'Thank You' note from other seller has penalized my Star Seller rating?

[WesthillPrints]

I own a store, but I also purchased a digital download from a different seller. The other seller sent me a thank you note. I did not reply, because why would I? Now Etsy has used this in my Star Seller calculation and penalized me for not responding. Is this ridiculous or is it just me?

[DudleyandSprout]

You have to either answer all messages or mark them as spam or it will affect your star seller rating.

[PlatypusDream]

ALL messages on your account must either be answered or spammed. 

Those are the rules of the Star Seller game, if you choose to play.

https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/me/star-seller?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503?segment=selling

"The Message response rate section of your Star Seller dashboard shows information about your response time in Etsy Messages. 

You’ll see the percentage of messages that received a response to the initial message within 24 hours. “Initial message” means the first message in a single conversation with another member, also known as a “thread.” Responding to 95% of all your initial messages within 24 hours will earn you the Speedy replies customer service badge.

Message response rate is calculated by dividing the number of new messages you’ve responded to within 24 hours by the total number of new messages you've received during the calculation period."

[ChillwolfArt]

I'm sorry you were caught by this, but the SS Metrics state you must Respond to ALL Messages where you are not the Initiator, or Mark as Spam. I received a Thank You for your Order from a Seller not too long ago, and I've received the same in the past. I'll Respond, "Thank You" (or something similar). Also, I don't consider this to be spam. Now if I receive "Buy my gems, 15% off" (for example), into spam it goes.

Hope this helps you.

[UniqueGiftOrnaments]

Etsy did not penalize you. The star seller info from the very beginning states all new messages answered or put into spam. Bots don't know the difference between buyer and seller.

[WesthillPrints]

There was nothing to answer. It wasn't a question. And it wasn't spam. So there was nothing to do with the message. The way Etsy has this functionality built is the problem. The fact that they very willingly and intentionally built the system this way is the problem. Sure, "it's the rules", but it doesn't make sense logically. And it's built that way for the advantage to go to Etsy so they can find reasons to withhold your profits. Bots could very well be built to tell the difference, and Etsy chose not to build it that way. Guess why.

[PlatypusDream]

@WesthillPrints 

Many things on Etsy make no sense.

But that's the way it is, and it's unlikely to change any time soon.

Like a game, you have to play by the rules or lose.

[ThePurplePuppy]

@WesthillPrints 

When I was growing up I was taught that when someone said thank you, you acknowledged that by saying "You're welcome." Do they not teach this anymore? I am not trying to be snarky--I really want to know. It sounds like you have never heard of saying "You're welcome" and perhaps you have not.

That's what I do when I receive  those messages. You could also send it to spam and the sender would probably never know. Either action only takes a second. If you want to respond you could even make a snippet.

If you are going for star seller then that's what you have to do.

[mommawhazelsquilts]

Like @The Purple Puppy, I was taught that when someone said "thank you" that you responded with "you are welcome".

I will repeat what I have said before in these circumstances - If that person saying "thank you" was standing in front of you, would you just ignore them or would you be polite and say "you are welcome".

Being in cyber space and somewhat invisible does not give us the right to be rude to other people.  And not responding to someone just because you can't see them is just plain being Rude!!

[BootifulLabels]

You don't need me to tell you the rules, plenty of others have done that.

If you don't want your interactions regarding purchases to mess with your SS status you have several options.

• Set up some snippets such as Thank You or similar, and use these to send a quick response to these messages in just 3 clicks, Snippets, select, send.
• Reply with a " . " or a smily face.
• Send them to spam (effective but not exactly good manners).
• Create a separate account for buying,, rather than using your seller account.  That way you can ignore these messages all you like.

I recommend the last one, you don't offend anyone, and it totally eliminates the issue.

[WesthillPrints]

I agree with your recommendation. Too bad we're the one's who are required to find a workaround to this poorly designed system.

[NancyQstudio]

I don't consider these messages as spam.  I'll send a simple thank you note.  Or if I'm really busy I'll send the message to my spam folder so I don't get "dinged" by Etsy.  And I'll retrieve later to reply.  It's just my personal choice.  Every seller has a different way of communicating with buyers.  It is unfortunate this has become an issue for sellers.  

[BagmakerSupply]

@WesthillPrints: "... Etsy has used this in my Star Seller calculation and penalized me for not responding." The Star Seller metric for messages is very simplistic and binary - either you replied to (or marked as SPAM) that first message of a new incoming thread within 24 hours or you did not.

"I did not reply, because why would I?" To build up a bank of answered on time messages in case you legitimately miss one? Or as an opportunity to convert a seller into a buyer? Or because the Etsy rules say so?

[WesthillPrints]

Your other post is where I was going with this. But I can't reply there so I'm replying here. To everyone saying "iTs ThE rUlEs”…the way Etsy has built the rules is the problem. The fact that they very willingly and intentionally built the system this way is the problem. Sure, "it's the rules", and the rules have been built that way for the advantage to go to Etsy so they can find reasons to withhold your profits. Bots could very easily be built to tell the difference, and Etsy chose not to build it that way. Guess why. Wake up people.

[TheVintagePineapple]

@WesthillPrints If Etsy is withholding your profits, it's probably because your shop has been put on Reserve.  There are a few reasons why a shop is put on Reserve, but failing to respond to one message is not one of them.  

[ThePurplePuppy]

@WesthillPrints 

Etsy does not withhold your profits if you don't answer a message. IF your profits are being withheld there is some other reason.

And of course there is something you can do with that message--reply to it.

[WesthillPrints]

@TheVintagePineapple @ThePurplePuppy Well I can tell you it's not for any reasons they listed in the Etsy Payment Policy, that's for sure. So then what is it? The fact that Etsy deliberately chooses to not inform people should raise red flags.

As for replying to messages, why is it so difficult for people to wrap their mind around a situation that doesn't fall into an ambiguously designed binary system? Believe it or not, some messages don't require a response, and are not spam. I know that requires a little extra brainpower to wrap your head around, but you can do, I believe in you!

[TheVintagePineapple]

@WesthillPrints 

This is the information about reserves:

What is a Payment Account Reserve? – Etsy Help

You should realize that everyone responding here knows that a thank you message that was sent to you as a buyer doesn't necessarily require a reply.  Before Star Seller was implemented, we didn't have to respond.  But we are aware that the requirement now is that we answer (or spam) any initial message. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense.  You used your shop account to make purchases, so the system requires you to answer any initial message. 

To use your own words, ''I know that requires a little extra brainpower to wrap your head around, but you can do...''  And we believe you can, too!

[Vintorious]

You asked: "Is this ridiculous, or is it just me?" Some of your fellow sellers clearly don't think it is ridiculous, and have suggested ways to handle it so that it isn't a problem. I understand that you disagree with the way this is set up, but there is no need to insult those who don't have a problem with it.

[WesthillPrints]

I've read the rules. I understand the rules. I'm just saying that logically speaking, it makes zero sense to respond to a thank you letter. In the real world, no normal person does this. So to penalize someone for that is ridiculous. ESPECIALLY, when it has nothing to do with the shop being penalized!

[BagmakerSupply]

@WesthillPrints: "I'm just saying that logically speaking ..." You do realize you are talking about Etsy, right? The platform that hides the quantity available on items of $20 of more, that runs tests hiding item descriptions, etc.

The platform that has left a controversial workaround available : 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.

The platform where you can only mark a message as SPAM using the buyer app or a browser, the option is not available in the seller app.

[mommawhazelsquilts]

Again, I ask.  If that person that is thanking you was standing in front of you, would you still just ignore them.

Hiding behind cyberspace does not make it right.

Etsy sets the rules and they aren't going to change them because a small majority think they aren't fair.  Probably 99% of sellers adhere to the rules.  

I don't respond to "thank yous" just to get the SSB.  I do it because my parents thought it was important that I respect others.

[WesthillPrints]

I MIGHT be able to understand this if a buyer from my shop sent a Thank You letter to my shop. Then I could possibly make a case for this. But that's NOT what happened. I purchased something from a different shop. That shop sent me a thank you letter. And now my shop is penalized. It's insane.

[ThePurplePuppy]

@WesthillPrints 

{{{sigh}]] I guess I am not a "normal" person then because anytime anyone thanks me I reply with either a "you're welcome" or something else. (perhaps a thumbs up) Also I thank every single person who buys from me when I  receive an order and tell them when it will ship (one message). 

[WesthillPrints]

@ThePurplePuppy As do I when people buy from my shop. But that's not what happened.

Let's flip it the other way around though. A buyer purchases something from my shop. I send them a thank you note. They don't respond (nor do I expect them to). Etsy will now penalize that buyer's shop if they have one. That is a terrible system.