Steps we are taking to tackle shops that break our T&Cs

Shop Talk
1

We are aware that many of you have been rightly concerned about the number of shops opening on Folksy that do not meet our criteria. It’s absolutely crucial to us that Folksy remains dedicated to original art and craft, made in the UK, with no resellers or vintage allowed (with the exception of craft supplies) - and we really appreciate your help in reporting items that break these rules.

In view of this we have decided to:

• remove the ‘New Sellers’ section from the homepage until we can implement improvements to the reporting system.

• change our internal support process to prioritise reported shops.

How you can help

Working through Support tickets to ensure customer queries are dealt with quickly and any site issues are diagnosed immediately remains fundamental. This means that although shops that are clearly breaking our rules will be removed as soon as we see them, there will still be cases that take longer to look into as they are more complicated and require investigation - and this is where you can really help.

  1. If you are reporting an item, could you please clearly state why you think it’s against our terms, and if you have seen it being sold elsewhere (especially mass-produced/made in another country) provide a link, as this helps speed things up.

  2. Please also double check what is and isn’t allowed on Folksy: What can I sell on Folksy? – Folksy Support & Knowledge Base 2 as often we’ll have reports on items such as commercial craft supplies or items designed by the seller but not made by them, which are both allowed. No matter how many times these items are reported, if they’re not against our terms, we cannot remove them.

  3. We also get a lot of reports for copyright infringement. We can only remove these items if the copyright holder has contacted us.

  4. It is a seller’s responsibility to ensure their items meet all legal regulations for their category. So please do not report items because they do not state that they meet Toy Safety Regulations, for example.

  5. When an item is reported to us, we look at the whole shop not just that individual item. So please only report one item for a shop rather than multiple items.

  6. If an item/shop hasn’t been removed after 2 weeks, it’s probably because we either don’t agree that it’s against our terms, or there isn’t enough information to confirm that it is, in which case sometimes we need a little more time to confirm or clarify with the seller.

Thank you again for all your help. We really do appreciate it.

35 Likes
2

Not entirely sure that removing the New sellers section will help. Yes, it will limit the exposure of the rogue shops but it will also mean they will remain ‘hidden’ and therefore will go unreported.

6 Likes
3

The problem with removing them is they then become invisible and the likely hood of getting powered slim to none. Then Folksy ends up looking like EBay.

Atm we police them unless of course all new shops will be vetted by Folksy admin before going live.

1 Like
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So long as the ‘new sellers page’ is still there, (Folksy - Newest Sellers on Folksy) we can bookmark it and go and check whenever we like. Not showing them so obviously on the front page is a very good idea.

5 Likes
5

Just out of interest, what are the rules on including a mass produced product in a gift box alongside handmade items? I reported a mass produced wax burner the other day which I see has now been removed, but the same product is being sold alongside (I presume) handmade wax melts in a gift box. I’ve checked Folksy’s T&Cs but am still not sure if this is allowed. As a buyer I wouldn’t mind this but I think it should be made clear in the description that this part of the listing isn’t handmade.

2 Likes
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I am a new seller on Folksy and from a “new sellers” point of view we need as much initial exposure as possible. If new sellers don’t have a degree of early success they will have reservations about moving from other platforms. This will not only impact Folksy growth but also the increased sales traffic and growth that new sellers & Items bring which affects existing sellers. I totally agree with strong policing of the rules but the methods need careful consideration!

7

After the sale overnight of a refurbished play station, Folksy needs to introduce vetting for all new shops. You will begin to lose sellers as this has now made Folksy look like EBay with cheaper fees.

3 Likes
8

Interesting, had the item been reported to be on sale to Folksy?

9

Yes reported by several of us along with other shops

10

I reported the guy who was selling a Microsoft key for Microsoft software, it was in new shops a few weeks back.