I wanted to take a minute to update everyone on what’s been going on over here and give you this super important news:
Yes, our ETSY Shop is closing!
HHC is not closing and it is business as usual over here on the website, but in the past several months, we’ve experienced several issues with Etsy that I simply can no longer ignore.
Over the past 3+ years we’ve enjoyed a good relationship with Etsy, and I will forever be grateful to them for helping me turn HHC from a dream into a reality. However over the last few months, we’ve noticed a considerable vibe change on the platform. First it was the forcing of sellers to offer free shipping or free shipping over $35. As we’ve offered free shipping for purchases over $35 for a few years now, we were not as adversely affected as many other shops who have suffered a huge financial lose due to this policy. Second, the raising of fees with no visible investment in the platform or its sellers. Let me be clear, I have no issue paying higher fees to support a platform that supports its sellers and creates more business opportunities for us all, however this is sadly not the case and has proven to be a case of corporate greed. More recently, and most importantly, I’ve noticed an uptick in abusive and negative customers on the platform and each time I have asked Etsy to intervene on our behalf, they have either flat our refused or ignored our requests all together. I’ve come to find out that this is not atypical and sellers from all over the globe are experiencing the same issues as us. And sadly, the final straw has been their latest advertising policy. Come April, Etsy will be forcing high volume sellers to participate in an expensive and unproven advertising initiative. I will not tolerate another company, one that has refused to support my business at that, to make any decisions regarding how, where and how much money I spend on advertising MY business. I am heartbroken that Etsy is no longer the uplifting and supportive community it used to be and has instead turned into something far more negative and disturbing. Shutting down the Etsy shop was not a decision I made lightly but at the end of the day, dealing with Etsy and their “seller-last” philosophy was causing me and the rest of the HHC team great stress, a financial loss and most importantly extra time spent away from my family.
Further on an ethical note, I absolutely cannot and will not support any organization that allows individuals to be bullied and harassed. Despite all of this, it is quite an exciting time at HHC! Vast improvements have been made to the site the past few months and more are on the way! There is already a wider variety of products available here, shareable wish lists so you can make it easier for your loved ones to shop and keep track of your most coveted items. It also hosts our Loyalty Rewards program where each purchase, Facebook Like and referral gets you points that you can spend like cash. Finally, and probably the most important, more affordable pricing as we do not have to compensate for Etsy’s high fees!
The official closing date has yet to be set but it will be sometime in the Spring of this year. While we make the last remaining parts of the transition you may see the Etsy shop in and out of vacation mode and we will therefore not be replying to messages. Never fear, you can reach the HHC customer service team any time at harpershandmadeco.customercare@gmail.com or send us message via the contact form here on the site.
I cannot thank you enough for all of your business and support over the years! 2020 is off to an amazing start and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us!
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