Melina Sedó (Vortex Verlag)

CREATOR

29 days ago

Project Update: Update on Serenissima Obscura and Shipping Costs

Dear backers.

Here is the latest news for Serenissima Obscura:

We have finally opened the pledge manager and over 400 backers have already filled-out their survey.
Approximately 200 are still missing and we'd be super happy if you could do this within the next days.
We are also proud to announce that the main book is now laid out and in the final error-finding and referencing phase. You will receive the PDF as soon at this and the layout fine-tuning is over.
The other add-ons are now in layout and I am very excited about what I see happening in the room of Thorsten Janes next to my office. He is doing an excellent job with the Ars Magica Guide to the Magical Renaissance and The 5e Player's Guide to the Magical Renaissance!
Printing in March and shipping in April is still on!

An Update on Shipping Costs – Full Transparency

We would like to take a moment to explain the shipping costs in more detail, as this has been a concern for some backers – especially those in the USA. We fully understand the frustration, and we share it. Shipping has been one of the most difficult aspects of this project to estimate reliably. As it was for all crowdfundings in this past year.

Our original estimate for shipping the main book to the USA was €30–50. Due to ongoing fluctuations in tariffs and international shipping rates to the USA, it was necessary at the time to work with a broader estimated range.

Since then, several cost factors have increased – in particular international shipping rates, handling fees, and new tariffs introduced over the past year. As a result, the actual shipping costs into the USA now fall at the upper end of our original estimate, but do not exceed it.

To be as transparent as possible, here is a breakdown of our actual shipping costs for a 2 kg parcel, which applies to backers who pledged for the main book Serenissima Obscura only:

€1.80 – Proportional shipping from Lithuania to our distributor in Germany (main book)
€2.00 + €0.39 – Applicable PDDP and other tariff fees for shipments to the USA
€7.00 – Packaging and handling per parcel charged by our logistics provider (this fee has increased significantly)
DHL shipping from Germany to the destination country (company rates for the USA, private rates within Europe):
- Germany: €6.19
- EU: €14.49
- Other European countries: €19.49–22.49
- USA: €34.80
- Other overseas countries: €27–29 (private rate)

Within Germany and the EU – and most likely also in several overseas regions – we are subsidising shipping by approximately €4–5 per parcel to stay as close as possible to our original estimates.
In cases where the actual cost fell within the anticipated margin (including the USA), we have rounded up to the nearest full euro to ensure planning and cost security and to absorb any unforeseen increases between now and fulfillment.

For “other overseas countries,” final costs still depend on whether our logistics provider will be able to use the lower private DHL rate or will be required to apply the higher company rate, as is the case for shipments to the USA.

In all cases: The shipping costs charged to backers are final.

A bit of good news: as you may have noticed, the shipping costs for 5 kg parcels – which apply, for example, to the Ars Magica and San Marco pledge levels – are not so much higher than those for 2 kg parcels. Fortunately, shipping prices do not increase proportionally between these weight tiers. Also, the new tax on all goods from Germany into the USA was luckily not implemented. Let's just hope that Mr. Trump does not change his mind again until April. 🤞🏻

Finally, we want to be absolutely clear: we have explored every viable option to keep shipping costs as low as possible while still ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of your rewards. Unfortunately, broader external factors affecting international shipping and logistics are beyond our control.

Thank you very much for your understanding and for supporting the project.

Now back to work on Serenissima Obscura.

Have a nice day,

Melina
for Vortex Verlag

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