to play one of the games for 15-30 minutes and then back to work. It was great to have my brain doing some fun thing and then to get items ready to list, to list or ? ?.
I was able to find some great sellers and members and would pin their items to help their shops. Now. . . Forget it.
The postings take up more space and you have to scroll forever.
L O O O N N N G G G time to load the forum pages.
I am done with Etsy.
And of course, we hate it just as bad as we did with Lithium infested the eBay boards. That company is horrible and has not a single clue how to run a forum.
Etsy has never liked or encouraged healthy and valid criticism so this looks to be yet another (and not so subtle) way of muting any kind of expression of dissent. What else can you expect from a company which marquerades as a community but is about as community minded as Soviet Russia or the Third Reich?
Are you posters Business Owners or children? Are you running a place to sell items, or living at home with mommy in your later adult years with nothing better to do than post in forums? I’ve yet to see most of the people who post in Etsy forums be anything other than whining children, which explains the complaining here. No wonder you see so many “I’m not selling anything’ posts. Get out of the forums and get work on running your business. If you just want to play social network, then close your shops and play on the social networks.You all are an embarrassments to Etsy which is why they took forums away. They monkeys, their forest.
Really? What a very interesting attitude.
“which is why they took forums away”
So you are basically admitting Etsy made a hash of their new forum.
Most bugs that Etsy overlooks come to light in forum discussions. My best guess is that with nowhere to get easy answers to questions, sellers are expected to buy in to their upcoming packages for customer service.
Etsy tested prototypes where they were told that the font and structure needed tweaking, but as usual they don’t take the advice that they asked for.
They don’t seem to understand that the more they lower the time sellers want to spend on the platform, the more the sellers find other places to spend their time and money. I know that is my New Year’s resolution, right there.
It seems that Etsy has decided to not allow permamuted members to re-join their own teams. It is bad enough that Etsy perma mutes people for life but to then take away their ability to even chat with their fellow team members only makes more sellers decide to close their shops which is counterproductive but it looks as if that is what is happening. There was a poster in bugs that said she called Etsy and they said permamutes will not have any forum privileges until Etsy reinstates their access upon appeal.