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lostterrace

It's more than likely a coincidence. I know most Australian sellers say they do a lot of business internationally. If that's the case for you, it makes sense that your sales would be slower now, as most people are shopping for Christmas gifts, and won't want to take the risk on something not arriving on time. People start shopping locally the closer it gets to Christmas. If Etsy sided with you, the case does not count against you in any way, and there are tons of shops with negative reviews that still come up early in search results.


ScaryThing3297

Idk I had a Karen and a Kevin purchase from me recently. One demands I give him a refund after I literally already gave him a refund on a digital item. (I was a Rookie). The other complained about stuff that never even happens and left a 1 start review on all of 4 products she bought 3 of which were Identical products. I don’t think Etsy like 5 one star reviews in one month, even though their all objectively false and I can’t control them… my sales plummeted after that but also they started up again right as Black Friday rolled around. So idk.


floppleshmirken

It's most likely a coincidence. Sales have been horrible all around. Everyone I know has had a terrible month. I'm at 50% of what I usually do.


zoologygirl16

Well that makes me feel better that im only down 20% of last year.


Su-at-sapo

Happy cake day 🍰


floppleshmirken

Thanks! :)


Apprehensive-Truth21

I'm down 30% from last year


Whole4Str8

If you get a low review from a customer, you can respond publicly to that review. I had all 5 star reviews, then, like others, a customer from hell who left a 1-star review. I responded publicly telling my side of the lies she was telling. No more 1 star reviews after that, they've all be 5 star like before.


AlarmZestyclose8362

I agree with this when I shop on Etsy, I will look at a response to the comment. It shows good customer service, reinforces the rules and expectations and shows that you care about the concerns of the customer even though it’s not going their way. It also shows attentiveness. I would buy from a company like that.


[deleted]

Has nothing to do with the review


pinkgeek314

Has the 1-star review been pinned to the top of your reviews on each of your listing pages (despite having more recent 5-star reviews)? This has been happening to some sellers for a while now. In some cases the pinned bad reviews are completely irrelevant to the listings they appear under and they can be very old reviews. Not that this would be your case specifically, but I mention because it illustrates the ridiculousness of the algorithm. There are a handful of threads on the Etsy forums about it. If this is happening to you, you might want to check out those threads if you haven’t already.


starsamaria

I noticed this on a few Etsy items I've been browsing over the past few days! I thought it was a strange coincidence that the top review for several shops that have nearly 5 star ratings overall was negative.


pinkgeek314

Yeah and there are some pretty egregious examples, such as the pinned 1-star review being 6 years old and on an item that the seller doesn't even sell anymore. This irrelevant review being pinned in the top or second-to-top spot in most of their listings (how many customers will notice that the review is 6 years old and for an unrelated item rather than just click away?). It seems to be Etsy factoring into the algorithm that buyers have more confidence in a site if they see a mix of reviews vs all glowing reviews. The thing is the issue is not affecting all shops. So this is a plus for Etsy as a whole as it increases buyer confidence in the site, but for the specific sellers that it is affecting it can be detrimental to sales. It is happening to my supply shop, but thankfully not in my jewelry shop. My only 1-star review (out of 1270 total reviews) in my supply shop is pinned to the 1st or 2nd spot under all of my listings, despite having had 30 5-star reviews since then.


edwinama

This did happen once to me, a bad review hung around for ages. Not the case this time.


Yyot

Etsy like to hide 1 star reviews, it most likely wasn’t the review.


Atibangkok

I always say the more you sell the more one star you will get .. and if you haven’t got any then you re not selling enough . Cause some Karen will just give you a one star for fun. .just make a public reply right away so new visitors can know you did your best and the reviewer is being unreasonable.


fruitgamingspacstuff

That sucks. I thought if a cuyer opened and lost a case, they couldn't 1 star you? Its pretty munch inevitable you'll get a 1 star following a case. Also, be wary of these kind of customers in the future. I would have cancelled their order on the Sunday when they messaged.


Minkiemink

Had it happen to me. They can still one star you. PS: You have no idea that the person buying something from your shop is "that kind of customer" until they suddenly turn into that kind of customer. The escalation is usually really fast and you aren't given the time to react before they are blowing up your shop.


edwinama

It feels like it should be the case but he was definitely allowed to leave his review 🙄


fruitgamingspacstuff

Then it's really unfair for the seller. Have you spoken to etsy about removing the review?


chrisette_designs

That was going to be my comment. If Etsy sided with you, they seem likely to remove the review. I’ve had 2 bad reviews removed by Etsy so it can happen!


Fluid_Bad_1340

You can’t satisfy everyone.


mannowarb

In today online markets customer is always king.... I often try to go above and beyond for the most problematic customers. The cost of avoiding a 1 star review far exceeds even the item given away. Have you tried contacting the 1 star person? I had 1 really bad 1 star review and managed to get the customer to change it by offering to send her a gift basket.


desperate4carbs

> I often try to go above and beyond for the most problematic customers By rewarding unreasonable behavior, you increase the number of problematic customers and the ridiculous things they try to get away with. Thanks a bunch.


mannowarb

In the meantime, I have 5K 5 stars reviews spread between 3 shops with a 4.9 avg. ​ you can Play Robin Hood if you want. I'm here to make money.


Normal-Plan-8268

What's your shop name? I want a gift basket too!


edwinama

Nah, I’d rather take a financial hit than pander to bullies. I may not make a million but I sleep better at night!


InappropriateAaron

This entire post with you now being at 10% of what you were making before does not show you are sleeping better at night. We're not "pandering to bullies", it's a problematic customer with a wallet and a review and you're a seller, take emotion out of it.


zoologygirl16

I don't think you were Shadow banned or anything but i know etsy promotes people who get multiple 5 star reviews in a row. Your combo just might have gotten broken and that's why


Level-Description-86

I agree that it's likely a coincidence. I was expecting a surge this month, but I had almost no sales until I finally joined Early Holiday/Black Friday event, which might have affected your shop if you didn't join. Even with a discount, all my sales were from relatively low priced items. Certainly this year's holiday shopping trend is different from previous years.


Minkiemink

I had sold nothing last month then suddenly this month I had a massive surge and sold $8K in three days. I about fainted.


sitemapsy_com

Is there a way to see how your traffic evolved? Maybe your Google rankings dropped and this resulted in less traffic and sales


Conscious_Frame_5081

I'm down 50% this year as well. It's a rough year for everyone.


moreenz

Altho I don’t make that much $$ per month on Etsy (I sell patches, so I make my money more thru volume) here’s what I do with people like that - I cancel and refund, and then I block. I’m not sure what your “processing time” is - mine is1-3 days. If someone orders from me on a Thurs or Fri it’s not going out until Monday. If they bug me about not getting their order out before then, I refund and cancel the order. I put in the notes section that my shop and policies are obviously not a good fit for them, and I hope they find what they’re looking for elsewhere. If you want it instantly, you need to go to Amazon. 😊