Message response as BUYER affecting my SELLER rating?!

[StevenRicksTailoring]

I am only a couple of months into selling on Etsy and today found my 100% message response has taken a hit to 89% due to one message not replied to within 24 hours.

The message concerned was a SELLER (I was the buyer) telling me there was a bit of delay getting my purchase out, but it would be done the next day.

I did not see this required a response, as it was a statement not a question.

But by not replying to this message where I was the BUYER, my SELLER message response times have been hit.

This cannot be right. Can I get this reversed as it is unfair that something like this should affect my seller rating where I was a buyer, not a seller.

I cannot seem to find anywhere on the Etsy site to contact anyone in person about this. HELP

[VintageRescueSquad]

Since its inception, it's been very clear that every message must be responded to or you get dinged. It's automated; etsy can't tell which messages are for you as a seller or a buyer.

The only thing you can do is mark that message as spam and maybe your rating will go back up.

[MarioTreasureChest]

Mark  that message into the spam folder, 

[CuriosAnCollectibles]

Check out the star seller dashboard it'll give you all the need to know information as you don't seem to be au fait with it. 

[AnnaleasFinest · Accepted solution]

Etsy says : Reply to ALL initial messages within 24.

From seller or buyer doesn't matter.

Yes, you can undo the damage, by marking this message as spam and it should update tomorrow.

You can read all the starseller info in your dashboard so that you're safe in the future.

To alleviate the pressure, you can use "auto-reply" in your messages.

[hbhill]

On the shop manager click on the star seller heading and all the information is there explaining the star seller badge requirements. Whether a buyer or seller sends you a message you must respond to the first message in a thread within 24 hours or get dinged.

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

A quick response of “thank you for letting me know” is sufficient. 

[PillowDetails]

Mark the unanswered message as spam.  In the future, all first-time messages must be answered, or marked as spam.  I've been seeing a blue banner - on laptop, and a blue dot on the apps - for first-time messages.  Hopefully this will avoid these issue for Sellers concerned about the Star Seller messaging metric.

* Is everyone seeing the blue banners now?  Let me know if you want me to send you a  message to test

[DesertChains]

Your rating is correct, as you will discover by reading the program information. There is nothing to fix.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you answered questions or provided information. It doesn't matter if a message doesn't need a response. It doesn’t matter if you’re the seller or the buyer. It doesn't matter if the message you received is a duplicate. The 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. That's how it works.

Right or wrong, the program has worked this way for a year! The instructions for meeting this metric are clearly stated and easily accessible. Daily posts in the forums also discuss this exact topic.

Send the missed messages to spam. Your stats will update in a day or two.