Update #8: Shipping Explained
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 12:46:00 AM
Hello Backers!
As we've noticed in the past couple of weeks, a number of you have been having issues with our shipping charges in BackerKit and we've taken the time to try to straighten things out... with lead to even more issues it seems.
For starters, let's go from the beginning.
When we originally set up BackerKit and inputted all the add-ons from this campaign, shipping was calculated as the shipping cost based on the weight of each individual item. When we opened up BackerKit soon after setup, it was clear that we made a mistake since additional add-ons would lead to even higher than normal shipping charges as they would be treated as entirely separate shipments.Thus, if you had pledge items and two add-ons, shipping would be counted as if you were being shipped your pledge items then two separate packages for each add-on. That doesn't work at all.
We went back to the drawing board and revised the shipping tables so that it would take into account the total weight of all add-ons as a whole. We also set up shipping for tapestries and the posters as a per item shipping cost since those would be shipped separately no matter what. This unfortunately led to some edge cases where backers adding only one add-on would be charged seemingly unrealistically high shipping charges.
After more deliberation, we added further precision to the shipping tables, and took out the per item shipping cost on tapestries and posters which should alleviate most of the issues some backers have had.
Some of you may ask why we would have so much trouble with shipping given our experience with crowdfunding and the real reason is that we've largely used estimates when calculating shipping which actually has lead to us taking on a loss from underestimating shipping especially with international orders. While this process was far more time-consuming and moreso by a lack of specific features on BackerKit (My kingdom for the ability to import shipping tables via CSV!), we would like to think that this latest adjustment should yield far more reasonable shipping costs.
Now, for those of you who had to pay upfront for add-ons due to using Paypal, we realize that this will likely lead to some of you having partial credits on your BackerKit accounts due to the shipping change. We will be working diligently to go through the list of you who are affected to offer partial refunds or if not that to completely give refunds for funds added in BackerKit so that you may complete the process once more. If you'd like to bring this to our attention right away, send an e-mail to [email protected] with the message header: "Hoshimeko BackerKit Paypal Refund Request" and we will get to your account as soon as we can.
As always, we sincerely apologize for the problems caused to everyone affected and appreciate everyone's patience in the matter. And look forward to actual updates on the campaign when we have the information to share with everyone!
Update on Shipping Costs
over 6 years ago
– Tue, Aug 08, 2017 at 12:44:58 AM
Hi everyone,
Sorry it took us a while to post this update. We've modified some settings in Backerkit to bring shipping costs down, so hopefully the prices won't be as egregious now! Instead, shipping prices are now based on total weight of the package rather than per item.
In cases where your shipping has gone up, rather than down (more likely for non-US backers), we'll look into providing manual assistance. Since Backerkit isn't locked down yet, you won't be charged for anything until we get it all sorted out.
However, please be aware that in some cases, items that can't be shipped in the same packages as the others, such as tapestries, will still have a higher shipping cost since they require separate packing and handling.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Backerkit Invites Going Out Today!
almost 7 years ago
– Thu, Jul 13, 2017 at 11:37:45 PM
Hey everyone,
You should all be receiving your invitations to Backerkit later tonight! Please check your emails for an invite link. If you've never used Backerkit before, essentially, it's a service that will allow you to keep track of your order, purchase addons, and manage your shipping information.
Right now, we're aiming to lockdown Backerkits in September. That means that, after that point, you won't be able to make changes to your order (although you'll still be able to update your shipping information). If you're purchasing addons, that's also when your card will be charged, rather than right away. Don't worry - we'll post about it a few days before it happens.
As for the game itself, well, things are still going well! We're on track to release the digital version of the main game this year, though we don't have a specific month in mind yet. The "Eternal Heart" fandisc will be released separately at a later date, as well as the physical goods.
If you missed out on the campaign, it's not too late! You can still pre-order some of the goods on Backerkit! Just like with regular backers, you won't be charged until September.
That's it for now! As always, thanks for your support! If you have any questions, feel free to message us on here or email us [email protected]
We did it, thanks to you!
almost 7 years ago
– Tue, Jun 27, 2017 at 10:50:59 AM
Our latest campaign is complete! We want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make Hoshizora no Memoria a reality! We are happy to announce that the campaign ended at $88,848! This means we also met our stretch goal for the Eternal Heart fandisk!
We're working on setting up Backerkit, once it goes up we'll send a notification to all backers to sign up and get those sweet add-on items!
To get the Eternal Heart fandisk, you'll be able to add it to your pledge in Backerkit!
We at Sekai Project and Favorite want to extend a huge and warm thank you to all who pledged! We hope to see you again for our next campaign! We've got some great ones in the pipeline!
Hoshizora no Memoria -Eternal Heart- Stretch Goal REACHED!
almost 7 years ago
– Thu, Jun 22, 2017 at 09:40:11 AM
With less than 27 hours left in the campaign, we've worked together and reached our stretch goal of bringing Hoshizora no Memoria -Eternal Heart- to the west!
We're all huge fans of the Hoshimemo story in the Sekai Project office and we've been so eager to bring over Hoshizora no Memoria -Eternal Heart- to fans all around the world!
Thanks to your dedication to this project Hoshizora no Memoria -Eternal Heart- is now going to be a reality!
Now for everyone who pledged in the campaign, you'll be able to add Hoshizora no Memoria -Eternal Heart- as an add-on in Backerkit, we'll have digital and physical add-on options as well as new merchandise available all in Backerkit!
For those who pledged $1,000 and over, you'll get the Fandisk added to your pledge automatically at no additional cost, this is our thank you for supporting our campaign at such a high tier.
There is still a little over 24 hours left in the campaign, and we want to thank you for all your support!
Also, we'd like to encourage everyone to head on over to Humble Bundle today!
It's the last day of our astounding Visual Novel bundle with 19 games available at such a low price and the proceeds going to great causes!
