Exasperated Star Seller

[PremierProducts101]

Hi All! I'm truly as exasperated as it gets with Etsy technical support. I've called 4 times since within the last week for assistance with my Star Seller Status. There records showed there was no label and and not shipped on time. It CLEARLY shows a tracking # in my orders and that it was shipped within one day. This is the order dinging my Star Seller Status. Frustrated with it being the holidays and affecting sales and being highlighted, with all benefits that come along with being a Star Seller. As a result of them NOT fixing this still 7 days later, 4 calls and written messages, my Star Seller Status is also being affected in the current month. 

I do love Etsy, however......With ALL the FEES we pay, seller technical support should be soooooooooo much better!

In addition, I can't tell you how many times I've marked that I do NOT offer Gift Order. Orders are coming in with Gift Order box checked, even though I reached out on this too. I was told it was a "glitch". It's resulting in me having to extra specially try to do something different with my orders, including writing notes to include from the buyer in my handwriting. UGGGGGH! 

Technical team - HELP! Today...

[anythinggoeshere]

I do not think Etsy goes back and fixes glitches or mistakes for individual sellers.  

[LastCentury]

Do you mean: "Marked as gift" ? If yes, that just means that the packing slip (if you include them in your parcel) will automatically print out as a gift receipt without pricing on it.

[PremierProducts101]

Thank you for your response! Yes, excuse me. Marked as Gift. However, the box in my star is marked UNCHECKED and it's still giving the option of sending as gift. 

[audreytherese]

You can turn off the option to leave a gift message, but don't think you can turn off the 'marked as a gift' message. I don't understand how this affects you at all? All that means is the price won't print on the packing slip if you print one off, you don't have to gift wrap it or anything.

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

@audreytherese is correct. All that means in your settings is that there's no option for the buyer to leave a gift message or request gift wrapping. I sell greeting cards and get orders marked as a gift at least once a week, even though I have both gift messages and gift wrapping disabled in my settings. I ignore it and print the packing slip exactly as is, which is a cheesy greeting card type gift receipt designed by Etsy. I gave up asking buyers not to mark their orders as gifts. 

Don't sweat the small stuff. Just print the packing slip as is and include it in the package. You don't have to bend over backwards if you don't offer gift services. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@PremierProducts101: "I can't tell you how many times I've marked that I do NOT offer Gift Order" Are you referring to the Offer gift wrapping option? That is different from an order marked as a gift. Marked as gift just means that the packing slip will automatically print up as a gift receipt without pricing on it. You don't really need to do anything differently than normal.

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Have you read the information on the star seller program?  You will find that Etsy has stated they cannot change the outcome.

Was the item shipped very early before the processing time frame began?  While it shouldn't make a difference, it has for some people with the system unable to track the package.  Is the item in transit?  The item must be in transit for it to count.  Check the tracking to see if it says in-transit.

How to Become a Star Seller – Etsy Help  I don't know why they send people to the forums as we cannot help with the issue.  If it is incorrect only Etsy can change it and they have said they won't to many.

And you can't turn off the gift order.  That is simply send a receipt without pricing in it.  Nothing else.

[PremierProducts101]

Hi! The item shipped within ONE day from the time of order. In fact, the shipping information for Etsy shipping is showing "NO label, NOT shipped on time." It clearly had a label and was shipped on time. 

[MaynardMillinery]

And the message prints out on the gift receipt, so no need to handwrite it out yourself. 

[PremierProducts101]

Thank you for this!

[hopeandjoystudios]

They don't answer because they won't change it. They say they do not retroactively award SS status. Is that nice/right/fair when it was their glitch? No. I had one like that and just had to wait until it fell off or was overcome by enough tracked orders. "gift receipt" is not gift wrap. But as I think most who click it expect it to be, I would just wrap it. Almost all my packages get tissue and ribbon anyways unless they are too large or the packaging for it being fragile makes it not possible. Maybe an extra 4 cents per package.

[TheArtfulTwig]

@PremierProducts101 

I was appreciating Star Seller until I started having glitches, too.  I just posted about this the other day but got no replies.  My attempts to reach Etsy about their error were unsuccessful (chat has not been working for me for weeks).

In my case, it was message response time.  I responded same day, but they counted it as the next day, after the 24 hour limit.  I would hate to lose my star seller status since I've had it since they started. 

Sure would be nice if they addressed issues that are on their end.

[PremierProducts101]

Thank you for your message, @TheArtfulTwig. I'm sorry to hear you're having Star Seller issues too. It's quite unfair and frustrating with the lack of support from Etsy for sellers. I am thinking of looking into ramping up other platforms. 

[rarefinds4u]

Etsy customer service is the absolute worst - It has been for years and I don't expect it to get better.  It is something I feel we need to accept - not thrilled about it but it is out of our control.

Star seller - so many glitches to it I have stopped loosing sleep over it.  If I get it I do, if not, I as well as my customers, know we have good customer service.  I do not believe it reflects on sales overall - my opinion.

I would not expect Etsy will change your status this month - If I were you I would strive to attempt to make it next month.

Good luck to you  

[PremierProducts101]

Thank you for your message! I hear what you're saying. On the flip side, we go above and beyond to earn Star Seller Status. Listings get more visibility, etc. Our business supports customers, so why isn't Etsy supporting us as customers? This has got to be an easy fix. Etsy is a disappointment in this regard.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

"Our business supports customers, so why isn't Etsy supporting us as customers? This has got to be an easy fix."

Easy fix, yes. But apparently they don't think it's worth spending the money on it.

When Etsy last raised our fees they assured us that some of the money would go to improving customer service for sellers. Do you see any improvement?

Instead it went to refunding our buyers for things like Porch Pirate thefts, something for which which sellers are not even legally responsible.

[Amaradorn]

"I've called 4 times since within the last week for assistance with my Star Seller Status."

The problem is, customer service really don't care about your star seller status and they can't do anything about it either.

How are you calling them since they don't have an active customer service number? - You're probably calling a deactivated number. There are also scam numbers on the web so always go through the shop manager to contact support via message/email.

Maybe your order occurred outside the cut off date (which is not necessarily at the end of the month) - so it will be included in the next cycle.

[TheArtfulTwig]

@Amaradorn 

It's easy to speak with an Etsy service rep on the phone.  If you go through the help screens searching until you reach "Get Help," You can ask Etsy to call you.  

In my experience they call me  within a minute.

I'm not sure if this link will work but it's like this:  https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?segment=selling#issue_sell_incomplete_order-solution_pri...

Select "I Still Need Help" and it will prompt you for your phone number.  I've used it several times.

[vintage4creations]

Probably better to spend your emotional energy on something positive that you can control rather than something that you cannot control.  Personally I refuse to spend an ounce of energy on my Star Seller status.  I do my best to provide what I consider excellent customer service, not to try to live up to some random metrics that may or may not be accurate at any given time.    

[Adorabilities]

How long has it been since the item was shipped? If it has been shipped on time with tracking, it will eventually show up correctly on the CSV.

It took the last batch of orders that I tracked 4 days to show up on the CSV.

The system is problematic when the orders are temporarily showing as untracked/late on the CSV at the moment star seller is being awarded for that month. If that volume of orders is enough to drop you below 95%, then you will not receive the badge for that month, even if the CSV corrects itself later. Badges do not get awarded retroactively.

[PremierProducts101]

It never got corrected and was within a 2 day window frame for shipping. Thank you for asking to help out!!

[TonsOfPaper · Accepted solution]

Hello @PremierProducts101,

Please know that it may take about 24 hours after an order has been shipped for the On-Time Shipping score to update. In the event that you've shipped the order ahead of its Ship-by-date and added a valid tracking, you may expect that the score to be updated on or after the stated ship-by-date of the order.

Thank you very much!

[PremierProducts101]

Hi there! Thank you for your help!!