URGENT

[ArtistryColours]

I am writing to request that my messages be reactivated on Etsy. I recently sent messages to random customers without realizing that it was against Etsy's policies. I now understand that this was not acceptable behavior and I apologize for any inconvenience or concern that I may have caused.

I am committed to following Etsy's policies and guidelines going forward. I understand that communication with customers is an important part of the Etsy experience, and I would like to have the opportunity to continue to engage with them in a respectful and appropriate manner.

I understand that one of the requirements for maintaining Star Seller is to respond to customer messages within 24 hours. Unfortunately, Now I'm about to failed to meet this requirement due to muting my messages.I have worked very hard to earn the Etsy Star Seller badge by the end of this mnth and I understand the value that it brings to my shop. Losing the chance to earn it would be a great disappointment for me, as it represents my dedication to providing excellent customer service.

[nineteen27]

i think you have to wait two weeks.

to get the messages to be un-muted.

no matter how sorry you are.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

"no matter how sorry you are."

Yes, they don't care much about sorry and, really, not much about URGENT either.

[BootifulLabels]

You are only talking to other sellers here, it is rare to see Etsy staff here, and those that do contribute are generally concerned with forum moderation rather than policing Etsy rules.  You would do better to reply directly to the email you received advising that your privileges had been suspended.

[WitticismsRus]

@ArtistryColours 

This is a peer to peer support forum so it's just us sellers here. None of us can help you with your issue. You need to contact etsy support to open a support ticket to get help from etsy with your issue. Keep in mind that if they muted your messages for spamming then they are not likely to unmute you before the 'time out' is up. 

to open a support ticket go to

shop manager > community & help > contact us

Also, while I know it may feel like an urgent issue to you it really is not an urgent issue to etsy so don't be surprised if it takes them days or  weeks to reply to email if you select the email option. It's entirely possible that your 'time out' will be over before you get a reply from support.

[NoFrogsAllowed]

You can try to contact Etsy, but chances are extremely slim that they will do anything.  You'll just have to wait it out.

You can reply to messages through your email.  It won't help with Star Seller, but will help keep you a star seller with your customers.  Incidentally, having a Star Seller badge doesn't seem to mean all that much to buyers.

[VintageRescueSquad]

They won't reverse it or do anything about it. You just have to wait a week or two. 

Star seller isn't all that important anyway.

[TinLizziAntiques]

OP, if having Star Seller means that much to you, while other rules did not, why not place yourself on vacation for two weeks. I think it might take that long for Etsy's punishment to last.

[HauteGemsDallas]

You didn't know this was against Etsy usage terms, so you might want to review those to greater familiarize yourself with them.

[PlatypusDream]

Excellent suggestion.

@ArtistryColours 

You can start here:

https://www.etsy.com/legal/terms-of-use/

And then read this:

https://www.etsy.com/legal/sellers/

With the pertainent passage here:

c. Communication Standards

i. Messages

With Etsy's "Messages", you have the ability to communicate directly with your buyers or other Etsy members. Messages are a great way for buyers to ask you questions about an item or an order.

Messages may not be used for the following activities:

1. Sending unsolicited advertising or promotions, requests for donations or spam;
2. Harassing or abusing another member or violating our Anti-Discrimination Policy;
3. Contacting someone after they have explicitly asked you not to;  
4. Interfering with a transaction or the business of another member;
5. Exchanging personal contact, financial or other information for the purposes of evading the checkout process on Etsy, including phone number, address, email, social media handles, external URLs, instructions for money transfer, etc.

[HouseofWhisperingFir]

@PlatypusDream, adding:

Amen......

[RiverCityJAC]

"Sending unsolicited advertising or promotions, requests for donations or spam."

How does that reconcile with Etsy's own suggestion encouraging the Seller to send directed coupons to customers who may have favorited or show items in cart but do not purchase?

[PriddeyThings]

Because they are sent by Etsy only to buyers who have signed up to receive Etsy communications. 

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

As already said Etsy only sends them to buyers who have signed up to receive promotional emails.  sellers can also set up Email lists  and send Emails  to buyers but only if buyers sign up and agree to receive them.

[BootifulLabels]

How does that reconcile with Etsy's own suggestion encouraging the Seller to send directed coupons to customers who may have favorited or show items in cart but do not purchase?

Etsy has a master list of customers who have specifically signed up to receive such messages.  The coupons Etsy sends on sellers' behalf through those promotions are ONLY sent to those on the master list.

[HallieOneeyecat]

Right.

And if you don't sign up for the emails then Etsy spams your Notifications.

And they don't give you any way to get out of that.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

legally, a red dot next to an updates button, on a dashboard in an account you have logged into, 
is not the same, as sending an unsolicited e-mail, to someone who has clicked to say they do not want to be contacted with marketing e-mails

[OneEyeCatStudio]

"legally, a red dot next to an updates button, on a dashboard in an account you have logged into, 
is not the same..."

Legally, schmegally.

It is still just as intrusive and annoying.

And you can post your sentence over and over and over and it will make no difference in how I feel when I see that little orange number.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

It might be annoying, but it's not illegal, which spamming is nearly everywhere