Contents: How To Tell if an Etsy Seller Is Legit
How Do You Know if a Seller Is Legit on Etsy?
There are a lot of great things about buying from Etsy sellers online, but how can you tell if these people are legit?
Before you take out your credit card and start spending money on Etsy’s website, read this post! I’ll show you how to look for signs that an Etsy seller is the real deal.
Let’s get to it!
Is Every Seller on Etsy Legit?
With over 1.5 million sellers on Etsy’s site, it can be hard to know which sellers are legitimate and which ones to avoid.
Here are a few methods of verifying a seller’s legitimacy on Etsy:
1. Feedback
One way to verify a seller is legitimate is by checking their feedback score.
All sellers on Etsy are given a feedback score in the form of a 5-star rating based on the number of positive ratings they have received from buyers.
2. Reviews
Another way to verify a seller’s legitimacy is to check for customer reviews.
If you scroll down on any product page on Etsy.com, you’ll see reviews written by Etsy shoppers. Buyer reviews are a good way to find out if a seller is trustworthy in many categories
, such as:
- Product quality
- Shipping and delivery times
- Customer service
- Handling of returns, replacements, and refunds
An Etsy buyer has 100 days to write a review after the estimated delivery date of their order. They can also edit their review as many times as they want during this 100 day period.
Good sellers will have many positive reviews from happy customers. If there are no reviews or if the reviews are negative, it may be best to find a different seller.
3. Return Policy
Another way to judge a seller’s legitimacy is by their return policy. A good return policy shows that the seller is confident in their product and willing to stand behind it.
4. Send an Etsy Message
When in doubt, it’s best to send an Etsy Message to a seller before buying the item(s) you’re interested in. Communicating with the seller will be the best way to ensure that you are buying from a reputable seller who takes customer service seriously. If you are not satisfied with a response from the seller, don’t buy from them!
5. Etsy’s Star Sellers
Check to see if the seller is labeled as a “Star Seller” by Etsy. (This information can be found by visiting an Etsy shop and looking under their header image.)
Star Sellers have an outstanding track record for providing a great customer experience for the past 3 months. They repeatedly earned 5-star customer reviews, shipped their orders in a timely manner, and answered any questions promptly.
Are There Fake Shops on Etsy?
Unfortunately, not all items sold on Etsy are authentic or genuine.
Throughout the years, I’ve definitely found some scams where sellers were selling “fake stuff” (counterfeit products) on Etsy like imitation jewelry, watches, and handbags.
But, this is why I don’t buy from sellers with less than a 4-star rating or without many reviews (sorry, but I’ll let other buyers risk it).
Fortunately, you can usually find out if products being sold on Etsy are fake by carefully reading through the sellers’ reviews.
Conclusion: How Do I Know if an Etsy Seller Is Legit?
In a nutshell, it’s important to do your research on an Etsy seller before making a purchase. Checking for reviews, looking at the number of sales, and examining the quality of the items are all good ways to gauge whether or not an Etsy seller is legit.
If you take the time to do your due diligence, you’ll be much less likely to run into problems down the road when purchasing unique handmade and vintage items from Etsy’s platform.
To keep exploring the safety of shopping on Etsy, take a look at my post “Is Etsy Safe?” which provides a more comprehensive overview of the topic.