Etsy Strikes Again…
Well, it’s happened again boys and girls, and this time, they have joined the Conspiracy Theorists instead of protecting their Sellers! Chronic Art Dolls, owned by the talented Lori Nicolls, was one of the most recent victims of Etsy’s small business destroying policies. She was recently accused of being a “trafficking” business because she listed a doll on her shop at a high price for an example (which many artists do). This is to deter anyone from actually buying the item, but still allows you to list it for marketing purposes. I guess someone thought it’d “be cute” to start a rumor, a rumor that unjustifiably ended a woman’s 15 year long business on Etsy, and right at Christmas time. Double bonus points for the sociopathic loser responsible…
Screenshot taken from her Instagram @chronicartdolls
Can you even imagine being wrongfully accused of something like this? And literally have no voice to defend yourself? Forced to go public to your audience and customers having to explain something like this? If this is not a clear case of defamation, I’d love to know what is.
This is not the first, nor will it be the last time, that Etsy unfairly destroys someone’s small business on their platform because they cannot appropriately handle or enforce their own policy. Etsy blatantly misuses their power and authority and has no “business” providing other businesses with services that ultimately cause loss and damages if things even go slightly astray. Competitors, rumors, haters, bullies, and conspiracy theorists can now apparently DESTROY someone’s business overnight, and Etsy clearly supports it.
Thankfully, Chronic Art Dolls now has their own website which can be found at www.ChronicArtDolls.com Lori is a fabulous fellow eye maker, and specializes in creating frightfully unique eyes for reborn and alternative art dolls. She is a wonderful person who did not deserve this, and I really encourage anyone to check out her website, bookmark it, and consider shopping with her direct. She has created another Etsy, www.Etsy.com/shop/ChronicArtDolls2 which she is using to hopefully get the word out about her new website, and keep in contact with her MANY happy customers.
My advice, do NOT allow ANY selling platform “OWN” you. Take control of your best interest NOW by securing your own domain name, and invest in your own website! Even if you have Etsy as a secondary selling venue, don’t make it your only venue. They cannot be trusted, and this is a proven fact. It’s been proven countless amounts of times, and until someone can hold the torch for all those who have suffered losses and damages due to their ridiculous business destroying policies, we need to take control over our businesses now.
I know Lori will be okay, she is a warrior, and her customers stand behind her as does her fellow artists, family, and friends. To know someone actually accused her of such a disgusting thing, and Etsy joined in on the defamation by supporting a conspiracy theorist on Twitter - is simply INEXCUSABLE.
If you shop on Etsy, PLEASE keep this in mind. Always check to see if the Seller has their own website and support their effort to be independent of such tyranny. People should not be subjected to this sort of thing just to try to run a small business doing what they love. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
Thank you for taking the time to read, and please, pass this along if you would like to help raise awareness and spread the word.
