Etsy is continuing to be a sneaky wee sausage. The other day I let you know about sneaky changes they've made to their creativity standards. There'll be a link to the video at the end if you haven't seen that because we do want to check. Things are changing but thank you for everyone who let me know.
They have also changed their services policy and a couple of other points in other little policies. Thanks to everyone who linked me with these. So I'm going to cover these because there's some huge ones here that could be affecting thousands of sellers.
Some good, some things that we now can sell that we didn't used to be able to sell, but also something that lots of people sell. All types of shops sell and now it's clarified that we cannot. We thought this might be the case.
myself and Brian from eRank talked about this on an eRank video. We thought this couldn't be the case, but Etsy's really clarified and I think they might be clamping down on this. So yeah, without further ado, let's get into this.
So this is the house rules services policy. I've got them where applicable side by side. So the old policy is on the left, thanks to The Wayback Machine. Thank you very much for that.
So the old policy is on the left. The new policy is on the right. Let's just check I'm recording audio because I've done that before. Yeah. Old policy on the left, new policy on the right.
So these are all like their legal places. These are all important. So under services, what is allowed? So before, it's he had said, In general, custom writing and design may be sold on Etsy.
The final item should be sent to your buyer as an attachment via email messages and curated lists. A list of information uniquely compiled by the seller may be sold on Etsy. The final item should be sent to your buyer as an attachment via email or Etsy messages. And they had the prohibited curated lists in this section as well. They've removed that.
Now, I will say it has been... thing for a while that whatever you're selling on Etsy the customer has to receive something whether a digital download or a physical item. Okay so now they've combined all this together a wee bit to digital creative services in general custom writing and design logo brand design music audio production video editing and illustration artwork sold as digital files may be sold on Etsy. The final item should be sent to your buyer as an attachment via email or Etsy messages. So good, isn't these are really creative handmade thing.
If someone's doing video editing. Yeah. Um, yeah, it's, it's, it's a good thing.
I think are Etsy messages. Can you attach something big enough for a video edited file? I'm not entirely sure.
It does open all the world to viruses and things, but digital files were being sent anyway. And the other thing I see is, although I like it, it also could open up the floodgates for many Fiverr artists coming in. But at the same time, if they are physically doing something, if they are... physically video editing creating well we've always had logo designs music audio production yeah if they're doing that thing it's way more creative than a lot of things so I don't hate it let me know in the comments what you think of all these changes by the way and check the comments in two days ago video there are so many comments I'm trying to go through them all there's so many great questions but um yeah so there's always cool things in the comments and divin divination.
Divination items, related items are allowed on Etsy if they meet our seller policy. Tarot, psychic and other divination readings must include a tangible good, such as a photo of the tarot spread, audio video of a reading or text of the reading. Tangible goods may be delivered through Etsy messages or email.
Now here's the change. Etsy used to say Supplies related to spell work such as herbs, crystals and spell books may be sold in their appropriate categories. However, spell supplies may not offer metaphysical outcomes which we consider prohibited services. Now this has changed it now to be saying items related to spell work, doesn't say the word supplies, such as herbs, crystals and spell books may only be sold if they qualify per another category. For example, a vintage spell book or a crystal that a seller handpicked by nature.
Resold commercial spell work items do not qualify as seller sourced craft supplies on Etsy. So Etsy did mention. Two days ago I said this, resold commercial things like stones you find at your garden centre or something don't work in the cellar source. Now I have had some of the witchy based cellars ask me about this, they'd obviously seen this.
So what I'll say before I choke on things. You can't sell these items as a craft supply. You have to, let's be honest, be clever and get round it. So it can't be sourced by a seller.
But if you've curated a gift box of crystals and a spell book and everything, or, you know, you've made it into something. and you're not prompt the here here's the thing you can't make a box of make your lover fall in love with you again make your ex love you again but you so you can curate a box of certain things but you can't promise that they'll do certain things and you couldn't create a gift box of just all the same crystals but perhaps you could create a box of pink different different types of pink crystals that you've sourced from other places bear in mind this is just me saying what I believe in the interpretation of the rules you can't sell a single crystal as a supply um I mean with could they be vintage because these crystals will be hundreds of years old but no it doesn't doesn't sound like it because it specifically says a crystal that a seller hand picked from nature. So to me, that's saying a crystal that a seller purchased from somewhere else doesn't count as seller sourced. So I'd be very careful with this. I'd love to say ask Etsy, but we know Etsy is very bad at giving you advice on things.
But if you do hear from Etsy, let me know. But this is definitely a change. So spell items.
can't be seller sourced craft supplies anymore. Definitely a change. Now here's something that is totally new to be allowed to sell on Etsy. I kind of, no, I like this.
These things used to be prohibited and I think this goes into like video editing as well. It's not included here, but it's a similar thing. So now on Etsy, modification services are allowed.
These are a buyer's pre-existing items. Examples of modification services include tailoring a buyer's item, restoring or repairing a buyer's item, photographic retouching or color correction of a buyer's image or altering a buyer's jewelry. I think this is very cool. Yeah and also I wonder if this fits, it's a difficult category but each you were taking down and saying items were counterfeit if you were like blinging up some Starbucks coffee mugs or something. Now these were definitely a problem but if the seller owns, if the buyer owns the coffee mug and sends it to you to be modified, now how much is a good modification you know, or if they want their fancy handbag modified then this Could be a sort of way around it.
Although be very careful with the IP of like, you couldn't say I will modify your Starbucks mug, but you could say I will modify, you know, your reusable mugs and things. Also be careful what photography you're allowed, if you're allowed to show Starbucks mugs or anything like that. But it's definitely a change.
They also did update their purchase protection program to cover what's going on here. And this is part of it. So items supplied by the buyer must comply with all other EATC policies.
Interesting. Yes, so adult nudity and sexual policy. So no putting tassels on the nipples.
Anyway. When a buyer sends an item for seller modification, the buyer assumes the risk for that item both during delivery and while it's in the seller's possession. Under EATSE Purchase Protection Program, EATSE may reimburse only the original amount paid for the order if a qualifying issue arises, not for the value of the buyer's original item.
I think this is very sensible by EATSE. As a buyer, if you're... buying a modification of your very, very expensive handbag. It's on you. So I'd be very careful.
Etsy's not going to refund you if they absolutely destroy your item. But yeah, modification is kind of cool. In my head there, I was just, I've been watching lots of like the repair shop on the UK, which is fixing up old, old items.
And I'm just thinking of restoring old paintings that could. be a minefield if you accidentally did a really terrible job and destroyed a original work of art but anyway this is new let me know what you think i think it's good i think like tailoring and stuff on etsy is fantastic i would love to find a tailor somewhere close to me that i could take some of my items and get them them tailored that sounds really cool um so with the prohibited services as I said in the curated lists it's the had in the allowed services it had curated lists but said what you couldn't have in the allowed services it doesn't say curated lists anymore but it says certain curated lists are prohibited so there's just a slight change here they've taken out lists that promote illegal activity included prohibited items or that would otherwise violate EATC's policies because I think hopefully they're expecting some common sense, but the rest, aggregate personal information, yeah, making a list of people's contact details, not good. Wholesale vendor lists or custom lists and lists of prompts that can be used to create content with generative AI. So you can make content with AI, but you can't buy prompts. And guys.
People keep making this big deal that you've got to get the right prompt for AI. It's absolutely rubbish. There's no magical right prompt because everything you do with AI, whatever you say, they will generate different things every time.
So you might have found a prompt that gives you a really cool thing, but the next time you use it, it might be a pain again. You have to smack chatty about a wee bit. You have to tell her off sometimes. You have to go in And yeah, adapt your prompt as time goes on. Don't pay people for prompts.
You can do it yourself. Anyway, also prohibited. So both metaphysical services may not be sold on Etsy. They just changed, added some things here in the spellcasting section. So it's including attunement, binding, activation and similar services.
But yes, no metaph... metaphysical services can be sold on Etsy. Now here's something, sorry if the people are cutting grass outside, it's summer, I can't get a point where there isn't someone cutting grass, but totally new, we are allowed professional service. Yeah, not allowed, I'm forgetting what I've done here.
So not totally new as a not allowed section, a prohibited section, personal therapy, tutoring, training, coaching, and similar services, access to streaming platforms, Netflix or Spotify, access to software or app memberships, Adobe, access to gaming subscriptions, Xbox game pass. People search for these a lot, but yes, these are not allowed. Virtual gaming assets in game.
virtual items, accounts, characters, power level or boosting services, access codes or licensing and no social media services like likes, followers or reviews. I think these are just added because as time goes on people try different things but yep that's fair enough. I think the social media services one should have been definitely not there for long enough.
Yeah selling Xbox game passes. Yeah, that's fair enough. This is a bit of a duh one, I think.
Now the big one, prohibited ones. This is going to catch out a lot of people. So listings created for the purpose of transferring money, collecting tips or gratitudes.
Now people used to do this, and I think on some other sites they could. So people would purchase from you, and if they really liked it, they could come back and... purchase a tip. Can't do that anymore. Donations, raffles or other types of crowdfunding, charitable donation listings where the only item for sale is a digital download.
I did that in the past. Very bad. Naughty Pam.
Add-ons with no physical item associated, e.g. express delivery, gift cards. Ah, gift card. I missed that as well.
And referral codes. Right. So, yeah, gift cards is something I've done in the past, but Etsy now do their own. So it's possibly not needed. Yes, but that's very annoying because it was a gift card.
It was purchased. purchase something for your friend and here's a printout of what they've purchased and then they come to me and they get their custom listing and you know if there wasn't time for Christmas and stuff so that's banned now but the big one is express delivery delivery upgrades shipping upgrades so many people do this because buyers will buy something and then say oh can I get Expedia chipping and they didn't. bother or they didn't notice it at checkout.
So this is not allowed anymore. And lots of sellers do this. Now, I don't know how this works if you make a private listing for somebody. But I'm going to say at the minute in time, if you have express delivery, shipping upgrade listings, you can have a shipping upgrade in your listing. as a shipping profile option but I don't this is saying add-ons as well I don't think you could even have a variation well maybe a variation that was the item plus that expedited shipping but I'm gonna say if you've got anything like any of this remove it just now until Etsy at least clarify Because there are masses of listings with this kind of thing on Etsy.
It's all over the place. It's all the time. It has been since the beginning of Etsy.
But Etsy don't want this. I hope they're going to be giving us a better method to do this. But yeah, this is a bit of a worry.
But there is the other changes that I have spotted. If you've seen any more changes, please let me know if you think anything of this. or if you missed the update to the creativity standards, there's a lot in there as well.
So I have to say, Etsy, seriously, making changes. They made changes. And then two days after there was the Etsy newsletter that had practically nothing in it.
They didn't bother to mention this. They mentioned the transparency report, but the transparency report wasn't transparent enough to say that this kind of things were changing. So we had to snoop them out.
So Yeah, got to keep an eye on all the policies. Let me know. As always, let me know what you think.
Hit the like, subscribe if you want as many updates as I can do. Keep you updated on what Etsy's up to. Thank you so much and I'll see you next time.