25 SEP 2017 — Hi lovely people! It seems that Etsy have now taken the stand of ignoring us indefinitely. All emails are being ignored. This is the last email I sent them:
“Hello Mr Silverman, Bonnie et al
Yes, me again requesting a response to my previous emails which you have been assiduously ignoring! I thought this time I would try and attract your attention another way and provide you with some further information about seahorses via Save Our Seahorses – https://www.saveourseahorses.org/the-seahorse-dilemma.php
You will see that they have a counter at the top of their home page with a countdown to the days left before seahorses become extinct. Today, this stands at 7244. Doesn’t sound much does it? In 7244 (or sooner) the world will have no more seahorses in the wild. Quite a sobering thought. Would you be happy knowing you played a part in this extinction? There are enough species in the world going extinct, without adding another to the list that has been exploited out of existence.
Is Etsy really so motivated by profit that it is happy to keep allowing its sellers to sell these endangered and, I reiterate, PROTECTED, creatures? I appreciate that you are probably sick to the back teeth of getting emails from myself and Neil at the Seahorse Trust but this only goes to emphasise how serious the plight of the seahorse is. The petition at this precise moment as I write is 20,045. That is a lot of people who are appalled that seahorses are sold on Etsy. I quote below some of the comments from people who have signed:
“Let these creatures live in peace! They are not accessories of decoration; they are living creatures!!”
“Well, I shall write to Etsy telling them of my disgust over selling dead seahorses. These were live once upon a time, and it’s just not on to kill them just to sell their little bodies afterwards. Shame on them!”
“Notice to ALL Etsy sellers: We (groups we belong to, as well as family and friends) will stop making purchases off Etsy until they show they care about compassionate and humane treatment of all animals (endangered or not).”
“Please reconsider. Please think of the example such merchandise sets for our children. Is it a good idea for them to think that our fellow-creatures are available for profit and exploitation?”
“The comments made by Etsy prove one thing – that they are NOT interested in the environment, sustainability or compassion for animals, only in the profits to be gained from abusing such important issues…..
I have been looking for an alternative platform to sell my artwork and Etsy was suggested by someone – sadly, I could NEVER contemplate dealing with a company which promotes such cruelty….”.
“Got an email back from Etsy saying they were looking into the seahorse issue. Well won’t buy anything from them as I don’t believe them. They are a big company but still liars”
“When will we stop being cruel and unfair to the creatures sharing our planet?This practice beggars belief!Estsy should be ashamed,hiding behind so called laws.What about the compassionate and moral law?
Well I’m boycotting Etsy ans suggest everyone does the same.”
“I’m a scuba diver for 15 years,and I have only
seen three sea horses. I would hate for the world to never know they exists.”
These are just a handful of comments but you get the gist – people around the world want Etsy to stop trading in seahorses. People love these little creatures and don’t want to live in a world without them. People are also cross because when they email you about seahorses they get the same standard head-in-the-sand email from your team. I can’t believe that no-one at Etsy has any compassion or dislikes nature so much that they prefer to put profit above contributing to the extinction of a species. Is everyone who is in charge at Etsy devoid of any kind of compassion?
Come on, guys, give the seahorse a break and stop selling these endangered and protected animals – and show the world that your claims about caring for the planet are true and not just marketing jargon. If Ebay and Amazon can do it with the minimum of fuss, why can’t you? Seahorses are protected by CITES for a reason.
Myself and The Seahorse Trust live in hope that you will add the seahorse to your list of banned items for sale. Don’t forget, tomorrow there are only 7243 days until the seahorse is gone from the wild ……”
My colleague, Neil, also emailed them again today. This is the automated response he got:
” Hello!
Thank you for contacting the Etsy press inbox. If you have an article or segment request, or a general press inquiry about Etsy, you’ve come to the right place.
Have a question about your order, account, or Etsy shop? Please contact [email protected].
Need more info about Etsy, executive headshots, office photos, or brand assets? Please visit Etsy.com/Press.
Have a great day!
— The Etsy Communications team
Etsy – Your place to buy and sell all things handmade, vintage, and supplies
ETSY.COM”
If you feel so inclined, why not email [email protected] and [email protected] (he’s the CEO) to ask them why they ignore emails and why they are still not budging regarding seahorses. Tell them that people will not give up and ignoring the issue won’t make it go away. If you know of any coverage the campaign has received online please email them the link (and also email to the Seahorse Trust!). Feel free to publicise in any way you can think of, how Etsy is refusing to help save seahorses and is ignoring the issue hoping it will go away.
Only by pooling resources do we stand a chance of getting Etsy to stop selling seahorses. Today, there are only 7240 days left before seahorses disappear for good from the wild, and Etsy are contributing to this demise.
Thanks for all you are doing. Please keep sharing the petition anywhere you can think of: https://www.change.org/p/etsy-stop-the-sale-of-real-seahorses-on-etsy?recruiter=734909870&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=146114
