I’m posting this as both a warning and a last attempt at accountability, because at this point I genuinely don’t know what else to do.

In April 2025, I purchased a custom wedding band on Etsy for $1,416 CAD from a seller called SapphireJewelStudio. This was a major purchase for me at a time when I was already financially stretched paying for a wedding.

What followed has turned into a months-long nightmare where Etsy admits they have my money but refuses to return it.

What happened (full timeline)

1. I placed the order

I paid in full in mid-April. After payment, I received no confirmation, no production timeline, and no response from the seller.

2. The seller went silent

I messaged multiple times asking for an update and then requesting cancellation so I could reorder or find another ring. With my wedding date approaching, the silence caused serious stress.

3. I opened a chargeback out of necessity

Because I had no product, no response, and no reassurance, I opened a chargeback with my bank — not to get free money, but to protect myself.

4. The seller finally responded

Only after the chargeback was opened, the seller replied, apologized, and confirmed they would cancel the order.

5. I cancelled the chargeback in good faith

Once the seller confirmed cancellation, I voluntarily cancelled the chargeback with my bank in May 2025, trusting Etsy would simply process the refund.

This is where everything broke.

6. The refund never came

Weeks passed. Then months.
No ring. No refund.

My bank statement now shows:

• Original Etsy charge: –$1,416
• Temporary chargeback credit
• Chargeback reversal when I cancelled it

Net result: I am out $1,416 and received nothing.

7. Etsy and my bank blamed each other

My bank has confirmed:

• The chargeback is fully closed
• They cannot reopen it
• The funds are with Etsy

Etsy, meanwhile, claims:

• They can’t refund me because there was a chargeback

Despite the fact that:

• The chargeback was cancelled months ago
• The order was cancelled well within Etsy’s 180-day refund window
• The seller confirmed the cancellation
• Etsy support admitted they attempted to refund me
• Etsy admitted they currently have the money

8. Etsy now says it’s “not possible” to return my money

Multiple Etsy agents have acknowledged in writing that:

• The order was cancelled
• A refund was attempted
• The funds were not returned
• The chargeback no longer exists

Yet they still refuse to issue the refund.

At this point, I have no product, no refund, and no meaningful explanation.

I’ve exhausted every escalation path

Before posting here, I want to be clear: this is not my first stop.

Over the past several months, I have:

• Emailed Etsy’s CEO and several high-ranking executives
• Contacted Etsy’s legal, billing, and dispute-resolution emails
• Attempted phone support (which is effectively nonexistent)
• Escalated repeatedly through Etsy’s chat system, which often times out or routes back to AI
• Worked extensively with my bank, including formally cancelling the chargeback in good faith

I have received no response from the CEO or senior leadership.

My bank has now confirmed that because the chargeback is closed and reversed, they can no longer help. The money is not in limbo — it is with Etsy.

Every path leads back to Etsy, and Etsy simply refuses to take ownership of returning the money.

Why this has been so damaging

This didn’t happen in a vacuum. This was during wedding planning — deposits, vendors, and unexpected expenses piling up. Losing $1,416 at that moment caused real financial strain and anxiety.

What’s been most upsetting isn’t just the money — it’s the complete lack of accountability:

• No direct escalation path
• No ownership of the issue
• Repetitive copy-paste responses
• Being bounced between AI chat, time-limited agents, and silence

I’ve spent months trying to fix something that should have taken one refund click.

Screenshots & proof

I’ll be posting screenshots showing:

• The seller confirming cancellation
• My bank confirming the chargeback cancellation
• Etsy agents admitting they attempted to refund me
• Etsy agents acknowledging they have the funds but cannot return them

Everything is documented.

Why I’m posting

I’m not posting this for sympathy. I’m posting because this could happen to anyone, especially with large, time-sensitive purchases like wedding items.

If anyone here has:

• Experienced something similar
• Successfully escalated a case like this
• Advice on next steps (regulators, Visa, legal options, media)

I would genuinely appreciate hearing from you.

And if any Etsy employees or moderators are here and willing to actually help, I’m happy to provide the full case details.

Please be careful with large purchases on Etsy. I followed the rules, acted in good faith, and still lost over $1,400.