Complete all zones, Reaper Bones 3: US Zone Complete

[Laoke]

5 minutes ago, Harrek said:

I also feel Reaper's frustration as they got beat on for not having a EU friendly kick starter.  So they come up with a solution and now they are getting grief for having a EU friendly kick starter!

 

True, but I would point out that the reason they're getting grief about it is the same reason they got when they changed the ROW shipping options in KS 1 & KS 2 - namely, a failure in communication.

 

Speaking for myself, the worst part about those campaigns was the lack of communication around ROW shipping and what was going on.  Is it better this time around?  In some way yes, absolutely.  On others?  Not much has changed and we're left guessing as to what's going on.

It simply comes down to this, for me at least.  I took ownership of the shipping and handled it myself.  I had my shipments a minimum of a month before the 'official' shipping reached Australia to be reshipped to NZ, and the price was comparable with no duties to be paid.  I had my Bones in hand before they started selling them through the Reaper website.  I think we'd all agree that's a pretty substantial difference in experience.

And look, there are undoubtedly really good reasons why all of those things happened - I can see possible reasons for every single decision.  What I can't see is a compelling reason for not keeping the ROW backers informed.  An update before the Bones III went into retail laying out why non-backers would be seeing them before backers would have done a lot to calm things down.  An explanation of how the ROW shipping was going to work ahead of time, likewise.  A commitment on exactly what duties were being paid (I still don't know, for example, if NZ shipments will be charged duty or GST) would have helped.  And I don't think it's asking to much to politely point this out and gently suggest that communications might want to be looked at again.

 

[Harrek]

37 minutes ago, Laoke said:

Speaking for myself, the worst part about those campaigns was the lack of communication around ROW shipping and what was going on.  Is it better this time around?  In some way yes, absolutely.  On others?  Not much has changed and we're left guessing as to what's going on.

 

I did say EU and not AU!  

 

But I remember many messages about shipping outside of North America.  But I do have to say I didn't pay a lot of attention to details and such as it did not effect me.  So I really can't speak to the exact details and the level of communication.  I do know they did pack and ship all of the ROW packages to their partners before doing any NA stuff.  Which I know upset many NA people (not me, I understand completely why they did).  So they did what they could to expedite it.

Edited July 17, 2017 by Harrek

[Edsterdoom]

I think the delay is sweetened by the lack of import duty for most people. It's more the lack of comms and movement once delivered to the uk which is frustrating. 

[Glamberry]

The fact that many people seem to think that the packages are out of their hand kind of proves the point of poor communication. The distributor in the UK is reaper owned. They have shipped roughly 200 packages in two weeks, because there is only a single person at the warehouse and they had issues with the carrier DPD.

Those things were never mentioned in official update emails but only left on the ks comment section and that only after very pressing questions. Someone called RHQ Zombie Co a dodgey company which is why Reaper clarified. 

[Edsterdoom]

1 minute ago, Glamberry said:

The fact that many people seem to think that the packages are out of their hand kind of proves the point of poor communication. The distributor in the UK is reaper owned. They have shipped roughly 200 packages in two weeks, because there is only a single person at the warehouse and they had issues with the carrier DPD.

Those things were never mentioned in official update emails but only left on the ks comment section and that only after very pressing questions. Someone called RHQ Zombie Co a dodgey company which is why Reaper clarified. 

 

I agree with that there was a vague mention of a U.K. Branch of the company in a update a long while ago. But it may have been for CAV 2 or the other Kickstarter 

[Glitterwolf]

I know I would have been less ( or even not ) upset if communications had been realistic.

Once the update told us we could expect our stuff within two weeks, I was happy with it.

The moment it turned out to be unrealistic, because there was only one employee handling it all, I got a bit fed up.

 

And yes, I'm also annoyed by getting stuff later then people who didn't back.

As for speed, when I order from a German Webshop, I have my Reaper stuff in 3 days.

When I order directly from Reaper USA, I always make sure to get the free shipping, I receive my orders in 11 days.

Right now, my pledge is waiting in the UK and it seems to be another 3 weeks at least before I get it.

 

Retail will mean a higher price. However, in the KS I tend to order more.

 

I'm usually very patient about KS , I know delays are inevitable.

All I aks is accurate communications.

I can understand how Reaper might have miscalculated and all.

Still it bothers me right now.

And this is of course a personal treat...I can get "meh" about such things when it crosses a red line.

 

Right now, in my view this has happened.

I know Bones III will arrive eventually, but I no longer feel joy when I think about it.

That's why I won't back Bones IV.

I will look and drool over new sculpts. And then I will patiently wait to see which models will hit the store eventually.

Then I might pick up what I want by then.

 

As soon as I don't feel the fun anymore, I quit.

 

Edited July 17, 2017 by Xherman1964

[Nunae]

I understand the frustration so many RoW people are feeling right now quite well, and it kinda dampens my own excitement for Bones IV. I haven't backed any Bones KS so far, so I'm not personally hit by this, but I would be if this happens again.

 

Tbf, the German webstores I look at are still in pre order mode for the Bones III, and it's just a very limited selection, and it will probably take over a year to have everything in the stores. But it does suck nevertheless for the backers still wating.

[Beagle]

They're just toys, they're on their way. When they get here I'll have fun with them.

If Reaper had walked off with hundreds of my dollars (6 Kickstarers and counting for me where this has happened), then I'd be annoyed 

[Glitterwolf]

5 hours ago, Beagle said:

They're just toys, they're on their way. When they get here I'll have fun with them.

If Reaper had walked off with hundreds of my dollars (6 Kickstarers and counting for me where this has happened), then I'd be annoyed 

 

That's true.

I know they will come in the end.

 

However I doubt if I will back B-IV.

I still think backers should get their stuff first before it all hits retail.

And then there is the political stuff to consider.

Brexit could mean, back to US shipping only, I can go along with that.

But..the main manufacturer is China. Two years from now, looking at the tension rising in that region, I don't know.

All in all I guess I'm going to play it safe.

 

 

Then again, I might be overthinking things.

( I tend to do that)

 

Nobody knows what the world will look like in 2 years from now.

 

I could reconsider backing Bones IV, depends on my mood to be honest.

See, I will be going on vacation in august.

If B-III has arrived before I leave and before B-IV launches, I might reconsider.

However if I still feel kinda meh by then, I will ride it out.

 

Unless the evil masterminds at Reaper include Meso-American and / or Prehistorics in B-IV, then I might be lost.

 

We'll see I guess.

I wish I got my email notice.

[Nunae]

they seem to be picking up the pace considerably though, 63 orders shipped today so far.

[CrazyK]

Still eagerly awaiting any form of email from Aetherworks.  Every time I look at my phone or email for that message to say order is on the way and there is nothing.  My interest in Bones IV and supporting Reaper in general just keeps growing smaller and smaller.  

 

Insult to injury is that I realized that with Bones II one of the dragons I pledged for had two left wings, I messaged Reaper back then about it, expecting eventually a replacement.  At that point I just put the mini to the side and forgot about it amongst the many unpainted minis.   Needed to paint it up last weekend.  Went to do it and then realized the problem hadn't been resolved.  So failure for Reaper for Bones II.  I searched emails hoping to find something I might have read half asleep and put in a folder.  But I never even got a response.  Hopefully this time Reaper will be more responsive with Bones III stuff ups.

 

Also hopefully they might answer the shady dealings with shipping in some way.   A refund before Bones IV hits would be really good.   At least it would mean some goodwill would have been extended to the many disgruntled backers.

[Pampala]

I have to admit, that I felt just like Xherman, but then I noticed this:

 

yet I will think twice about the B-IV.

 

Edited July 17, 2017 by Pampala

[Glamberry]

1 hour ago, CrazyK said:

Also hopefully they might answer the shady dealings with shipping in some way.   A refund before Bones IV hits would be really good.   At least it would mean some goodwill would have been extended to the many disgruntled backers.

 

I honestly doubt that they will do anything like that. I have not seen a single reply to any of those comments here or on the ks. They have been pretty much ignored.

 

If they did anything like that I'd happily back bones 4 too. I wouldn't be worried about it happening again if I know they'll set things straight.

[Harrek]

7 hours ago, Glamberry said:

The fact that many people seem to think that the packages are out of their hand kind of proves the point of poor communication. The distributor in the UK is reaper owned. They have shipped roughly 200 packages in two weeks, because there is only a single person at the warehouse and they had issues with the carrier DPD.

Those things were never mentioned in official update emails but only left on the ks comment section and that only after very pressing questions. Someone called RHQ Zombie Co a dodgey company which is why Reaper clarified. 

 

No, I am fully aware of that.  But either way the packages ARE out of hand from the US Reaper people and they need to continue on with their business knowing that their EU branch has the product in hand and is doing their best to work on fulfillment in a timely manner.  After all with Bones 4 they do need to schedule time, plan for production with China, make molds, target fulfillment dates, and fit into a schedule of many other events they and their manufacturing partners have.  They can't just keep putting it off or they end up having setbacks and problems and people jump all over them again!

 

The problems with doing an update without exact 100% certified facts in hand has also brought grief to Reaper constantly.  So I also understand why they don't just put out updates at times as well.  It's amazing how well they wordsmith a clear response only to have it torn apart by someone and dragged through the mud.  But then we are all gamers at heart, so they is probably not surprising.  I'd think perhaps only a forum of lawyers might be worse!  But again, if Reaper gives updates, they get yelled at, if they don't give updates, they get yelled at.  So seems to me they are taking the route of the product is in hand and being processed and trying to move on with business.

[ladystorm]

4 hours ago, CrazyK said:

Insult to injury is that I realized that with Bones II one of the dragons I pledged for had two left wings, I messaged Reaper back then about it, expecting eventually a replacement.  At that point I just put the mini to the side and forgot about it amongst the many unpainted minis.   Needed to paint it up last weekend.  Went to do it and then realized the problem hadn't been resolved.  So failure for Reaper for Bones II.  I searched emails hoping to find something I might have read half asleep and put in a folder.  But I never even got a response.  Hopefully this time Reaper will be more responsive with Bones III stuff ups.

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