Etsy sellers go on strike after fee hike

E-commerce platform Etsy saw roughly 14,000 of its platform sellers go on strike on Monday.

The move comes as Etsy introduces higher fees, including a jump in its transaction fees from 5% to 6.5%, representing a 30% increase.

Etsy said on its website that “this change supports our plans to make significant investments in marketing, seller tools, and creating a world-class customer experience.”

In turn, a group of Etsy sellers created a petition demanding the fee be cancelled, or else it would begin a strike.

“We are striking to protest Etsy’s treatment of sellers. We will put our shops on vacation mode April 11-18. Those of us who can will strike for the whole week, and some of us are striking only for April 11,” the sellers said on EtsyStrike.org.

As part of the group’s list of demands they are also asking Etsy to crack down on resellers with a comprehensive plan that is transparent, provide ‘Golden’ support tickets to sellers affected by extreme AI actions, end the Star Seller Program and to give all sellers the ability to opt out of off site ads.

The petition has been signed over 50,000 times.

"Our sellers’ success is a top priority for Etsy. We are always receptive to seller feedback and, in fact, the new fee structure will enable us to increase our investments in areas outlined in the petition, including marketing, customer support, and removing listings that don't meet our policies", said an Etsy spokesperson to Yahoo Finance.

“We are committed to providing great value for our 5.3 million sellers so they are able to grow their businesses while keeping Etsy a beloved, trusted, and thriving marketplace."

Etsy sellers go on strike after fee hike

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