Very old bad review showing up first under new listings just because I replied to the review.

[SvgCraftFiles]

I am hoping Etsy will fix this, but I have over 800 positive reviews and one bad review from a year ago. I replied to the bad review to help the customer out and now that bad review is the first recommended review for my new listings. I asked Etsy staff why it is showing up first and they said that Etsy prioritizes reviews that you reply to - I said so can I reply to a positive review so that it shows up first and the rep said no. I find this to be a mistake, why would the priority be for the replied to reviews if only negative reviews are able to recieve a response? If I had known this I would have never replied to the review. This is one of the only bad reviews I got and from such a long time ago, why would that be recomended at the top of all my reviews? This is negativily impacting my new listing sales.

Thanks so much

- Gina

[UniqueGiftOrnaments]

I checked your reviews and don't see any bad one after going to just 4 pages.

[FallenAngelBrass]

These replied-to negative reviews are showing up when you click on a listing. 

[SvgCraftFiles]

Yes, it only shows up when you click a new listing - like the dinosaur or unicorn illustration

[ExtremeCreation]

I looked at the reviews in your shop and its on the 20th page of the reviews. Either Etsy fixed the issue or you see it on your end only at the first or most recent. 

[SvgCraftFiles]

it only shows up when you go to one of my new listings.

[SmolThingsConsidered]

I also see it on page 20.   As a customer the review would never stop me from making a purchase in your shop.  

[SvgCraftFiles]

Thanks for your reply. The bad review only shows up at the top when you click on a new listing.

[VintageGiftsEE]

Yes , when I click on some item it pop out  .

Every item I click on come with this review .

Yes , it is on page 20 but if you want to see some item and click on it to see details this review will pop out on top of the others 

[SvgCraftFiles]

Thank you, yes it is very odd.

[TheVintagePineapple]

After checking several of your older listings, I'm not seeing the one star review.  It is showing on your most recent listing, the wine bundle, and without checking every listing, it might be the only instance. 

I would take the excuse the Etsy support person gave you with a grain of salt.  There have been other sellers who have the same problem with that one bad review, but it affects almost all their listings.  It was typically an older review and the sellers had not responded to it.

I don't think there's a real reason why this happens to some and not others.  Why do most of my listings show reviews from 6-7 years ago as the first few reviews instead of more recent ones?  Just the luck of the draw?  I know that doesn't help your situation, but hopefully that review will only show on your newest listing and not continue to be shown on your future new listings.

I would not delete your response to it.  It shows that you're available to help a buyer with a problem.  Delete the response and it looks like you didn't care.

[SvgCraftFiles]

Thank you for checking my listings and for your response. What you are saying makes sense and sometimes random reviews appear for no reason.

[GrandGear]

I can see it first or second up when you check out a listing in your shop, but not when I just go to your shop page. Although it's a bummer as all bad reviews are, your response does put you in a very good light. If there's such a thing as good coming from a bad review, I'd say it's happened here. Your response is very reassuring to future customers. Why Etsy has positioned it there is rather puzzling, but you are not the first seller who has reported this in the forums of late. Other sellers have experienced the same thing with finding old 1 star reviews being placed first or second.   

[SvgCraftFiles]

It is very puzzling indeed! Thank you for reassuring me about my reply putting me in a good light

[TagTeams]

I clicked on a random listing & yes, it's the very 1st review.  However, I thought, other than getting her name wrong, you gave a very professional response & still offered to work with buyer.  That's a good look!
If reply can't be removed by you, maybe etsy will remove it after you explain your error in her name..?

[GrandGear]

OP got the buyer's name right. The buyer was Samantha. Gina wrote the response. Looks fine to me.

[TagTeams]

My bad.  I read the name above review rather than the one below.  So sorry!

[SvgCraftFiles]

Thanks so much! I hope customers think it is a good look too

[CuriosAnCollectibles]

If it was a "chat" person that gave you this information I'd say they knowledge is very, very limited.

They've never understood or even been able to help me with a query /problem and on one occasion gave me totally false information.

In my experience a review comes to the top when you renew/list a similar item as the one the review applies to. 

[SvgCraftFiles]

Hmm okay. Maybe I will stop copying the listing to make a new listing! I shall see if that does anything. Thanks!

[SaltoftheArt]

100% agree

Currently, I've been involved in messages with a person who claims they are mentally unstable and shouldn't be shopping online and all Etsy chat can tell me is to "block them"

"But they keep buying from me?"

"well keep cancelling"

Thanks alot Etsy Chat!

[SunnytyDE]

I agree with the above responses but I don’t agree with the rep saying that you can’t reply to a positive review. I have a friend with a store and the same thing happened with her replying to a 2 star. It kept showing up first. Not in the overall but on individual listings. She then replied to a bunch of 5 stars thanking customers for the purchase and then those started showing up on top. 

[SvgCraftFiles]

Wow I didn't even realize you could reply to a positive review! Thanks so much for your reply! I will try this

[ZehOriginalArt]

@SvgCraftFiles 

Please report back and let us know if it helped so we can tell others who have this problem in future.

[SvgCraftFiles]

About how long did it take for that to change?