The Etsy MOCKUP FIASCO RESOLVED?? An Update That DOESN'T Suck?

Did We Just Get REAL ANSWERS and REAL CLARIFICATION (Finally!!)??

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00:00 Good News & Bad News
00:40 You're doing it WRONG
02:14 The Proof
04:44 Actual Good News?
07:15 Clarification
13:08 MOCKUPS..?
18:10 Don't Overthink This
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#etsy #etsyprintondemand #etsymockups #JaysWay #EtsyNews

[jayswayworks]

Here’s some context:
• a long time ago I had “another company or person” AND (obviously) the Production Partner added (that has always been a MUST ever since Production Partners were finally permitted officially)

• my shop was suspended because it looked to Etsy like i had ZERO hand in the creation of the DESIGN (when you do POD, it is, and has always been about the DESIGN) and I had to show a selfie of me, in my office, holding a piece of paper with that day’s date and time on it with a certain number they gave me written too, in front of my computer with one of my designs open on-screen to prove that “I did” create the design

• once validated a few days later, i was instructed to select “I did” for who created it (not “another company or person”), because, as you can guess, I actually DID create the design

Fast forward 3 years:

• This came up again in my FB group. I asked Etsy to confirm again (not only for proof, but most importantly to make sure what I was saying was accurate). They confirmed that if you use a Production Partner, you must at the very least select “I did” to indicate that you (obviously) did create the design. They also said to make sure that I select “I design everything myself” from within the recently changed Production Partner options and to also pick “They do everything for me” (which they cited was precisely why i had to select “I did” at the very start).

• Another 1.5-2 years later I asked “is it still “i did” even though it clearly says “i design everything myself” in my production partner section? Seems redundant.” “Yes”, they said. Fine. Whatever. Who really cares?

• Let’s jump ahead another 1.5 years to about 10 days ago. I actually screen recorded this time too. They took a while and had to ask a superior for clarification.. Same reply. I shared it in the Printify group and in a video on my channel

• Yesterday: 3 more members of my community confirmed the same (one of them 3 times with 3 different support staff) because again, i suggested that they go to the source

• Also Yesterday: one of those members got a reply from an Etsy support person who actually does POD. They said that’s even what THEY did too. They also said to select “Computerized tools..”, and to also select “An AI generator” if any element of the design is made with AI, which makes sense. This option is not there if you do not select “I did”.

• Today: 10 of 11 answers from Etsy to people in my community all say the same thing (Aside from one bot - to which i say, “ask for a human”). Does Etsy support sometimes get it wrong? Of course. In this case they’re all on the same page. Are they all wrong? Possibly, but doubtful.
The only answers that seem to differ are from some YouTubers who are relatively new to the POD space and/or have just done what a 3rd party (their POD Provider of choice or some other YouTuber, perhaps) has suggested.

I’m not sure how many more times people need any sort of “proof” or whatnot, and I’m done looking haha.. Life’s too short and this isn’t a competition, but i’m going to continue doing what Etsy has always, and continues to say to do.. and I’m obviously going to continue suggesting that we all do what Etsy says to do. I’m not pulling things out of the air here folks - in fact, quite the opposite, and nothing has changed in this regard.

Please rest assured that if Etsy changes their mind and says overwhelmingly otherwise, I will also relay that language too - because it’s what’s best for the community. Full stop.

Now, could things change? Of course! Could they have changed since yesterday? Absolutely. Could they have changed as of the time of me writing this? Sure. The POD landscape had changed immensely in my nearly 11 years of POD. Yes, Etsy’s rules have changed in that time too (not much with regards to POD though, aside from no longer needing a form filled out separately to get a Production Partner approved). Could this comment come back and bite me in the a-$? Maybe, but as it stands, it’s what Etsy says to do.
Will i keep suggesting to do what Etsy says to do? Another resounding and obvious “yes”.

[marklicciardo]

RE: Who Made This
Thank you for this clarification - This was confusing
Here's a thought - what are your thoughts?
I've chosen "Another Company + PP"
I justified it by > if you recall when you set up your Production Partner you indicate that YOU create the design & they do everything else.
With this thought I'm thinking both ways are correct.

[cmosdriver]

Thanks for taking the time to break all of that down. Great info as usual Jay.

[karlamurphy]

Thanks Jay! You never fail to provide clear and accurate information! Btw, that “Cha-Ching” got me! 😂

[barbiemccraney]

Thank you Jay!!! I had heard both ways and wasn’t sure what I should put. This helps a lot.

[ArminUT]

@Jay: Etsy also updated the listing form based on the new policies. When you select "I did" you can now also answer the question "How does your shop produce this item?". Would you say that the answer "It's an item that my shop alters" is correct for POD TShirts?

[Bekind]

One other question that I am not clear on regarding personalization, ie. a customer name on a shirt, do we have to buy the shirt, take a photo of it, upload it, put a random name on it, ie. Susan, to show what it similarly would look like with a customer's own name on it, and then use it for the first photo? If yes, then I am assuming we can also buy mockups from a mockup store on Etsy that takes their own photos. Is this correct? Thanks Jay!

[stacyosborn]

For a newbie there’s no way I can buy 1 of each “personalized” design regardless if it’s a T-shirt, kids, hoodies, mugs, ornaments. Tumblers ect.I realize that most ppl say start out one-2 products only, but if it’s different designs such as personalized for names, locations or placement. So-can we buy one sample and make our own mockup or does it need to be one custom of EVERY different design? I know I don’t need that many mugs or shirts nor enough $$ to buy as gifts as new shop trying to make a tad profit and as we know our shops run on like a 80/20 (less) o my a few ever sale and personalized products sale best. 😮 TY Jay and hope all is going great in Belize 😊

[hjomnpmgh]

Gonna be busy this week updating that made-by-me part! Arghhhh....

[trevors]

If you had selected "Another company or person" and hadn't set up a production partner yet it would prompt you to fill out the production partner section. If you have a production partner set up and select "Another company or person" it will say "You made it with the help of another company or person".

[PapandeNewmanGraphics]

Question do I just check "I Did" what about How does your shop produce? I do not qualify as a POD for any of those items do I not check this? I have to change hundreds of items so I want to make sure! I was told by another seller very popular do the opposite actually two videos. It did not make sense to me, thanks for the information

[GoWestYoungK]

Jay, could you address the new questions in the "core details" box? When I went to change the "who made it" to "I did", now it opens up questions about how the item is produced and the tools used. Sounds straight-forward but I have some hesitancy, especially about the tools used, insofar as the choices they offer.

And just to say, I notice that on my shop, the public-facing listings all now say "designed by [MyShop]", even though my listings say they are made by another person or company.

[zackbutler]

Can you clarify what we should use as our first listing photo if we are selling non-personalized POD items?

[gangstagrandma]

I have always said I made it. This is good for us.

[egauci]

Printify always sets made by someone else, finished product, made to order

[zenrix]

What do you think the impact is of selecting "another company or person" vs. "I did" for who made it? Do you think that my listings are getting far less visibility and rank because of this? Also, for "How does your shop produce this item" would you select "It's an item my shop alters"? or should I just leave it blank for now?

Thank you!

[LMCEK]

So the way I am understanding this, having your own photo of a personalized item as the thumbnail is required? Thats so disappointing. Your thumbnail sells the listing and no way would my own product photography make someone click my listing much less buy it lol 😔 Etsy gives me literal anxiety and stomach flips on the regular

[ahcvea]

After producing 3D figures (no copyright) that I buy and download from the internet on a 3D printer, I turn them into tabletop metal objects by applying various craftsmanship (casting, welding, cleaning, polishing, oxidizing, personalization text engraving). I do not design the 3D figures. I buy them as 3D data from the designer. Which option should I choose in this case? "It's made from scratch" or "it's assembled from purchased parts" or "it's an item that my shop alters"?
I added the independent artist from whom I bought the 3D data as a "Production partner". Is this correct or did I make a mistake? Is it because I define a Production partner that Etsy puts my products in the "Design by ShopName" category automatically? But I didn't design them... This is not correct for my products.

[uniqueloveapparel]

This is wrong, when you create your production partner profile you can select how are you involved in the process. You have to select Created by anther company then it will appear Design By on your listing.

[Bekind]

Just above where it shows their own separate boxes, "Physical Item", "Digital Files", we choose "Physical Items", but if we are now lumped in with Digital Items, aren't we lumped in with Digital Files because we did not make the physical item? Then it says "Who Made It", if we look at where your video starts at 9:34, it says "Sellers must disclose that an "ITEM is "MADE by a Production Partner". So should we really be saying "I made it"? And because we are supposed to disclose that we had help from a production partner, we can also explain there that we design it, they make and ship it. This has me very confused. What do you think?