Why did my response rate dropped after I didn't respond to message from a seller I purchased from??

[BermudaDunes]

I bought something from a SELLER and they wrote me a  message to say they sent my product but it was going to arrive late because they lied about there shipping times in there listing. I did not respond because this message did not warrant a response from me. This should not affect my Star Seller message response rate as an ETSY SELLER. I respond immediately to any BUYER that messages my etsy store. How do I get this issue fixed and my response rate restored? It has dropped from 100% to 83% just because I did not respond to a message not requiring a response from someone I purchased something from.

[TheVintagePineapple]

Your response rate dropped because you didn't respond to the message.

''Initial messages from both buyers and sellers on Etsy are counted towards the Message response rate.''

How to Become a Star Seller – Etsy Help

[CarpetCollectionAU]

Your Message Metric droppedto 83%  because you failed to answer  an "initial message in a thread" . The relevant word is "message" not "Buyer question"

This has been the was SSP has operated since day 1

"The Message response rate only applies to the first message in a thread. Initial messages from both buyers and sellers on Etsy are counted towards the Message response rate. 

To help keep track of messages you should prioritize for Star Seller metrics, notification badges are displayed on messages which are: 

• A buyer’s first time contacting you
• A new help with order request

Both of these types of messages need to be responded to in 24 hours to be counted positively toward your Star Seller score."

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

[BagmakerSupply]

@BermudaDunes: "Why did my response rate dropped after I didn't respond to message from a seller I purchased from??" Because Etsy says so. As it states right on your Star Seller page and elsewhere, you need to reply to (or mark as SPAM) 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.

[FunkyJunkyVintage]

If you don't want to worry about responding to seller messages the only solution to this is to open a buyer account and order only through there.

[BootifulLabels]

The automated system does not read messages to determine if they need a response (and most sellers would not want it to).  It simply checks the time stamps for receipt and response to see if it was answered on time.  You didn't answer, therefore you were dinged. If you choose to use your shop account to purchase, you will need to answer ALL new messages including those from other sellers about your purchases.  Alternatively, you can set up a separate account for buying and use that whenever you shop on Etsy.  Then your purchases will not mess with your SS status.  Just remember to list both shops in both profiles.