Message response

[SheShedShananigans]

I’ve been dinged twice for message response.  One was for a product I purchased and the seller messaged me a generic message.  No response needed and another I was messaging a customer and all of a sudden it started a new feed?  Frustrating!

[PlatypusDream]

ALL initial messages must be answered if you want your Star Seller badge.

It doesn't matter if they are duplicates or don't need a response.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

You must answer all new message threads, they are highlited in BLUE

If a message comes though as a "help request" they are new threads, as that is the one that starts the 48 hour clock ticking to open a case, you HAVE to reply to that, if you don't, and they open a case, etsy refunds and takes the refund from you., the auto bot does it.

[LAKEandFELLart]

If you have trouble managing messages you have the option to activate the auto response 

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@SheShedShananigans: Probably everyone in this forum can sympathize with you but a quick search would show you the innumerable threads about the exact same issue in this forum - and it states right on your Star Seller page that you need to reply to the first message of a new thread.

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. Those have always been the rules.

Etsy is now putting a blue text warning / advisory (blue banner on desktop, and a blue dot on mobile) on those messages they consider to be a "new message" but should semantically be called a "new thread". Subsequent messages from the same account (a buyer may have multiple accounts) are supposed to be combined into a single thread with some exceptions.

Help Requests always start a new thread.

If you are creating a custom listing based on a new thread, you still need to reply to the message.

Cancellation requests in a new thread must be replied to in the actual message - replies using the cancellation form do not count as a response.

At least for the time being, it appears that marking an unanswered message as SPAM (even after the 24 hour deadline has passed) will cause your reply percentage to change in a day or two 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.

If you have not yet done so, you might want to read https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling