Dear Shopify Community,
We are writing to share our distressing situation and seek further assistance in resolving the issues we have encountered with Shopify. As a jewelry brand with over three years of successful operation on the platform, we find ourselves in an unfortunate and bewildering predicament.
A few months ago, our entire store was unexpectedly terminated due to the presence of two trademarked products. We acknowledge that it was our oversight in not identifying these trademarks beforehand. However, the immediate suspension of our entire shop without any prior warning or opportunity to rectify the issue feels unjust and uncommon based on our research and experiences within the Shopify community. We had over 250 products on our store and terminating the whole store without warnings because of 2 products is just not fair. The Trust & Legal Team accused us to sell branded products.
In light of this incident, we reached out to Shopify's Trust & Legal team to understand why our shop was taken offline without any prior warnings or chances for resolution. Regrettably, we have not received any response from them in the past five weeks, despite our attempts to escalate the matter through the regular Shopify support channels. We genuinely appreciate the efforts of the kind-hearted Shopify support team in assisting us, but their escalation did not yield any results in terms of obtaining an explanation from the Trust & Legal team.
Driven by our determination to continue our business and provide our customers with quality products, we decided to start anew store after talking with Shopify support about this idea. We made the conscious effort to remove the trademarked products, completely redesigned our brand, and invested significant time and resources into rebuilding our store, we even had a lawyer to check the store. This process was emotionally and financially draining, but we were committed to making it work since our livelihoods depend on the success of our business.
However, today we received another notice from the Shopify Trust & Legal team. Instead of addressing our concerns and providing an explanation, we were met with an automated email stating that our new shop has been terminated, and our account will be closed. Shockingly, this time we were not even given the opportunity to export our customer and order data, which is vital for us to fulfill orders and maintain customer satisfaction.
Adding to our growing concerns, we still have over $3000 in funds remaining in our Shopify account, and we have not received any information regarding the status of these funds.
We are deeply disheartened by this ongoing lack of support and the detrimental impact it has on our business and livelihoods. We implore the Shopify community and anyone who can provide guidance, assistance, or escalate our concerns to help us navigate this distressing situation. We firmly believe in a fair and transparent business environment, and we have always respected and followed Shopify's policies throughout our years of operation.
Right now we just feel bullied and disrespected.
We are grateful for any help or guidance the Shopify community can provide in rectifying this situation and ensuring a just resolution. Our commitment to our customers and our business remains unwavering, and we hope that Shopify recognizes the importance of providing fair treatment and open communication to its valued merchants.
Additionally, we would like to emphasize the critical nature of our store's income and the significant impact its closure has on many individuals who depend on it. Our business supports not only our immediate family but also the livelihoods of our employees and suppliers. The financial strain caused by this sudden termination is deeply distressing, and we earnestly appeal for a swift resolution to safeguard the livelihoods of those affected.
Thank you for your attention and support.
Sincerely,
Florian Mayer
