Message replies for personal purchases counted toward sellet metrics?

[thePlumBlossomPDX]

Im brand new to selling, but have shopped on etsy for years.

This is my first "review" period for star selling - being excited about it; I open it to see that I am only meeting 50% of my message percentage. I have a total of 4 messages that were reviewed, 2 were customers to which I replied to immediately. The other 2 messages though, are messages from sellers whom I purchased from (one is a person asking me to look at their family members shop - which I normally wouldn't respond to something like that - especially it being from a purchase from a a while ago. The other was from a friend that listed items on etsy, they did not know it was me so I just messaged them off of the app), 

Is it normal to have your buying activities counted against your seller ratings?

[JackisJustVintage]

You have to reply to all messages, or mark them as spam. It does not matter who sent the message. This is the way it has been from the start.

[VintageGiftsEE]

Just move this message to the spam folder and the situation will improve , not right now , it will take approx 24 hours 

[CatsBeadKitsandMore]

It doesn't matter if a message doesn't need a response, is a duplicate or if you are the seller or the buyer etc. The star seller system only determines whether or not you replied to an individual message. If you didn't respond or send a message to your spam folder, you are going to get rated down.  You have to respond to every new message, that's how it works.

[NanaLetha]

Read the star seller criteria especially the part about messages.