Dinged because the buyer's message wouldn't load

[ReelisticallyYou]

I contacted support and they asked me to put the issue here to see if someone from the tech team might resolve it. 

A customer contacted me via message. I tried to reply to her message, but it wouldn't load (which we all know happens from time to time with the app). Because I couldn't reply to her initial help message, I initiated another message to reply to her right away. She received a reply within an hour of her initial message. She responded to the message quickly, so I know she received it. Because I didn't reply to the Help message (that would not load), I was dinged and dropped to 75% on my response time, putting my Star Seller status at risk. 

Furthermore, my response time was 100% before this. Why such a drastic drop over one message when all my other messages have been on time? 

Any help and advice is welcome. Thank you! 

[NanaLetha]

Don't use the app - it's very glitchy!

[BagmakerSupply]

@ReelisticallyYou: A shop needs to check their Messages and Orders via a browser (even your mobile browser) as there as just so many issues with the app.

"Why such a drastic drop over one message when all my other messages have been on time?" The percentage is pure math - number of answered on time new threads divided by the total number of new threads. It takes 19 answered on time new threads to offset 1 unanswered / answered late new thread (to be at 95%). 

"... they asked me to put the issue here to see if someone from the tech team might resolve it." Unfortunately the people in customer service are either grossly misinformed about the forums and / or just following instructions, or they simply wanted to get rid of you. Just so you know, even if Etsy Support or the Help Pages sent you here this is a seller peer to peer forum, and should not be considered a way to communicate with Etsy (although Etsy does sometimes read and reply to posts).

[MissPussinBoots]

Etsy's Star Seller program is completely linear. Even though you responded within the 24-hour time limit, you did not respond to the initial message thread, which is mandatory to appease the program. No one will 'fix' this issue because you did not follow the rules (which are absolute).

This forum is not tech support, just fellow sellers, so we can't help you get your Star Seller status back. Historically, Etsy will not adjust your stats because you didn't follow the rules. Etsy glitches are not a valid reason (in Etsy's eyes) for an adjustment. Sorry. We have all been there (or in a similar situation). It sucks. Just know that you did the right thing for your customer, and try not to get hung up on the silly purple badge.

The percentage dropped so low because you probably get few new messages, and the matrix only counts/tracks the last 3 months. 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

you have to reply to each new message thread,

if it doesn't work in the app, use a browser,

the rate is 95%,
that's 5 misses in 100,   or 1:20      so less than 20 messages, will mean you have blown the number

[hopeandjoystudios]

That is just their way of getting rid of you. Nobody here can help and posting a tech issue in the forums only gets addressed if many are reporting the same issue. I just saw today that I had a message unanswered for 5 days that just said Hi. The thing is I check my messages DAILY and it was not there. It may have went to spam initially and then got kicked back somehow? I spammed it ( as it was surely spam or a scammer) and hopefully in a couple days it might be counted as spam not a missed message. Etsy is very glitchy yet they hold us to standards that are blasted to hell by those glitches. How your messages are 75% is the same reason mine are now 75%. I had 4 messages in the counted period. 3 I answered almost immediately and then this "missed" one. 1 of 4 is 25% so 75% remaining. That will torpedo my SS for 3 months as I get very few messages to even hope to offset it with.

[hopeandjoystudios]

Marking it as spam took it off. SO weird. There was NO message and NO notification that I HAD a message even when I was in my shop dashboard which I am several times daily. I check my messages on the actual message page every day not wanting to accidentally miss anything and not fully trusting the notification. NO message. Then poof there it was 5 days late! At least they took it off.