Star Seller Status Incorrect

[HappyFortuneVintage]

My star seller status is incorrect. It says I have only an 80% response rate to messages and it shows I didn't respond to a message regarding cancelling an order, but when I go to my sent messages, I can clearly see I responded to this message and canceled the order in less than 24 hours. 

How do I correct this error and get my star seller badge back?

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@HappyFortuneVintage: You need to check the applicable CSV file available on your Star Seller page to confirm which message(s) Etsy thinks were not answered within 24 hours. When you look at the file remember that that the dates / times are in UTC (not your time zone), only the first message of a new incoming thread is included (all that counts for Star Seller), and usually a new incoming thread is not included until after the 24 hour reply window has passed regardless of when you replied. Star Seller stats (and the CSV file) seem to be updated only once per day so there may be an additional day's delay. There is also a link to the actual message thread so you can verify if the data is correct or not.

Is it possible that the buyer started two message threads, one a Help Request?

"How do I correct this error ..." A controversial workaround : if the unanswered new thread is not a Help Request, at least for the time being, it appears that marking an unanswered message as SPAM (even after the 24 hour deadline has passed) will cause your reply percentage to change in a day or two if the original message was within the current star seller period (but not retroactively). Note that subsequent messages from that account may go directly to the SPAM folder.

[HappyFortuneVintage]

Thank you for your help.

[GieseDeseiGns]

Did. You just respond in the cancellation, and not the actual message, if so that is why you were dinged. You have to come back and say your order was cancelled, or something to that effect, otherwise it is still an unanswered message, they are not connected.

[HappyFortuneVintage]

Wow, seems strange that messages would not be connected. Thanks for your advice.

[TheVioletGoat]

@HappyFortuneVintage  I didn't even realize until recently but apparently some sellers think that adding a note to the cancellation is "responding" to the message (it's not).

I've always done it like this: First, respond to the message. Saying something like "I'm so sorry this didn't work out. I'll process the cancellation/full refund right now. Please let me know if there's anything else I can do".

THEN go and process the cancellation (adding a note if you want).