The Death of An Etsy Store

You may see them but good luck in getting to your store!

After the fiasco of my various illnesses, the loss of Charter as my Internet provider, I had to wait two weeks to have my TV, phone and wi-fi installed by AT&T. As you can imagine that didn't go very smoothly either. As it turned out, my TV would show the stations that I usually watched anyway. With an antennae who knows what we might have gotten... for free.

Well, as you all know when you change providers all of your passwords change and I was no different. I have two Etsy stores, one, KrugsStudio.etsy.com where I have put mostly craft items though I was just told my items are not crafts. I spend most of my time there adding new items and yes, I have started doing just that again, and AlanKrugFineArt.etsy.com where my fine art paintings are.

The fine art site, for whatever reason, has problems. I can see it and even though I have name and password written down (things do get foggy around age 70) I am unable to get into it. If I try it takes me back to KrugsStudio even though the passwords are different.

I wrote inquiries to my teams asking what to do. Well, Etsy took the postings down. The few answers I got were so smug and condescending I was embarrassed to be an Etsysonian. Truly. I could not find what few comments said I should do and tried emails to Etsy asking for help. I even gave my cell phone number, several email addresses pleading for help. There has been no response of any kind in nearly two weeks.

I am left with only one choice, let that store die. I have no way to get into it, renew expired items and frankly I may do the same with KrugsStudio as well. I am not inclined to add 50 items back to KrugsStudio after moving them last year.

Friends have been after me to put up my own web site, and without the hindrances of Etsy to promote myself beyond the Etsy sphere. People still give me a blank look when I say where my store is and I have yet in 15 years surveying the Internet ever seen an Etsy ad. Craftstar, and several others ARE there. If this is the way they treat their sellers, they like every other business will die. Don't think it can happen? Look at Kodak, Polaroid trying to come back on their names...it certainly won't be on reputation, It was pretty bad at the end. Just about every steel company is gone. You don't innovate and you die. They are even saying Facebook has a high chance of losing 80% of their members by  2018 doing things their users dislike so intensely. Even Google is beginning to struggle. If anyone ever came up with a better search algorithm, they would be history as well.

Etsy was a good place to start and for small people like me, it was a good learning experience! My treatment, or lack thereof, by them has finally made me get off my butt and see what options are out there. If you have had a similar experience AND know what to do I would love to hear from you!!!

Please visit my craft store at KrugsStudio.etsy.com and my fine art store at AlanKrugFineArt.etsy.com. Thank you for stopping by and reading! Be sure to check out the after Christmas Sale. All items over $10 each are on sale at a 25% discount. The sales is good now through Jan. 22, 2015. Collect a hand painted or give a unique hand painted gift! Shop early for the best selection.