Star seller issue

[BumbleyBeans]

Etsy have marked my response rate to 80% so I am not on track to continue with my star seller badge. I am furious when I checked the message they said I didn't respond to within 24 hours is actual a person who I bought donething from thanking me for my review. It didn't need a reply and it certainly was NOTHING to do with my Etsy shop. Play fair Etsy 

[LynnsLittleShop]

Evidently the rules have always been that you must reply to the first message from someone. It doesn't matter if it's someone you have bought from or from a customer. 

How to Become a Star Seller – Etsy Help

[JackisJustVintage · Accepted solution]

All initial messages need a reply. It does not matter who sent the messages. It needs a reply or be marked as spam. It has always worked this way.

[DynochicksTreasures]

If that was the case, then you would also need to reply to spam messages or mark them spam.  Too many sellers are spamming buyers and if Etsy doesn't differentiate between buyer and seller messages then I have t waste my time sorting messages daily. Star Seller means nothing.  I know when I shop, I don't even give that a look.  I am done playing these cutesy games and going back to my old ways of charging for shipping and not wasting time chasing something that means nothing.  

[GieseDeseiGns]

That is exactly what you must do.

[BootifulLabels]

You can always use Auto reply to respond immediately to new messages, then you can take your time sorting out which ones you need to answer and which you don't.  Of course you have to keep resetting it every five days as that is the longest you can set it for at one time.

[SugarTaffySoap]

@BumbleyBeans  - Messages that are marked as spam will be removed from (or "not count towards") the Response rate score for the current evaluation period. The score will be adjusted the following day. It will take up to 24 hours for this to be reflected in the response rate score.

Many have done the same thing you did (not respond). Here is what Etsy Staff says: 

"The Message response rate counts initial messages from all Etsy members, both buyers, and other sellers. This is because fellow sellers could be potential buyers for your shop. If it's not a spam message it requires a response within 24 hours. If it is a spam message you can mark it as such and it won't count towards your score."

Here's what a Community Specialist has posted in several threads regarding Star Seller:

"We suggest using the Forums' Search function prior to posting (just be careful to not bump an old thread that hasn't seen any activity in the last months/years), as questions regarding the Star Seller Program have been extensively covered by our fellow members since its launch, as well as our official Star Seller Guide, which contains in-depth answers to some of the more common questions regarding Message Response Rate, Shipping, Local Pick-Up, Digital Orders, and other topics. You can check it out here: etsy.com/starseller. "

[BagmakerSupply]

@BumbleyBeans: Probably everyone in this forum can sympathize with you but regardless of whether or not you think it is fair it tells you right on your Star Seller page that you need to respond to the first message of a new thread, and a quick search would show you the innumerable threads about this exact same issue in this forum.

How is Etsy supposed to know the nature of a message? Do you want some bot reading every one of your messages and guessing if it is from a buyer, a seller, or your best friend? How many threads would there be in this forum that "some bot incorrectly classified my message"? Etsy has been very clear and consistent about messages / convos from the very beginning of the Star Seller program. 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.

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.

If you have not yet done so, you might want to read https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

[NoFrogsAllowed]

"Note that subsequent messages from that account may go directly to the SPAM folder."  Does anyone know if this is still the case?  It used to be if you spammed something all other messages from that person automatically went to spam, but this no longer seems to be the case (I have not experienced it) and with Etsy recommending spamming messages as a solution to maintaining Star Seller, it doesn't seem likely.

[BagmakerSupply]

It was true as of October 3rd (the last time we received another spam message from someone we had marked as spam previously).

Perhaps one of the Etsy people who read these posts can provide a definitive answer.

[DreamGreatDreams]

i would reply to that seller and let her know those kinds of messages are redundant and causes situations like this for their fellow sellers. 

[TickleYourWitch]

I would not appreciate another seller advising me how to run my business because they can't figure out how star seller messaging works after two years. Not everyone thinks follow up messages are redundant. Some customers appreciate them. 

[VintageVesselFinder]

Just reply then mark it as spam and it will go away by the next day. 

[TheArtfulTwig]

Be aware that Help with Order requests also open a new message thread. I learned this the hard way, too. I replied immediately to the email notification, but it only says in fine print not to do that, to go to your messages.  

I didn't realize it had opened a new thread so I went straight to our convos tied to the order and replied in minutes.  Then, Etsy sent me a prompt the next day to reply to the message.  It was embarrassing to reply twice to the  buyer when it was already resolved, but I had to send her a reply to close the help request.

I read elsewhere that messages and order communications are now merged, so it never occurred to me that I would get dinged, but I did.  Apparently the exception is for help requests, they start a new message thread and you have to respond in the right place. 

In other threads I've read that Etsy makes no exceptions for any of these missed replies, even if you show that you responded, or, as in the OP's case, the message was from a seller.

I, for one, would never spam a legitimate message even if it is a thank you from a seller.  As noted above, I might not receive subsequent legitimate messages from a buyer or a seller. I only spam what is actual spam.

[ShangriLocsShaman]

I have been Star seller since I reopened my shop last year!  Well my stats have never been less than 100%.  I always respond to customers immediately.  Well I contacted CS and was told that I am at 94% due to one response that I never made!  I looked back and it was another Etsy seller that I have never purchased from and that has never purchased from me spamming me ato join their Facebook group and VIP list.  First if all...I didn't know I could report spam as it does not give the option on the ETSY seller app.  Number 2 ... Etsy is punishing me for ignoring Spam from a seller VIOLATING Etsy policy...instead of them?  I contacted Etsy CS and was pretty much told too bad too sad!  This is not right!!!

[BagmakerSupply]

@ShangriLocsShaman: To your first point - if the unanswered message 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. Note that subsequent messages from that account may go directly to the SPAM folder. You can use the browser on your phone to do this.