Customer Reviews (500)

Kduffrn • 2025-03-21T20:02:08-07:00

Love This!!!! I am so excited to get this book sleeve when you are so busy with life and you just want a chance to relax with a good book throw this in the sleev place in your work back and you can take it to with u. love the the homemade look, no complaints, great quality highly recommend!! Super Cute!

Unique Angel Designs • 2025-03-21T18:55:54-07:00

It was very easy and my products that I ordered was very beautiful. I can always count on this company each and every time I need them. Peter and Anne is always there whenever I need something quickly.Thank you both so much. It means a lot to me when I have someone that I can depend on. 😇😄💞

barney6690 • 2025-03-21T17:57:52-07:00

After looking at multiple listings, the home/shop/deals tabs are gone on the lower side. Had to exit the app for those to reappear. This has happened more than five times in the past week.

Summary of Key Insights

The Etsy app generally receives positive feedback for its unique and handmade items, support for small businesses, and ease of use. However, recent reviews highlight significant issues with app functionality, particularly regarding the "Collections" feature, tracking orders, and an increasing presence of non-handmade or dropshipped items. Users are also experiencing problems with customer service responsiveness and account suspensions. While the core concept of Etsy remains appealing, technical problems and perceived shifts in the marketplace are negatively impacting user satisfaction. The overall sentiment is mixed, with many loyal users expressing frustration over recurring bugs and declining quality control. Quantitatively, the app has a decent overall rating, but the significant number of 1 and 2-star reviews suggests serious underlying issues that need to be addressed.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating (Implied): Approximately 3.9 stars (based on the score distribution).
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 57.4%
    • 4-star: 6%
    • 3-star: 11%
    • 2-star: 8%
    • 1-star: 17.6%

Key Strengths:

  • Unique and handmade items
  • Support for small businesses
  • Easy to use interface (generally)
  • Variety of products
  • Personalized gifts

Key Weaknesses:

  • "Collections" feature not loading
  • Order tracking issues
  • Increasing number of non-handmade/dropshipped items
  • Poor customer service/lack of support
  • Account suspension issues
  • App instability and bugs
  • Shipping costs
  • Search engine issues
  • Notification problems

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews analyzed are dated around March 2025 and indicate issues that have persisted for weeks or months prior.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Categorizing reviews as positive, negative, or neutral based on expressed opinions.
    • Keyword Extraction: Identifying frequently used words and phrases to pinpoint common themes and issues.
    • Topic Modeling: Grouping reviews based on the subjects they discuss (e.g., "Collections" bug, shipping costs, customer service).
    • Frequency Analysis: Counting the occurrence of specific complaints or feature requests.

Key User Pain Points

  • "Collections" Feature Not Loading: This is the most frequently reported issue. Users are unable to access their saved and organized items, making it difficult to browse and purchase. This greatly hinders the shopping experience and renders a key feature useless.
  • Order Tracking Issues: Many users report that the "Track" button leads to incorrect pages or fails to load tracking information, requiring them to manually find tracking numbers and use external websites.
  • Poor Customer Service: Users express frustration with the lack of responsiveness from Etsy support, difficulty reaching a human representative, and unhelpful automated responses. Some users have been suspended without explanation and are unable to resolve the issue.
  • Account Suspensions: Some users report being suspended from the app without warning or explanation, making them unable to shop.
  • App Instability and Bugs: Several reviews mention general app instability, crashes, and glitches that disrupt the shopping experience.
  • High Shipping Costs: Many users complain that shipping costs are often disproportionately high compared to the price of the items, deterring them from making purchases.
  • Search Engine Issues: Users report that the search function often returns irrelevant results or fails to find specific items or shops, making it difficult to locate desired products.
  • Notification Problems: Users are experiencing persistent, uncleared notification badges, even after viewing all notifications, creating annoyance and confusion.
  • Increase in Dropshipped/Non-Handmade Items: Users feel Etsy is becoming flooded with mass-produced goods, diminishing the platform's unique value proposition and trustworthiness.
  • Difficulties with Account Management: Changing email addresses or deleting accounts is reported to be problematic.
  • Accidental Actions: Users report accidentally removing or saving for later items in the cart due to the placement of the buttons.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved Search Filters: Users want more granular search filters, including the ability to search by specific locations (town/state) and exclude certain types of items (e.g., digital items when searching for vintage).
  • Ability to Block Sellers: Users want the option to block or hide sellers whose products they are not interested in or whom they perceive as violating Etsy's policies (e.g., reselling mass-produced items).
  • Improved Customer Service Channels: Users desire more direct and responsive customer service options, including live chat or phone support.
  • Wishlist Search: Users want to be able to search within their favorites or collections.
  • Clear Shipping Costs: Users want shipping costs to be clearly displayed throughout the shopping process, including in the cart.
  • Ability to edit personalization after adding an item to the cart

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Unique and Handmade Items: Users consistently praise Etsy for its selection of unique, handmade, and vintage items that are not available elsewhere.
  • Support for Small Businesses: Many users value the opportunity to support independent artists and small businesses through Etsy.
  • Easy to Use Interface: While some recent updates have caused usability issues, many users still find the app generally easy to navigate and use.
  • Variety of Products: Users appreciate the wide range of products available on Etsy, catering to diverse interests and needs.
  • Personalized Gifts: Etsy is seen as a go-to destination for finding personalized and meaningful gifts.
  • Direct Communication with Sellers: Users appreciate the ability to communicate directly with sellers to customize orders or ask questions.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  1. Fix the "Collections" Bug: This is the most widespread and impactful issue. Immediately address the bug preventing users from accessing their collections. Impact: High, Frequency: Very High
  2. Improve Order Tracking: Resolve the issues preventing users from tracking their orders through the app. Impact: High, Frequency: High
  3. Enhance Customer Service Responsiveness: Invest in improving customer service channels and response times. Provide clear pathways for users to contact human representatives. Impact: High, Frequency: High

Medium Priority:

  1. Combat Non-Handmade/Dropshipped Items: Implement stricter policies and monitoring to prevent the sale of mass-produced or dropshipped items. Ensure that items labeled "handmade" are actually handmade. Impact: Medium, Frequency: High
  2. Address Account Suspension Issues: Provide clear explanations for account suspensions and offer a fair and transparent appeal process. Impact: High (for affected users), Frequency: Medium
  3. Optimize App Stability: Invest in improving the app's stability and performance to reduce crashes and glitches. Impact: Medium, Frequency: Medium
  4. Revamp the Search Engine: Improve the search algorithm to deliver more relevant results and allow for more granular filtering options. Impact: Medium, Frequency: Medium
  5. Fix notification issues: Resolve the issues with uncleared notification badges. Impact: Medium, Frequency: Medium
  6. Prevent Accidental Actions: Redesign the cart page to prevent users from accidentally removing or saving for later items. Impact: Medium, Frequency: Medium

Low Priority:

  1. Clarify Shipping Costs: Ensure that shipping costs are clearly and consistently displayed throughout the shopping process. Impact: Low, Frequency: Medium
  2. Improve Account Management: Streamline the process for users to change their email addresses or delete their accounts. Impact: Low, Frequency: Low

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Etsy Verification Service: A third-party service that verifies the authenticity of handmade items and the legitimacy of sellers on Etsy, providing buyers with greater confidence.
  • Etsy Customer Service Concierge: A service that provides personalized support to Etsy users, helping them navigate the platform, resolve issues, and find the perfect products.
  • Etsy Shipping Cost Comparison Tool: A tool that compares shipping costs across different sellers on Etsy, helping buyers find the most affordable options.
  • Etsy Collection Management Tool: A tool that allows users to better organize, search, and manage their collections on Etsy.
  • AI-Powered Etsy Search Assistant: A search assistant that uses AI to understand user intent and provide more relevant search results on Etsy.

Trends and Observations

  • Recurring Bug Reports: The "Collections" bug and order tracking issues have been reported repeatedly over a period of weeks or months, indicating a lack of timely resolution.
  • Frustration with Customer Service: Users are increasingly frustrated with the difficulty of reaching customer service and the lack of helpful responses.
  • Shifting Sentiment: While many users remain loyal to Etsy, there is a growing sense of disappointment and disillusionment due to the issues mentioned above.
  • Language: The reviews are primarily in English, with a few in Spanish.
  • Negative Impact on Sellers: Some reviews suggest the app's issues, such as the inability to leave reviews easily, are negatively impacting sellers.

Conclusion

The Etsy app faces significant challenges related to functionality, quality control, and customer service. While its core value proposition of unique and handmade items remains appealing, these issues are eroding user satisfaction and threatening the platform's long-term success. Prioritizing the resolution of the "Collections" bug, improving order tracking, and enhancing customer service responsiveness are critical steps to restore user confidence and maintain Etsy's position as a leading online marketplace. Additionally, implementing stricter policies to combat the sale of non-handmade items and addressing the issues with account suspensions are essential to preserve the platform's unique identity and protect both buyers and sellers.

Overall Recommendation: The Etsy team should immediately focus on fixing the critical bugs and improving customer support. A long-term strategy should focus on ensuring the authenticity of the products sold and improving the overall user experience.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/etsy-shop-gift-with-style/id477128284?uo=2