Messaging Bug

[LucidLaserDesign]

Found a bad bug in the Etsy browser app this morning. I was trying to message a buyer in a new string under the order they just purchased. The buyer had messaged me previously in another string outside of the order. When I sent her a new message in the string it just dissappears and says "No messages about this order yet", but it sends it in the previous message string outside of the order.

Very confusing and needs to be fixed ASAP. I basically spammed my buyer with duplicate messages because I thought they weren't sending, when it was just sending in another message string. This is also bad because I dont have an official message record under this new order for her.

Please fix!

[ChillwolfArt]

Agree; the way I'm understanding it from other's posts (and yours), it sounds confusing and may very well be intended behavior (Etsy's "bundling" of Messages to "improve" the Messaging experience).  Here is an Announcement fr. Admin (just in case you didn't see it).

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

[AAANativeArts]

I've noticed when I send a message in an order, and they also have an open message in Convos, it posts it both places.

[PersonalizeStation]

It seems Etsy listened to all of the complaints in regards to sellers losing their badges for not responding to multiple new threads started by buyers. Etsy made it clear to respond to all messages.

It seems that since they started to try to rid of this problem by combining messages into the same threads, it has caused more issues. This is a general observation and not directed towards the OP's specific issue.

I just think it's one of those situations of "be careful what you wish for" for the many, many sellers who came here complaining about losing their star seller badge because they didn't respond to three separate messages, just one (thinking only a response to one thread was necessary to meet the requirements). 

As we all know, when a change is made...there's usually a major technical failure. This is one of them...messaging glitches galore. 

[VibeEnvy]

I from the beginning had an understanding that you need to reply to every conversation. Usually Etsy is vague and hard to understand but this one was pretty simple, reply to every conversation or every message. There wasn't really any mention of messages you "don't" need to respond to, people seemed to make that factor up for themselves and assume where they didn't need to reply. The only confusion to reply to every message should have been thinking you have to endlessly reply back and forth, not that you don't have to answer all your messages.

A requirement of replying to all messages should not have been such a massive I didn't know I had to reply to messages problem.

[PersonalizeStation]

Tis' true. While many just found it annoying that buyers sent a new message for more questions or replies, it wasn't a major issue until the SSP rolled out. 

I kind of assume that with every announcement that starts with "we've heard your concerns and are working on XYZ" that it usually ends up creating a big mess.

Sellers that complained about how Etsy needs to "fix" the message issue are probably still going to be unhappy. Those who haven't complained are facing challenges now because Etsy is behind the scenes trying to figure out how to code correctly. It's obviously not working. 

I didn't think it was a difficult thing to work around, personally, nor was it really an issue since it was explained over and over in the forums. 

[ImperialEnterprises]

I am having the same issue. It is very time consuming to try and find a message connected to and specific to the current order. For me, this has been an issue for 7-10 days.

[ChillwolfArt]

@ImperialEnterprises 

This is what I'm getting the impression of.  I'm sorry.

[VibeEnvy]

They are supposed to be doing something that combines all messages from a seller or buyer into one, because people went crazy about having to answer every message for star seller and Etsy not properly delivering messages when sellers contact buyers and buyers starting new conversations without ever seeing the one the seller started asking them important questions that need response.

This is gonna be greeeeeat for people who have multiple customized orders from a single buyer and need to be able to distinguish which item they are talking about. Smh.

How the **** are we going to make private orders when we need to start a NEW conversation for each private order?

[NanaLetha]

The idea of the Etsy change sounds good but there seems to be an error or something left out in the coding. Something like attach to most recent date!

[ChillwolfArt]

Exactly..."Attach to most recent date"!

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Messages within an order are not linked to messages used in the message system.  As far as I know they are not related.  If you have a message in the message area, answer it there and not within the order.  Or answer in both places.

I know they are trying to link the messages within the message system.  But the order message system has never been linked to the other system.  If they are now trying to do so that probably won't work well until they get all the bugs out.

I still go by answering new messages in the message system if it orginates there and not in the order messages.   

[PersonalizeStation]

I think OP was referring to a separate message in Etsy convos (new thread) but just not connected to the order. It seems they were getting jumbled. Or, "outside of the order" could have meant messages sent prior to the order. 

As you know, messages from buyers with an open order usually have the order information/invoice link in the message automatically. Maybe it wasn't the case with this glitch. 

Some buyers think "notes to seller" while checking out are linked to actual threads which like you said, are not. There is some misinformation about this in the forums. 

[MoonBunnyLatex]

This is consistently a problem when checking if buyers had messaged about any changes to an order.

The invoice says there are no messages, no notes, not changes, all good, carry on as ordered.

Except secretly, hidden away that's only visible if you search through your message history, there are past messages AND notes.

I've started having to cancel orders for customers that want to make changes after ordering (and ask them to order again with the correct order information/notes).

Etsy's message system and also apparently the notes system can not be relied upon to display what is literally there, but hidden via a magical door that is only accessible through the message page, not the invoice.