Fulfillment Updates and Replacement Parts
almost 6 years ago – Tue, Dec 11, 2018 at 11:56:04 PM

The two biggest issues right now are, of course, fulfillment to EU and AU, and replacement parts. So I want to update the status and reiterate the process to make sure everyone is satisfied.

EU Fulfillment: GamesQuest has indeed started fulfillment. As of this update, they have gotten approximately 1,000 (or a quarter) of their orders processed. Indeed, we have already seen some folks receiving their games, and those reports should ramp up as we move forward. We expect them to make good headway this week, and they've assured us they'll be done by Christmas. (Now, my understanding is that they mean shipped by Christmas not received by Christmas, but we don't know where that split lies right now.) I've also seen some questions about specific countries. My understanding is that shipments are not being processed by country, so that should not enter into where you are in the queue.

AU Fulfillment: Aetherworks are through about 90% of their orders. They should have them all sent out by next week and expect them to be received in time for Christmas. So, if you don't have notification yet, no reason to panic.

US/Canada Fulfillment: Shipping has been completed for US and Canada. If you are in one of those regions and have not received your game and you did fill out your BackerKit survey with your address, please contact [email protected] and have them check on your order. If you never filled out your BackerKit survey, that would explain why you haven't received your order; you can fill it out now, and we will get your order processed ASAP.

Replacement Parts: Nothing much to add from my prior post, except to say that we are still waiting on the replacement parts from our manufacturer. We expect to get those in next week and will get to work ASAP on filling those requests. In the meantime, we have cannibalized our own inventory to try and fulfill what we can from that. Importantly, if you have not heard anything, no need to worry as we have not begun in earnest.

I am reposting the procedure from the prior update so you have all the info you need here:

1. If you have a shipping problem, regardless of your region, please contact Quartermaster Logistics directly at [email protected]. (EXAMPLE: your order shows as delivered, but you never received it, the shipping address is incorrect.)

2. If you are missing an entire product from your order or if an entire product has been damaged, please contact Quartermaster Logistics directly at [email protected]. Note that these "products" are the individual items (Treasure Trove, painted minis, sleeves, promo card, deluxe marbles,etc.) and not just the base game and expansions. (EXAMPLE: you were never shipped your Treasure Trove, your Last Adventurer box was crushed, you can't find your Secret Cabal promo card.)

3. If you are have a missing or damaged part of a product, please complete this Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/cxkcgUnSCeJLdE8g2. (EXAMPLE: die is missing a number, a card is misprinted, you are missing a tree trunk.) Please note that I am still waiting on my supply of replacement parts, so I don't know exactly when I'll be able to send these out yet.

4. If you are having a problem dealing with Quartermaster Logistics for any reason or you need any other assistance, please contact me directly at [email protected]. While I do my best to keep up with the general comments here, my KS message inbox, forum posts on BGG, and our social media feeds, formal requests for assistance through those channels will inevitably result in me missing a few. Email is the best way to reach me. 

Replacement Parts at PAXU
almost 6 years ago – Fri, Nov 30, 2018 at 01:26:48 AM

Just a quick update to remind folks we are at PAXU this weekend. We are in booth 2215. If you need a replacement part, you can come by the booth and pick it up. Also, come by if you want to snag a pressed penny or decided to get something you left out of your pledge, such as sleeves or painted minis.

On the downside, of course, I will be slightly less available for comments than normal. I’ll do my best to continue working through your emails and messages. I just ask for a bit of patience and understanding.

Shipping Update, Replacement Reminder, Bonus Discount, and PAXU!
almost 6 years ago – Wed, Nov 28, 2018 at 12:59:53 AM

Hi, everybody. Let's get right to it.

Shipping

US - Is 99% done. We had a few late surveys they are still processing (and are still getting late surveys in as we speak). If you filled out your survey late, it might take another day or two. If not, you should have received your shipping notification. If you didn't, first, make sure you check your spam folder. The shipping notification would be coming from [email protected], not from us. If you don't see one, please email [email protected] directly to inquire about your shipment. You are welcome to email me if you have any issues, but ultimately I have to contact QML anyway, so this cuts out the middleman.

CANADA - Is completely done. Same as above. If you don't have a shipping notification yet, please contact QML directly.

AUSTRALIA - Aetherworks is about halfway through their orders. I'm told there might be a delay in getting the second half done as they are due for a torrential downpour. But, in any case, they should be wrapping up soon as they don't have too many more to get through. However, if you are in Australia and don't have a shipping notification yet, don't panic.

EUROPE - I haven't had too much luck greasing the skids. I was able to have them start getting a few orders out the door, but it still looks like December 10th for them to start in earnest. I know some of you ordered with the intention of giving the game as a Christmas gift. If that is critical to you, please contact me directly, and I will see if I can have your order expedited. Obviously, if we get too many requests, I don't think that will fly, so please be realistic about how important it is to you.

Replacement Parts

Now that most of the games are out, we are obviously seeing reports of damaged or defective components. I think we all know by now that the box is a source of some consternation for many of you. However, I'm worried that the views on the box are coloring some opinions about the rest of the game and components. Let me be clear: If you have damaged or defective components, we will be happy to replace them. If you're complaining that the game is cheap because the marbles aren't round, that's not the case. You just got some defective marbles; let me get you new ones. (It's worth mentioning that the Deluxe Marbles had to be sourced from a third party, not the game manufacturer, and we've been having a higher incidence of defects for that item. I'm guessing the tolerance for abnormal marbles is higher in their ordinary use than we tolerate in tabletop games.)

I know we are seeing a lot of complaints in the comment section these days. I am okay with people expressing their dissatisfaction. We aren't shying away from that. Please keep in mind though that some 20,000 games are now out in the wild. So don't let the fact that some folks have defective or damaged components discourage you about your own game. The incidence of defective or damaged components we are seeing reported are within the normal range for game manufacturing for a game with this many pieces.

To reiterate the two most important action items from the prior update:

1) If you are missing an entire item from your shipment or if an entire items is damaged, please contact [email protected] directly. They are authorized to send out replacements, and you will get it that much quicker.

2) If you have a missing or damaged part of a game, please complete our Part Replacement Form.

We are slowly working our way through these requests. Unfortunately, we are not going to get actual replacement parts from the manufacturer until mid-December. (Another quirk of dealing with a new manufacturer.) However, we have decided to cannibalize our inventory for parts so we can begin fulfilling these requests. We are also trying to prioritize items that inhibit gameplay rather than those that are purely cosmetic. So please keep that in mind and be patient as we work our way through the list.

Bonus Discount

I'm happy to see some of you have already started using your backer discount for some sweet gear. (If you missed that update, go check it out.) Well, we've got another discount for Cyber Week. Until Friday at midnight, you can get a 10% discount on everything in our store, including games. Use the promo code RESTORE10. And, yes, this should stack with your backer discount. And be sure to check back every so often, as we're adding new items to the store every day. (For our foreign backers, I am working on trying to get the store updated so you all can buy gear as well.)

PAXU

Finally, we'll be heading up to Chilly Philly this weekend for PAX Unplugged. If you're there, please stop by the booth and say hi and be sure to get your genuine pressed penny to replace your souvenir penny token. (You can also pick up some of the extras if you changed your mind on them.) We'll also have a fun selfie station so you can pretend your somewhere nice and warm -- well, maybe a little too warm.

Flaming Red Friday!
almost 6 years ago – Sat, Nov 24, 2018 at 01:20:19 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Replacement Parts, Warped Boards, and that Box!
almost 6 years ago – Wed, Nov 21, 2018 at 01:26:48 AM

Now that you all are starting to get your games, we also start seeing the usual fulfillment hiccups. In any production run, there are going to be issues. Please understand that, as always, we stand behind our products and strive for complete customer satisfaction. I can't guarantee you won't have problems, but I can guarantee we will do our best to fix them.

I want to start with a quick thank-you to our "helper-backers", who jump in and answer questions on the comment stream. It's difficult for me to keep up with it all the time, and I appreciate the assistance in making sure folks are getting their questions answered.

Replacement Parts

If you have a problem, please make sure you are contacting the right party in the right way. This will help us remedy that problem as quickly as possible.

1. If you have a shipping problem, please contact Quartermaster Logistics directly at [email protected]. (EXAMPLE: your order shows as delivered, but you never received it, the shipping address is incorrect.)

2. If you are missing an entire product from your order or if an entire product has been damaged, please contact Quartermaster Logistics directly at [email protected]. Note that these "products" are the individual items (Treasure Trove, painted minis, sleeves, promo card, deluxe marbles,etc.) and not just the base game and expansions. (EXAMPLE: you were never shipped your Treasure Trove, your Last Adventurer box was crushed, you can't find your Secret Cabal promo card.)

3. If you are have a missing or damaged part of a product, please complete this Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/cxkcgUnSCeJLdE8g2. (EXAMPLE: die is missing a number, a card is misprinted, you are missing a tree trunk.) Please note that I am still waiting on my supply of replacement parts, so I don't know exactly when I'll be able to send these out yet.

4. If you are having a problem dealing with Quartermaster Logistics for any reason or you need any other assistance, please contact me directly at [email protected].

While I do my best to keep up with the general comments here, my KS message inbox, forum posts on BGG, and our social media feeds, formal requests for assistance through those channels will inevitably result in me missing a few. Email is the best way to reach me.

EDIT: There is no time limit on our customer service. Doesn't matter if you're waiting to open the game for Christmas or lose a token next summer. We will get it fixed.

Let's talk about some specific comments that seem to be coming up more frequently.

Warped Boards

I previously talked about small differences between each person's board. I meant exactly that. These are tiny discrepancies that give the board character. On one board, a marble might tend to go left at one branch, where it might tend to go right at the same branch on another board. I was not referring to major deformations in the board that inhibit play.

The most likely board defect you might see is warping. These island trays are unique game components, made using an uncommon manufacturing technique. In other words, the same thing that makes the game unique is what can result in these imperfections. The boards do not need to sit completely flush on the table. A gap of a couple of millimeters or so is perfectly normal and should not affect play at all. Larger gaps can hamper play and also look bad. Likewise, slight shifts on the image are to be expected. The trays have been designed to allow for some tolerance in this area without significantly affecting play. Of course, major shifts are unacceptable. There can also be very thin "voids" in the image. They might look like a small scratch, but they are actually a natural part of the manufacturing process. Generally, these are invisible to the naked eye in normal use. Larger voids are unacceptable.

Ultimately, you will have to be the judge as to whether or not your board needs replacing. Play on it and see how it works for you. In the end, if your board is defective, please let us know, and we will replace it. (See Number 3 above.)

That Box

Time to talk about the box. Clearly this did not land. We hear you. This was something we were split on in-house, but we decided to give it a try. No doubt, in retrospect, this was the wrong decision. However, I'm seeing some language being thrown around suggesting this was a "con job" or a "money grab" or ascribing some sort of malicious intent. It absolutely was not. We did not think you all would have this negative reaction to it. If we had, we wouldn't have gone that route. Honestly, we're pretty devastated at the reception.

It is also worth adding that the box is not "flimsy" or "cheap". I've even seen a prediction that it won't last through Christmas. I understand that it might feel that way because of the pre-folds or the unprinted interior or it's overall lightness. However, that's objectively incorrect. The box is corrugated cardboard, which is the type of cardboard used in the shipping cartons themselves. It's favored precisely because it is lightweight but extremely sturdy. I will also reiterate that it is 2mm thick, which is a standard box thickness for board games.

The fact is, we can't "unring the bell". Looking forward, we expect the Broken Token folks to have something for you all soon. We hadn't previously announced this, but it seems like a good time now: We already agreed to waive any licensing fee on their insert solution and have that applied to the backer discount. (We agreed to do this before we saw the reaction to the box.) And we will continue to discuss other options moving forward.

Shipping Update

Finally, I wanted to update you on the status of the EU shipments. GamesQuest has the games in their warehouse. As I understand it, it's really just a matter of being understaffed and already behind on other projects. We have attempted to work with them to try and find a solution, including paying additional funds to secure additional or overtime staffing (like we did with Snakes & Lattes). So far, that has not panned out. They are currently slated to start delivering around December 10th. I don't have a good answer yet on how long they expect the shipments to take to complete. I can only reiterate that we used them previously on our Stop Thief! Kickstarter without incident. I will continue to update you regularly as more information comes in.

Canada and Australia should be starting any day. And we're about 70% of the way through our US fulfillment -- which means there are still plenty to get through. Shipping order is not based on geographic location or backer number. If you haven't gotten your shipping notice, there is no need to be concerned yet.

Finally...

We are working hard to start delivering some of the other items on the list. We are looking toward Cyber Monday to release the font, to officially launch the merchandise store (along with your backer discount), and to roll out the first version of the app. (And Rob and I are still plugging away at the D&D module.)

Thanks to everyone for sharing your photos and stories online. It keeps us plugging along, even when we're knee-deep in customer service.