I've been a seller on Etsy for quite some time, managing two distinct shops, "Shop A" and "Shop B." Unfortunately, my journey as an Etsy seller has been nothing short of a frustrating nightmare, leading me to give this platform a rating of 0 stars. My ordeal began when "Shop B" was suspended by Etsy's automated bots. The reason cited was violation of their handmade policy. I suspect it's because of the same images we have on other marketplaces, such as Amazon Handmade. Etsy's response was swift, but far from fair. They sent alarming emails to my customers, warning them of potential order issues, even when orders were already in transit with tracking numbers. Automatic refunds were issued, leaving customers bewildered and my payment account drained. Shockingly, I couldn't even message my customers to assure them, as Etsy disables messaging when a shop is suspended. Etsy's appeal process for suspended shops is deeply flawed. Sellers like me are denied the opportunity to speak to a human representative or provide documentation to prove the handmade nature of our items. Instead, we're left with no option but to admit fault and promise compliance with policies. If you're not guilty, it doesn't seem to matter. My appeal was unsuccessful, and most disheartening of all, they continued to also suspend my other "Shop A" – a completely different product line with no prior issues. Overnight, I lost income from both shops. Adding insult to injury, Etsy's handling of payouts has been baffling. When my shops received a sudden surge of orders due to Google Ads, Etsy placed reserves on my payouts for months at a time. Their automated systems flagging suspicious activity resulted in a financial setback. Equally distressing is Etsy's complete lack of seller support. Buyers frequently open cases instead of engaging in communication with sellers, leading to automatic refunds without sellers even being informed. The absence of meaningful support and communication is nothing short of shocking. Etsy seems to want sellers to generate profits for them but fails miserably in providing the necessary support and fairness. My experience with Etsy has been a disheartening one, and I would strongly advise fellow sellers to save themselves time, effort, and frustration by exploring alternative platforms that truly value and support their sellers.