Star Seller ranking and messages

[SimeoneDesigns]

  I don't get a lot of messages and I always respond within 24 hours. 

I recently had a customer I needed to refund. She initially messaged me on a previous thread about her order. During the discussion she sent another message using the Help Requested button. It was all regarding the same issue.  I kept replying on the previous thread and so did she.

  Now I just saw that I am being dinged for that unanswered message, even though I did answer in the thread we had been using and continued to use. I don't know why she sent that one different.  All these messages were sent in the same day, other than the original message in the thread from when she ordered. 

  Anything I can do about this?

[NanaLetha]

You must reply to all messages or mark as spam.

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@SimeoneDesigns: Help Requests always start a new thread. The Star Seller metric is that the FIRST message of a NEW thread must be replied to within 24 hours. It does not matter who sent it, the subject matter, if it is a duplicate or blank or anything else. If it is SPAM then it should be marked as such. Those have always been the rules.

Subsequent messages from the same account (a buyer may have multiple accounts) are supposed to be combined into a single thread. Etsy is now putting a blue text warning / advisory on those messages they consider to be a "new message" but should semantically be called a "new thread".

If you are creating a custom listing based on a new thread, you still need to reply to the message.

Cancellation requests in a new thread must be replied to in the actual message - replies using the cancellation form do not count as a response.

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. Note that subsequent messages from that account may go directly to the SPAM folder.

[stitchedmagnolia]

Is there anyway to dispute a message rating? I have went back through my messages and all were answered within 24 hours, except -A lady did message me last month (September, which I replied to in time) she did not order but messaged me again in October about the same item on the same thread/conversation. I responded to her after 24 hours bc this was a continued thread, is this why I was dinged?

[BagmakerSupply]

@stitchedmagnolia: Have you checked the applicable CSV file to see which message Etsy thinks you answered late?

[stitchedmagnolia]

Thank you, I could not get it to download yesterday. I was able to download it today and I see my mistake. A lady I purchased from wrote me on 9/2 asking me to send her a design from her shop that I wanted to have for free.. I did not respond... these types of messages should not count! I know Etsy can't tell the difference but it is annoying!

[stitchedmagnolia]

Thank you, I could not get it to download yesterday. I did and I see my mistake. A lady I purchased from wrote me on 9/2 asking me to send her a design from her shop that I wanted to have for free.. I did not respond... these types of messages should not count! I know Etsy can't tell the difference but it is annoying!

[BagmakerSupply]

@stitchedmagnolia: 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. Note that subsequent messages from that account may go directly to the SPAM folder.