At the time of this update, I am just past the 50% fulfillment mark.
I am having to temporarily pause fulfillment of orders containing Parker while I wait for the remaining plush to arrive, which is estimated to be around September 20th or so. Orders that do NOT contain Parker will continue to be processed as normal. I have roughly 35 orders to process in that segment.
In the previous campaign update, I had requested those who backed for Parker to fill out a survey letting me know if they were okay with receiving a special Parker. 128 backers filled the survey out, and the majority picked Option 1. I just want to let folks who selected option 1 know that I will be processing the store credit sometime in the next couple weeks. For backers who selected option 2, I have made the arrangements to your pledge rewards and processed your pledge as normal. For backers who selected for option 3, I have done my best to pick out perfect Parkers, and anyone further who I was unable to fulfill I have placed 'on hold' temporarily while I work to process the rest of what I can now. Once I get everything in motion, I will remove the hold and process your orders without Parker.
I know this is confusing, and I apologize for it. Here is the current situation for backers who are confused. Parker had a bit of a stanky leg situation resulting in hand-sewn repairs for his legs. The repairs still have some visible blemishes (in addition to some very large heads, or other quirks), and I have made the judgment call to set them aside and not ship them to backers. Steven has submitted a new production batch of Parker plush that will ship with another future order. I also have around 115 Parker's that were pending dispatch (they were also being repaired) and are on their way to me now alongside some straggler stock of Porter, Strawberry, and a handful of costumes. I am hopeful the stock that's on the way will be satisfactory for backers, but should they arrive and I feel they are a tad too scrambled for my comfort (I never want anyone to receive a plush and be upset with the quality!) I will need to process all remaining pledges and ship Parker separately once the new batch arrives, which is estimated to be around 3-4 months from now).
The good news is.. A lot of you have supported multiple campaigns since this one took place, and I feel relatively confident that I can easily pop a Parker into an existing order throughout the campaigns I've ran this year. I will handle and take care of all arrangements for any orders that require this. There is no action needed on your part aside from just your patience. If you have backed a Parker and receive your pledge without him in it, just know that I have already arranged for him to ship in a future order you have open with me! :)
For now: I am kindly asking for your continued patience and understanding.
I understand some folks may have issues with waiting longer, especially folks who this is their first time supporting a Noopy campaign. I apologize for any inconvenience or feelings of frustration and disappointment. I am doing everything I can to get this resolved and find solutions that work for everyone, and continue to keep the conveyer belt system running smoothly.
If you have questions, concerns, or need to express your feelings of frustrations (or if you just want to know your options for refunds or exchanges) or have issues with your order that's arrived, please email me directly.
Operation Save Parker! (Backers of Parker, please read!)
Ahoy Noop Troop! I am hard at work on primping and shipping out orders! Upon closer look at Parker, I have had to make a cautionary recall on at least 70+ Parker Plush. I have slowed down on the fulfillment of orders containing Parker while I work on this update.
Below is the copy & paste of the submission form for Backers of Parker to let me know their desired solution. Please fill out the form here. You can comment below if you desire, but I ask you to do the form as it keeps everything in one tidy spreadsheet for me to easily cross reference. This is wordy, and I apologize in advance for that as I know it can confuse members with visual processing issues or dyslexia.
--
What Happened?
Parker had a production mishap where his right arm/left leg were sewn on incorrectly (they were swapped).
This resulted in Parker needing to be repaired. Repairs are different from remakes, in that the existing plush are not disposed of, which allows the prevention of waste, cost efficiency, ethical labor allocation, and turn around time efficiency.
The repairs were finished, and he was to me as is. These repairs were done by hand, and there is evidence as such with threads being visible (some more than others), and variations in size/length/positioning. We often refer to this as "The Stanky Leg".
Important side-note/Clarification: This is not a guarantee that your order will be affected by this, as I am still taking time to go through each one and seeing which need to be separated. This form should serve as a back-up for if I get through the units here and do not have enough 'perfect' Parkers to fulfill all preorders!
---
The Conundrum We Face
Parker has arrived, and while he looks good for the most part, the unfortunate reality is almost all of them have blemishes that are ranging from subtle to extreme, primarily on and around his leg seams. Though I did my best to get photographs, it's really hard to capture the variations with my phone. If I had to describe it, it would just be that the legs and arms were hand-sewn and there are visible thread stitching in the corners of the seams. The thread is thick, and the tie-off knots are visible on some, though after gently untucking fur from most, it is better blended in visually. I understand this appearance can look unappealing to some of our backers, so I want to offer a solution in the event I am unable to ship a 'perfect' Parker.
The Plan I have:
I have brainstormed 3 possible solutions to help appease our growing community. Please review and let me know your desired solution!
Option 1:
Adopt your Parker as is. I will continue to do my best to only send the most unique and as little blemished as possible, but you'll still have the likelihood of receiving a unique Parker plush with a unique leggy, with visible hand-stitching on or around the leg seam. As a thank you for welcoming his unique appearance into your life, I will happily provide a $10 store credit to use in my shop (issued to your email provided). This can be used towards anything, including upcoming Noopy releases and left over drops.
Option 2:
Swap your Parker out for a different plush that is coming soon. We have a large variety of Noopy plush coming in stock in the following weeks, and I'd be happy to swap him out for a different style. Please note however, this will require me to make a separate order and it may have to ship later in the future. Additional shipping fees may need to be collected, but I will provide a small discount for the trouble.
You will be refunded for any difference in price!
Option 3:
Not in a hurry to receive a perfect Parker? No worries at all. I can send you your Parker with an upcoming reorder! I do plan to place an entirely new small batch of Parkers, specifically to accommodate those who want a perfect Parker in their collection! I will ship any remaining shippable items in your order as normal.
I plan to host a "Operation No Noopy Left Behind" sale for the severely flawed Parker plush at a discounted price to help me offset the cost to produce a new batch to fulfill any orders that opt for this option. Note however, that their tentative arrival is at least 4-5 months out.
I am extremely grateful for our community, and the support everyone provides when these types of hiccups occur.
Parker is still extremely cute, and most members can attest that I tend to over-exaggerate issues, but it is part of my dedication to transparency that I want to communicate clearly how they're looking! His leggies are just a wee-bit over scrambled this time around!
Visible sewing threads/misaligned seams along crotch area
We have around 40 Stanky leg Parkers!
Example of a Stanky leg
I will be behind the scenes working on shipping all other orders and checking back with backers of Parker to update and process their orders as needed!
I have fantastic news. It seems the CPSC registration I did was a success and, instead of the plush taking 3+ weeks to arrive, they have instead landed and been cleared in record breaking time: 17 days! They’ve landed in Illinois and should make their final arrival to me on Monday!
Address locking has commenced!! Backers should have been notified to double check and make any last minute address changes. Please be sure to do that! I will be locking addresses on Monday morning!
I celebrated my 38th birthday yesterday and this was honestly one of the more relieving aspects of my week. It definitely allowed me more mental peace to enjoy my day. Fingers crossed that this means future shipments should arrive within a similar timeframe!!
Shipping Fees Collected & Plush Have Dispatched To Me!
Hello Noop Troop!
This is a quick update to let backers know that Steven has processed 5 cartons of Noops to me.
Upcoming Transit Timeline changes:
Recent changes to how goods are imported from overseas have resulted in a significant delay and backlog in businesses importing goods from overseas.
This change now requires all retailers and businesses (big or small) to create an online account and efile all customs documents that otherwise is typically only needed on a case by case basis.
This change is good in practice (it protects children and consumers from dangerous products and bootleg merchandise), but the shift in routine is causing a huge backlog at the border as they work to implement the system and work to get importers compliant.
There are a lot of speculations on goods being destroyed upon arrival, and understandably some fear amongst small business owners that their shipments may be destroyed due to “non compliance”.. the reality is: That isn’t as common as people might think, and importers are given plenty of heads up in the scenario they need to provide adequate documentation before the destruction of their goods. This type of practice is done with bootleg merchandise, or goods that have illegal substances in them. This is not a normal procedure for small batch imports.
I do not fear our goods being destroyed, just worry about the unpredictability right now with the final clearing times.
For added context, Franklin was our first shipment to suffer from these changes. He had landed at the port on the 10th of June, but his inspection took until June 25th to clear, effectively resulting in an almost 2 month transit time (he dispatched from China on May 15th or so).
What this means going forward: Right now, this just means that production arrival ETA’s will be shifted from 23-28 days, to now 35-40 days. I figure the longer I pre-estimate the arrival, the better it will be for transparency with backers.
Please be patient with businesses and small businesses like myself. I have started the process of getting my account registered (and at the time of this update got confirmation that my account is established and filed for small batch manufacturing), but understandably, thousands of people are doing the same, so the process is slower than expected.
I am tremendously thankful for the patience everyone has shown. Noopy’s growth has been great, and I have been doing everything I can to carefully adjust and navigate the growth in a scalable way that ensures the integrity of the brand continues to stay strong alongside it. There are bound to be setbacks and some goofs along the way, but as many of you can attest, I will always do what I can to take care of you and your order. A positive experience is something I strive for. A moment of positivity. A moment of compassion. And a moment of love.
Thank you for supporting me and my silly little guys. I am so excited to get them to you. 💕
I’ll be back in touch soon with hopefully more good news!
Shipping Fees Processing Now & Some Costumes Arrived!
Hello everyone!
This is a quick update to let backers know I have begun charging for shipping fees. Currently, I have processed about 156/350 backers shipping fees. Please anticipate your payment methods being charged if you have not already been!
If there's been a goof somewhere with your order, please reach out to me via email and I will get that remedied asap!
Costumes are arriving!
I have received the Trash Can containers and Burger costumes so far. The others are in transit to me now!
Steven is double checking the plush and will be shipping what he can to me.
Full transparency: There has been a lot of delays at the port due to recent changes in how customs and border control are processing incoming shipments from overseas. There are new protocols and processes being implemented to help expedite the customs inspection process, but the transition is taking additional time, resulting in delays at the port. These delays vary anywhere from +5 days to 3 weeks in additional transit times.
The good news: Our productions continue to remain compliant and are not affected any more than just needing the additional time to undergo routine inspections. The 'bad' news: The customs inspection has become more rigid and high maintenance, which is great for ensuring the safety of products coming in from overseas, but unfortunately creates a backlog that delays small businesses like my own. All this means more or less is that productions coming in are now taking 35-45 days to arrive to me versus the original 25-28 days. To my understanding, this process can be expedited by uploading the existing CPC and SGS documentation to each shipment online, which I am working on behind the scenes.
The additional time needed for customs inspection has our plush eta pushed to end of August. I appreciate everyone's patience while we work to get our shipments here quickly and efficiently. I will be back in touch with the next round of updates and hopefully some more good news with the eta of the Noops arrival!
I have just finished OMGcon in Owensboro and had a day to rest. My heart is so full from the love shown this weekend!
This campaign update will go over the shipping fee charts! Shipping fees have been 'enabled' for this campaign, which means that backers can now view their surveys to see their anticipated shipping fees. Please note these are in USD and for International customers it does not include any vat or import duties that your Country may collect.
Here are the charts:
USA:
USA
AUSTRALIA:
AU
CANADA:
CA
EVERYWHERE ELSE:
I am still tweaking weight categories for certain regions behind the scenes, so there might be adjustments to your shipping rate shown (this applies primarily to Non-USA orders such as Netherlands, Singapore, etc) depending on if I find any major discrepancies. The various rate increases that have been going on the last few years has really made this complicated, but I am doing my best to keep it lumped into the same weight classes, regardless of the zones.
"How do I know what my package weight is?"
This is tricky to explain clearly as most of our backer packages contain more than 1-2 items, but in general, most packages fall within the 3-9oz class if you ordered 2 plush or less.
Orders containing all plush + all costumes fall into the 16-28oz classification.
As a reminder, you can find out your exact shipping fees by viewing your backer survey. Not sure where to find it? You can access it here! (be sure to use the email you backed under/filled your survey out under!)
"Which shipping provider are you using?"
Currently, USPS is the most reliable carrier. Some customers may have better rates using UPS Ground, which I will use on a case-by-case basis (if it's cheaper, it's usually by 1c..)
International packages are shipped through Asendia Economy. The arrival times vary but typically between 2-4 weeks.
If you would like me to upgrade your shipping to UPS Ground / UPS Expedited etc please reach out to me via email and I can make an adjustment to your order. Please note for International customers there is a likelihood of UPS imposing Import Duties. The upgraded shipping for Non-USA packages is around $25-$45 depending on the location and weight of the package.
"When will I be billed for Shipping?"
I am still waiting for final confirmation of the plush preparing to ship out to me. Right now I am guesstimating I will begin processing payments for shipping around June 29th. Backerkit will give everyone a heads up and also send out notices to do address changes if needed. You will have a 48 hour notice ahead of time. But at the time of reading this update please keep it on your mental radar that we are preparing this step!
In the event your payment method fails, backerkit will notify you and you will be prompted to remedy the payment. While there is no 'deadline' to remedy the shipping fee payment, just know that I will not be shipping orders who's shipping fees have not been paid.
The 'deadline' to remedy your shipping fee payment will be the time it takes me to fulfill the campaign. For example, if I begin to ship orders August 1st and process the last 'shippable' order on August 15th-- That will be the 'last call' before I mark your pledge as abandoned. This does not apply to customers who have notified me of delays in payment. As long as you communicate your situation with me, I am always more than happy to accommodate or help find solutions!
Other than that.. We are just waiting for a word back from Steven about the status of the Noops! Thank you again for your patience and continued support!
At the time of this update, I am just past the 50% fulfillment mark.
I am having to temporarily pause fulfillment of orders containing Parker while I wait for the remaining plush to arrive, which is estimated to be around September 20th or so. Orders that do NOT contain Parker will continue to be processed as normal. I have roughly 35 orders to process in that segment.
In the previous campaign update, I had requested those who backed for Parker to fill out a survey letting me know if they were okay with receiving a special Parker. 128 backers filled the survey out, and the majority picked Option 1. I just want to let folks who selected option 1 know that I will be processing the store credit sometime in the next couple weeks. For backers who selected option 2, I have made the arrangements to your pledge rewards and processed your pledge as normal. For backers who selected for option 3, I have done my best to pick out perfect Parkers, and anyone further who I was unable to fulfill I have placed 'on hold' temporarily while I work to process the rest of what I can now. Once I get everything in motion, I will remove the hold and process your orders without Parker.
I know this is confusing, and I apologize for it. Here is the current situation for backers who are confused. Parker had a bit of a stanky leg situation resulting in hand-sewn repairs for his legs. The repairs still have some visible blemishes (in addition to some very large heads, or other quirks), and I have made the judgment call to set them aside and not ship them to backers. Steven has submitted a new production batch of Parker plush that will ship with another future order. I also have around 115 Parker's that were pending dispatch (they were also being repaired) and are on their way to me now alongside some straggler stock of Porter, Strawberry, and a handful of costumes. I am hopeful the stock that's on the way will be satisfactory for backers, but should they arrive and I feel they are a tad too scrambled for my comfort (I never want anyone to receive a plush and be upset with the quality!) I will need to process all remaining pledges and ship Parker separately once the new batch arrives, which is estimated to be around 3-4 months from now).
The good news is.. A lot of you have supported multiple campaigns since this one took place, and I feel relatively confident that I can easily pop a Parker into an existing order throughout the campaigns I've ran this year. I will handle and take care of all arrangements for any orders that require this. There is no action needed on your part aside from just your patience. If you have backed a Parker and receive your pledge without him in it, just know that I have already arranged for him to ship in a future order you have open with me! :)
For now: I am kindly asking for your continued patience and understanding.
I understand some folks may have issues with waiting longer, especially folks who this is their first time supporting a Noopy campaign. I apologize for any inconvenience or feelings of frustration and disappointment. I am doing everything I can to get this resolved and find solutions that work for everyone, and continue to keep the conveyer belt system running smoothly.
If you have questions, concerns, or need to express your feelings of frustrations (or if you just want to know your options for refunds or exchanges) or have issues with your order that's arrived, please email me directly.
I have just finished OMGcon in Owensboro and had a day to rest. My heart is so full from the love shown this weekend!
This campaign update will go over the shipping fee charts! Shipping fees have been 'enabled' for this campaign, which means that backers can now view their surveys to see their anticipated shipping fees. Please note these are in USD and for International customers it does not include any vat or import duties that your Country may collect.
Here are the charts:
USA:
USA
AUSTRALIA:
AU
CANADA:
CA
EVERYWHERE ELSE:
I am still tweaking weight categories for certain regions behind the scenes, so there might be adjustments to your shipping rate shown (this applies primarily to Non-USA orders such as Netherlands, Singapore, etc) depending on if I find any major discrepancies. The various rate increases that have been going on the last few years has really made this complicated, but I am doing my best to keep it lumped into the same weight classes, regardless of the zones.
"How do I know what my package weight is?"
This is tricky to explain clearly as most of our backer packages contain more than 1-2 items, but in general, most packages fall within the 3-9oz class if you ordered 2 plush or less.
Orders containing all plush + all costumes fall into the 16-28oz classification.
As a reminder, you can find out your exact shipping fees by viewing your backer survey. Not sure where to find it? You can access it here! (be sure to use the email you backed under/filled your survey out under!)
"Which shipping provider are you using?"
Currently, USPS is the most reliable carrier. Some customers may have better rates using UPS Ground, which I will use on a case-by-case basis (if it's cheaper, it's usually by 1c..)
International packages are shipped through Asendia Economy. The arrival times vary but typically between 2-4 weeks.
If you would like me to upgrade your shipping to UPS Ground / UPS Expedited etc please reach out to me via email and I can make an adjustment to your order. Please note for International customers there is a likelihood of UPS imposing Import Duties. The upgraded shipping for Non-USA packages is around $25-$45 depending on the location and weight of the package.
"When will I be billed for Shipping?"
I am still waiting for final confirmation of the plush preparing to ship out to me. Right now I am guesstimating I will begin processing payments for shipping around June 29th. Backerkit will give everyone a heads up and also send out notices to do address changes if needed. You will have a 48 hour notice ahead of time. But at the time of reading this update please keep it on your mental radar that we are preparing this step!
In the event your payment method fails, backerkit will notify you and you will be prompted to remedy the payment. While there is no 'deadline' to remedy the shipping fee payment, just know that I will not be shipping orders who's shipping fees have not been paid.
The 'deadline' to remedy your shipping fee payment will be the time it takes me to fulfill the campaign. For example, if I begin to ship orders August 1st and process the last 'shippable' order on August 15th-- That will be the 'last call' before I mark your pledge as abandoned. This does not apply to customers who have notified me of delays in payment. As long as you communicate your situation with me, I am always more than happy to accommodate or help find solutions!
Other than that.. We are just waiting for a word back from Steven about the status of the Noops! Thank you again for your patience and continued support!
In a previous campaign update I had mentioned that this batch of Noopy2 plush had some stuffing adding to their limbs by mistake. We opted to keep it for them, but the final plush who arrived with it was Porter.
I am actually really vibing with the stuffing, so I wanted to get your feedback!
Ahoy Noop Troop! I am hard at work on primping and shipping out orders! Upon closer look at Parker, I have had to make a cautionary recall on at least 70+ Parker Plush. I have slowed down on the fulfillment of orders containing Parker while I work on this update.
Below is the copy & paste of the submission form for Backers of Parker to let me know their desired solution. Please fill out the form here. You can comment below if you desire, but I ask you to do the form as it keeps everything in one tidy spreadsheet for me to easily cross reference. This is wordy, and I apologize in advance for that as I know it can confuse members with visual processing issues or dyslexia.
--
What Happened?
Parker had a production mishap where his right arm/left leg were sewn on incorrectly (they were swapped).
This resulted in Parker needing to be repaired. Repairs are different from remakes, in that the existing plush are not disposed of, which allows the prevention of waste, cost efficiency, ethical labor allocation, and turn around time efficiency.
The repairs were finished, and he was to me as is. These repairs were done by hand, and there is evidence as such with threads being visible (some more than others), and variations in size/length/positioning. We often refer to this as "The Stanky Leg".
Important side-note/Clarification: This is not a guarantee that your order will be affected by this, as I am still taking time to go through each one and seeing which need to be separated. This form should serve as a back-up for if I get through the units here and do not have enough 'perfect' Parkers to fulfill all preorders!
---
The Conundrum We Face
Parker has arrived, and while he looks good for the most part, the unfortunate reality is almost all of them have blemishes that are ranging from subtle to extreme, primarily on and around his leg seams. Though I did my best to get photographs, it's really hard to capture the variations with my phone. If I had to describe it, it would just be that the legs and arms were hand-sewn and there are visible thread stitching in the corners of the seams. The thread is thick, and the tie-off knots are visible on some, though after gently untucking fur from most, it is better blended in visually. I understand this appearance can look unappealing to some of our backers, so I want to offer a solution in the event I am unable to ship a 'perfect' Parker.
The Plan I have:
I have brainstormed 3 possible solutions to help appease our growing community. Please review and let me know your desired solution!
Option 1:
Adopt your Parker as is. I will continue to do my best to only send the most unique and as little blemished as possible, but you'll still have the likelihood of receiving a unique Parker plush with a unique leggy, with visible hand-stitching on or around the leg seam. As a thank you for welcoming his unique appearance into your life, I will happily provide a $10 store credit to use in my shop (issued to your email provided). This can be used towards anything, including upcoming Noopy releases and left over drops.
Option 2:
Swap your Parker out for a different plush that is coming soon. We have a large variety of Noopy plush coming in stock in the following weeks, and I'd be happy to swap him out for a different style. Please note however, this will require me to make a separate order and it may have to ship later in the future. Additional shipping fees may need to be collected, but I will provide a small discount for the trouble.
You will be refunded for any difference in price!
Option 3:
Not in a hurry to receive a perfect Parker? No worries at all. I can send you your Parker with an upcoming reorder! I do plan to place an entirely new small batch of Parkers, specifically to accommodate those who want a perfect Parker in their collection! I will ship any remaining shippable items in your order as normal.
I plan to host a "Operation No Noopy Left Behind" sale for the severely flawed Parker plush at a discounted price to help me offset the cost to produce a new batch to fulfill any orders that opt for this option. Note however, that their tentative arrival is at least 4-5 months out.
I am extremely grateful for our community, and the support everyone provides when these types of hiccups occur.
Parker is still extremely cute, and most members can attest that I tend to over-exaggerate issues, but it is part of my dedication to transparency that I want to communicate clearly how they're looking! His leggies are just a wee-bit over scrambled this time around!
Visible sewing threads/misaligned seams along crotch area
We have around 40 Stanky leg Parkers!
Example of a Stanky leg
I will be behind the scenes working on shipping all other orders and checking back with backers of Parker to update and process their orders as needed!
I have fantastic news. It seems the CPSC registration I did was a success and, instead of the plush taking 3+ weeks to arrive, they have instead landed and been cleared in record breaking time: 17 days! They’ve landed in Illinois and should make their final arrival to me on Monday!
Address locking has commenced!! Backers should have been notified to double check and make any last minute address changes. Please be sure to do that! I will be locking addresses on Monday morning!
I celebrated my 38th birthday yesterday and this was honestly one of the more relieving aspects of my week. It definitely allowed me more mental peace to enjoy my day. Fingers crossed that this means future shipments should arrive within a similar timeframe!!
