⚠️ 6 Handmade Marketplace Gotchas to Watch For
- Stacking Platform Fees: HIGH Listing fee + transaction fee + payment processing can total 15-20%+ per sale. That $50 item nets you $40 or less
- Custom Order No Refunds: MEDIUM Custom/personalized items typically non-refundable. Customer changes mind? You're stuck with unsellable inventory
- "Handmade" Definition Loose: MEDIUM Platform may allow resellers and dropshippers alongside genuine makers. Competition from mass-produced "handmade" items
- IP License Grants: HIGH Uploading photos/designs may grant platform broad usage rights. Your original art could appear in their marketing without compensation
- Dispute Resolution Favors Buyers: MEDIUM Platforms typically side with buyers in disputes. Chargebacks and returns can devastate small sellers
- Shop Suspension Without Warning: HIGH Accounts can be suspended for policy violations—real or algorithmic error. Years of shop history and reviews can vanish overnight
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