Etsy Terms of Service Review Worst in Category

"Etsy has undergone a dramatic transformation from a seller-friendly marketplace to one of the most extractive platforms in e-commerce. The mandatory Offsite Ads program is particularly egregious - forcing successful sellers to pay 12-15% on sales they may have generated themselves through their own marketing efforts.

The handmade enforcement is frustratingly inconsistent. I've seen legitimate artisan shops suspended while obvious dropshippers and mass-producers continue operating. The appeals process is opaque and often unsuccessful.

My recommendation: Etsy should be treated as a discovery channel, not a primary business. Use it to find customers, then migrate them to your own Shopify store or website. The fee structure makes long-term profitability challenging for most sellers, and platform dependency is extremely risky."