Star Seller Badge

[KraftAddictsLLC]

Trying to figure out how responding to messages as a buyer affects our performance as a seller. We got a low percentage on responding to messages because we didn't respond to an automated "Thank You" message from a seller for an item we purchased, not sold. We looked at our records and ALL the messages from our buyers were responded to within minutes. Never was a delay in any response to a buyer. This does not seem fair when we are trying to grow on this platform and we get docked for something we did as a buyer, not a seller. Etsy, please explain this to us. Thank you.

[TheVintagePineapple]

Every message, no matter what it's about, has to be answered within 24 hours.  If it's a spam message, then put it in that folder.  The system does not know what the message is about or who it's from.

Etsy does explain it in several places, one being our Dashboard/Star Seller.

[WitticismsRus · Accepted solution]

@KraftAddictsLLC 

Etsy is pretty clear about how the message response rate is calculated in help center here https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

There is a highlighted bit under message response rate info that says "The Message response rate only applies to the first message in a thread. Initial messages from both buyers and sellers on Etsy are counted towards the Message response rate. "

That means ALL messages. It also means each individual message thread so if someone sends you 5 different messages with 5 questions instead of putting them in the same message chain you need to respond to all 5 of them. The system is completely automated and doesn't know if the message is from a buyer or another seller. It just sees a message and calculated the response time. Nobody is 'reading' the messages and making a decision as to if it's from a seller or a customer. That's just how it works.

The info is also right there on the Star Seller page in shop manager. Just go to shop manager > star seller. Once there scroll toward the bottom until you find "Questions? We've got answers." Then click messages. The very first question there says

"What messages count toward the message response rate?

Your message response rate is based on just the first message in a conversation, not ongoing conversations. This means you just need to respond to the first message within 24 hours. This applies to messages both from buyer and seller accounts. Messages from Etsy staff do not count toward your response rate, and neither do messages that you mark as spam. You can also now find a breakdown of your message response rate score by downloading a CSV."

You can try marking the message as spam now and it should be removed from the calculation in a few days.

If the star is important to you then it may be a good idea to read or review all the info Etsy provides about the star seller program.

Bottom line...you have to either reply or mark as spam.

Also, side note- pretty sure that an automated thank you message after a sale doesn't exist. The seller sent you a message vs it being automated. The only thing that's automated after an order is the order confirmation email but that goes to your email not your etsy messages inbox.