Star Seller Quick Answer

[EtherealBoutiqueShop]

In the star seller criteria evaluation, failure to reply to the message the seller sent to me within 24 hours results in a negative score. The message sent by the seller, not the customer. Isn't there something wrong with this?

[WitticismsRus]

"Isn't there something wrong with this?"

Nope. It's working as intended. You have to reply to ALL initial messages. The system is completely automated and doesn't know if the message is from a buyer or another seller. It isn't reading every message and making a decision if it's from a seller or a customer or what it's about. It's a computer program that calculates data. It just sees a message and calculated the response time. That's just how it works. 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.

[OmasFabricStash]

Nothing wrong, you must respond to all first time messages, or put in spam. It doesn’t matter if it’s from a seller, buyer, or cousin Mary just saying hi. It’s been like that from the beginning and Etsy made it clear when you read the rules. 

I just looked at your shop and loved a couple of the shirts but unfortunately you have a couple of copyright or trademark infringements and I don’t buy from shops with infringement. The 2 big obvious ones are the Smiley face and Luke Combs. 

[JJewellerySuppliesUK]

Star Seller is automated so the bots don't know who the message is from just that one was unanswered. 

[NanaLetha]

Nothing wrong. You decided not to reply 

[BagmakerSupply]

@EtherealBoutiqueShop: "Isn't there something wrong with this?" Perhaps, but that is how it has been since day one. As it says right on your Star Seller page and elsewhere, you need to reply to (or mark as SPAM) the FIRST message of EVERY NEW INCOMING THREAD within 24 hours. It does not matter who sent it, the subject matter, if it is a duplicate or blank or anything else.

As a side note, you have at least one item in your shop where you need to include  your  licensing information within the listing otherwise it looks like intellectual property infringement and / or counterfeiting. Etsy seems to be stepping up enforcement of their rules.

[SugarTaffySoap]

@EtherealBoutiqueShop  Reply to all messages and keep working towards a Star Seller badge.  

[BootifulLabels]

If you don't want your purchasing activity to interfere with your Star Seller calculations, the answer is simple.  Don't make purchases on your shop account.  Create a separate account as a buyer only and use that for purchasing.  Be sure to disclose each identity in the other account for transparency.

If you don't want to have two accounts, answer every new message thread you receive within 24 hrs, regardless of who it is from or what it is about, as the rules clearly state.