I’ve been shopping on ETSY for several years and never had any major issues. Well I ordered a shirt for someone for Christmas and what I received is not quite what I ordered. It’s gray not black and the wrong size. I’ve been looking for 2+ hours trying to find a receipt that shows what I actually ordered. I’m not sure if I messed up the order or they messed up and shipped wrong item. I can see I purchased it but has no details on what size or color I ordered. If you touch the actual item it just takes you back to their page to buy another one. I scrolled through the help page and goggled it-apparently the little email saying you place an order with this shop that has view order link is all you get(clicking the link takes you to the generic receipt showing the product but not the specifications you ordered) I had this problem before when I ordered a set of acrylic nails. They were beautiful and the size I ordered was perfect so I wanted to place a new order. Never could find the details showing what size I ordered so I had to get a new sizing kit and start all over. I don’t think it is too much to ask to see exactly what you ordered on your receipt/my orders page.

I used to be a huge fan of Etsy back in the day when everything was handmade and crafted by small business owners. That unique vibe was what made it so special. But now, I often come across items labeled as handmade that clearly aren't. It hasn't been bad enough for me to bother returning anything, but it's definitely shaken my trust in the sellers. They know how to throw around buzzwords like “organic,” “artisan,” and “small business,” and it feels like they’re just cashing in without any real accountability. Ordering has become a bit of a gamble. One time, though, I got really frustrated and felt I had to take action. I bought a pair of “vintage 1990 black CK jeans” from a seller who clearly just hit up Goodwill and marked them up. People were falling for her brand, and I admit I was one of them. She had this amazing pair that looked like a one-of-a-kind vintage gem, probably originally only $3 at a thrift store, but her Photoshop skills had me convinced. When they finally arrived, they had this awful mildewy smell—like she snagged them from a free clothing bin. They didn’t match the pictures at all, and the sizing was off too. To top it off, it took six months to even get a response from her. I tried reaching out, and Etsy did too, but she ghosted us both. I ended up paying way too much for a terrible product. So, if you’re shopping on Etsy, just be careful! Make sure to ask questions and read all the reviews.

Genuine etsy sellers are great. Quality items, fast shipping, great customer service, you can tell that they care. Dropshippers and resellers, however, are becoming more and more abundant, and I find myself constantly having to spend time assessing a shop to ensure that it is legitimate. Even some star sellers are obviously drop shippers. I’m sick of having to question whether something is handmade or not when now, seemingly half the products are straight from aliexpress. On top of that, the app updates about once a week at this point. The buttons are constantly moving around and it’s tiring learning the new layout only for it to change again. Not only that, but now I have to click onto a total of *three* pages before I can see my favorites list. Why do “discounts” and “gift mode” receive their own button on the main menu bar while favorites are hidden behind layers of clicking? Profit for Etsy, obviously (and not profit for the sellers, of course, who are riddled with ever increasing fees). The insane amounts of notifications as well? Don’t even get me started. Etsy clearly thinks I need to know every time every single item I favorited a year ago restocks, or goes on sale, or simply exists. And there’s no way to turn them off in the app. This app has so much potential but there is still much to be improved. (Or simply returned to normal, as is the case with the favorites button).