Message automatically sent to spam effected my score

[#1]

So, I have been VERY meticulous about getting to messages within 15-30 minutes.  Usually this is on the phone app.  However, the other day I noticed that there was a message in my Spam folder.  I looked and it was a customer reaching out about a product.  I replied as soon as I saw it and then moved it out of my spam folder.  I have never deleted a message or moved it to another folder... Didn't even know you could do that.

Now my message response rate is 93% and the chat bot was no help.  Basically told me there was no evidence.  I've been SO crazy about emailing back and having the best customer service possible.  Come on ETSY!

[ChantillyAvenue]

You can always message these people, tell them a site glitch is sending messages to your spam folder, and ask if you can still help them.  I would do that before moving an old message from the spam folder, but that's just me.

[AlchemyCookieCutters]

I think this is a good idea and I wish I had thought of it before it dinged me.  I will try this in the future if this happens again.

[BagmakerSupply]

@ChantillyAvenue: "... before moving an old message from the spam folder ..." But if a message is in the SPAM folder, 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

[ChantillyAvenue]

@BagmakerSupply 

That wording is not very concise, and I can tell you it doesn't actually mean that.  First of all, some glitch is sending messages there in the first place.  We don't know that it will continue to happen if there are more messages from the same sender.  Secondly, if you leave a message in the spam folder, and separately message that person yourself, their responses should not go to spam, but to your inbox.  I know this from experience.

[BagmakerSupply]

@ChantillyAvenue: Always bow to actual experience and I do hope that your experience is what others will have if they do that.

[AlchemyCookieCutters]

Does anyone know how long it takes for the message response rate to update?  I've gotten a few messages since the auto-spam incident and it hasn't updated for me.  It has stayed at the same count for the past two days.  Not like it will increase my percentage but I'm curious how long it usually takes to update.

[JMOldeVintage]

What your stats indicated on Friday is probably the last update that will go towards the April Star Seller.

The last two days of a month are usually not included.

[BagmakerSupply]

@AlchemyCookieCutters: "... how long it takes for the message response rate to update?" 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.

[BlackMarketChicago]

I was told by Chat Support that this is a known glitch that Etsy IT people are working to fix, AND that the messages responded to late will NOT count against us.  I sure hope that's true.  I'm uneasy about it.

[AlchemyCookieCutters]

Turns out it DOES count... I lost my Star Seller badge this month because of Etsy's auto-spam technical glitch.  I'm super bummed because I've worked so hard to keep my Star Seller status.

It will probably only not count if you ignore the message all together... but you run the risk of losing a potential customer.  Unless of course you catch it before the 24 hour time frame.

[BowToSternShop]

The exact same thing happened to me. I have been checking my spam folder daily on PC ever since.

[PlatypusDream]

This JUST happened to me - I read the thread and went to my spam folder, and sitting there was new message from a potential customer asking about my item. Thankfully it was only sent 11 hours ago!

WAY TO GO, robots of Etsy!

[BlackMarketChicago]

It DOES count! I am furious. 

[MadeOnMaude]

I am furious! I lost my Star Stellar status because messages went to SPAM! I work very hard to keep my Star status and it's gone because of Etsy! That is so unfair! 

[3DEverythingGifts]

I also lost my star as a result of the spam folder.

[JMOldeVintage]

First off, shame on Etsy. When you realize that they offer buyers the option to filter for "star seller shops" messing with shops ability to obtain the Star by not immediately fixing &/or adjusting the messaging fiasco, the stats %%'s, is a slap in the face to shop owners.

Secondly, fix the Seller's App. For those trying to handle the shop basics - keeping up with messaging - if the Spam folder is not accessible in the App, well duh....... how is this going to end?

Finally, why is it that there are still threads about newbie shop owners receiving scam messages? Is Etsy's new techie-program for messaging that poorly set up? Are newbies checking their spam folders & thinking they may have missed these messages, because it's possible Etsy is no longer "poofing" the senders? Etsy may think simply sending the messages to spam is enough to try & protect newbies from these thieves? 

[AlchemyCookieCutters]

I agree... I use the app for most of the day-to-day things.  Messages are one of those things so I never thought to look for a spam folder... Didn't even know it existed until it was too late.

I do know that they are working on it because I just got off of a chat with them about it and they said their tech team is aware and working on a solution.  I asked but they were NOT able to confirm if they would "reinstate" the Star Seller badge once they came up with a fix though.

[BlackMarketChicago]

But, using the app, the messages at least all appear where you can easily see them---and yes, even the "spam" messages.  The  bad thing is, we do not get any notification for these new messages going to SPAM.  And, it does affect the response rating, despite being told by a chat support person it would not.   Very disappointing.  

[BlackMarketChicago]

The app shows us all messages, including spam messages, in the order in which they were last received or responded to.  That's not an issue.  The issue is we do not receive notifications for them, causing delays in response.  And, they don't belong in the spam folder. AND they are counting against our response rate.  It's a bit FUBAR.

[AlchemyCookieCutters]

I didn't see the spam message show up in the app until after I responded to it.  I don't think it was visible until then.  My Inbox still doesn't show it... only my responded messages after I removed it from spam.  Maybe due to not getting a notification?  But, I had answered other messages within that time frame.

[JMOldeVintage]

@BlackMarketChicago  - I'm not an App user, so thank you for the explanation. (All I go by is what others have posted when it comes to the App)

However, you said this - "But, using the app, the messages at least all appear where you can easily see them---and yes, even the "spam" messages."

So you're saying when using the App you see all messages that were sent but you are not shown the "folder/box" where Etsy decided to send the message?

So newbies could get roped into scams because they can't see the message was sent to spam?
That the "from Etsy" "folder/box" is not visible?

Shops could think a message disappeared for unknown reasons? They quickly review messages on their phone & then later while on their computer the message can't be found, because Etsy sent it to Spam & they don't know that?

[Chrysalism]

I just checked and I have one too! It's 4 days old and I quite possibly missed out on the sale because of this glitch. Very irritating, I guess I have to check my spam folder daily now.

[ElisabethSpace]

An imperfect system, to be sure. I, too, try to keep my stats healthy in order to keep that top seller ranking...but also I just prefer to be timely when it comes to responding to customer inquiries. 

If your response rate isn't back up to 95% by whenever the deadline is for the next Top Seller ranking time, a silly workaround I once did when mine dipped because I didn't get back to a couple messages on Dec 25th, was to ask a couple of my friends to send me an Etsy convo here so I could then respond in under 24hrs to get my response time % back up to what it needed to be. It felt ridiculous that I had to ask my friends to do that, but they didn't care and it got my #s back up to where they needed to be. 

Now does anyone have a workaround to "fix" the "on time shipping and tracking" stats percentages when processing local pick up orders that don't have a tracking number?

[BlackMarketChicago]

@JMOldeVintage 

You have quite an imagination   I'm not "saying" everything you just typed.  I said only what I typed. 
Just because a message arrives to your Inbox doesn't mean it's not going to be a scammer or bad buyer, right? Right.  
But yes, all messages appear if using the app, regardless of folder/labels.  The ones going to the spam folder have a blue highlighted bar/line next to them that reads, "* From buyer account" so that's how you spot them.
On a computer, you need to check the Spam folder itself; it will show if there are messages waiting.  

[AlchemyCookieCutters]

@ElisabethSpaceI thought about asking friends to do that same thing... However, I would have needed to ask a lot of people and it just felt ridiculous... I guess I let my pride get the better of me.

At the end of the day I was hoping that Etsy would have had a fix before it messed up my score but according to what I have been reading, it was foolish of me to assume that.