STAR SELLER ISSUE

[LittleStickerDoodles]

I've just dropped below 95% for my message reply time, which has happened because Etsy has calculated a reply I sent as late that I don't believe should be counted.

I always reply to messages by the next day and do my very best to ensure this is within the 24 hour timescale that Star Seller demands. I'd like to think that 'the next day' was simply enough for a business, but I've accepted that they have a timescale set and I can't get around that. However, I received a message a few days ago at 9.32am. I replied at 9.32am, having double checked the time sent and hurrying to get it in before the cut off. Yet still, I'm marked down for this.

Upon looking at the message details, it turns out the reply sent a number of SECONDS after the first message was received, so 9.32 and 9 seconds, but the reply was 9.32 and 31 seconds. Does anyone else feel this is a little ridiculous, automated as it is or not? It's a little insulting to cut it that finely and I feel it shouldn't be applied have been applied until 9.33 ticked around ... if at all! This is particularly so because I remember Etsy messaging doing its very common 'Oops, an error has occurred with messages please try again later' thing when I was sending messages that morning.

This is incredibly frustrating to be marked down and I would like to know if this can be looked at as a technical issue? How many others fall foul of this I wonder.

[HazelsSewingSupplies]

I guess my question is "why wait until the last minute?"

[LittleStickerDoodles]

That would be an unexpected trip to the hospital, where, no, I didn't have my phone and I didn't arrive home until that morning. The unexpected part here being key, as otherwise I wouldn't plan on leaving anything to the last second on purpose. Sometimes people have things that come in up life and sometimes that delays their normal schedule is the answer. I guess I'm most frustrated at thinking that I'd made it on time after all by some miracle at being exactly on the 24 hour mark, and then due to the message error and having to wait for it to go through - again, just seconds, but to me that counted - I'm left going over time.

[PrimFun]

I'm confused.  You waited till the last moment to answer a message?  Why are you waiting so long?  Etsy gives us 24 hours but they assume we will answer as soon as we can. 

And yes your reply was over the 24 hour mark.  Those seconds do count. 

[LittleStickerDoodles]

The why wait is answered above. It wasn't through choice.

[Adorabilities]

Is it technically an issue, though? I think it shows how the program's working -- the timing is measured exactly.

Whether it should be important at all is another issue. I think replying any time the following day is acceptable, as a buyer. But clearly we're not judged by our own expectations. So yes, it's frustrating, but I guess it's correct, by Etsy's measurements.

[GlassyFields]

just mark the message that counted against you as spam. The message stats will update (sometimes takes a few days).

and yes, getting a ding for a response within seconds of the cutoff is annoying ... but this is all automated. And a cutoff needs to be somewhere.

[ourglasscreations]

nice!

[LittleStickerDoodles]

Thanks for the suggestion to help and I do appreciate there has to be a cut-off somewhere. I'm reluctant to spam the message as it's a repeat customer and I'm not sure how that will work for future messages, but I'll keep it in mind.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

esty uses bots, they are not going to have people looking every single one of millions of messages, and looking at the times,

Just don't leave it to the last seconds

[audreytherese]

Of all the things that could be considered a technical issue.... this is definitely not one. 

[ourglasscreations]

On a monthly basis. The whole algorithm is skewed. Same thing with the review quota. We were 5.0, out of 74 orders in Oct, we had a single 1 star review (from some crank who could have used the return shipping label and received a full refund) and we dropped to 4.7. Not all orders left a review, but c'mon.

It is agreeably frustrating that for all the money they make from us our access to seeking remedy or recourse is diminished to some piteous FAQ with canned answers or an email that will be responded to with yet another canned response.

Then the only true benefit of being a star seller is the recently added promise of access to live chat, which if you (or anyone) has tried it yet, appears to be a Potemkin service that does not function. I clicked on the icon 2 hours ago.... still uploading... but this my friends, is how they "keep commerce human".

On the lighter side, the coveted star seller badge is a feckless ornament, more like another set of shackles than sales booster. In my experience, your reviews (even the bad ones!) will do more to pull in sales. Keep doing what you do the best you can, your work will outshine any star.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

That's the least of your worries, with Game of Thrones, and Gandalf all over your listings

[FallenAngelBrass]

@ourglasscreations 

To @CraftyCornishMaids 's point, Etsy is yanking the badge from shops with repeated IP violations.  The forum is full of shocked sellers finding out the hard way. 

[dippeldiundscribble]

@LittleStickerDoodles 

Have you ever heard of auto-reply?

How to set an auto-reply for Messages