Star Seller badge not awarded because I purchased someone

[seasonsart1031]

I was not awarded my star seller because I made a purchase as a buyer in October.  The seller messaged me. That message Did Not need a reply! As I was a buyer and happy with my purchase! So I am being punished  by etsy for buying on Etsy! Wow well I buy on etsy have for many years! Will no longer! I am honestly in shock over this it's absolutely absurd! They wouldn't help me at all. They said I had to reply to that message! Which didn't need a reply! 

[ChristmasIsLove]

All messages count. (Explained in detail on your Star Seller dashboard and in 1000s of Forum threads.)

[seasonsart1031]

It didn't need a reply. And I was a buyer! 

[dippeldiundscribble]

Go to your Star Seller page and scroll down to the Q&A section.

https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/me/star-seller

Questions? We’ve got answers. -> Messages -> What messages count towards 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.“

[seasonsart1031]

My messages were all responded to! I did not need to respond as a buyer! And it won't be a problem again. 

[dippeldiundscribble]

This is your seller account. So you have to respond to every message.

[catfluff]

whatever you think doesnt matter, what Etsy says  you have to do to get the SS you have to do, Its their sandbox afterall

[ThePurplePuppy]

@seasonsart1031 

If you use your seller account to buy with then yes, you need to reply to ALL first messages.  A simple "thank you" or "you're welcome" (whichever is appropriate) will do. I even have snippets of these 2 so  all I have to do is click on the snippet to reply.

[lampshadelady]

I'm with you! agree there are times you do not need to respond AND they do not show up in messages. I've learned to try not to message sellers when i buy stuff for this reason even when I just want to send a hi. It would be helpful if it did show up as sometimes we are busy and don't see those messages.

[bohemians]

If you made the transaction from your seller account, how is the system supposed to determine if it is a buyer or a seller contacting you?

Etsy doesn’t review messages manually.

[NoFrogsAllowed]

ALL first messages.  Etsy doesn't distinguish between buyer and seller.  When you get a first message, you have 3 choices.  1. Respond within 24 hours.  2. Mark as spam.  3. Ignore and kiss Star Seller goodbye.  

[BagmakerSupply]

@seasonsart1031: Whether you agree or not, Etsy has been very clear and consistent about messages / convos from the very beginning of the Star Seller program.

How is Etsy supposed to know the nature of a message? Do you want some bot reading every one of your messages and guessing? How many threads would there be in this forum that "some bot incorrectly classified my message"?

[audreytherese]

The only way Etsy knows it is from a seller and not a potential buyer is if you have a separate account just for making your purchases. If you have an account just for making purchases, you can not reply to all the messages that don't need responses. But if you're purchasing through the same account you are selling through, then Etsy doesn't have any reason to not include it in the metrics. 

[seasonsart1031]

What the seller messaged  didn't warrant  a response. I was happy with my purchase. This policy makes no sense I am a star seller no matter what Etsy says. Have been for many many years.

[audreytherese]

How would Etsy know it didn't warrant a response? 

[catfluff]

oh course you are we are all stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BootifulLabels]

Exactly!!  You know you are a Star Seller, and so do your buyers, so just forget about what Etsy thinks.  The badge means nothing to your shop, and very few buyers even know it exists.  Just keep doing what you do and ignore it.

Of course, if you really want the badge, then you have to work within Etsy's rules, which say that ALL messages need a response, even those related to your own purchases.  If you want to avoid this happening again, create a new Etsy Account for purchasing, so that those activities don't reflect on your Seller performance.

[seasonsart1031]

Because I had a chat with etsy help today. They could see it! A nice message from a seller to me the buyer! 

[audreytherese]

So that is what chat support is for? To spend all day checking sellers messages to see what they were about and if they get a little star or not? 

[ChillwolfArt]

@seasonsart1031  Just so you know.  It works the same if a Seller or Buyer Messages you, "How's it going"?  (just an example). Because they are the Initiator of the Message, you must respond to it or Mark it as Spam.

[bradgoodell]

You know what would be easier and less costly than hiring staff to read every message and chat with sellers about policy violations?

For sellers to simply follow the very clear policy of:  "Respond to every message or send to spam."  

Etsy isn't going to make an exception for sellers who missed the part about "Every message."  

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

So you held up the chat queue so you could have an agent read a message from another seller?  

*sigh*

From Etsy Help:

Responding to 95% of all your initial messages within 24 hours will earn you the Speedy replies customer service badge.

How to Become a Star Seller 

Etsy's system doesn't decipher whether a message is from a buyer or seller. If losing star seller is this upsetting to you, maybe Etsy is no longer the right fit for your business.

[seasonsart1031]

Yes absolutely correct! Many sellers have issues with Star Seller! And I knew I had responded to everyone. So I asked why from. The help center! That's what they are there for!

[audreytherese]

Great! I'm looking forward to the next fee increase so they can hire more staff to answer more questions like that all day!

[audreytherese]

And many sellers have issues with the star seller program because they don't bother to read how it works. This issue? Clearly spelled out for you. 

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