I’m pushing this survey here as well as in the FB group again. If you have a minute we’d appreciate your feedback as always.
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Just remembered I think I forgot to add just how important accurate stats are for sellers. The stats tool has been broken for weeks again.
I think that’s my biggest gripe is that when things are broken, it’s just broken with no communication or time frame when it will be fixed…often times bringing the reports to support is useless because support either blames you for a cache issue or says they have no eta on a fix.
And then they are introduce new things without fixing the broken ones! There should not be promotion of “Sales” until the sales tool is fully fixed.
I know Michaels can do better, and I am glad to see you coming here for advice. I so badly want this to work out for everyone…especially now with the issues now that Amazon Handmade has been having for a few weeks (I’m pretty sure that selling platform is dead).
That’s probably not what they wanted to know on the survey, but it’s what I wrote about.
Last day of my Stats was on July, it hasn’t updated since. I emailed the support a month ago, and was told the issue was related up to the technical team. Well, the team either was not very good at solving problems, or maybe they just have too much to do, and don’t have to time to solve our problems.
@Dave
Frustrating that sellers selling items clearly not Handmade are getting the best promotion in the September sales event. This seller has been reported long ago for items readily available at Alibaba and AliExpress
I saw this today and it really pissed me off, especially since I sent Seller Support multiple files showing the same items on AliCrap — and Support somehow didn’t think they were the same.
The MakerPlace Seller Investigation team thoroughly reviewed this case and have made the determination to allow this seller to remain based on the evidence provided by the seller, i.e. video documentation of their proof of handmade processes.
If you come across any listings in the future that you believe violate MakerPlace policies, please send links to the product page or store to [email protected] for review. You can also report a specific item or store by navigating to the bottom of a product listing or store and clicking the flag icon with the words “Report to Michaels” next to it. Fill out the required information, which is then reviewed by the seller operations team and actioned accordingly.
If I may be of further assistance on this topic, please let me know. I’m here to help!
So is this just a large company then that is allowed to sell because it’s still “handmade”? Are they then supplying alibaba and Aliexpress? This is what google seemed to say about the company
"Alicorn is a company that develops DIY kits, crafts and toys for kids, schools and homes. "
Now we can argue all day the semantics of designing and using a manufacture and if that is considered handmade or not.
But does it fit the “spirit” of makerplace that Michaels is trying convey? When I think Handmade I think small businesses. Not some company with a whole team of designers and manufactures.
Seeing things that are mass produced are a turn off, and that Michaels will promote things that don’t look handmade makes you no better then Etsy. You can turn a blind eye and continue to let a huge company sell…the least you could do is stick to promoting small individual sellers.
From their Etsy shop: Oh look where they source their supplies from.
From the outside looking in, it appears that Michaels’ translation of handmade is put together by hand. They are not saying that the item is handmade by an artisan only but that it includes items that are put together by yourself when purchased.
Remember, Michaels is in the business of selling crafts and craft supplies. Those kits fall under craft kits that would be put together by hand (the customer’s hand).
Not what a handmade artisan would want to hear but it does appear that this is what Michaels saying with their responses.
Based upon what our friend @Dave imparted upthread (and in light of certain other available evidence), I strongly suspect that you’re spot-on with that analysis.
I think they pretty much get away with it because of being able to personalize the items they import with names. Super easy to do with cheap wood and any sort of burn tool (or even a fancy schmancy Glowforge).
Etsy/michaels/whoever wants to make money will always support these businesses because it makes them money too. The bigger these businesses are the more money they make.
It costs a lot of money to run a marketplace. And the term “handmade” has always been just as messy as “all natural” or “healthy”. There is no true definition. I remember back in Etsy early days people upset with someone buying a mass market charm and mass market chain and connecting them together and it’s “handmade”.
I hate that I’m also so negative, I really wanted this to work but at the end of the day it’s just painfully obvious that it’s going to be ran just like Etsy or Amazon Handmade. I will still sell there, because I can…but I won’t expect any sort of “promotion” because I don’t sell enough nor do I fit the narrative and drink the koolaid.
@Dave thank you for your reply and for sharing that Michaels is indeed following up on reports and asking for video evidence.
It does seem that there needs to be some clarification in either policy or enforcement, for what Michaels considers to be “handmade” and whether Sellers are expected to be artisans, as @Lost_My_Marbles delineated.
ARTISANS: If consumers can buy the same thing much cheaper on AliExpress, then why buy it on MakerPlace?
MAKERPLACE: If consumers are going to buy the thing, why not offer it on MakerPlace?
…and I definitely think that Sellers see both sides–but I’m not sure that casual Buyers do, or even care, IDK.
Honestly though, IMO at some point there must be a reckoning: proof that “handmade” items aren’t being made/processed/assembled/customized via human rights violations, but through ethical employment.
