Quick US Fulfillment Check-In: Next Group Notices Sent and Moving Forward! 📩📦
Hi everyone,
A quick US fulfillment check-in:
The latest US fulfillment group has now been packed and is moving through the next dispatch steps.
We are now preparing to move forward with the next US group. ✉️ Direct advance notice emails for the upcoming tariff/import-related charge have now been sent to the backers included in this next group!
If you are a US backer, please check your inbox and spam/junk folder just in case.
If you received the email and need a little more time before the charge is processed, please reply directly to that email before the date mentioned there, and we can hold your pledge for a later round
If you did not receive an email, that simply means your pledge is not included in this specific upcoming group yet. Fulfillment is continuing in organized segments, as explained previously ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡
EU/ROW (non-USA) Parcels: more Packages Getting Ready to Leave! 📦💨
Hi everyone, We wanted to share this small update because there is a lot happening behind the scenes between each fulfillment round, and we know it can be hard to see that from the outside.
So here's a quick behind-the-scenes fulfillment check-in dedicated to EU/ROW/non-US parcels.
The recent updates have understandably focused a lot on the US import-charge process and packing rounds, but that does not mean ROW parcels have been forgotten or left aside. While the next US segment is waiting for its import-charge step to be completed before those parcels can move forward, we have also been continuing with the packages that do not require that US-specific step.
As mentioned previously, fulfillment has not stopped in the meantime: these EU/ROW/non-US parcels can move through a different flow, so we have been preparing and dispatching them in parallel whenever possible.
A dog-themed ROW parcel in progress 🐶📦 This one was especially fun to pack!
>More progress updates will follow as needed while each part of fulfillment continues moving forward!
Thank you again to tose who're showing patience and support! It means a lot, Inari & Mako
We have another happy fulfillment progress update to share!
The first fulfillment round is now almost fully complete on our side: the parcels included in this round have been packed and labeled, and the final batch from this first group will be dispatched within this week! Yay! 🎉
🎁 We are so happy to have reached this point now, and even happier knowing that some of the first parcels have already safely arrived to their new homes! 🥹💜
📸 Also, if your Bin Buddies parcel has already arrived — or once it does — we would absolutely love to hear from you!! Feel free to leave a comment in the Community section or under this update to let us know it reached you safely 💝 And if you’d like to share any photos of your rewards once they arrive, we would be so happy to see them! You can send them privately to [email protected]. If you’re also happy for us to do so, please let us know whether we may reshare your photos on our social media / Instagram as well!! 📬😍
>Now that Round 1 is wrapping up, we are preparing to move forward with Round 2.
💳The backers included in this second round have now received a direct email advance notice regarding their upcoming tariff/import-related charge. This update also serves as public advance notice that we expect to begin processing the charges for this second group starting on June 1st, and not before then.
📩If you received the direct email notice for Round 2 but are not able to complete the payment at the moment, as always, please do not worry: simply reply directly to that email before June 1st and let us know. We can give you a time extension, exclude your pledge from this round, and handle it later instead.
Once the Round 2 charges have been processed, we’ll be able to begin preparing and packing those pledges as the next part of fulfillment moves forward.
📌For any recurring questions regarding tariff/import-related charges or the current fulfillment process, please continue to refer to the pinned Q&A update, which we will continue updating as needed.
Thank you so much for your patience and support while we move through each round step by step. Seeing parcels finally going out and arriving is making us incredibly happy, and we truly can’t wait to keep going! 📦💨
📦 More Parcels Shipped + First Segment Nearing Completion
Hi everyone, We wanted to share a new fulfillment progress update 🦝🗑️
Over the past weeks, we have continued packing and shipping more parcels from the first segment, and we are now getting close to finishing this first round before moving forward into the second segment.
We also already know that some parcels have safely arrived, which makes us incredibly happy and relieved to see after such a long journey 🥹💝
At the same time, in parallel with packing, we have also continued:
quality checking the rest of the enamel pins;
organizing them on the shelves;
and preparing the next part of fulfillment so we can keep things moving forward as efficiently as possible.
Once this first segment is fully completed, we will move on to the next segment, which will then be the next group to be charged and prepared for packing.
We also want to briefly mention messages/emails/comments: we have received a very large volume of them, and while we have already gone through/responded to many, we are still catching up on others! So if you wrote to us and have not received a reply yet, please know it has not been ignored — we might have missed it or may still be working through it -or the answer may already have been addressed indirectly through other updates/the pinned Q&A. And if needed, you are absolutely welcome to write to us again. We will keep responding as soon as we can.
Thank you again for your patience while we continue working through all of this step by step. We know it is still a slow process, but it is moving, and we are very grateful to everyone who still believes in us.
Hi everyone, We wanted to share a new progress update now that the enamel pins have been in hand for a few days.
At the moment, we are actively working through:
quality check of the pins;
organizing them on the shelves;
preparing the first round of packages to move forward.
Current organization stage
The first segment of backers has already been notified and charged, and we are also already beginning to pack those first pin-containing pledges on our side so we can keep fulfillment moving forward as efficiently as possible.
As mentioned previously, fulfillment will continue in organized rounds/segments, and we’ll keep sharing further progress as this next stage continues.
We are also continuing on the parallel front of the already-prepared non-pin parcels for the remaining backers who recovered after a previously declined payment. Those backers will receive a new shipping confirmation email with updated tracking, just as the other ones, and those parcels will also be dispatched soon.
📌 For any questions, please also refer to the pinned Q&A / clarification update, which we will continue updating as needed alongside future fulfillment progress updates.
We’ve been reading the recent comments, and while we still completely understand the frustration, we felt it was important to make one clear update addressing the most common questions and assumptions directly -as it was also suggested. Some of the points below are not brand-new information, but clarifications and repeated answers gathered again in one place for those who may have missed them, forgotten them, or still had questions.
First of all: no, this project is not going to take another 1–2 years to complete. We are not at the beginning of the process. We are in the final stretch, and that is exactly why we are working so hard right now to resolve the last shipping and logistics issues correctly, rather than rushing into something that would create even more problems.
We know many of you are tired. Please know that we are tired too. We are not happy that this project became so difficult, long, and emotionally exhausting. None of this has been easy on our side either, and we are human beings doing our best to bring this campaign to completion under very difficult circumstances.
❗ PLEASE READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY.
We took the time to put it together thoughtfully so we could address as many recurring questions, new concerns, and misunderstandings as possible in one place. That is why this update was not rushed.
Q&A
"Where are we shipping from?"
We have seen several people asking where we are located or where parcels are shipping from, so to clarify once again: We ship from Italy.
🔹"When pins arrive?"
The pins are safely on their way to us and are currently scheduled to arrive to us around April 6–7, based on the latest information we have. Latest info: The enamel pins now appear likely to reach us even sooner than originally expected. We still do not have a new confirmed delivery date just yet, but tracking now shows that the shipment has already reached our country, so we are hopeful that delivery to us will happen sooner than expected.
"Which Countries are affected by the Tariffs-related issue?"
This issue affects shipments going to the United States. It does not affect the rest of the world in the same way.
The shipping block and tariffs-related issue are tied specifically to U.S.-bound parcels, not all international orders worldwide.
"Why are there extra shipping-related costs now?"
These are not extra shipping-related costs.
The additional charges being requested from U.S. backers are import-related and mandatory. More details are explained below.
"Why I have to pay these extra costs, then?"
These are not invented charges, and they are not profit for us. They are tied to U.S. import policies and tariffs that would have had to be paid on arrival regardless.
For several months starting around July/August 2025, shipments from Europe to the United States were completely blocked for us. There was no viable shipping option available at all.
We are now only able to resume U.S. shipping because we secured a DDP (Delivery Duties Paid) solution with our courier. This was not part of our original shipping setup.
With this method, duties and import charges must be paid upfront in order for the shipment to go through. Without it, the parcels simply could not be shipped.
So to be absolutely clear: these are not duplicate shipping charges, and they are not something we created for convenience. Shipping fees and import duties are separate things.
“What if I can’t afford it right now?”
We understand that some backers are in a different financial situation now than they were when they originally pledged. If you are unable to pay right away, your parcel can be held and shipped later once you are able to complete payment.
We are not trying to punish anyone. We are simply trying to work within the only viable shipping method currently available.
“Why has this taken so long?”
Because of a combination of serious production problems, manufacturer-related issues, and personal hardships, all of which created delays, added costs, and setbacks we had to overcome step by step.
“Are you close to shipping everything?”
Yes — we are much closer to the end than some comments are suggesting.
We are in the closing phase of this project, and that is exactly why we are asking everyone to read the updates carefully. Repeated assumptions such as “this will take another two years” are not accurate and only create more confusion for everyone.
Address changes / payment issues / old cards / order questions
If your card has expired, your address needs updating, or you need help understanding what you pledged for, please contact us directly through the proper support channel and we will do our best to help.
“What if I can’t find my survey anymore?”
If you lost your survey email, or think you may not have received it, you can recover your survey directly here:
Please enter the email address connected to your pledge, and BackerKit will send you a new survey link.
Recently added Q&A:
🔹"Are you still shipping the held parcels that do not contain pins, in the meantime?"
Yes. We are still continuing to ship the previously held ready-to-go-parcels that do not contain pins where the tariff charge has already been successfully processed. That stage is still moving forward while we prepare for the next one.
🔹"Have I already been charged for the tariffs?"
As of today, you have only been charged already if your pledge does not include enamel pins. If your pledge does include pins, then you have not been charged yet. Those pledges will only be charged later, once the pins are close to arrived to us. But no worries: we will publish a general update before that charge stage begins, so you know the approx. timeframe in advance.
🔹"When will I be charged exactly if my pledge contains pins?"
So far we charged only pledges not containing pins. We expect to begin processing the next round of tariff charges for pledges containing pins starting in about 48 hours after we publish the update confirming that the pins have arrived, and then continue over the following days. In any case, please don’t worry: we will only move forward with pledges whose payment goes through successfully, and if your payment is initially declined, we will still give you time to fix it.
🔹"Can I ask for more time before my tariff charge is processed?"
Yes. If you know you will need a little more time to prepare for this and you can't pay on this very specific moment even if your card is valid, please contact us privately before then at [email protected]. We can exclude your pledge from the initial charge round of the pledges containing pins and process it later instead, but we need clear notice otherwise the charge will go through the same automatically.
🔹"I received an email about confirming / updating my address. Does that mean my order is shipping immediately?"
No. The recent email was an advance reminder only, to give backers time to review or update their shipping details before the next fulfillment stage. It was not a sign that the parcel was shipping immediately at that exact moment. A final automatic address-lock email will still follow later, with the usual 48-hour lock window.
🔹"Can I still change my shipping address?"
Yes. Addresses are still changeable at this stage. If you need to update your address, please do so through your BackerKit survey or contact us directly and we’ll do our best to help. A final automatic address-lock email will follow later, with the usual 48-hour lock window.
🔹"Can I change my address to a different country (for example from USA to EU, or to a friend in another country)?"
Yes, as long as addresses are not locked yet. But changes like that may also affect the tariff / shipping situation depending on the destination country and the contents of your pledge. Please contact us directly for your specific case so we can help changing it and confirm what applies.
🔹"Why can’t refunds be offered instead of the items?"
As stated from the beginning in the campaign terms and Risks & Challenges, pledges are not refundable. The funds from this campaign have already been allocated to production, taxes, fees, manufacturing issues, and fulfillment-related costs. Because of that, refunds are unfortunately not possible at this stage.
🔹"Why didn’t you “ask” us whether we were willing to pay the tariffs?"
Because this is not an optional add-on that depends on preference. If these parcels are shipped under the current rules, the tariff-related costs must be covered through the shipping process, otherwise the parcel can't go out.
That said, if someone needs a little more time before their charge is processed, they are welcome to contact us privately before the charge round begins.
🔹"Why does the fee not seem to match the 15% calculation found online?"
Because that is not the correct percentage. And there isn't one applying to just one single type of product. Different products have different Customs codes, and each category can carry different rates. On top of that, the country of origin of each item can also affect the final import cost. So the final amount is not based on one flat percentage applied in a simple way across the whole pledge.
🔹“How much are you charging for the tariffs, exactly?”
At the moment, we are actually only charging ~20% of the item value toward the new U.S. import tariffs.
But this is not even the full tariff amount in every case. In fact, in many cases they do not fully cover what is actually being charged on our side. The actual rate can vary depending on the product category and the specific Customs classification used at import. As of now, U.S. import charges on goods coming from China, for example, can still be significantly higher than 20% in some cases. For example, certain categories such as enamel pins may end up around 28.5%, while some textile categories such as hoodies (~34%) or cotton tote bags ( ~41%)can go well beyond that.
These rates are currently so high mainly because there is a temporary 10% U.S. import surcharge in place on imported goods, and in some product categories, goods made in China may also be subject to additional Section 301 duties depending on how the product is classified at import.
We are not passing the full cost on to backers. As said, we are currently asking for ~20% only, so we are already absorbing the remaining amount ourselves, at least in part, depending on the item category.
🔹"If tariff-related refunds to you (or reversals) happen in the future, what will you do?"
If any tariff-related refunds are ever formally returned to us in the future for these exact charges, we will communicate clearly how that will be handled. At the moment, there is no direct or guaranteed refund system in place that we can rely on, so we cannot promise anything hypothetical yet.
🔹 "Are you doing anything to help soften the impact of these new tariff charges?"
Yes. Other than charging backers a lower tariff percentage than what we could in practice have charged (as explained above), we’ve also decided to include some small extra goodies from items we already have on hand, within our possibilities, as a gesture to help soften the impact of these additional costs as much as we reasonably can. We can’t promise anything huge, but it is our way of trying to show that we know this situation is frustrating and unfair, and that we’re doing our best to give something back where possible.
🔹 "Why are you not replying immediately to every comment?"
Because there are a lot of them, and we are balancing fulfillment work, production coordination, emails, support requests, and comment moderation all at the same time. Not receiving an immediate reply does not mean a question is being ignored or skipped “because it is inconvenient.” In some cases, the point being raised may also already have been answered in previous updates or in this Q&A. That is exactly why we are continuing to update this pinned Q&A post, so there is one main place to check for the most important answers.
We strongly encourage backers to refer to that first whenever possible.
🔹"Why do you have multiple ongoing campaigns?"
Because we are creative people and this work is also how we express our many ideas and bring our creations to life. At the time many of these projects were originally planned, the current chain of delays and complications had not happened yet, at least not in this way, and there were in fact even more projects scheduled than the ones that were eventually launched. We still wanted to keep creating and bringing some of those ideas to life in the meantime (especially during periods when there was little else we could actively do on our side and we were mainly waiting for manufacturers to complete their part), even as things became much more difficult than we ever expected.
🔹"Why do you have two different BackerKit creator accounts?"
Quite simply, we are two different people and each of us has our own account, as we have openly stated before from the beginning. The QuirkoryPlus account was intended for smaller or more secondary ideas / collections, which is also something we wrote directly in that account’s bio. We have never hidden the existence of either account — in fact, we openly mentioned and promoted QuirkoryPlus from the main Quirkory account, and sometimes we even reply across campaigns using one account on the other account’s project comments. If there had been anything “secretive” about it, we obviously would not have used almost the same name or openly connected the two.
🔹"Why does the Shopify / BackerKit issue affect fulfillment in general?"
Because that connection is the workflow we rely on to generate shipping labels and move backer order information into our shipping platform.
🔹"Why can’t you just make labels manually or ship one by one?
Because we are two people managing hundredd of parcels and our fulfillment workflow depends heavily on the connection between BackerKit and Shopify, which is what allows us to move order data properly into our shipping process and generate labels at scale.
Doing everything fully one by one by hand is not realistically sustainable at this scale.
Important Notes & Further Context | Please read this too❗
Our Commitment
We want to emphasize again that we are not asking backers to cover every extra cost this campaign created on our side.
We absorbed major production losses caused by manufacturing problems, and we also absorbed shipping cost increasesover time. We are not charging you those extra shipping increases.
What we are asking for here is not money for our mistakes, not money for our losses, and not extra profit. These are mandatory import-related charges that U.S. backers would have had to pay upon delivery anyway for parcels entering the United States from abroad. Those funds do not go into our pocket.
And as we have said before, crowdfunding campaigns like this do not create profit for us on their own. Our actual income comes later, through leftovers sales in our shops, only after campaign fulfillment is completed — which is also why it is fully in our interest to finish fulfillment properly.
This project very genuinely could have failed entirely. Instead, we kept going because delivering it to you matters to us.
That does not erase your frustration, and we know that. But it is painful to read comments suggesting that we do not care, that we are doing nothing, or that this project is somehow being dragged out on purpose. That is simply not true.
Please also do not mistake delays for comfort, ease, or indifference. This campaign has not funded some carefree life behind the scenes — it has required ongoing work, sacrifice, and personal cost to keep it moving at all.
We have carried this project through years of problems, production setbacks, personal hardship, and major extra expenses because we wanted to see it through to the end. We are still here, still working, and still doing everything we can to make fulfillment possible.
Why comparing campaigns is not that simple
Comparing this campaign to unrelated creators or campaigns without knowing the full production, shipping, and logistical circumstances is simply not a fair or useful comparison.
We have also seen repeated comparisons to other creators and other campaigns. Respectfully, those comparisons are often not meaningful unless all the circumstances are actually the same — and they almost never are.
Different creators may be producing different numbers of designs, from different Countries, using different manufacturers, different shipping contracts, different parcel routes, different product complexity levels, different team sizes, and different levels of outside support. Different creators may also have very different funding situation: not just in total amount raised, but in how much funding remains in proportion to what actually has to be produced and paid for. Some campaigns raise substantial surplus beyond their core production and stretch goal costs, while others do not.
In our case, this campaign includes a large number of highly detailed designs and products, which naturally creates more production steps and more opportunities for things to go wrong. That does not make your frustration invalid — but it does mean that comparing timelines or outcomes across unrelated campaigns is often misleading.
What backing a crowdfunding campaign means
We also want to gently remind everyone that platforms like BackerKit and Kickstarter are not standard retail shops. They are crowdfunding platforms, which means backers are helping bring products to life that do not yet exist at the time of funding.
That is part of what crowdfunding is: supporting the creation of something new, with the understanding that production, delays, complications, and even total failure can sometimes happen along the way.
That does not mean creators should not be held accountable when problems arise — and we are not saying that. Creators should always do their best to resolve those problems whenever possible. We are only saying that crowdfunding is fundamentally different from buying ready-made stock from a regular store, and it comes with different rules, policies, and expectations.
In the end, please think about it: what this project will carry with it is its own story. A story of resilience, of pushing through hardship, and of still choosing to bring something creative and meaningful into the world, despite everything that tried to stop it. And because of that, the products themselves will carry some of that story and character too. When you look at them, we hope you will be able to remember the resilience, patience, and determination that helped bring them into existence. For those who supported this project through all of this, there is also something else in it: the knowledge that you were there, that you were part of it, and that your support helped something difficult but meaningful finally come to life.
Final note
We truly do understand why people feel upset. Waiting this long is frustrating, and the added costs are frustrating. We are not dismissing that.
But we also want to say this honestly: problems happen. Frustration does not justify aggressive or passive-aggressive comments, false assumptions, or treating us as though we are creating problems on purpose, acting in bad faith, or trying to scam anyone. Criticism is understandable. Rewriting the facts is not. We do appreciate those of you who have raised concerns or criticism in a respectful way, without insults or unfair accusations, even indirect ones.
We always put a great deal of time and effort into writing detailed updates, and it is disheartening to find ourselves repeatedly answering the same points that were already addressed. We understand that not everyone reads every update carefully, but that does contribute to confusion, repeated assumptions, and unnecessary hostility.
You are absolutely right not to feel happy about how long this has taken. We understand that, and the waiting itself has been painful. Please just know that this was never what we wanted either. If it had been up to us, your plushies would already be there to hug, your pins would already be sparkling in your hands, and your hoodies and joggers would already be there to keep you warm.
We also want to say this respectfully but clearly: many of the questions currently being repeated in the comments have already been answered in previous updates. One reason we are making this post is precisely to gather those answers again in one place as clearly as possible. We are also pinning this post so it can serve as a clear reference point going forward, and so we can link back to it whenever the same questions come up again.
If there are still questions we have not addressed here, we will do our best to update this Q&A post with further clarifications and any additional questions we may have missed/may have raised later, and reply directly when necessary, as soon as possible.
Thank you to everyone who has remained patient, respectful, and willing to read the updates carefully, even if they are long and detailed. It means more than you know.
Inari & Mako
[post updated on March 29] - 🔹 = newly added clarifications
Immediately after this backer kit ended I requested a refund as I had changed my mind about wanting to purchase. Literally within hours of it ending because I didn’t realize it ended the day I decided to actually try canceling it. I was refused a refund entirely. I’m all for supporting small businesses but the immediate refusal and then the lack of communication for these items is ridiculous. I didn’t know spending $125 on a hoodie and sweatpants was also going to include not 1 but 2.5+ year wait without any knowledge on when I’m going to even receive these items if I will ever even receive them at all. Not to mention that I now have to pay tariffs on items I don’t even want anymore so now they will cost me even MORE than I should’ve spent to begin with. I don’t typically comment on things especially not for something like a small business having some struggles but this is poorly ran and giving off similar vibes that PuffPals:Island Skies did on kickstarter. Which is only the second of 3 total projects I’ve ever backed and after my experience with that scam of a game and my experience here with Bin Buddies, I will NEVER back another project. This is purely unacceptable.
The only item I got from my order was my Bin racoon plush in February of last year, and that's only one item in my order that you chose to ship out independently instead of waiting until you had everything in hand. With that being said, the fact you sent one item proves you have items on hand that you can ship to people, if it was done in an organized, and concise manner. I would strongly encourage you to look into other methods of sending out orders, so people who don't have to deal with tariffs can get their items sooner. Because your response to Lolly isn't very promising, and just sounds like it's going to take longer for people to get their items. I don't want to take legal action, but this is starting to get to a point where I feel it is the only viable option in this situation after dealing with this for two years.
Is there no way that there could be a list of the backer numbers and what wave they will be in with a rough shipping date so at least people can have a rough idea when they may receive their rewards? This seems like such an easy thing for everyone's piece of mind.
