Replying to Etsy help message from customer results in a new message thread

[LivingGoldCo]

Hi, the customer sent us a message through the help function, and the message to us started with "You need help with: ..."

When we submitted our reply, the reply turned into a new message thread. The original message then was deemed as one that we did not reply to, and it counted against our star seller metric.

Is there a way to prevent this from happening again, and to correct the thread so that it shows that we replied to the customer? In theory, any communication with the customer should be in the same thread, right?

[BagmakerSupply]

@LivingGoldCo: "In theory, any communication with the customer should be in the same thread, right?" Subsequent messages from the same account (a buyer may have multiple accounts) are  combined into a single default thread EXCEPT for Help Requests which always start a new thread (because they also start the clock ticking on a potential case being opened against you).

"When we submitted our reply, the reply turned into a new message thread." If you replied to within the actual incoming thread this should not have happened. Have you checked the applicable CSV file available on your Star Seller page to make sure that the unanswered thread is the one you think it is?  Perhaps the buyer started two Help Requests?  When you look at the file remember that that the dates / times are in UTC (not your time zone), only the first message of a new incoming thread is included (all that counts for Star Seller), and usually a new incoming thread is not included until after the 24 hour reply window has passed regardless of when you replied. Star Seller stats (and the CSV file) seem to be updated only once per day so there may be an additional day's delay. There is also a link to the actual message thread so you can verify if the data is correct or not.

[LivingGoldCo]

No, the buyer did not start 2 help requests. There was only one. It would take more effort for us to go into the buyer's order and send a message through there. We did what we always do, the easiest and most straightforward method, which is reply directly to the message itself.

I know there is a lot of skepticism as we received that from Etsy support. All I ask is to believe what we say. We did not do something else. We replied to directly to the message. Once we submitted it, it somehow turned into a new message. We assumed since we replied that there was no issue. Apparently there is one. It is a technical glitch on Etsy's side that now we are dinged for.

[BagmakerSupply]

@LivingGoldCo: Not being skeptical because we once replied within an existing thread and it also started a new thread but it did not show up as a new INCOMING thread, just as a new outgoing thread. Hopefully one of the Etsy admins will see this and will be able to fix the underlying data so that your Star Seller stats auto update.

[LivingGoldCo]

Hi, yes so you've come across the same issue! That's what happened to us. We replied to the incoming thread, and it created a new outgoing thread. The original incoming thread was left as "no reply" even though we actually did reply. They need to fix this glitch!

[ArtDollsbyJD]

The Help message is a new thread.  If the buyer sent a new message along with the help thread, you need to answer both.

If you needed to do a refund and answered on the refund page or through the order thsoe messages are not connected to the message system.  They are separate.

So all new messages in the message system needed to be answered even if just saying something like 'I am processing your request' before moving to the refund area.

It's okay everyone learns about this.  It's really not clear. 

[LivingGoldCo]

I don't think you understand my situation.

The customer send ONE message through Help. I replied directly to that message on the same thread. Once I submitted my reply, the system created a whole new thread with my reply as the first message. I assumed it would be fine since I replied directly to the message. However, a few days later I noticed my score dropped.

It's an Etsy technical issue. I did nothing wrong ...

[MissPussinBoots]

Yup, this same thing happened to me once too, shortly after Etsy combined the conversation threads. Etsy argued with me that what happened, didn't happen because they could not duplicate it on their end. Seems several other sellers have had it happen to them, too. It's obviously a programming glitch, but I doubt Etsy will admit it or fix it since it doesn't affect their bottom line...

[LivingGoldCo]

I'm so glad someone actually understands my issue and my frustration! Thank you for validating my experience!

It's crazy to me that both Etsy and some of the people on here have blamed it on user error when it is not. It's something they should fix, and obviously they have multiple reports of it.