Products that have been officially recalled by governments or manufacturers are prohibited
What this rule means
Etsy prohibits items recalled by governments or manufacturers. Its examples include certain vintage Corning Ware percolators, lawn darts, and drop side cots. Etsy also prohibits items that may pose a health or safety hazard, such as a choking, electrocution, or strangulation risk, even without a recall. Etsy's page lists no exception for display or parts.
What Etsy says
Items that have been recalled by governments or manufacturers are prohibited from being sold on Etsy. A few examples of items that have been recalled are certain vintage Corning Ware percolators, lawn darts and drop side cots.Read Etsy's full Prohibited Items Policy
Why Etsy has this rule
A recall means the maker or a government agency found a safety problem that can hurt people. Vintage items are a special case. They can be charming and still be unsafe, and older products often stay in circulation long after a recall.
Etsy's policy states that any item recalled by the government or a manufacturer may not be sold on the marketplace. Etsy cannot check each vintage listing against every recall list, so the responsibility sits with you as the seller. Checking a recall list before you buy stock or list an item is the best protection for your buyers and your shop.
Common mistakes
- Listing a vintage crib, high chair, or toy without checking whether the model was recalled.
- Adding 'for display only' or 'for parts' to a recalled item and assuming that makes it allowed.
- Selling a recalled item with a note that the buyer should not use it.
- Assuming a product is safe because it has sold well or has been in your family for years.
- Buying estate lots and listing every item without looking up recalls.
- Skipping the model number or maker's name, which makes it harder to check the item.
- Relisting a removed item after changing its title or photos.
Examples
- AllowedYou sell a vintage cookbook or a decorative tin, after you check for recalls.
- AllowedYou search the recall database for the make, model, and year before you list a vintage product.
- AllowedYou sell a modern crib mattress cover that has no recall.
- AllowedYou keep a note of the recall check in your records for each vintage item.
- Not allowedYou sell a drop side crib.
- Not allowedYou sell lawn darts.
- Not allowedYou sell a recalled percolator and say it is for display only.
- Not allowedYou sell a recalled item marked 'for parts'.
How to stay compliant
- Delist any item on your government's recall list or subject to a known manufacturer recall. In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission keeps that list.
- Search your government's recall database for the product's make, model, and year before relisting similar vintage products.
- Do not relist a recalled item with a disclaimer such as 'for display only' — Etsy's prohibition applies regardless of stated use.
Effort: medium · 30-60 minutes
If your suspension email cites this rule
Read the email and find the item it names. Look up its maker, model, and year in the recall database kept by your government's product safety agency, and on the manufacturer's site. In the United States, that agency is the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Etsy's page links to its guide for resellers. Write down what you find.
If the item was recalled, remove the listing. A note such as 'display only' does not change the rule. Then look through the rest of your shop for similar vintage items and run the same check on each one. If you find no recall for your item, gather your evidence, such as the model number and a screenshot of your search, and explain it in your reply. Etsy makes the final decision, and no reply can promise a result.
Suspended over this rule?
Generate a complete, ready-to-submit Etsy appeal for this exact violation.
Common questions
Where do I check whether an item was recalled?
Search the recall list kept by your government's product safety agency, and check the manufacturer's site. Etsy's page points to the US federal government's guide to recalled items, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's guide for resellers, and its own Unsafe or Recalled Products page. Search by make, model, and year.
Can I list a recalled item for display only?
No. Etsy's page prohibits recalled items and lists no exception for display or parts. Remove the listing.
Are vintage items covered by the rule?
Yes. Etsy's examples include vintage items, such as certain Corning Ware percolators. Older products need extra care because they may have been recalled years ago.
What if I cannot find a model number?
Look for markings on the item, the box, or the paperwork. If you cannot identify the item well enough to check it, it is safer not to list it.
Does the rule cover recalls from the maker as well as the government?
Yes. Etsy's policy covers items recalled by the government or by manufacturers.
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