Star seller not calculated correctly

[Kaizenine]

Hi,

I purchased something via my seller account. I received a message updating me on postage for an order and this did not require a response. This has gone towards my star seller score and will make me ineligible.

I do not feel this is fair as it's nothing to do with my shop and I have worked hard to gain positive feedback and I always respond to customers on time.

Thanks

[GieseDeseiGns]

Since the ss started, all first messages have needed to be answered, they are not read so there is no way to show who they are from, they only post a missing answer to a message. It is up to us to know this and to answer only the initial message when it comes in. Even if you don't think it's necessary to answer, it is if the star is important to you. You can create a buyer only account, or purchase as a guest to keep these answers from bothering you. Also you can mark as spam now and your rate should go up, but do it soon because the last few days of the month are not counted for Dec.

[Kaizenine]

Thank you!

[HandmadeMomentsAus]

I totally agree with this, the same thing happened to me. I am new on Etsy and didn't realise that when I bought something (and received a message as a customer) I also had to reply to it or it would affect my star seller stats. So disappointing as I now have to wait to receive more messages to claw back that reply percentage.

[BagmakerSupply]

@HandmadeMomentsAus: "So disappointing as I now have to wait to receive more messages to claw back that reply percentage." Did you see the workaround in the accepted solution?

You might also want to reread the Star Seller rules so that you are not surprised by something else.

[JackisJustVintage]

ALL messages need a reply or be marked as spam.

[vintageNCtreasures]

SS rules have been extremely clear for over 2 years now and probably 1,000's of posts on the forums.
It's noted on the help pages, under "star seller" on your dashboard.

Reply to the first message within 24 hours
Just the first message in the thread counts, not the ongoing convo.
Messages that you mark as spam don’t count.

It doesn't matter if a message is from a buyer, a seller, a friend.
You have to either REPLY to all new messages or mark as spam.

A simple "thank you" would have worked. Easy peasy.

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@Kaizenine: "... and this did not require a response."  Unfortunately Etsy disagrees - as it says right on your Star Seller page and elsewhere, 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.

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 new thread as SPAM (even after the 24 hour deadline has passed) will cause your reply percentage to change in a day or two (but not retroactively) 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.

[BootifulLabels]

The rules clearly state that all new messages require an answer or to be marked as spam within 24 hrs in order to qualify for SS. It doesn't matter who they are from or what they are about, no-one reads your messages, the system is automated and simply compares the time-stamps for receipt and response to determine compliance. If you mark that message as spam now, it should update your stats within a day or two, but it will not help with the badges already awarded.

If you don't want your purchases to affect your SS status, you have a couple of options.

1. You can use Auto reply to send a "thank you" or an "I'll get back to you shortly" message. This counts as a response for SS, but needs to be reset every five days.
2. You can create a few snippets with various messages and send quick responses that way in just 3 clicks, Snippets/Select/Send.
3. You can create a new, buyer only Etsy account and keep all your purchases separate from your shop.

Number 3 is the easiest option, once your buyer account is set up it requires no ongoing maintenance and you never have to worry about messages from sellers interfering with your SS rating.

[Kaizenine]

Thank you.

[Kaizenine]

Thank you

[Kaizenine]

Thank you for the response!

[OmasFabricStash]

If you wanted to keep your SS badge then it required a response, which you said you didn’t do. How is it not fair when you did not respond to all messages like you needed to do?  

[Kaizenine]

Thank you for the response. I do usually respond to everything, just this particular message certainly didn't require one in my opinion. However, the rules are the rules and I know for next time. It's all a learning curve! Have a great Christmas.

[TinLizziAntiques]

OP, it's not difficult to reply to most messages about delivery or other routine facts with "thank you" or "you are welcome." It takes just a few seconds. Try sending that message to spam and see if your percentage changes.

[Kaizenine]

Thank you