FAQ
| Frequently Asked Questions (General) |
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Here you'll find answers to basic questions about the site and troubleshooting some common issues. Just click a question in the list below and you'll be taken to the answer. There are more helpful resources linked on the menu to the left.
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The DOs & DON'Ts of craftunique.com
| About craftunique.com |
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What is craftunique.com and who created it?
craftunique.com is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell items that are handmade, as well as vintage goods and crafting supplies.
Why craftunique.com ?
On our website we try to help all artists to sell and promote their work, so we thought that the name craftunique would emphasize our goal.
Will you email me about updates to the site and other interesting tidbits?
Only if you ask us to! We believe in respecting the sanctity of your email inbox and will not bury you with unwanted spam messages, we promise never to share your email address with a third party.
What does "Admin" mean?
Admin is short for "administrator", which is a tech title for a person who works on a website. craftunique.com's staff are often referred to as Admin.Contact Craftunique:Our aim is to have aal the systems as automatic as possible, so everything works perfctly and hassle free, so you can let your imagination go wild and do not worry about the technical issues.
Should you still need help, please do not hesitate to contact us at the following addresses:
Administrator: admin@craftunique.com
Help: help@craftunique.com
Payments: payments@craftunique.com
How do I get started on craftunique.com?
Welcome! The first step is registration. Just click the Register link at the top right of the site to get started. You need a valid email address, a unique username and a password. Usernames can only be numbers and letters; no funky characters or spaces are allowed. You can use both upper and lowercase letters; usernames are not case-sensitive. Passwords are case-sensitive, so be careful typing your new password.
Sellers, be careful when choosing your username because it will also be your shop name! If you want to be a seller, we also require that you have a valid credit card on file.
Since craftunique.com is an e-commerce site, all buyers and sellers must be over the age of 18 (or have parental permission and supervision). You also need to familiarize yourself with our rules in the Policy and the DOs & Dos and donts before registering. Once you're registered, please consult our FAQ resources for more info.
See here for a step-by-step walk through of registration:
Can I change my username?
Usernames on craftunique.com cannot be changed. For this reason, please pause and consider your username carefully before registering. Here are some things to think about when selecting a username:
Remember: your shop address after registration will look as following: yourusername.craftunique.com
Why can't I login?
You can't login if your account is not active. When you first register with craftunique.com, we send you a confirmation email. You'll just need to click the confirmation link in this email to get started. If you need to resend the email, click on the link at the right side of the login page.
You might also be mistyping your password. Passwords are case-sensitive, so make sure the CAPS LOCK is off. If you still can't login, follow the link on the login page to reset your password.
You may also want to try clearing your web browser's cache and cookies, or simply try accessing the site with a different browser program.
Where is my confirmation email? I don't think I got one!
Check your junk mail or spam folder. It may have ended up in there. To prevent this in the future,admin@craftunique.com and help@raftunique.com and payments@craftunique.com to your address book or safe list. In extreme cases you might have to turn off SPAM filters.
I clicked the link in the first confirmation email, but my account isn't active. What now?
Contact your administrator for help.
I can't remember my password, what should I do?
Contact your administrator for help.
If I forgot my username and/or password and/or email address, what can I do?
In this case, you'll need to contact Support and ask for help. Keep in mind we'll need some way for you to prove ownership of the account. If you've lost all your information, you'll have to register a new account.
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If you're able to login to craftunique.com, go to Your craftunique.com > Account Info > Change password. You can change it there by following the on screen instructions.
How do I change the email address for my craftunique.com account?
You need to login to craftunique.com and go to Your craftunique.com > Account Info, then follow the "change your email address" link. Please keep your email address up-to-date at all times; this is how craftunique.com will contact you with important information about your account. You cannot re-use an email address that is already associated with another craftunique.com account.
How do I change my mailing address?
Login to craftunique.com and go to Your craftunique.com > Account Info, and follow the link on that screen.
How do I delete my craftunique.com account?
Are you sure? If you really want to, please contact Support to request this and we'll do it for you. Be sure to send the message from the email address on file in your craftunique.com account and provide us with your craftunique.com username.
Can I close my account to start a new one?
We can close the account for you so that you can open a new one, but you will need to use a different email address and none of your information will be carried over. For security reasons usernames and emails can't be reused once they are in our system. Please contact Support if you would like to close your account.
Can I have more than one account?
Yes, however there are special rules for holding multiple accounts. Please see the DOS & DON'Ts for more info.
I don't seem to be receiving any email from craftunique.com. What should I do?
There are a few things you can do to help ensure our emails get through:
- Make sure your email addresses on file are correct. If this address isn't correct, we can't contact you and neither can buyers.
- Check your spam/junk folder to see if our emails were diverted there by your email client.
- Add craftunique.com's email addresses to your address book. This will ensure our emails don't end up in your spam/junk folder.
- Let us know if you think you're missing an email from craftunique.com by contacting Support.
What is an Avatar?
An avatar is a small square image that shows up when you post in the Forums, in Conversations, in your public profile and various other places throughout the site. It adds a visual element to your identity on craftunique.com, complementing your username.
Login to craftunique.com and go to Your craftunique.com > Public Profile. Click the browse button to locate the image file on your computer, then make sure to click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. Make sure your original image is a square, otherwise there will be distortion.
You can use a variety of image manipulation applications, like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP, to tweak a photo you've taken. Your avatar image should be 75 x 75 pixels in size at 72 dpi resolution. The files should be one of these formats: .jpg, .gif or .png.
How do I add a Bio?
Login to craftunique.com and go to Your craftunique.com > Shop
How long can my Bio be?
As long as you'd like it to be.Can I use HTML formatting in my Bio?
We do not allow any user-created HTML formatting anywhere on the site. We have designed craftunique.com to provide a consistent visual experience.
Why should I add my location?
Adding your location is optional, but keep in mind that buyers like to know where an item will ship from when shopping.
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What are tags? How do they work?
Tags are keywords used to sort items on craftunique.com. The first tag on an item determines which top-level category it's listed under. Subcategories on craftunique.com are also based on tags. For example the drawing subcategory inside Art shows items tagged with Art and drawing. A single tag can be comprised of multiple words, e.g. Bath and Beauty. You can have up to 14 tags per item.
Sellers, please see these other resources for more in-depth info on how to use tags appropriately:
What are materials? How do they work?
Materials are a special kind of single-word keywords. Instead of helping you understand what an item is used for, they help you figure out what it's made out of. You can click a material anywhere you see it to be taken to a list of all other items using the same material. You can list up to 13 materials per item.
What is the Conversations feature?
Conversations is an craftunique.com-only messaging system. It's a great way to communicate with other members, especially regarding the details of a transaction. You can access your Conversations inbox by clicking the link at the very top of the site header. You can send and receive Convos from any other registered member. Additionally, you can set your preferences receive an email notification every time you get a new Convo. (To do this, go to Conversations and click the "set email preferences" link.) Be sure to read the rules in the DOs & DON'Ts regarding the appropriate use of Convos.
Why are my Conversations disabled?
In our effort to protect craftunique.com users from abuse by spammers and scammers, if you send out several conversations that all have similar content in a short period of time, your ability to send new Conversations is automatically disabled by the spambot. The best way to communicate with groups and clubs, or send shop announcements and promotions is to use your business email address. Conversations were designed to handle transaction arrangements. Please contact Support to have your Conversations reinstated.
For more info about the Forums, please check out these resources:
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What are Favorites?
When you find an item or shop on craftunique.com that you love, you can bookmark it by adding it to your Favorites.To make a item/shop favourite, click the link in the right sidebar on a shop or item page that says "Add this to favorites." To view your Favorites list, go to Your craftunique.com > Favorites. ."
What are the different ways to shop on craftunique.com?
craftunique.com has many great tools to help buyers shop on the site. There are traditional methods (like Search and browsing Categories).
How does the search bar on craftunique.com work?
The search bar atop every page is contextual, based on what section of the the site you're in. Look directly to the right of the search bar to find the drop-down menu, which shows you exactly what you're searching:
What is the featured artist?
The Featured Artist is a free advertising program for craftunique.com shops. Best sellers care chosen on a page to promote their items on the site. There are a few different kinds of Showcases on craftunique.com.
What are Colors?
The Colors tool allows you to browse items based on the colors in the listing photos. Just click a spot on the palette and items will pop up:
Will you add XYZ as a category, subcategory or sub-subcategory?
Please contact us with suggestions – we’d love to hear them! It helps if you can link us to an item so we can see an example of what you are talking about. Please add your suggestion as a tag to your listings where accurate.
I have an idea to make craftunique.com better, would you like to hear it?
We are always looking for new ideas and improvements.
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FeedbackHow does the feedback system work?
You may leave a feedback rating of positive or negative, a comment and a "Customer Appreciation Photo" for users whom you've been involved in a transaction with. Your feedback score is the cumulative total of all positives (+1) and negatives (-1) you receive. To leave feedback, login, go to Your craftunique.com > Feedback, and you'll see all items awaiting your feedback there. Neutral feedback does not affect the user's rating number as it's neither positive or negative. You have 90 days from the transaction date to leave feedback. After 90 days, the ability to leave feedback expires.You can find more information about feedback here:
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How do I leave feedback?
To leave feedback, login and go to Your craftunique.com > Feedback. Then click the Items Awaiting Feedback tab and you'll see everything there. Each feedback entry must be submitted separately.
How do I view feedback I've received and given?
Login and go to Your craftunique.com > Feedback and click the appropriate tabs on that page.
When should a buyer leave feedback?
Once they have received the item from the seller. Keep in mind that you have 90 days from the transaction date to leave feedback. After 90 days, the ability to leave feedback expires.
When should a seller leave feedback?
The seller can leave feedback as soon as they receive payment, or wait until they've confirmed that the buyer has received the item and is happy with the transaction. Keep in mind that you have 90 days from the transaction date to leave feedback. After 90 days, the ability to leave feedback expires.
There are a few other circumstances in which craftunique.com will remove feedback entries. Please see the DOs & DON'Ts of craftunique.com for more details.
I've left feedback for the wrong person. What do I do?
If it's totally misplaced, you can contact Support for help. You have up to 30 days to report a problem with feedback.
I feel I've received abusive negative feedback. What do I do?
Please contact Support for help. You have up to 30 days to report a problem with feedback.
How can someone with negative or neutral feedback still have a 100% positive rating?
Feedback ratings are rounded to the nearest whole number. For this reason, someone with an extraordinary amount of positive feedback and just a few negatives will show as a 100% score. Neutral feedback is truly neutral; it does not impact the percentage rating at all.
I can't leave feedback for a transaction. What happened?
You have 90 days from the transaction date to leave feedback. After 90 days, the ability to leave feedback expires.
Also, if the transaction was canceled by the seller, the ability to leave feedback is removed.
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Where can I find craftunique.com's rules?
craftunique.com's rules are outlined in the Terms of Use (which is a legal agreement for using the site) and in the DOS & DON'Ts of craftunique.com.
How do I report a violation of craftunique.com's policies?
You should contact us to let us know. We take all such matters seriously and act on them promptly.
What if I see something that's not handmade?
In the right-hand sidebar of every item page, there is a "Report this item to craftunique.com" link, which will send an email to us with the item # in it. (If the link doesn't work with your computer's settings, you can contact Flagged. Please include a link to the item.) We appreciate your help with this! Please note: we do allow some non-handmade items in the Commercial Supplies and Vintage categories.
What are the consequences for breaking craftunique.com's rules?
First and foremost, we can usually work things out with a member personally and privately. If this is not successful, a member's site privileges may be suspended or an account may be terminated.
All transactions on craftunique.com are processed securely by paypal.com. To make payment of any kind you need to have a valid credit card or a debit card (for more details visit www.paypal.com website). Please note that craftunique does not store and wont request form you any sensitive data (credit card, account numbers etc.). All transactions are handled externally by PayPal.com payment solutions (for more details visit www.paypal.com website). What currency is used for craftunique transactions?
All transactions on craftunique.com are in EURO.
Please note that as a seller you will be charged 1EURO as paypal account confirmation (as we do not store or process any delicate information), which will be refunded to you by the end of the following month.
- 0,50EUR for listing a single item – listing 10 items means that the total listing fee to be paid to craftunique.com is 5 EURO
- 7% commision of sold item: selling an item worth 10EURO means that the seller pays 0,70EURO to craftunique.com
- to check all the currency exchanges please check the currency exchanges websites, fo example www.xe.com
- By joining craftunique.com, all members agree to abide by the policies outlined here and in the Terms of Use.
- You must be at least 18 years of age to hold an account on craftunique.com. If you are under 18, you must have the permission and supervision of a parent or legal guardian who is at least 18 years of age; that adult is responsible for the account.
- You may not use profane or racist language or images in your username, avatar and/or public profile.
- You may not transfer ownership or sell your craftunique.com account to another party.
- Usernames cannot be changed except in the event of documented legal action (such as trademark infringement) at craftunique.com's discretion. Choose your username carefully.
- An craftunique.com account cannot be used for the sole purpose of redirecting traffic to another web location, even if it is another craftunique.com account. Please contact Support to have your account closed if you are no longer using it.
- Keep your account information updated and accurate. Your account must have a valid email address at all times. craftunique.com will use the email address on file in your account information to contact you when necessary.
- craftunique.com encourages all members to resolve their own disputes. As a venue, craftunique.com cannot mediate disputes between members or other parties.
- All of your usernames must be clearly disclosed in the public profile for each account. A statement such as, "I am also on craftunique.com under these usernames..." would be acceptable. This includes all buying and selling accounts, as well as any collective accounts in which you are involved.
- You may not use an alternate account to purchase items from yourself. This is called "shilling."
- craftunique.com will not issue refunds for accidental activity stemming from multiple account ownership, like listing items in the wrong shop.
- You may not list the same unique item in more than one shop on craftunique.com.
- One artist screen prints fabric, then another artist sews clothing from the fabric. The finished product is listed in a collective craftunique.com shop.
- A person helps a friend or family member make, list or ship an item. The item is listed in their collective craftunique.com shop.
- Two jewelers share a collective craftunique.com shop but create and list their own jewelry items in the same shop.
- Two friends, a painter and a furniture maker, share a collective craftunique.com shop to sell their work together.
- A collective may not be an entity that represents multiple artists by contract (e.g., gallery, a consignment shop, or an art agency/dealer).
- The public profile page for the account must fully disclose accurate information about each person, their role in the shop and the relationships between the members of the collective. craftunique.com may ask for additional information and may require the shop comply with additional requirements.
- The individual who registers the account is responsible for all activities of the account, the bill and any transaction reports.
- All standard listing policies apply to collective craftunique.com shops. All handmade goods must be created by members of the collective. Please refer to the Selling section below for craftunique.com's listing policies.
- You may not use Conversations to send unsolicited advertising or "spam." (If someone favourites your shop/item, that is not an invitation to send a Conversation to that person.)
- You may not use Conversations to harass or abuse another member. (If someone explicitly tells you not to contact them, you must not contact them again.)
- When you purchase an item on craftunique.com, you agree to pay the seller for the item. Do not purchase items for which you do not intend to pay.
- The buyer must send payment directly to the seller (not to craftunique.com).
- It is the buyer's responsibility to pay the seller. If you choose to pay via PayPal, please send payment right away. If you are paying by check or money order (or other mailed payment), send a Conversation or email to the seller to make arrangements for payment.
- If payment is not sent within a reasonable amount of time and the buyer has not responded to the seller's attempts at communication, then the seller may cancel the transaction (i.e., cancellation for non-payment, reported by the seller).
- If the seller cannot authenticate the buyer's identity, then the seller may cancel the transaction (i.e., suspected fraud, reported by the seller).
- If the buyer does not receive the item in a timely manner and the seller has not responded to the buyer's attempts at communication, then the buyer may file a report about the transaction (i.e., non-delivery, reported by the buyer).
- Private information was published
- Abuse or harassment of a member
- Use of profane or racist language or images
- Spam or advertising
- Shilling (fraudulent inflation of feedback rating by use of an alternate account)
- Feedback comments on a different member's transaction
- Obvious misuse of the feedback system (e.g., buyer leaves negative feedback immediately after purchase and is unresponsive to communication)
- An individual shop's policies must not contradict craftunique.com's site-wide policies. craftunique.com reserves the right to ask sellers to modify unreasonable policies at craftunique.com's discretion.
- You may not post links/URLs to other venues where you have the same items for sale that are listed in your craftunique.com shop. This may include your personal website if there are items for sale.
- Do not make illegal use of photographs or written text, as this is in violation of craftunique.com's Terms of Use. Contact the owner and ask permission.
- Use of profane and/or racist language or images in the public areas of your craftunique.com shop is not permitted. This includes your username, public profile, item titles, tags, avatar, banner, announcement and/or shop sections.
- You must pay your craftunique.com bill on time to avoid penalties which include suspension of listing privileges and/or account termination. Learn more about billing in the How Billing Works guide.
- You may not use the public areas of your account to demonstrate or discuss disputes with others.
- You may not engage in any activity by which you avoid craftunique.com's fees ("fee avoidance"). This includes but is not limited to: completing a transaction off-craftunique.com once it has been initiated on the site, listing an item below its intended purchase price and canceling a completed transaction.
- Each unique item must have its own listing. You should not edit a listing's information to change it to an entirely different item. This is considered fee avoidance and can also cause problems for craftunique.com's information database.
- All items must be handmade by the individual(s) running the craftunique.com shop.
- On craftunique.com, the term "handmade" can additionally be interpreted as "hand-assembled" or "hand-altered".
- These are not items handmade by you.
- This section is for items that can be used to make other items you might find for sale on craftunique.com (such as yarn, beads, instructional books, patterns, tools, etc.
- Shipping supplies and packaging materials are also allowed in the Supplies category.
- These listings must be placed in the Supplies category, and tagged as commercial. (Categories such as Books and Zines are for handmade items only.)
- The Vintage category is for things that are at least 20 years old.
- These listings must be placed in the Vintage category.
- Listing descriptions and photos must clearly describe the item for sale so buyers know what is included in the purchase.
- Only use accurate and relevant tags.
- The shipping price should be reasonable for the item.
- You may not list handmade items that you (or a member of your collective) did not make. This is considered reselling and is not permitted.
- Gift baskets which are a collection of non-handmade items are not allowed.
- Each listing must be an item available for purchase.
- You may not create a listing for an item that is not for sale or sold out.
- A listing may not be created simply to share photographs or other information with the community.
- A listing may not be created solely as an advertisement. This includes notices of sales or promotions in your shop. Such information can be included in your profile, avatar, shop announcement and/or item descriptions.
- "Custom order" listings must be listed for purchase with a set price. Details about the customization can be discussed via Conversation.
- A listing should not be created with an unrealistic price in order to keep it from selling. You may price an item how you choose, but please be reasonable.
- A listing must not be conditional upon the purchase of another listing in your shop (i.e., saying "this item may only be purchased along with another item in my shop" is not allowed). This includes listings for item upgrades, shipping upgrades and "free with purchase" offers.
- A free with purchase item may not be listed as a separate listing conditional upon the purchase of another item in your shop. (See Listings must be available for purchase above for further explanation of conditional listings.)
- Information about free with purchase items must go in the item description.
- Anything that comes free with purchase must not be featured in the first photograph of the listing.
- The title and tags should not mention or describe the free with purchase item.
- The price should only reflect the listed item.
- Because gift certificates are governed by local law, it is the seller's responsibility to determine if they are in compliance. If you list a gift certificate on craftunique.com, you are responsible for this compliance.
- You must include this sentence in the item listing: "This Gift Certificate is valid only in my craftunique.com shop and is only redeemable here."
- Services are not allowed to be listed unless they provide a tangible, physical item.
- Graphic design services and digital pattern distribution are allowed. The digital file (.pdf, .jpg, .doc, and so on) in these cases is considered the physical item.
- With prior written permission, you can list Services such as workshops, classes and subscriptions on craftunique.com. Contact Support for approval before listing these.
- It is best if a seller can create their items entirely with their own hands. However, craftunique.com acknowledges that this is prohibitive for certain intermediary tasks in some crafts. Some acceptable examples include: printing for your digital artwork, metal casting from your original mold, and kiln firing for your handcrafted ceramic work.
- The item's description must disclose the use of a third-party vendor (providing a name is not necessary, but is encouraged).
- You may not have a third-party vendor fulfill your orders to your craftunique.com customers on your behalf (e.g., no drop-shipping).
- Items are subject to staff review on a case-by-case basis. If the staff determines that the vendor's involvement comprises a majority share of the item's creation, it will be deemed "not handmade by you" and removed from craftunique.com.
- Mature content is defined as: sexual activity or content, profane language or graphic violence.
- Items containing mature content must be tagged "mature".
- The first thumbnail image should be kept appropriate for general audiences; additional images in the listing may show the item in its entirety.
- Artful representation of the nude human figure is allowed. The context of the nudity determines if it is a mature content item.
- Items are subject to review on a case-by-case basis. If craftunique.com evaluates the content to be mature, you will be asked to edit the listing to comply with these policies or remove the listing entirely.
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Drugs
- Pornography
- Firearms and/or weapons
- Recalled items
- Real estate
- Motor vehicles (automobiles, motorcycles, boats, etc.)
- Flagging should be used to report any item listing, shop request that violates any of craftunique.com's policies.
- Do not flag a single violation multiple times.
- Since reporting item is a private matter, members should not discuss flags in any of craftunique.com's community spaces, forums, blogs etc.
In most cases, craftunique.com will work with a user privately to remedy the problem. If a seller does not respond to craftunique.com's communication or requests in a timely manner, the item may be removed and the shop's selling privileges may be suspended and/or terminated. In some extreme cases, listings will be removed immediately. Abuse of the flagging system by means of raising repeated, unjustified flags may result in the suspension and/or termination of your account.