There Are Scammers on Etsy
You may have noticed that sellers on Etsy might say something like “buy this item on my independent website instead” and offer a discount on buying directly from them rather than through Etsy as an intermediary. And in most cases, that’s perfectly fine—it’s usually better for the small business’s bottom line. But if the discount isn’t realistic, beware – the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has released a report warning shoppers about shopping outside of reputable websites like Etsy , where scammers post fake products, offer discounts that are too good to be true, and redirect people to scam sites.
Sites like Etsy provide fraud protection , but scam sites (of course) don’t: the products don’t exist and the scammers will store your payment information. If you want to support independent sellers, be sure to research their websites, look for reviews, check the BBB for fraud claims, and do a quick web search with the word “scam” after their website name. Also, notice the “padlock” on the left side of the URL bar, which indicates if the website is encrypted . Alternatively, of course, you can shop from well-known third-party sellers that have buyer protection built in. If the discounts on an independent website are excessive—say, 50% or more—this should be alarming.
Finally, consider shopping exclusively with your preferred credit card. If you end up falling for the bait, any money you lose on your credit card is more likely to be returned – just call your credit card company and let them know. Purchasing with a debit card or payment app tends to make it harder to recover lost money through scams and scams. (Also, if you find that the site is a scam, do everyone a favor and report it to the BBB here .)