Incorrect Star Seller Metric

[CustomDisplaysMN]

I am both a buyer and a seller on Etsy. When I checked my metrics for this star seller period, It said that I had fallen under the message reply rate needed to maintain seller status. When I downloaded the message data to see what messages missed a response, it said, I didn’t reply to a message for an item that I had purchased, not sold. The message that didn’t get a response was a rendering that was sent to me from another seller and is now brought my metrics under 95%. my other eight messages I’ll received replies within 12 hours, therefore I should be at 100%. Customer service won’t do anything to help me.

[UniqueGiftOrnaments]

It doesn't matter if you are buyer or seller. All new messages must be answered or put into spam as noted in the star seller info. Etsy will do nothing.

[cutebutton]

It's correct.  You didn't reply to all messages so it counted against you.

[audreytherese]

A message is a message is a message. 

Etsy does not distinguish between message types. A message from a shop you bought from is no different than a message from someone that bought from  you. A message is a message. 

If you want them separated, then you need to create a second, buyer only account, and that way all messages from shops you bought from will be there and not mixed in with your seller account and you don't have to respond to anything that goes to that account. 

[TBQSC]

You can find the Star Seller information & rules by going to the Star Seller tab on your shop dashboard menu on left side of page ... hope that helps!

[PrimFun]

The information in Star seller is very clear.  All new messages whether as a buyer or seller have to be answered.  Answering is either a reply or spam.

[BagmakerSupply]

@CustomDisplaysMN: The metrics may be incorrect, but unfortunately the stats are correct and there is nothing to fix. 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 as you admit, you chose to not do either.

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.

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.

You may want to reread the Star Seller rules so that you are not surprised by something that does not have a fix.

[Vintorious]

As above, it doesn't matter if it was from another seller: it still goes into the calculation.

That said, many of us have had this happen. It's a hard lesson, but I haven't missed another message since.