Star Seller Badge Removed

[ZanettiStudio]

Hello, I spoke with Etsy support right now and got nowhere. 
My badge was removed because it says I replied late for a message, even though I have the automated response. It brought my response rate down to 92%, consequently removing my badge.

After examining my account I was told it was a glitch on Etsy’s part, but there was nothing they could do. They said it was a system error and only the “system” could fix it.

Then they sent me an email to this forum as the only possible solution.

I understand glitches, of course, I just don’t understand how it can’t be fixed.

Thank you!

[TBMxCreations]

Hi there!

I've had the same thing happen to me this month. My Message response rate seemed to be frozen at 94% due to one missed message, although I received numerous new inquiries during the last weeks of the month. I downloaded my message response rate csv file, and realized that Etsy had not been tracking any of my incoming messages since 09/24. None were recorded, which explains why my response rate didn't fix itself and go back up. Tried reaching out to customer service - no luck. Unbelievably frustrating.  

[ZanettiStudio]

I’ll tell you what is even more frustrating …. I’m in SC, we got hit by the hurricane, didn’t have power for 3 days.

During that time, I was not worried about not answering any messages because I had the automated response. It was one less thing I had to worry about during that horrible time.

When we got power back, first thing I did before cleaning up debris or throwing all my food out because of lack of power, I fulfilled all my orders. Wrote to each one of the customers and explained it was being fulfilled and I’d drop them off. Mail was closed, of course, but still I dropped them off in the wall bins. Mail was closed because most of the city doesn’t have power yet as of today.

Took a pic of the closed mail and sent to them, in case Etsy complained it took me over 3 days to ship.

All that then I get ONE message that wasn’t answered in time ( due to their technical issues ), and lose my badge. The message on the day before that one, and after that one, were replied automatic but not that one. And still, badge is gone.

It is not about the badge. Star seller or not I will still deliver the same service as always.

What frustrates me the most is that it can’t be fixed. You can’t offer a badge if you can’t back it up in case there’s a problem. It’s just not fair. It’s about taking responsibility.

Good luck to you all!

[ChillwolfArt]

Hi, You're getting the runaround by being sent to the Forums; sorry about that. We are other Sellers like yourself, and we can't do anything to help get your SS Badge back. Many times Etsy sends people to the Forums because frankly, they don't want to deal with it, or they don't know how to. 
I take it when you downloaded the CSV File for this past 3 months grading period, the one Message you had an Auto Reply to was the one you got dinged for? I set up some Auto Reply Messages (which I generally don't use), unless I'm gone for several hours. And I replied to my Customers when I got back.
The only thing I can suggest; on the email which told you to go to the Forums, Reply "I still need help". Don't start additional Tickets, which will only push you back further in line. I really hope this helps you. They should know better than to send Sellers to the Forums for things like this.

[ZanettiStudio]

Thank you! I just feel hopeless that we can’t get help

[ZanettiStudio]

During that time, I was not worried about not answering any messages because I had the automated response. It was one less thing I had to worry about during that horrible time.

When we got power back, first thing I did before cleaning up debris or throwing all my food out because of lack of power, I fulfilled all my orders. Wrote to each one of the customers and explained it was being fulfilled and I’d drop them off. Mail was closed, of course, but still I dropped them off in the wall bins. Mail was closed because most of the city doesn’t have power yet as of today.

Took a pic of the closed mail and sent to them, in case Etsy complained it took me over 3 days to ship.

All that then I get ONE message that wasn’t answered in time ( due to their technical issues ), and lose my badge. The message on the day before that one, and after that one, were replied automatic but not that one. And still, badge is gone.

It is not about the badge. Star seller or not I will still deliver the same service as always.

What frustrates me the most is that it can’t be fixed. You can’t offer a badge if you can’t back it up in case there’s a problem. It’s just not fair. It’s about taking responsibility.

Good luck to you all!

[SereneGarlands]

Same here! I'm always here and I always reply. About 2-3 weeks ago, I replied to a help request, but the Etsy warning about quick replies wouldn't go away, even after I replied more than once. Etsy had a glitch and because of ETSY, I've lost my SS after having it for about 2 years straight. Therefore, my chat function isn't priority anymore and they ignore me now. 

[Designedbymiapia]

I’m just wondering, where did you contact them at because I’ve sent three emails since earlier this morning and have yet got a response

[ZanettiStudio]

I clicked contact us, then selling on Etsy, about listings, star seller, then is till need help. Another page will open and you can choose to chat or request a call back.

[TBMxCreations]

Hi again! 

@Zanettistudio, I'm so sorry about everything you've been going through - it's so hard. I was affected by the fires on Maui last year (we live here and our shop burnt down), and we were without power for 3 weeks. So I can relate to what you're dealing with, and I'm just so sorry! I did exactly the same thing as you, contacted customers via shelter wifi's, and shipped orders as soon as the post offices were running again. And yes - then getting the badge taken away, after putting so much hard work into it additionally, is just crushing. 

Update to everyone - I did get Etsy support to give me a call yesterday, and the lady that helped me was pretty great actually. She manually went through all my messages that I had received to see where one was missed by the system, and to figure out why the message rating was off. As it turns out, Etsy stops counting messages of the last 2 days of the month (so that people that receive a message on the last day, for example, that they would have 24 - 48hrs to respond to, don't get in trouble for not having responded in that month yet - makes sense? It's to allow for the 24-48 hrs response time to still be within that same month). However, the review period clearly states that it's until September 30th, which is misleading - so, all responses that happened during those last 2 days don't count to that month, but are instead added on to the next month. Hope this info helps maybe some of you! 

[BagmakerSupply]

@TBMxCreations: "... the review period clearly states that it's until September 30th, which is misleading ..." Two things to consider here, Star Seller is in UTC not your time zone and Messages are not counted until after the 24 hour reply window has closed regardless of when you actually replied 'to allow Sellers a full 24 hours to respond and not be penalized for messages received late on the final day of the review period' per https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

[dorothydomingo]

I can totally understand your frustration. There you are, in the midst of dealing with power outages caused by a hurricane, catching back up on shipping out orders, and now you have to stress out about nit picky stuff like Etsy dinging you for not answering messages - and it's their own glitches causing it.

Did you receive the email from Etsy about them relaxing the standards for sellers affected by the hurricane? This is the part that should help:

"We’re temporarily adjusting the program to support sellers in your area impacted by Hurricane Helene. If you earned a Star Seller badge in September 2024, we’ve automatically granted you a badge for October 2024"

It would be great if (on top of cutting us some slack in the hurricane aftermath) Etsy could monitor these threads and help the sellers who are trying to get back up to speed. It just adds insult to injury to lose SS when you're cleaning up after a catastrophic weather event. Good luck!

[ZanettiStudio]

I did receive that message, but that doesn’t help me. The message they missed replying automatically was from Sept 29 and they don’t say anything about that, just about orders, shipping etc. So for September, I lost the badge because of that message they missed it. Frustrating!

[dorothydomingo]

Yes, but if you had SS in September (based on the previous qualifying data) then you should still get it for October because in this instance Etsy is cutting sellers in those affected states some slack. Especially since this sounds more like an Etsy message glitch than you dropping the ball (with or without hurricane power outages)

It may be worth your time to see if someone could look at this and "automatically grant you a badge for October 2024". You're in that unfortunate select group of sellers; you qualify unless there is some other factor at play here.

[EtsyForumsTeam · Accepted solution]

Hi @ZanettiStudio, we hope that you are safe and well. We escalated this for you and can confirm resolution, so we'll close the thread. Thank you all for chiming in.