Star Seller Badge Lost Due to Text Reply

[CrochetCollector]

I lost my Star Seller Badge because a customer requested I TEXT her instead of replying via Etsy because she wasn't tech/computer savvy. I did reply via text as she requested (and very quickly... I have the screenshot of our conversation with date/timestamps as proof), but because it wasn't through Etsy I'm now being punished. My sales have dropped DRAMATICALLY this month and I have to believe there's a correlation. Please tell me there's a way to fix this because (from my understanding) it's going to affect the next 3 months because of how the average is calculated!

[CraftyCornishMaids · Accepted solution]

you have to reply to each new message thread, or mark the message as spam

if you mark it as spam, then you will not see any more messages from them.

Etsy says you have to do it for the badge, and you have to.

having had the badge, and not had the badge, it made no difference to my sales,

I would look elsewhere for the drop in sales

[MeReWoodArt]

Don't worry about the loss of the badge, there is no correlation between the possible loss of the badge and a drop in sales. For example, I have had the badge since it was introduced and the drop in sales is constant. Actually I don't quite understand how I can still have it lol

[CrochetCollector]

Thanks for the info! That makes me feel better that others *haven't* noticed a correlation. The lady who messaged wasn't spam, but now I know to reply via Etsy at least once regardless of other communication avenues to avoid this in the future.

[JDTotesnDolls]

Text replies and not savvy?  Huh?  I'm sorry I find it difficult to believe. But I digress.

You need to answer on Etsy in the message system or spam the new.   I would have answered the message and then texted.

SSP has nothing to do with sales.  Many are feeling the pinch right now.