Fulfillment is about to begin! Time to confirm addresses and lock down orders!
almost 2 years ago
– Fri, May 06, 2022 at 01:38:15 AM
Hello, puzzle-mug-lovers!
We are very happy to announce that the mugs have escaped the Shanghai lockdown, and have arrived from the factory to our fulfillment partner, VFI Asia!
This update is about getting them and any add-ons to you - please take a few minutes to read the entirety of this update before sending us any questions. If you do have questions, please use the KS system to send them:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rain-ludibooster/conundrumug/messages/new?message%5Bto%5D=rain-ludibooster
Before we go on with the next steps (finalizing survey, charging cards, locking orders, confirming addresses), here are some images and footage that the factory sent us from when the mugs were being produced and packaged:
So, onwards to details about fulfillment! As a reminder, to contact us about any of this, please use this link to access the KS messaging system:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rain-ludibooster/conundrumug/messages/new?message%5Bto%5D=rain-ludibooster
Fulfillment - general notes
All mugs will be shipped from VFI Asia, from China.
There will be shipping notifications via email, with tracking codes. Please note that tracking is frequently off - sometimes it may show your package as on its way, when it is already in your hands.
As indicated in previous updates, each mug will be shipped in its packaging (the white boxes you see in the photos and videos above). We already tested it by shipping the prototypes across Europe, and it worked perfectly, preserving the integrity of the mug. However, the packaging itself may have scuffs, punctures or other general cosmetic issues. This is why we came up with the "gift packaging", which has the fulfillment center placing the mug in an outer box meant to preserve the pretty packaging so you can give it as a gift - this can be added on to your pledge in Backerkit.
The Journal 29 books will be shipped from our partner LudiCreations, from Finland. These are not tracked (which is how they can still be sent affordably), but this method has had great results for us. In the off chance something is not delivered, it is returned.
Next steps
The final date for locking down add-on orders, charging cards and confirming addresses is:
Thursday, 12 May 2022
Two days before that, on Tuesday the 10th, there will be a warning email sent out from Backerkit. Approximately 48 hours after that, cards will be charged and the contents of your Backerkit cart and the address on record will be locked down automatically.
To check your Backerkit survey response and cart, please visit this page:
There you can get access to your survey, modify any add-ons (additional packaging, more mugs, Journal 29 books, etc.) and re-check your address.
Following the 12th, we will assemble all backer information and hand it over to VFI, who will then package and send the mugs.
At the same time, the book fulfillment will begin. This means that you will receive two different packages, if you have Journal 29 books as add-ons. Note that if you have ordered multiple copies, they may come in multiple envelopes (e.g. 3 books will come in two envelopes).
As soon as all the mugs and all the books have been sent, we will post an "everything is shipped" update. We will try to get photos from VFI of the mugs getting fulfilled, but it is not always possible. We will definitely get photos of the books being packed.
What if I am moving or going on vacation?
If you are unsure of your address for the period of May - July 2022, you can either modify your address to have the rewards sent to a friend or family member, or contact us to have us reset your survey so that you can complete it when you are ready.
To contact us, please use this link:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rain-ludibooster/conundrumug/messages/new?message%5Bto%5D=rain-ludibooster
Address format & other details
The backer survey had an intro text full of terms & conditions to which each backer had to answer "yes" in order to have their rewards fulfilled. Here is that text:
SHIPPING TIMES & DELIVERY ISSUES
If you are going to be moving or going to be away from home in the period of October 2021 - January 2022 (correction: Now May - July 2022), please give a friend's or a relative's address. If you are not sure, simply do not complete this survey until you are. The reason for the range is that shipments sometimes take a while to reach you, especially in areas with problematic local delivery.
Note that delivery time may vary depending on your local postal service. Other backers, even in the same country, the same city, or seemingly farther away from you may receive the shipment before you do. Although you might receive it a lot sooner than that, please allow at least 8 weeks after the date we ship before enquiring about your shipment. After that, we need to wait a few weeks more to see if the package will be returned to us.
Please note that we can not guarantee a particular delivery time. The reason is simple: We do not control delivery. We always try to do the best for you, and want you rewards delivered even more than you do. Please know that once the fulfillment centers hand off the packages to the delivery service providers, we all need to allow enough time for the system to work. And the system sometimes works in mysterious ways, especially in such times as we are living in.
Please double-check your information, as any mistakes will result in additional costs for you. E.g. if you made a mistake with your address and the package is lost, you will need to pay the full cost of a replacement. If your package is returned to us marked as not having been picked up at the post office, if delivery was refused at your address, or if the address was incomplete, you will need to pay the shipping cost again.
IMPORTANT: ADDRESS FORMAT
Please complete the form with latin alphabet letters only, and do not use any non-standard characters (ä, ö, å, etc.) - if you do, and the package is lost, you will need to pay the full cost of a replacement. Simply replace them with their basic latin equivalents (e.g. ä -> a, å -> a and ø -> o).
The reason for this is that when the address data is entered to varying types of shipping software that different fulfillment providers use, these special characters often do not transfer, and the address is turned into gibberish.
NOTE: If you have entered your address as asked above, Backerkit may suggest an address *with* those special characters added back in. Please ignore that and keep your entered address.
Please do not put duplicate information in the address fields - since the fulfillment process is automated, a long address may not fit in the shipping label. Also, please see the note above about using the latin alphabet only.
Questions?
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. Here is that link for the KS messaging system again:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rain-ludibooster/conundrumug/messages/new?message%5Bto%5D=rain-ludibooster
Thank you again for your patience! We're almost there!
Production nearly complete, fulfillment to start soon!
about 2 years ago
– Fri, Mar 11, 2022 at 10:31:25 PM
Greetings, mystery mug enthusiasts!
Yes, it’s been a while! We really, really, really wanted to update you earlier, but we have found it challenging to extract reliable information from our suppliers, and we did not want to go from deadline to deadline. Still, if you are upset at the lack of updates, you are completely justified in doing so.
As we have been recounting to those that have reached out, the global supply chain disruptions that have occurred in the last year or so have also affected the production facilities in China. Coupled with the difficulty in shipping products out, getting raw materials in has led to severe delays in production in all sorts of products, from cars to consoles, and everything in between.
But despair not, dear backer, for we have excellent news for you!
The delays have been resolved, and the factory has now shipped to us the first mugs off the line, complete with the product case(s), and we are very proud, and very happy to show these off to you:
Let’s open one and take a closer look, shall we?
That’s right, they are really ready for final production & assembly, and we are ecstatic with the quality!
The case manages to attain the balance between protection & weight that we have been seeking, and the hard-yet-flexible plastic window still allows the mug to be viewed while still being protective enough to sustain it in its journey to you. You will note that the window is smaller than the one shown in the previous backer update, which is something that we asked for in order to minimize the potential for damage.
Please note that the above pictured case is designed to *protect* the mug itself. It is not designed to be gift-ready packaging, which is why we have added the option for anyone that would like to give this as a gift to ask for additional outer packaging in the backer survey. More on the backer survey later in this backer update!
Here is a closeup of the mug itself, with the J29 edition at the top, and the Butterfly edition below:
The bad news (for us) is that the smaller window of the packaging has also led to more cardboard, which is more heavy than plastic, resulting in the whole package to be more expensive to ship than anticipated (about 80 gr / 2.8 oz). Regardless, this is not your problem, and no extra shipping costs will be assessed - just letting you know what is going on behind the scenes.
Next steps
Final assembly & packing should be completed at around the end of March / beginning of April, according to the factory. Therefore, it is time to proceed with the fulfillment of your rewards, including the Journal 29 and Journal 29 Revelation books added on.
About those, the new print run has now reached our book fulfillment partner in Finland, and will be shipped from there globally using priority mail.
The mugs will be shipped as planned, directly from China. Please keep this in mind as you receive shipping notification emails with tracking information for them.
Fulfillment / Backerkit
To check your address information to make sure it is up to date, and to confirm your desired add-ons, please visit the Backerkit page for this project:
https://conundrumug.backerkit.com
You can click on “Log in to your Backer Account »” and log in with your Kickstarter email address, or ask for a new survey invitation email to be sent to you.
Please do this now, so that you get ahead of any final notifications to update your address and credit card for shipping cost payment, which is the next step.
In about 10-14 days we will have Backerkit send a “locking-down-the-addresses” email, giving 48 hours for everyone to re-check their information and submit any final changes.
Please make sure that your address is correct, because any returned packages that need to be reshipped will result in additional shipping costs that need to be paid.
Then, as we get final confirmation that production is ready and that the mugs can be picked up by our fulfillment provider in China, we will have Backerkit charge cards for shipping & add-on costs, after which we will be all clear to proceed with shipments.
Some time after that you will receive an automated shipping confirmation email & tracking link - about the mugs. Once more, any books will be shipped separately from Finland.
If you have any questions about logging in to your survey response or about anything else, please contact us via KS message:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rain-ludibooster/conundrumug/new?message%5Bto%5D=rain-ludibooster
Many thanks for your support and continued patience as we work to get this beautiful mug to you!
Here we go! Production progress & Backer surveys!
almost 3 years ago
– Thu, Jul 01, 2021 at 10:44:32 AM
Hello everyone!
Thank you so much for your patience as we got set up with production and fulfillment. In this update we will talk about the process of getting your address and add-on information via Backerkit, our post-campaign backer management partner.
We wanted to get everything as ready as possible before we send out the surveys and commit to the process we need to use. This was especially true these days where the Covid situation has upended international logistics and disrupted production worldwide.
With that said, here is a sneak peak at our growing collection of prototypes:
The photo is also useful in showing you how the standard packaging for one CONUNDRUMUG will look like - a cardboard cube with a window on the corner. Note that this will have graphics and branding on it - this was just a test.
We have tested shipping this across Europe, and the mug arrived perfectly intact - the packaging did its job. However, please note that this packaging will likely be scuffed and possibly crumpled in transit, something quite unavoidable, so we can afford to make the mugs at the price point we set.
The intention is to get the mug there safely. We understand that some of you would like to give the mug(s) as a gift, without any address label or scuffs. This is why we have come up with the idea of enclosing the packaging in even more outer packaging that can take the wear and tear instead.
In the survey you will be asked if you would like to add more external protective packaging to the shipment - plain shipping cardboard. This will cost us $5, regardless of the package having one or two mugs, so this is what this option will cost in the survey - this makes the Bundle an even cheaper per-mug option.
And speaking of the survey...
Backerkit
The invitation to the survey will come via an email message from Backerkit - it will be coming to your email inbox.
First, an important note: The Smoke Test
Although we will trigger the survey email a few moments after this update is published, the survey will first only go to 5% of backers. 24 hours after that, barring any issues, the other 95% will be sent out.
So please wait 48 hours before you get worried. At that point, please check your spam folder, and let us know with a KS message if you have not received it, by clicking here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rain-ludibooster/conundrumug/new?message%5Bto%5D=rain-ludibooster
You do not need to create a BackerKit account to fill out your survey. But it really helps keep track of campaigns you have backed, and cuts down on blind mass-emailing of all creators with address changes.
When you receive the email with the survey, click the survey link to respond. Answer the questions about your reward preferences, provide shipping information, and purchase add-on items if you like.
After you respond to the survey, you can go back later and change your responses at any time before we close the surveys and get our final counts.
We expect to close the surveys shortly before the rewards are shipped, in November 2021. We will be publishing another backer update before that happens.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://conundrumug.backerkit.com. Again, please wait until the "smoke test" period has passed before you worry.
If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey is sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account.
Address Format
IMPORTANT: Please check the format of your address.
Please complete the form with latin alphabet letters only, and do not use any non-standard characters (ä, ö, å, etc.), or commas (,) - if you do, and the package is lost, you will need to pay the full cost of a replacement. Simply replace them with their basic latin equivalents (e.g. ä -> a, å -> a and ø -> o).
NOTE: Even if you have entered your address as asked above, Backerkit may still suggest an address *with* those special characters added back in. Please ignore that and keep your entered address.
There's more in that intro question you need to know and agree to before we can ship your rewards to you.
Questions?
If you have any issues with your pledge, if you have any questions about Backerkit, please contact us via the KS messaging system.
Thank you so much for supporting weird projects like this one! We know we have a lot to live up to, and we will do our best!
70 85 78 68 69 68 !
almost 3 years ago
– Fri, May 07, 2021 at 05:28:59 PM
P.S.: KS1?
