Need advice: First Etsy shop suspended before I could verify my bank account
Hi everyone,
I read the subreddit guidelines regarding suspended accounts, so I’ve tried to make this post as detailed as possible. I’m hoping someone who has been through something similar can help me understand what to expect.
This was my very first Etsy shop. It was active from June 15 to June 29 before being suspended.
I was selling women’s fashion (dresses and handbags). During that time, I made 58 sales, almost entirely through Etsy organic traffic. I was the only person managing the account and always accessed it from my home in France.
On the day my account was suspended, my home Wi-Fi unexpectedly stopped working, so I briefly logged in using my phone’s mobile hotspot. It’s also possible that my phone’s VPN was still enabled at that moment, although I wasn’t aware of it at the time.
I had already completed my identity verification, but I had not yet entered or verified my bank account details. I had only added my payment card. After the suspension, I discovered in Etsy’s Help Center that sellers have a limited time to complete their bank verification, but by then I had already lost access to my account.
Before the suspension, I had already shipped 33 orders. At the time Etsy suspended my account, none of my customers had received their packages yet because they were still in transit. Some of those orders have since been delivered.
Before the suspension, my shop had:
• No Etsy cases.
• No negative reviews.
• No chargebacks.
• No policy warnings.
The first Etsy case was only opened after my account was suspended because I no longer had access to my shop to respond to the customer.
The only email Etsy sent me was the standard Trust & Safety appeal email containing a link to submit an appeal. It didn’t mention any specific reason for the suspension.
I haven’t submitted my appeal yet because I’ve been taking the time to prepare it as carefully as possible.
What worries me the most is the financial side. Etsy currently owes me around €2,000, but because I never had the opportunity to enter my bank account details, I’m afraid I could permanently lose those funds if my appeal is denied. Since the products have already been shipped, my biggest concern is losing both the merchandise and the payouts.
Has anyone experienced something similar, especially regarding payouts when a bank account hadn’t yet been added before the suspension? Were you eventually able to complete the bank verification and receive your funds?
Also, if anyone knows a trustworthy Etsy reinstatement specialist or has successfully recovered an account in a similar situation, I’d really appreciate any advice.
Thank you very much.