‘Your Etsy finds are from Temu’: Woman says you could be getting ‘tricked’ if you shop on Etsy

Photo bySergei Elagin/Shutterstock @drmadisonperry/Tiktok Yanishevska/Shutterstock

‘Y’all are thinking it’s a good deal, and it’s coming from a small business.’ Etsy was designed for small businesses to sell their vintage and handmade wares. But a woman is warning that might be a thing of the past due to resellers misusing the platform.

The Etsy rules are explicit that "selling items that are made in large quantities is prohibited on Etsy," and that all items for sale on the platform must be either created, designed, selected by hand, or obtained from sellers.

However, in a video with more than 37,000 views, therapist and TikToker Dr. Madison Perry (@drmadisonperry) cautions that buyers on Etsy could be "confused, deceived, cheated, misled, and diverted" by sellers who break these rules.

“Those same items are on Temu and SHEIN,” Perry says. “People are buying them in bulk and then reselling them for … 10 times the price on Etsy.”

The Daily Dot has previously reported on an Etsy shopper who bought a shirt off the platform. He found a SHEIN label on the shirt when it arrived.

“And y’all are thinking it’s a good deal, and it’s coming from a small business,” Perry says.

Hm, I knew that looked familiar

Viewers shared that they have come across Temu items on Etsy.

“Omg yessss!!! I seen a painting on Etsy for 85$ & randomly went on Temu one day & seen it for $2.50!!!!!! Yes, $2 & 50 cents,” one user shared.

“Absolute FACTS, I used to shop Etsy SO much, and I was so anti Temu until I started browsing and realized all that Etsy stuff I like is like 87 cents on Temu,” another recalled.

These viewers join other people online who have complained about such resellers.

What actions is Etsy taking?

In 2023, Etsy's CEO, Josh Silverman, outlined the measures Etsy is implementing to address the issue of resellers, particularly those associated with Temu, who are exploiting the platform.

“We were able to launch a filter on Etsy that identified and pulled off any item that’s on Etsy that’s also on Temu,” Silverman said, per E-Commerce Byte. “We’re very focused on suppressing visibility on items that are not handmade because the Etsy brand is about things that are made just for you, made by the maker, and we think being even more Etsy is the right answer for the commoditized commerce.”

Actions you can take

In her video caption, Perry outlines the measures one can implement to verify their support for legitimate Etsy sellers. "If you find it being offered on Amazon at a lower price, I can almost be certain it's also available on Temu," Perry mentions.

Perry provides a specific example in her caption. She points out that a unique bowl listed on Etsy might be priced at $199. However, upon searching for the same bowl on Amazon, it's priced at around $40. This suggests that if it's available on Amazon, it's probable to find it on Temu at a significantly reduced price.