Shipping update - 7th February

Resolved

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Oct 31, 2022 1:39 pm
Investigating

I've got a feeling of deja vu; but here's another shipping update. I can't promise all of the answers, but I can promise transparency as usual.

My last update (this time last week) was based on the advice I had that kits were packed and being picked up Monday 29th - however it seems this guidance was not correct. I am guessing (without having spoken to the team in HK), that orders weren't picked up thanks to the Chinese New Year festival. Once I can confirm this I'll have more information for you all.

That said, I can see tracking numbers populated for all outstanding orders, which is good news. I'm manually assigning those to your orders and you should be able to see them in your account once that process is completed.

The information I gave on each kit last month remains accurate, though some Country Cottage kits have be packed in with Australiana & Planner Love; as they (Australiana and Country Cottage) arrived with us at the same time.

The GOOD NEWS - I've taken delivery today of Book Lover 2; so there's no reason that that kit won't be dispatched on time, on February 15th 🙂 Hooray.

We're both incredibly frustrated with these delays and feel your pain.

Thank you for your support and patience.

Michael & Sami.

Feb 7, 2022 2:40 am
Monitoring

Planner Love / Australiana / Country Cottage Shipping update!

We've finally got some good news on the subscription kits shipping schedule!!!

Planner Love and Australiana are being packed and dispatched MONDAY to most destinations, but I've already got tracking numbers for those shipments; so you will be seeing fulfillment notifications on those shortly. Hooray! Just a reminder; you will also be receiving a randomly selected magnetic bookmark pack with your order as a thank you for your incredible patience on these orders.

Country Cottage is due in our warehouse this week (it's been split in shipping - we have kits but no papers); and will be dispatched very shortly after it is received. Again, tracking numbers on that kit will be issued as soon as they're available.

Book Lover 2.0 WILL be billed on 1st February, and there is less stock of this available than usual - we totally understand that some people have chosen to skip the kit while we sort through the shipping challenges, and have ordered less accordingly. That said, this kit is due to me by February 8th and will ship ON TIME, if not early.

Detail of the shipping woes, for those interested:
So, Planner Love kits have been sitting in the warehouse for a little while; which is why some people have received them already. Back in late December, we made an (irreversible) call to combine orders for Planner Love and Australiana (for people who had ordered both), to help clear the backlog in what we thought was going to be the best way. At the time we made that decision, Australiana had been dispatched to us and was approximately 3 days away from hitting our warehouse, based on normal timelines, and Planner Love had been received late thanks to a sticker book issue that wasn't identified until we had the samples in our hands - so the decision to ship them together seemed to make sense. That said, we also added a free product to all orders for Australiana, Planner Love or the combination of those kits as a thank you to you, our wonderful subscribers for your grace, understanding, and patience.

We did not, however, anticipate some lockdown events that happened in Shenzhen thanks to Covid's new variant, Omicron. Sadly, the shipment with Australiana managed to hit the wrong DC on its way to us; and this particular DC found itself shut down for a period that was described as "indefinite", and ended up being 3.5 weeks in total; hence the product only just getting to us. The tracking information we saw simply stated "Customs delay, please be patient", which is hardly reassuring, and it was not until I was able to have a phone call with the courier and our supplier (who graciously acted as a translator for me) that I got clarity on exactly what had happened. What a saga!

The Country Cottage kits were a miss on our end - they should have been delivered to us on time, but between Sami and I dealing with the demands of Christmas, our other late kits, some unexpected bumps in the road when it came to our warehouse move and trying to be everywhere and answering everything, one component wasn't ordered until late (the amazing bonus item); and this delayed the kit. We're sorry about that.

The good news now - we've been through that fire and fixed a large number of process issues, which will help us deliver your kits as reliably on time (even ahead of time) like we have in the past!

Thank you again for your patience, understanding and support. We can't wait to see what you create with all of the amazing planner supplies that will shortly arrive with you!

Sami & Michael

Feb 7, 2022 1:23 am
Investigating

First, a general update: Depending on destination country; I'm expecting orders to be shipped a minimum of 2 times per week from now, for in stock items.
US orders will ship directly via USPS (we've eliminated DHL in the process); AU orders will ship via Aus Post and orders everywhere else will ship via NZ post.

USA
- some orders that were placed in December have been stuck in the DHL freight network; and will show their last step in tracking on 13 December. DHL have assured us that those orders will start showing tracking by Monday (but hopefully by Friday 14 Jan). By moving to USPS directly; we'll be saving time in the delivery process; and I'm being promised that orders will be dispatched 3 times per week.

NZ
- I'm aware of a few dozen orders that have been lost by Aramex, mostly Masquerade kits but there are a few Christmas at Home bundles in there. They (Aramex) have asked for time to investigate; and I'll be in touch with any affected customers once I have an update from them. NZ orders will be going via NZ Post from now so we shouldn't encounter this issue again.

AUS
- Orders are going out on the same frequency as the US (ie 3 times per week); only via AusPost.

Other Destinations
- We've moved to NZ Post for these orders; so picking twice per week.
Tracking: Fulfilment notifications should trigger when the order leaves our warehouse and is handed to a courier. I say should because I know that in some cases this hasn't been happening. In most cases, it will take approximately 4 days for movement to show - this doesn't mean that there's nothing happening; just there is a lag with notifications showing.

Jan 15, 2022 1:10 pm
Monitoring

I know everyone loves a good shipping update; so I just wanted to share some news that has literally just landed in my inbox from DHL.
In a nutshell, the Omicron Covid-19 variant is causing chaos globally, compounded by severe weather events in the US and making things slow down somewhat.  DHL are being used in some capacity for most Australian and US orders; so this will impact us (though we are using AusPost and USPS too).

Text directly from DHL below:

Dear Michael,
Logistic networks across the world have been impacted by the rise in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID 19. The surge in cases is affecting staffing levels at both airlines and local postal operations, which is causing delays to transit times, in particular for Europe shipments. Additionally severe winter weather across the US is also impacting US deliveries.
We are implementing contingency plans where possible to ensure we provide you and your customers with the best possible service, however as employee safety is number one priority for us and our partners please expect delays.
We will continue to monitor this situation and keep you updated accordingly.
Thank you for your shipping with DHL eCommerce Solutions.

Michael

Jan 8, 2022 2:56 am
Identified

Copied from an email sent to all subscribers:

We are writing with an update regarding shipping and dispatch for your Planner Love or Australiana subscription kits.

We had previously emailed advising that both kits would ship together (where you had ordered both), and that we would include a set of our new magnetic bookmarks with our compliments in that parcel. The good news is that this is still the case!

Unfortunately, delivery of these kits to our warehouse has only just been completed; which had delayed our shipping of them for approximately 2 weeks.

The good news, however, is that we are currently preparing those kits for dispatch, and expect to have the majority of them underway to you this week.
Where you had ordered both kits, they will be dispatched together in the one box; while if you've ordered just one or the other it will be packed on its own.

The tracking numbers will be available in your account by the end of this week; and emails should trigger around that time.
We have also made some improvements to our shipping lanes, and expect that delivery of these kits will be quicker than what you experienced with Masquerade.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sami & Michael

Jan 5, 2022 9:40 am
Investigating

USA Orders

The orders are with DHL at their facility in JFK. We've paid to bump them to the front of the queue, but that seems to have done little 🙁 I was promised tracking would update Monday your time, then again that it would update Tuesday. The expected time to delivery is 3-5 days after checking in - east coast on the lower side of that; west coast on the higher.

I'm checking in daily on this, it's my top priority!
Michael

Dec 22, 2021 12:34 am
Investigating

18th December 2021

First up: Thank you to everyone for your patience while we sort through the shipping issues currently affecting us 🙂
Now, on to the specifics.
Masquerade

  • US ORDERS: Good news, but later than hoped 🙁 Our shipment has landed and is at DHL's JFK facility, where they're being transferred to USPS. They work Saturday, and I expect you will see tracking update Saturday or, failing that, Monday. I know it's been a saga, and these well travelled kits are very much long awaited. We're following a different process for Australiana & Planner Love, and expect a much quicker turn around for you with that kit.
  • AU ORDERS: By now you should have your Aus Post tracking already, and the kits will be with you very shortly, if not already.
  • Other destinations: By now your kits should have been delivered. We've identified an error with the way customs declarations were done (specifically the currency) and have fixed this for subsequent shipments.

Planner Love & Australiana
As we had previously advised, these kits will ship together. I had hoped that we'd made up all of the lost time and that Australiana would be ready to go today; but I've been advised by my supplier that they'll actually be checked in on Saturday 25th (so will ship right after the public holiday on the 27th). As we had promised, all of these orders will include a free set of magnetic bookmarks, as a token of our gratitude to you for being so patient with us, selected at random from the new Northern Lights/Sakura/Wild and Free items.

Other outstanding orders
All other orders have shipped, up to this morning; and are awaiting transfer out on their flights.
Northern Lights release: We'll include more details on this when it goes live for sale tomorrow; but in brief - one item(the Northern Lights Sticker Book - which in our opinion is a must have) isn't expected to arrive with us until 5 January - so any orders containing that item will ship once it's available. All other orders will be dispatched with the Planner Love & Australiana orders just after Christmas.

There will be some bundles available for your convenience; where you'll be able to add everything to your cart with a click or two.
Thanks so much for your support, care and understanding!

Sami & Michael

Dec 22, 2021 12:31 am
Investigating

One further Masquerade shipping update for you all; and I know this might be waaay too much detail, but I did want to give some insight as to where we're at:

  • Australian (and New Zealand) Masquerade orders (and most other outstanding orders); good news - they were all on QF7532 which landed in Sydney yesterday; they've all been checked in with Aus Post (or Aramex) today.
  • USA Masquerade orders (and most other outstanding orders); Sadly, we were bumped from our flight that was due to depart; and we've been bumped to an indirect JAL service that'll go via O'Hare before heading to JFK and into the hands of USPS/DHL ecommerce - at this stage on Monday via JL9130.
  • Masquerade orders (and other outstanding orders for other destinations); FedEx is having capacity issues (and has been refusing orders), so these orders have been swapped out and have been dispatched via UPS. There is no one flight for these orders, but from what I can see they have been picked up already.

I'm working through and updating tracking numbers on these orders today; so you'll have something to check in on.
For future orders, we're working with our shipping and warehouse partner to smooth out the process, and I don't expect to have similar difficulties in the future, as we've got a great solution in place.
Global shipping and supply chains are an absolute basket case now - and it's certainly not our expertise. Thank you all so much for being patient and understanding; and please rest assured that your beautiful planner goodies will arrive with you - just perhaps a little later than you'd hoped.

Michael

Dec 11, 2021 4:46 am
Investigating

Update Update - 8th December 2021
I have a very quick and also exciting update for anyone waiting on Masquerade (Sami this includes you!) - I've had confirmation that our shipments to the US and Australia have finally found some spare cargo space to accomodate them.  Not long now. 
As far as I understand, your tracking should be pushed to you on Thursday or Friday; pending release from the airlines.

Michael

Dec 11, 2021 1:51 am
Identified

Email update to subscribers - 4th December

We're writing to you today with an update on your Planner Love subscription kit, which was due to be dispatched between November 15th & 18th.

Unfortunately, due to a production error on the Masquerade sticker book, there was a delay with production of the the stickers in for our Planner Love kit.  This has meant that we have not been able to ship the kit so far, and we're deeply sorry for the delay.

Because of this extended delay and the fact that Australiana is on track to be dispatched 18th December, both kits will ship together (where you've ordered both).  If you've ordered just one or the other, they'll go out independent of one another.

To thank you for your patience, we are including a new product for you, free of charge.  You'll all receive one set of 3 magnetic bookmarks, chosen at random, from one of the following themes: Sakura, Northern Lights or Wild and Free.  We hope you enjoy this free item, and that it goes some way to making up for the delay.

Thank you all for your patience as we move through a trying period for our little small family business.  We are very confident that we've worked through the kinks in our new processes, and have spent countless hours on phone and video calls with our suppliers and shipping partners fine tuning everything.  We are looking forward to getting things back to normal again in 2022.

Kind regards

Michael & Sami

Dec 11, 2021 1:50 am
Identified

Hi All,

We’ve got an important shipping update; which may affect your Masquerade, Planner Love or other outstanding order you are currently awaiting.

Good news first: shipping has commenced from our new warehouse facilities!
We’re beyond happy, and certainly have lost a fair share of sleep during this process.  What was originally planned as a 3 week outage has ballooned out to 6 weeks, and we’re deeply sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Any order that was still awaiting shipment has now been dispatched.  If you’re in the USA, you’ll have received a DHL tracking number (which, like previously, will also work with USPS); in Australia you’ll have received an Australia Post tracking number.  Orders bound for both the USA and Australia are being released via our distribution network as we speak.  Orders for other destinations should have received a FedEx tracking number.

General shipping notes:
Your shipping status may show as “article not yet received” or similar, and this simply means that the final mile carrier (for whom the tracking number is valid) hasn’t yet received the article.  It has left our warehouse facility and is on a plane, having begun its journey to you.

Masquerade kits:
All Masquerade kits that did not include the new sticker book (that replaced the old “additional sticker kit”) have been shipped, using the same method as above. Any Masquerade kit that did include the new sticker book is expected to be released this week.  Unfortunately, the first run of sticker books had to be rejected, sadly; which put this process behind.

Planner Love kits:
Sadly, the issue affecting the Masquerade sticker book will also put the Planner Love kits behind schedule.  We expect that kits that do not contain the sticker book will be shipped around week 1 December; but it is likely that kits with the sticker book will ship around the same time as Australiana, in mid December.  We are working as hard as we can to speed this up.

Australiana kits:
At this stage, it appears that the teething issues we have experienced on Masquerade and Planner Love have been resolved, and this kit will ship on time, in mid December.

Thanks all for your support and patience with us at this time.

Kind regards
Michael

Nov 17, 2021 12:29 pm
Investigating

Thanks for bearing with us as we go through what we’re sure is probably a normal warehouse move, but to us feels like the most painful warehouse move of all time!

We’ve got some good news and some bad news this time around.

First things first, the bad news. Unfortunately, we had to reject the first batch of the Masquerade additional sticker kit (aka the sticker book) that came through 😞. To say that was devastating news for us is an understatement. Sadly, our manufacturing partner had made some bad calls with sizes and cut lines (we’re sticklers for sticker details); and we had no option but to reject that item. This means that any order containing the new Masquerade sticker book has been delayed by approximately another week, and further to that, the Planner Love kits will all be delayed by approximately 3 weeks, as they are manufactured on the same machines (and the same error was made on the first draft of the Planner Love sticker book).
Once we have some firmer details on timelines, you’ll see an email from us.

Time for the good news! Shipping has commenced (finally) out of our new warehouse.

Any Masquerade order that does not contain the additional sticker kit (sticker book) has shipped; as has every Christmas at Home order and any other order placed.
There were a small number of mis-counts for stock that made its way to the warehouse, which has led to a few items that weren’t in stock. Michael will be in touch directly with you if this affects your order.
We’re just working through the connections to trigger fulfillment notifications and tracking numbers for you all, but they should start working smoothly this week.
And the really good news is that yes, the new sticker books are as awesome as we had hoped (and hyped). If you want to see an honest reaction video, fast forward to the last ~15 minutes of the YouTube Live, and see Sami’s on-camera reaction to seeing the final production version! There's also a full walkthough which was streamed over on Instagram today, you can find that in our IGTV section.

As always, if you’ve got any questions, please send a note to Michael via the website widget.

Thank you once again for your patience and support during this time.

Michael & Sami

Nov 16, 2021 12:05 pm