Message Response Rate Score effected by message from seller

[EmmySpoon]

A few months ago, I purchased an item from another seller on Etsy. She sent me a thank you through the message system after I left a review. I noticed this effected my ranking as a no response in 24 hours. Can this be adjusted or fixed? I am usually prompt in returning messages to my customers and I didn't think this would count because I was the buyer from another shop.

I can't seem to find this info anywhere -- but I'm sure it has effected other shop owners who purchase from others.

[PoochandTabby]

Re-read the help/handbook articles on the Star Seller program. It's clearly stated you have to reply to EVERY message you receive within 24 hours or mark as spam. 

[JackisJustVintage]

If you do not want to reply to these messages, you need another account just for buying. A simple "thank you" reply to the message works for me. The message bots cannot tell that your message is from another seller, which is why you need to reply or spam any new message.

[VintageRescueSquad]

It's stated right in the star seller parameters that ALL first-time communications must be responded to (either with a response or marking as spam). Etsy has also said that they will not manually alter or "fix" or "adjust" anything having to do with star seller.

You can mark it as spam and it might self-correct. But I believe there is a short window to do so.

[BagmakerSupply]

@EmmySpoon: "Can this be adjusted or fixed?" Unfortunately no. 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 old advice was that 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. BUT NOW BE WARNED that according to Etsy "You won’t receive any new messages from that member, and they’ll be unable to reply to messages in an existing thread." https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000343128-How-to-Handle-Scams-and-Suspicious-Messages