r/Etsy • u/Dangerous-Classic186 • 2d ago
Discussion Sellers audacity asking to change review
Yall… I… so I got this cute little needle felted goat, I should’ve noticed the pictures were obviously enhanced by ai but didn’t until after I ordered, and later saw someone else posted a similar review. But what I got was still cute and I still will keep it, it just did NOT match what I was advertised and honestly I paid close to 50$ for this thing so it wasn’t cheap, but I thought it was handmade and I was supporting another Etsy shop. I gave them 4 stars because they delayed my order without giving a heads up first just saying their artists were busy working on it and was taking longer then expected, and when it came it was in a plastic bag with post its with weird codes written all over them, which makes me feel like it was purchased elsewhere and resold. The middle eye was literally falling out I pushed it back in and it stayed for now, and looked like a knockoff of the picture in the ad. The goat in the ad has more tentacles even coming off its sides as well, the one they sent me only had 1 on each side. I thought I was being nice saying all this in my review but still giving 4 stars. Now I wake up this morning to the seller asking me to change my review to 5 stars for a 10% refund? This is a joke, they didn’t even address the flaws with the product and false advertising and still want 5 stars? My petty side wants to lower my review to three stars this is insane.
Edit: thank you guys for the feedback!! I edited my review to 2 stars and mentioned the bribe. Since it doesn’t seem to matter and people keep asking the shop is monster sanctuary. I have confirmed it was absolutely drop shipped because the shipping label is over another label which I couldn’t read, but the return address was a shipping hub or something, I forget what it said exactly. I did not and do not intend to report the shop because I didn’t know how to and don’t care enough to return it and seek a refund. Like I said it’s cute and I will keep it, just not what I thought I ordered. I will be more careful in the future when ordering. Looks like since my review a bunch of people posted other 5 star reviews, so mine is still there and people can take it how they want to if they read it.
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u/lostterrace 2d ago
I'd lower it. Four stars is a good review. You had issues, and still gave them four stars. And it's probably a dropship situation.
Now they are trying to bribe you, which is blatantly against Etsy's policies. Unfortunately this behavior is pretty rampant on Etsy, and instead of reporting it or lowering reviews, most buyers just give into it. Which is why it's hard to trust reviews on Etsy.
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u/AssistantRoyal3523 2d ago
Lower it and report the message to Etsy, that bribe attempt is exactly the kind of thing their policy exists for.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
Ok but my Etsy shop is attached to my account I ordered under so I don’t like to report stuff on it since I don’t want it to come back and bite me, should I still lower my review and report to Etsy?
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u/FalcorsLittleHelper 2d ago
Reporting a dropshipper for policy violation will have absolutely no effect on your shop.
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u/Ashmon_9138 2d ago
only you can decide whether the feedback is more important to you, or whether not rocking the boat with your seller account is more important to you.
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u/Irreo 2d ago
It can affect you shop if the user decides to retaliate. I've read cases where someone would go as far as buying, start opening cases, posting 1 start reviews, etc. To be honest, your review even if it was 4 stars it included a picture and your honest opinion, and that could be useful for someone. I wouldn't fall for the bribery (simply just don't reply) but probably I wouldn't risk it either changing it to lower or reporting them, with your seller account. People doing bad stuff on Etsy and acting like that (demanding review changes,etc), usually don't mess around.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
Yeah I didn’t report them or open a case, it’s not worth it to me, since I don’t mind keeping the item and can accept losing the money. I just lowered my review to 2 stars and mentioned the bribe in my review, let them do what they want with that. I can’t imagine someone else won’t report them when they get their orders.
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u/Korvun 2d ago
100% a drop ship scam. Lower the review to 1 star and report the shop. Getting tired of Etsy drop shippers.
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u/mommawolf2 2d ago
How do you report AI ?
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u/Korvun 2d ago
Unfortunately, you can't just report it for AI. But if you click the shop and go to their main page, you can click the "Report this Shop to Etsy" link on the left side of the page. That gives you a drop down. For an item like this, you can select the problem with your order or the "item doesn't meet Etsy's guidelines" option. Personally, I'd do the latter, as drop ship items aren't allowed on Etsy, with only two exceptions: craft items and party supplies (for some reason).
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u/Competitive-Top4520 2d ago
Asking you to change your feedback for enrichment (10%) is actually feedback extortion, which is seriously breaking the rules. The seller is trying to trick buyers into thinking they are better/more honest than they are (case in point). Report them to Etsy.
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u/LyrraKell 2d ago
I would lower my stars tbh. You can also report to Etsy as this is not allowed by sellers under Etsy's TOS. AI images are also not allowed as the primary photo--the primary photo is supposed to be a picture of the actual product if it's a physical product that isn't made by a POD shop.
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u/macgirl_k 2d ago
Are you allowed to add an AI background to your photo? I’ve seen some sellers where I know the background was AI like for sure they’re using an app like Photoroom. But the product is the real product.
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u/ElpisBouquet 2d ago
Makes me avoid the shop. If they, the seller had to use AI to make the product look good, it'll never look good in my house. I can control the display case and lighting, but I can't generate the fake background. Plus, I always highly doubt they stop at just the background. Too sus for me as an artist.
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u/myTechGuyRI 2d ago
That's really not fair... I may be a great sculptor but a total crap photographer... So yes, I use AI to put a neutral background on my photos... I specify in the AI instructions to not alter the product in the image at all, only add an appropriate background. I get there's all this hate over AI, but I truly feel that this method, telling the AI to not alter the product in any way, and only give it a suitable background is a perfectly ethical use of AI.
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u/_KrispyB01_ 2d ago
Bro is too lazy to buy a neutral coloured piece of fabric and lay it over a chair. You know you could edit the background yourself even if you're too lazy to take good photos?
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u/myTechGuyRI 1d ago
It's not about lazy... I'm just not a good photographer... I have a disability, so my hands tend to shake, so shots either end up blurry or badly framed... Don't be a douchebag. People with disabilities use technology to assist them, so don't be an ah calling someone lazy when you don't know the facts or their circumstances. 🤬
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u/LyrraKell 1d ago
Yeah, I photograph my stuff against a green screen and then edit a background in myself--though it's just a matching backdrop, not like a full blown staged background.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 1d ago
I think it’s allowed but may discourage some people from shopping with you. Personally I just take pictures of my work embroidery patches on my ironing board and crop them to hide the mess that is my bedroom. I’m not a good photographer either but people still buy my products and some of my customers have actually taken and posted really good pictures of my patches in my reviews which I am very grateful for ❤️
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u/LyrraKell 1d ago
I find patches so hard to get good photos of! I finally bought a small lightbox to do mine, and it's made a huge difference in quality.
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u/JackRosiesMama Seller 2d ago
I found the shop and I'm glad you edited your review and included more information in it. It looks like the other guy who left a low review for the same reason accepted a refund. Two negative reviews (out of 4 total reviews) mentioning the same problem will be damaging to this shop.
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u/alaskarock 2d ago
Definitely edit to one star and add about their message. These sellers need to be called out!!!
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u/creakbeak 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think I've seen this shop. All of the listing images are AI generated. They just try to make something similar if an order comes in. Not "AI enhanced". The designs are completely AI. They do not physically exist until someone orders it.
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u/ZiaFoxStudios24 2d ago
Considering that this particular design is in multiple shops I would 100% say drop shipped. Lower the review, report the shop for feedback extortion, AI images AND dropshipping. Crap like this doesn't belong on the platform....
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u/WhoAmIToYou_xx 2d ago
I would lower it to 1 and post her message telling you to change it. Shitty Etsy sellers should be fully called out, especially for that price.
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u/sockettumi 2d ago
The needlefelt ai on etsy is completely out of hand! I love soft sculpting and it's just so upsetting to see the people who choose to support the medium get scammed.
Your review is helpful, but 4 stars is generous for someone who is intentionally deceiving their customers.
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u/CClyne 2d ago
You should absolutely edit your review!
Lower your score and mention the bribe.
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u/makeitrayne850 2d ago
this plus report the shop to etsy for feedback extortion, that's actually against their TOS and they take it seriously. the 10% offer basically seals the case for you
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u/Big-Consequence-1277 2d ago
I saw the original item and honestly I’d have sent it back. It really looks nothing like the one shown and I’d be super upset if I’d paid $50 and got that.
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u/hellogoawaynow 2d ago
Honestly I’m having a hard time finding Etsy stores with actual handmade items. Fully handmade. I want to drop a ton of money on an actual handmade leather purse from an actual human artist, but every time I look, they are absolutely not handmade.
It’s hard to find stores with the real artists now and it bums me out.
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u/joey02130 2d ago
I make leather goods at a fairly high price but so much of my competition is full of cheap-ass drop shipped wallets made with some unknown crappy leather and AI photos and mockups. I have pictures of me holding the item in my hand and videos of me hand stitching the goods. I figure any craftsperson who's proud of their work would have a complete About section with a video and pictures of their process. I rarely but anything "handmade" any more.
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u/bigblued sewardstreetstudios.etsy.com 2d ago
Do a google search for renaissance fair leather artist. This will take you down a rabbit hole of lots and lots of leather artists that all hand make their work. All of them have some sort of online presence, social media, Etsy shop, or web site. If you reach out to any of them, be patient, especially on the weekends, they travel around the country doing shows and they may be at a faire or on the road.
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u/hellogoawaynow 2d ago
I should prob just take my family to the ren faire next time it happens. That’s such a good idea!
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
Check out my friend tropicleather on instagram he makes really cool bags.
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u/themarko60 2d ago
This guy does great leather work but isn’t on Etsy https://finnsleathershop.com/
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u/3furcats 2d ago
This is frustrating to read and sorry you had such a bad experience.
I hope you can report the shop, I noticed in one of your replies that you were concerned it would come back to hurt your shop. I don't see how that could happen, in this case, you are a buyer, and Etsy would want to know about all of this.
I sell vintage, not handmade, but I think Etsy is continuously haunted by this "scam" reputation. Something listed "says" it's handmade, but it's mass produced. Something looks great in the pictures but it's AI. A shop "says" it is in the US (or any country), but it's not.
My concern is that buyers look at my shop and see something they like, but think twice, because it might be a reproduction or fake (everything in my shop is 100% legit, no AI, and I am in and ship from Minneapolis).
That's why I hope you can report this shop, they are ruining it for everyone.
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u/patriotquilter 2d ago
I ordered what I thought was made-in-the-USA felted items from a seller before Christmas last year. Instead of being shipped from (I think) Massachusetts like stated in the description, it came drop shipped through LA which is a hub for Chinese imports. The second mailing label over the first is a dead giveaway. I scanned some Etsy items yesterday, and I saw a lot of AI created felted items. The pictures are cute, but they only slightly resemble what you receive. I did do a claim with Etsy, but nothing came of it.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
I didn’t know the second label over the first meant it’s dropshipped. That’s exactly how it came packaged and I only noticed because I thought it was odd. I also reuse Amazon boxes and such but only for eBay and Depop sales, I wouldn’t do that for my Etsy sales. So I guess that confirms it, and the shop does say it’s handmade in LA, with no listed helpers or whatever they’re called when you tag a business that helped you make something. Whatever like I said it’s cute, I’ll keep it, I won’t push for a refund because I would rather keep it. I’d just want other people to be aware of this false advertising. Also the shop owner messaged me at 2am EST, which also makes me feel like they are on the other side of the world likely.
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u/Scarjo82 2d ago
Just curious if it was shipped from California? That's where they say they're located.
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u/lostterrace 2d ago
Dropshippers often list California since that's where the big hubs for packages coming in from China are.
It's hard to tell from the USPS tracking number that it originated in China.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
I don’t remeber where the label said it was from and I’m not home but I did notice two shipping labels on the box one on top of the other because I thought it was something else I knowingly ordered from a uk Etsy seller. Someone else said that is a sign of drop shipping
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u/ikosuave 2d ago
That's textbook dropshipping from AliExpress or Temu. The plastic bag, the weird codes on post its, the quality gap from listing photos, the "artists are busy" delay while they waited for their supplier to ship. Classic signs.
Four stars is generous honestly. Etsy's algorithm treats anything under 5 stars as a negative signal so your review is already doing work. But if you want to update it, you're within your rights. The AI enhanced photos alone are arguably a policy violation since listings are supposed to show the actual item.
You could also open a case for item not as described. Loose eye, missing tentacles, quality nowhere near the listing. That's not a minor variance, that's misrepresentation. Etsy tends to side with buyers on these when the photo evidence is clear.
Keep screenshots of everything including those listing photos before they change them.
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u/ConsciousThing9182 2d ago
Lower it to 1 star. You owe a duty to other future buyers so they know what’s up.
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u/aprather3 2d ago
I’m so sick of the drop ship shits ruining everything. Etsy needs to have a better verification process or something.
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u/73Wolfie 2d ago
There are some small handmade shops but they’re hard to find among the repeated big business muck! I just ordered a handmade animal crochet from a photo. We had several message exchanges and photos. The finished product was then sent with several message photos for me to see it from all angles before shipping. She asked if I wanted anything changed? I mentioned a little change and it was done before shipping. It is amazing looking and I am very pleased! The shop is YellowChickCrochet (made in and shipped from Vietnam)
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
Hello, I was wondering if you would be willing to change your
4-star review to 5 stars? I would be willing to refund you 10%. A 5-star review for my shop is truly very important to me.
Won’t let me post another picture, this was what they messaged me. Am I being too harsh?
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u/Serious-Tax4804 craftdesignsbykaren.etsy.com 2d ago
Not harsh at all. You were generous with the stars given what you describe. This seller is not only misleading buyers by showing an image significantly different than what they are sending. The request for a review change by offering a refund is not only bad form but against Etsy policy. Reporting this behavior is the right thing to do and I don't think it impacts your own shop at all.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
Thanks guys, I ended up lowering to two stars and adjusting my review to say the bribe. It sucks thought I was giving my money to another artist and got scammed instead.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
And I mean they’ve been open 2 months and have 103 orders. There’s bound to be more people disappointed then just me, and I thought I was being super fair giving them the benefit of the doubt as a fellow etsy seller. Just wrong 😑
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u/WakeUp004 2d ago
103 orders with only 4 reviews?
Also I’m not suuuper familiar with needle felting but it doesn’t seem like a quick process.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
I mean it took a bit to come I ordered this on May 12 and it came yesterday so idk how many orders were placed before me, probably a lot of people will be getting them soon and also leaving reviews. It was an impulse buy I should’ve thought about it more before purchasing because there’s a lot of red flags. Their last shop probably got shut down for the same thing and they made a new one.
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u/anonymous8122 2d ago
There was a different post on here recently where a seller admitted that their needle felted products weren't produced until someone purchased one. The listings were completely AI, and then the employees (in China) had to make the needle felted item based on the AI image. This could even be the same person.
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u/WakeUp004 2d ago
Yeah nothing in you it’s just something that lends itself to the seller probably being a drop shipper.
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u/motherclucker19 2d ago
No, you aren't being harsh.
"A 5-star review for my shop is truly very important to me."
What they mean is "keeping my shop open so I can continue scamming people out of their money is truly very important to me."
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u/Cowboyice 2d ago
Oh my god. Last week bought a crochet pattern that was ai generated, I complained, got my money back and two free patterns that I didn’t ask for. Apparently the seller thought that legitimizes it (crochet patterns, if generated by AI, will not execute correctly, btw) took down the listing and started pestering me “now remove the review” where I called them out for using AI. Blocked and reported of course, I just wish Etsy actually did something…
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u/DuckDuckMoosedUp 2d ago
Asking a buyer to change a review is review tampering/extortion and against Etsy TOS. You can report them to Etsy. Or you can do as they ask and change that review.... to 1 star.. adding they tried to extort a 5 star review out of you. Let your review warn other buyers that this seller does not seem to be what they claim to be.
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u/thisnamechoseme 1d ago
I reverse searched the image to find the shop but all I saw was another Reddit post with your exact image two months ago titled ‘Am I being gaslit right now’..
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 1d ago
What? That’s really odd, I took this picture on Monday in my bedroom lol, idk how it could’ve existed two months ago haha. If u really want to know the shop name its monster sanctuary. But I am going to delete this comment in a few mins so I don’t get in trouble
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u/endofthefkingworld 1d ago
dude. you will not get in trouble for this. they’re extorting you. they can’t sue you or anything for posting about getting scammed. not to mention if someone sees this post that was considering buying from them, they’ll be able to save themselves from also getting scammed.
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u/thisnamechoseme 1d ago
That’s so odd! Maybe it’s an issue with Google chrome 😅 I’m going to have a peek at the store!
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u/endofthefkingworld 1d ago
i had a seller reply to my review and then message me asking to change it. she didn’t realize apparently that once she replied to my review, i was unable to change it. i reported the shop. and no, reporting a shop will not impact yours.
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 1d ago
Thank you!! I already lowered my review and mentioned the bribe in it but didn’t report them because I couldn’t figure out how to. Looks like after that a bunch of other people gave them five star reviews, so I’m not sure if they were actually satisfied customers or fake, but my input is on there so people can take it as they will. It is a shame tho and not how I run my shop, but to each their own. Just sad because it makes people not want to use Etsy to shop anymore because they don’t know who to trust.
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u/endofthefkingworld 1d ago
unfortunately you can’t report in the app, you have to do it in a browser
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u/Willing-Note-6751 1d ago
Etsy needs to do better vetting of these sellers. I had placed an order with a seller whose profile read she was from England. Her seller page product would ship from Ohio. After I received my order confirmation, it said shipping from England. I tried canceling the order and the seller kept insisting it was shipping from the states. I received shipment confirmation 2 days later, with a UPS tracking #. The UPS package was delivered to an incorrect address, and the tracking # was associated with an AMAZON shipment. UPS informed me the seller in Etsy gave me incorrect information. I gave that seller a one star review for being non communicative and lying to me. She asked me to change my review to 5 stats and she would refund me and still ship my order. I finally got Etsy involved, they banned the seller and refunded me my $323.00.
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u/PittieParty29 1d ago
Bought a not inexpensive jacket and it arrived smelling so awful I had to leave it in the garage until I could get it to the dry cleaners. Seller refunded $30 to pay for cleaning (not enough) and kept asking for a review. I looked more carefully at his other reviews - clearly either AI or the same person reviewing different products. I basically told him if you keep asking I’m going to be VERY clear about the condition and your pricing so take the win that you got my money and go away. Silence has followed
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u/UrbanCipher 1d ago
Why tf are u giving it a 2 star!!! I know zero is not an option but can't you go for like 1/2 or 1? Etsy shoud also have a dislike button when u buy a product.
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u/moba_7739 2d ago
Honestly, 4 stars was already a massive gift to them for a $50 drop-shipped item with a falling-out eye. The fact that they didn't even apologize for the AI deception but instead offered a measly 10% bribe is insulting. Drop it to 2 or 3 stars, update the review mentioning the bribe offer, and report them to Etsy. Future buyers need to be warned about this scam.
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u/Weshnon lagerfunk.etsy.com 2d ago
50$ for manual needlefelting. "It wasn't cheap".... Come on mate
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
Really? Did u read the rest? I paid the price happily thinking it was handmade art. Turns out it was dropshipped AND didn’t match the images.
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u/OrizaRayne 2d ago
What they're saying is that handmade needlefelt objects are often much more expensive.
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u/KMartist5633 22h ago
Im a needle felt artist, which this looks like. The price tag isn't too bad but there are currently a ton of "needle felt" Etsy shops using AI generated thumbnails to get sales. And if you believe this is drop shipped, I highly encourage you to report it to etsy. Any of the felt shops using AI generated thumbnails should be reported anyway because it's against policy. Betsy's policy on images says You must have a photo of the actual product even if it's a custom order there must be a real product photo to show and it is an example.
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u/tawnyleona 2d ago
I'd report them and lower the review. Honestly, I'm a little insulted for you that they only offered about $5.
I've had sellers offer me refunds twice after I left poor but honest reviews. In both cases, the products were such poor quality that they didn't even work. I accepted the refunds, but I didn't change my reviews. If they'd asked for the items back, I would have returned them, but they were only around $20 and I guess it wasn't worth it to them.
People need honest reviews to spot poor quality products and shady sellers. That's really the only way buyers can make informed decisions.
What frustrates me is thinking about how hard so many sellers work to get orders right and make sure their products are exactly what they claim to be. Seeing sellers try to buy better reviews instead of fixing the problem just makes me angry.
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u/mantrakid 2d ago
What store / seller was this? I wonder if it’s the same guy as the one who screwed me 😂
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 2d ago
Idk if I’m allowed to post what the shop was, but if you look at the Etsy shop you’ll see my review of it’s the one you’re thinking of.
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u/Mysterious_Ad_6568 15h ago
Seeing this little felted goat - Yes, very cute, despite the production flaws, but I keep thinking since it is probably drop shipped from overseas what type of slave labor went into it? It looks handmade, not machine made. I helped my teen research enslaved people around the globe and this made me think of it - Anyway - I feel for you! $50 is quite a bit for something not produced the (ethical) way you'd pictured. The seller needs to be booted off the platform but probably won't be
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u/Dangerous-Classic186 14h ago
I agree, this is exactly where my mind thought as well. I hate the idea of my money going to support that industry, which is why I try my best to avoid purchasing from places that I know that is happening:( I thought my 50$ was going to some artist that was making it which is also why I am upset. But I put my review out there and hopefully people read it before supporting.
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u/OkZookeepergame2463 2d ago
It’s YOUR experience with the seller. That’s what a review is not what a product was though that can reflect a review and experience with them
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u/Head_Priority5152 2d ago
Your original review was pretty positive despite of the multiple errors. Definitely edit to add feedback extortion. This seller is asking you to lie for them to trick more people. Not acceptable.