Messages response rate for star seller badge

[DigitallyYourShop]

• I am replying to all my messages immediately but still my message response rate is stuck at 86% for a long time due to which I am not able to get the star seller badge so please fix it quickly.

[SugarTaffySoap]

@DigitallyYourShop Did you download your Message history to see what's going on?

[DigitallyYourShop]

Yes, I downloaded it and found that my recent messages were not added in message history

[HopefullyHooked]

We are having the same issue, and when we downloaded the message history, we found that the message we did not respond to, was an auto-reply message from another seller. Why does this count against us? 

[CatsWhiskersCurios]

Because that’s what the rules say. Messages from both buyers and sellers count towards the badge and always have.

[audreytherese]

Because it says in the rules that you must respond to both buyers and sellers, they don't make a distinction between types of messages. 

If you don't want those messages to count, then I recommend opening a second, buyer-only, account.

[BagmakerSupply]

@HopefullyHooked: "... was an auto-reply message from another seller" So you are saying that it was a message thread which YOU initiated that is counting against you?

[audreytherese]

You have many infringing designs in your shop. If you have received removals for any of these (which it appears that you have based on your reviews missing the item sold), the eligibility to earn the badge in your shop may have been permanently removed. 

[audreytherese]

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407191123607-Why-Was-My-Star-Seller-Badge-Removed-?segment=...

https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/star-seller-terms-and-conditions/1020908425032

If you qualify for the Star Seller badge, you agree that you will not violate any laws in connection with your use of the Services, and you remain entirely responsible for complying with applicable laws and for all your other obligations under our Etsy House Rules and Terms of Use. Etsy may suspend or terminate the Star Seller badge feature at any time for any reason with or without notice to you.

Termination

Participation in the Star Seller Program is a privilege, not a right. Your Star Seller status, privileges, and limited license to the Star Seller badge may be revoked at our sole discretion. While this legally means we can decide that you’re no longer a Star Seller for any reason, we will only take this action if we have a very good reason; this includes things like if we change the policies or requirements for participating in the Program, if we end the Program, if you violate these Terms, the Etsy House Rules, other applicable Etsy terms & conditions, and any behavior deemed serious enough to make us rethink your standing. Your Star Seller membership, privileges, and license to the Star Seller badge will be automatically suspended or terminated if: (a) you no longer meet the qualifications, (b) stop selling, (c) close your Etsy shop or (d) your listing or Etsy account is suspended or cancelled, as the case may be.

https://www.etsy.com/legal/ip/?ref=list

Etsy reserves the right to disable any listing, shop, or account that we believe violates our Terms of Use, including this Intellectual Property Policy or our Prohibited Items Policy. Etsy also reserves the right to take action against abusers of Etsy’s Intellectual Property Policy or our Terms of Use.

[thecaliforniamagpie]

If it hasn’t been revoked yet, it will be soon. 

[DigitallyYourShop]

Well, if a seller is getting the Star Seller badge for the first time and he also has violations on some of his listings, then can't he also get the Star Seller badge?

[audreytherese]

Did you read what I shared? They are under no obligation to issue the SS, even if you meet all the numerical metrics. It is a privilege, not a right, to get the badge. So if you've gotten violations, then they may have removed that privilege. 

[CatsWhiskersCurios]

@DigitallyYourShop I'm not sure why you're more worried about the badge than about getting your shop shut down. 

[HazelsSewingSupplies]

@DigitallyYourShop  Listen to those listed below.  They are being generous in trying to help you save your shop.  Etsy encourages us not to help infringers/counterfeiters.

@audreytherese 

@CatsWhiskersCurios 

They are trying to help you - it would behoove you to listen to them!

[DigitallyYourShop]

Yes I know but what should I do, I used only characters like Barbie, Cocomelon, Boss Baby and because of this there is copyright violation on my listing whereas these same characters are used by many sellers. They are also best sellers in their products but their copyrights never come, why is this so?

[audreytherese]

What should you do? You should remove the designs that contain intellectual property that you don't have authorization to use and stop worrying about the other shops that haven't gotten caught yet. 

Some people get cancer, some don't. Why is that so? 

Some drug dealers can get away with it for years, maybe even decades, some are caught their first week. Why is that so? 

Because this is life. That's how life works.

You got caught. You are now on their radar and more likely to get caught again if you continue down the path you are on. 

Too many times getting caught and your shop gets closed for good. That means you also can not start a new shop. Ever. 

So I'd stop worrying about the other shops that haven't gotten caught, and I'd stop worrying about a little star, and I would start worrying about what needs to be done so you can stay open at all. 

[NoFrogsAllowed]

@DigitallyYourShop 

You have gotten caught and they haven't.  Tomorrow or the next day or the next might be their turn.  Now you have put your shop in greater peril by coming to the forums over a useless badge.  By the way, it takes a lot of answered on time messages (like 19) to wipe out the harm done by  1 missed 1, so you might have to wait until the missed ones drop off after 3 months for your score to improve.