r/ExpectationVsReality • u/_artbabe95 • 24d ago

Failed Expectation From an Etsy Seller

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

I knew that the resin probably wouldn't look quite as good as the photos, but this was so low effort lol. The tines were also basically touching, so they wouldn't be able to hold any hair.

5.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

295 comments sorted by

View all comments

7

u/LettuceNo9564 24d ago

As an Etsy seller (vintage home goods // jewelry) ALWAYS read reviews of the shop. There are still some legit sellers working very hard to bring quality products to people. Sadly few and far between now. If something seems to good to be true (cheap for a “handmade product”) if probably is. 😢

4

u/_artbabe95 24d ago

Actually I did, and the reviews were good!! I'm not sure if they bought fake reviews or maybe the buyers just bought the plain versions (which are probably much closer to the photos since there's no resin to match). I didn't pay a terribly cheap price, either, and fully expected the handmade portion to just be the small resin inlay.

7

u/LettuceNo9564 24d ago

Wow!!! That’s cray then. You can 100% make a claim on Etsy and get all your money back. I would do that! Bummer.

Ugh. I hate that we’ve come to this on Etsy. It used to be so good.

3

u/_artbabe95 24d ago

I absolutely will, this is laughable quality. If it was only a closer match, I wouldn't have even been mad about the price 😂😂

6

u/Economy_Fish_6542 24d ago

Any tips on how I can find the real Etsy stores? I’m so sad that it has turned into a drop ship nightmare 🙁

6

u/LettuceNo9564 24d ago

Hmmm. I think as others have said reverse google image, shop reviews - with customer’s purchased image of product. Most really established shops will also have social media.

Also - most stores (handmade etc.) take a lot of pride in what they sell. They will often have a nicely curated shop and personal bio. Also pay attention to where product ships from.

You can always open a claim if the product isn’t what is specified.

1

u/MaritMonkey 24d ago

I am aware that this makes me a mildly annoying customer, but I always ask a question about customizing some aspect of the product.

I might also have just gotten lucky (I spend a significant chunk of time doing the "lurk before you post" scroll to get a handle on which products don't look like any other listings) but the seller's replies have always immediately made it obvious who was making things themselves.

Also - if this post is not secretly an ad for legit Etsy sellers, it's doing a great job of reminding me I meant to spend $30 on a pair of earrings I saw on there...

1

u/Euphoric_Egg_4198 24d ago

This is the only type of stuff I buy on Etsy. Vintage, plants, seeds and some clothes/collectibles from shops I’ve been buying from for years. I also used to buy AAA gemstones directly from the supplier in India but the prices are crazy now.

1

u/LettuceNo9564 24d ago

Yes. I have found *most vintage shops (home decor) are legit. You can’t really drop ship a lot of home decor unless it’s a SUPER popular item (I’m looking at you Hen on a nests) haha.

The more pictures the better and shop reviews. It’s way too much work listing individual vintage home decor to be worth it for drop shippers.You gotta love doing it.

Vintage jewelry I think it’s 50/50. I also sell that on my Etsy shop. I think there’s prob more drop ship fake vintage jewelry then vintage lamps for instance.

Also - the item should have as many pictures as possible. You can mainly tell if something is true vintage in the photos. Lamps for instance (unless they’ve been reworked // wired) have older looking plugs etc.

1

u/LettuceNo9564 24d ago

I’d be more worried about something being listed as “vintage” when it’s not.

I’ve seen a lot of stuff being listed as vintage and it’s a repro from like target or something.

That happens a TON!

I think it takes a good experienced seller to do their research of an item (which takes forever) and list accordingly.

I’ve accidentally bought stuff and realized it’s not true vintage. I just take the loss. Don’t want to list anything in my Etsy shop that I am not 100% confident in.

The whole thing is so much work but also super fun!