Messages to buyers are attaching to old threads and not the new order

[RemarkableStamps]

We are having some serious issues with Etsy messages being attached to old message threads, even though we are responding from the order screen. This is very concerning. When we look at an order that has been completed, it shows that there is no communication.

Is anyone else having this issue?

It seems like there are nothing but issues this last month. From cursors jumping to the end of the messages to new messages being attached to orders that are several years old. Not a good look for Etsy.

[WagglesandCompany]

Yes! I'm having the same issue. It started over the weekend. (I sent one buyer the same message four times because my text just disappeared each time I hit send.) It's pretty frustrating.

I also had a problem with cursors jumping to the end of the messages and assumed it was a Grammarly issue. I had no idea it was a site-wide Etsy glitch.

[RCOriginalsGallery]

@WagglesandCompany  I did the same thing... my buyer must have thought I was pretty impatient!   I can't fathom who at Etsy thought this was a good idea!

[OneEyeCatStudio]

It has to do with the Deathstar, I think.

[UniqueGiftOrnaments]

I believe Etsy said it was going to do that so Star Sellers would not get dinged for not responding to "new" messages. What a mess. Etsy just needs to do way with the star, period. It's ridiculous and has caused nothing but massive problems.

[TastefulArtisan]

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@UniqueGiftOrnaments wrote:

I believe Etsy said it was going to do that so Star Sellers would not get dinged for not responding to "new" messages. What a mess. Etsy just needs to do way with the star, period. It's ridiculous and has caused nothing but massive problems.

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I'm confused and probably not reading your comment right but how would having text appear to disappear help anyone, let along the star seller program. 

I would think that disappearing message replies would have the opposite effect.

I'm not trying to be critical, I am genuinely curious. TIA

[TastefulArtisan]

Waving...same. I thought it was just me. I tend to be in several conversations at once so I thought it was me. It was only after my client asked why I thanked her twice that I realized it. She was nice and said that the double thanks made her day. So it's not just you! Thankfully this time, none of the replies were gone. Last time they started making changes to the messages (which, let's be honest, is pretty much the only thing that doesn't actually need much improvement) every single message was marked as not replied and replies made during that 1 hour before they took it down were lost forever and we had to re-answer everything. Annoying. I think it was some sort of test for possible instant messaging...whatever it was, it was very messed up!

[UniqueGiftOrnaments]

@TastefulArtisan   What I meant was that when a buyer would send another message that didn't need a response, the seller would ignore, and thus get dinged rather than put into spam.

[TastefulArtisan]

@UniqueGiftOrnaments Ah! That makes sense. Thank you for letting me know. I really thought I was missing out on something! 

I would LOVE to have threaded messages. 1 message stream per customer. That would save the time waster of having to copy and paste replies to multiple messages. I have one lady, she's a frequent repeat so I cut her some slack but she opens a new message for every comment. She will even reference my response so I know she read it. Maybe she likes a clean screen? No clutter of long message streams? No idea. But I certainly have threaded messages in my wishlist. 

Thank you again for taking the time to reply!

[TheVintagePineapple]

From the "How to Become a Star Seller'' page, Etsy now consolidates new messages with old messages from the same buyer.  This is supposed to 'help' sellers to not get dinged for not responding if a buyer sends multiple separate messages about the same order, problem, etc.

The problem you're having (along with the jumping cursor thing) could be because Etsy is trying to ''fix'' the problem that sellers have been complaining about regarding multiple messages not getting answered and losing their star status.  And we all know what happens when Etsy attempts to ''fix'' one problem.......

[WagglesandCompany]

I'm okay with threaded messages, but why on earth is the thread attached to a buyer's original order, which could be several years old. New conversations should be attached to current orders. 

[TastefulArtisan]

@TheVintagePineapple

Thanks for the clarification! It makes sense and I suppose in some cases it might be beneficial but frankly, I've had message streams go 50+ deep and scrolling through everything to give an appropriate reply is time consuming and frustrating. So is copying and pasting but better than having everything all jumbled up.

I guess by threaded I meant that I would have the ability to group comments. Or not. It would also be nice to have the ability to put a private note on messages. Like...yay, customer x loved my shop so much he offered me a million bucks for it... I mean, I would hate it if someone wanted to give me a million bucks and I missed an important part of a conversation. 

I use the private note on orders all the time since there is more than 1 of us. The notes help by me not having to micro-manage. If my employees need to know something on an order, they can read my note and make it happen. They are not to delete the note but update it when the task is complete. Would be nice if the same could apply to messages. Especially when more than 1 person reads and responds to messages.

So we just have to hope that the fix isn't worse than the unfixed!

[ReImagineBrewing]

Welcome to the random world of Etsy. I've had to explain this to customers now for a few years. Let us waste seller's time and search for all messages from a customer prior to starting an order, after it is done and before shipping to insure no change requests were made and did not attach to the correct order or even correct message since some customers like to start 10 messages and 1 links to an order. AHHHH!

All messages should nest under a customer's order. A customer starts a new message or responds to an old one and they have an open order. Orange alert appears. We need to stop having to waste half our time searching messages and not working on orders or our shop.

[CarolinaHats]

This was brought up over the weekend and so far ETSY hasn't addressed it.  I agree, it is very confusing and it makes me think that I didn't respond to a customer!

[ChillwolfArt]

@TheVintagePineapple  and @UniqueGiftOrnaments are correct; it's the new "Bundling of Messages" by Etsy.    And as the OP,  @WagglesandCompany  and others stated, why on earth would a Message be attached to a Buyer's Order that is several yrs. old? (makes no sense and I'm seeing a lot of Threads like this.

Whether intended behavior or glitch, if Etsy does not want Sellers to send a Thank You Message after an Order (providing additional details on said Order), they should put out an Announcement and SAY SO.
Doesn't matter if a Seller chooses to do it or not (personal preference). Or if in the Thank You Message to Buyer, the Seller states the amount of a Partial Shipping Refund; which items will be shipped together; tracking will be closely monitored, etc. (an important one obviously).  Or to verify other details (i.e. "gift for niece"). 

If later there are shipping issues (and there have been a few last year on this end), I let the Cust. know via Message (If I feel a Cust. may not be familiar w/Messages, I would send a Message & Copy it into their Email (so the  same Messg. is present both on Etsy and in their Email, and  I get a copy in my Email).  *In this case I would not want something in a Customers Email only; I want it on Etsy Messages as well.
If some like myself send this Thank You Message w/further Details about Order, I state it in my Policies. Anyone who does not wish to receive them could choose not to purchase from me in that case (that's why the blurb is in "Shop Policies").
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Re: this jumbling of Messages latching onto old Messages makes zero sense (intended or not).  "Bundling Messages" for the sake of ease?  How's that working so far? (from what I'm seeing, not so well).  

[ChillwolfArt]

*Announcement fr. Admin.:
https://community.etsy.com/t5/Technical-Issues/UPDATE-Messages-appear-to-not-send-when-responding-fr...