Star Seller taking into account a marketing message from another seller-

[2Bisters]

I am sure someone has asked this, but it is like finding a needle in a haystack for a post that answers my question.  I lost my star seller rating 2 months in a row due to not responding to messages within 24 hours.  The first message was between a buyer and me, in which the conversation had concluded, and my replying would have just been an annoying reply of "have a good night too".  Anyway, this month, I didn't get it because I didn't reply to a seller whom I had made a purchase who had sent me a marketing message. There was no reason to reply.  Is there anything I can do to have this not affect my rating? Do I need to respond to every message almost like "having the last word" so I don't lose my rating? I appreciate any assistance on this.

[UniqueGiftOrnaments]

Re-read the star seller info. It states clearly that ALL messages must be answered or put into spam.

[OwlAlwaysKnit]

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. 

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

[Marmalady]

The first message of a thread must be answered within 24 hours or put into spam, no matter what the subject

For the marketing message, if you Spam it now, it will not change this current month's Star Seller award but should not count against you for the next couple of months.

[audreytherese]

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of these posts, exactly like yours, and they will all give you the same answer. 

All initial messages require a response. Messages from a seller you bought from are not exempt. 

In regards to your claim of losing it the first time ("The first message was between a buyer and me, in which the conversation had concluded, and my replying would have just been an annoying reply of "have a good night too"), it's not all messages that require a response, it's all first messages. In an ongoing conversation you do not need to get the last word. There must have been another reason at that time, as you would have not lost it just for not getting in the last word. Otherwise any time a seller buys from another seller and they have a conversation, it would literally never be able to end. That's not the case. 

[dippeldiundscribble]

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@2Bisters 

it is like finding a needle in a haystack for a post that answers my question.

You don't have to search the forum, because you will find the answer directly on your Star Seller dashboard. Just scroll down to 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.

This is your seller account. If you buy something with this account, it will not change.

Familiarize yourself with all the options provided by Etsy and use them to meet the criteria.

1. Set up auto-reply
2. Create and use saved replies
3. Mark as spam 
4. Set up a buyer account for your purchases
5. Purchase as a Guest

*1: How to set an auto-reply for Messages

*2: How to Use Saved Replies in Messages

[BagmakerSupply]

@2Bisters: "The first message was between a buyer and me, in which the conversation had concluded, and my replying would have just been an annoying reply of "have a good night too"" Are you basing this on the applicable CSV file from your Star Seller page? 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.

"Do I need to respond to every message almost like "having the last word" so I don't lose my rating?" Keep in mind that the Star Seller metric is NOT all new messages but only the first message of all new incoming threads.

"There was no reason to reply." Unfortunately Etsy disagrees. As it says right on your Star Seller page, you need to reply to 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. If it is SPAM then it should be marked as such.

[TBQSC · Accepted solution]

Weekly Auto reply ... set it and forget it!  Then whenever ANYONE messages you, your weekly auto reply will be sent (acts as the first reply) and you will never have to worry about losing SS for messages.  

[2Bisters]

Thank you to all the replies. I will share I went back and checked, the message with the buyer was not the first. It was part of a conversation we had started a day prior.  

I am learned Etsy has some very strict rules that do not allow for any gray that exists. It is a learning experience for a new seller like me. Thank you again!

[audreytherese]

So, just FYI, because you don't have any of the badges, your messages were not the reason you are not currently a star seller. 

You have been on the platform long enough (over 90 days, based on reviews), but the first requirement is that you reach at least $300 and 5 sales in the 3 month review period. Because you have low priced items and no badges, I'm guessing you did not meet that minimum threshold. And that amount is rolling. So for the October badge you would have had to sold $300 worth between Jul-Aug-Sep. When November rolls around, then it will move and you will need to have sold $300 between Aug-Sep-Oct. Not trying to dumb it down too much, but I've seen people that thought once they made $300 all they had to do was keep up with the other metrics, when in reality you need to meet that every review period. And I know shops with lower priced items are at a disadvantage, but if you break it down that's $25/week that you need to sell on average to be eligible for the little star.