Can Etsy remove a review when a buyer expected a translation for a digital download?

Hi! In most cases, Etsy won’t remove that kind of 3‑star review—because it’s still the buyer’s opinion about the item they received (even if their expectation about a translation was incorrect), and it usually doesn’t fall under Etsy’s review-removal reasons like harassment, private info, extortion, or being only about a third party.

If you haven’t posted a public response yet, I’d hold off for now. On Etsy, once you publicly respond to a review, the buyer typically can’t edit their star rating or text anymore—so you don’t want to “lock it in” while there’s still a chance they’ll change it.

What I’d do instead:

• Send one more short, polite Etsy Messages note: thank them for working with you, confirm the refund, and (gently) ask if they’d be willing to update the review now that it’s resolved.
• Then move on and focus on prevention: add “English / U.S. terms only (no translations included)” very visibly in the first listing photo, the first 1–2 lines of the description, and anywhere Etsy surfaces at checkout (like personalization or a required “I understand” note, if that fits your product).

You can still report the review, but based on Etsy’s current approach, “buyer assumed a translation” usually isn’t something they’ll remove unless the review also includes a clear policy violation.