Dropped Star Seller rating for not responding to an inbox message as a BUYER

[HandsDownMerch]

This story is as baffling as it gets.  As both a seller and a buyer, I'm religious about promptly answering messages when needed.  But because I delayed sending the words 'Thank You' to a SELLER (I was interacting with them as BUYER!), Etsy flagged the exchange against my data as a SELLER and dropped my Star Seller rating for February.

It goes like this:

On Dec 28 I contacted a seller looking for a resolution. I had purchased an item from them and what I received had a significant problem.

On Dec 28, shortly after, the seller responded to me saying that they would send a new item.

[So cool!  So far so good!  Etsy at its best.]

On Dec 29, probably more than 24 hours later, I responded to the seller saying "Thank you (username)!"

I thought nothing of this until a couple of days ago when I received notice that Etsy dropped my Star Seller for February. 

I jumped on a chat with support, and they were able to point me to those messages from Dec 29.  My reply of "Thank you" which was the 3rd message in the exchange was being logged erroneously as my FIRST message.  My first message was when I asked for the resolution!  My chat support rep was quick to dump me, even though I asked for them to hold while I checked this out.   And then never reappeared.

I requested phone support and the rep essentially confirmed that this was the case.  That it was not a mistake.  That the data could not be challenged and that there was no remedy other than to wait for Star Seller in March.  And they added "we always recommend if you want to buy something that you use a 2nd account for buying".   Really?  OK.  Never heard that.

Anyway, this episode has really left me frustrated.  At the very least Etsy needs to update their software to take into account whether or not a 24 hour message window is missed as a SELLER (definitely not good) or as a BUYER (shouldn't matter).   Or, failing that, Etsy should at least be able to offer a human's interaction that can correct an obvious mistake.

[ Side note?  What that Etsy Seller in the messsage thread sent me as a replacement to the problem merchandise they originally sent had the exact same issue.  So in the end, my purchase on Etsy was completely unsatisfactory and I was thanked for my troubles with a lost Star Seller badge.  I'm only left to imagine that somehow, some way, I must have deserved this ]

[audreytherese]

Make a separate buyer account. 

[moonbeamgifts]

This.   I saw the writing on the wall back when reciprocal feedback was a thing and people would go to war on each other.

I've had a different buyer account (noted on all of my pages) and it makes things so much easier/cleaner.

[timelapse]

@HandsDownMerch  - EVERY message must be responded to, even if just a short word or two.

Bottom line --- Bots don't know (or care) if you are selling or buying.

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Not every message.  Every new message.

[BagmakerSupply]

@timelapse: The Star Seller metric is NOT all new messages but only the first message of all new incoming threads.

[timelapse]

@ArtDollsbyJD , @BagmakerSupply - sorry hadn't had enough coffee obviously, and I know that. New first was what I meant, not what I wrote. But I respond to every message just out of habit (except once we have gone back and forth, of course)

[bradgoodell]

Sorry you were blindsided by this.

Etsy has always said for Star Seller you need to respond to all messages, whether from buyers or sellers.  This isn't new.  Etsy considers it your mistake, not theirs, and there is no point contacting Etsy Chat or anyone else because Etsy will not change it for you, as you found out.  

Your choices are:

1. Reply to all messages
2. Mark messages as spam
3. Set up auto-reply
4. Use a buyer only account or buy as a guest

Etsy isn't likely to change or fix this, because they don't see as a problem.  It is working exactly how they programmed it to work.  

You aren't the first to discover this in a painful way.  Once again, sorry.

[ThePurplePuppy]

There are 2 ways to send a message--thru the "regular" channels and as a "help request". I am betting that somewhere along the line both channels were used and you simply did not realize this.

And BTW--for future reference, Etsy says you mush reply  or spam ALL first messages in a thread--it does not matter if as buyer or seller a the system is automated--there is no one reading each message sent to determine if it is sent as a buyer or a seller. It has been this way since the very beginning. And no--they never correct a mistake--NEVER.

And yes, a lot of people have buyer only accounts.

[AAANativeArts]

I've answered this question at least 50 times. It says right on the star seller page that you have to 1)Either answer ALL messages, or 2)Mark them as spam. The bots that tally this metric don't know WHAT the message was about.

Sometimes, if you go back and mark the missed messages as Spam, they will drop off your rating in a couple days, if they were in the current rating period being considered.

[StitchyFrood]

Never mind. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@HandsDownMerch: "... 24 hour message window is missed as a SELLER (definitely not good) or as a BUYER (shouldn't matter)" And what if the message is from an account that is both a buyer to you and you have sold to them?

Yes, a lot about the Star Seller program could and should be improved, but until then why not follow the rules as they are? As it says right on your Star Seller page and elsewhere, you need to reply to the FIRST message of EVERY NEW INCOMING THREAD within 24 hours. It does not matter who sent it, the subject matter, if it is a duplicate or blank or anything else. If it is SPAM then it should be marked as such.

The Star Seller metric for messages is very simplistic and binary - either you replied to (or marked as SPAM) that first message of a new incoming thread within 24 hours or you did not. And by your own admission you chose to do neither.

"Etsy should at least be able to offer a human's interaction that can correct an obvious mistake." Again, agree with you IF the mistake has been made by Etsy. Based on other posts, Etsy does not seem to view support requests based on users not following the rules as a priority.

A controversial workaround : if the unanswered new thread is not a Help Request, at least for the time being, it appears that marking an unanswered new thread as SPAM (even after the 24 hour deadline has passed) will cause your reply percentage to change in a day or two (but not retroactively) if the original message was within the current star seller period. Note that subsequent messages from that account may go directly to the SPAM folder.

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Your account is as seller and buyer.  Etsy makes no distinction between.  You need to reply to new messages one of two ways. spam or reply.  The guidelines are quite clear on this.

[HandsDownMerch]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.  I'm generally in agreement.  But let me ask you...

"you need to reply to the FIRST message of EVERY NEW INCOMING THREAD within 24 hours. It does not matter who sent it, the subject matter, if it is a duplicate or blank or anything else."

How can this be a new incoming thread to me, when I was the one to send the first message?

[bradgoodell]

All threads eventually link for reading simplicity.  

Depending on how the seller messaged you, it could be either a response to your previous message, or a new thread.  Sounds like they started a new thread.  New threads are marked as such, perhaps you missed that part.  

[BagmakerSupply]

@HandsDownMerch: "How can this be a new incoming thread to me ..." Have you checked the applicable CSV file available on your Star Seller page (previous period for February Star) to confirm which new threads Etsy thinks were unanswered or answered late? When you look at the file remember that that the dates / times are in UTC (not your time zone), only the first message of a new incoming thread is included (all that counts for Star Seller), and usually a new incoming thread is not included until after the 24 hour reply window has passed regardless of when you replied. Star Seller stats (and the CSV file) seem to be updated only once per day so there may be an additional day's delay. There is also a link to the actual message thread so you can verify if the data is correct or not.

[ReginaldSpleen]

IP