Book 6: Utterly Dwarfed (+2020 Calendar) now w/ reduced shipping to Europe + Canada

[Mordokai]

Are we sure the delayed orders to Europe have even shipped yet?

Yeah, I would be interested in that as well. I mean, I'm in no rush really(though given the fact I also ordered a calendar with the book makes it funny if it arrives in the middle of the March), but knowing the book is on the way would be... kinda nice, I guess?

[Stabbey]

This shipment should arrive in Canada around January 10 and in Germany sometime later in January. Once there, the fulfillment centers will ship the orders to each of you. We will send additional emails when the shipments arrive at each fulfillment center.

So I guess the shipments haven't reached the Canadian fulfillment center yet?

[Werbaer]

In Germany still waiting, faithfully waiting.

Czech Republic here, also still waiting, though I haven't even received any shipping email yet.

Europe here as well. Definitely Ookoodook needs to work on their communication with customers. I never got a reply to my email either, and my order status page (linked on order confirmation email) still says nothing about the order being shipped. Why offering customers an order status page, if it doesn't reflect the actual status of an order?

Are we sure the delayed orders to Europe have even shipped yet?

From the email i got on 17th of december:
Europe/Canada Freight Shipment for Utterly Dwarfed and 2020 Calendar
The Order of the Stick 2020 calendar shipment arrived in Houston on Friday afternoon, and will ship (along with other non-Utterly Dwarfed books) this week to the Utterly Dwarfed book printer in Ohio. From there, pallets containing 2020 calendars, Utterly Dwarfed, and other books that you bought will ship to fulfillment centers in Canada and Germany. This shipment should arrive in Canada around January 10 and in Germany sometime later in January. Once there, the fulfillment centers will ship the orders to each of you. We will send additional emails when the shipments arrive at each fulfillment center.

So the bulk shippment hasn't arrived in europe yet.
Only when the individual parcels get shipped from the fulfillment center in germany, you can expect to get a shipment email, and a "shipped" order status. As long as it's in a big box on the boat, it's the same as if the whole batch would sit in a warehouse in USA.

[Slaine]

When I sent an email to the fulfilment people about this having had no update since ordering, I got this response:

Sorry, but European orders won't be fulfilled until later in January as they are shipped in bulk to a fulfillment center in Germany before being sent.

We sent an email to European backers about this. Please check your spam/junk folder for details.

I hadn't received an email and there was nothing in junk so maybe there's a disconnect if you paid in a certain way or something..? Either way my hope is that the orders will be shipped by the end of this month.

[Armitage]

I knew that the reduced shipping meant we would be getting our books and calendars later. But that was supposed to mean "later in December", not "very late in January".
We're getting closer to the point where I regret opting for the reduced shipping.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Communication has been pretty bad this time around.

[DavidBV]

Can't say I "regret" the reduced ship fee; after all, I'll get the book in the end and I saved $45 if I remember correctly (bought 2 books). Considering the delay in a cosmic scale, I venture it's not going to be that relevant.

[Armitage]

Can't say I "regret" the reduced ship fee; after all, I'll get the book in the end and I saved $45 if I remember correctly (bought 2 books). Considering the delay in a cosmic scale, I venture it's not going to be that relevant.

Part of my order is the calendar. Calendars have a somewhat limited use time.
Effectively using January is "normal". But it looks as if I may also not be able to use the calendar in February, since sea fright takes a while to cross the Atlantic.

The books and calendars where available by mid-December and the reduced shipping was supposedly only meant for the pre-order that ended in December as well. So why where the packages for Europe not put on a ship in later December or early January? There is no communication from Ook about the reasons for this continued delay.

[Werbaer]

The books and calendars where available by mid-December and the reduced shipping was supposedly only meant for the pre-order that ended in December as well. So why where the packages for Europe not put on a ship in later December or early January? There is no communication from Ook about the reasons for this continued delay.

The calendars arrived in Houston on december 13, and were send to Ohio (where the books were printed) around december 19. Once they arrive there, books and calenders are shipped together in bulk. This should have happenend at the end of december; hard to estimate in the holiday season, but they expected the Canada shipment to arrive around january 10 in the fullfilment center.

Now for europe, add another week or two to that date for sea transport. So the freight should have reached the continent around these days. But customs usually take 1-2 weeks (*), so i estimate the individual shipments will be sent out at the end of january.

(*) I've heard from several Kickstarter board games shipped from china that were hold up 3-4 weeks by US customs.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Yeah, customs acts as an agent in economic shenanigans between countries too often for predictions to be made.

[factotum]

OK, bad news for the European guys, just got this in an e-mail from Ookoodook:

Europe
The people at the printer's warehouse had to just point the shipper to the proper pallet for Canada. Unfortunately, they pointed to the wrong one and the Europe pallet was also sent to Canada, too. That pallet has been returned, and is now moving toward Germany. We apologize for the delay.

[Mordokai]

As frustrating as that may be(and it is, just a little), I actually find it kind of hilarious.

I mean, what the hell had to happen for a guy to confuse Europe and Canada? I bet there's a story to be told there.

[Falkenstein]

As frustrating as that may be(and it is, just a little), I actually find it kind of hilarious.

I mean, what the hell had to happen for a guy to confuse Europe and Canada? I bet there's a story to be told there.

Just speculating here, but I don't believe the story from Ookoodook - we get no email on our delivery status until now and they do not even reply to our inquiries, but then we suddenly get an email that conveniently explains that there will be a much bigger delay than originally advertised and yet it is not their fault. More likely this is meant to cover some larger incompetence at Ookoodook. It's all just speculation, though.

[Mordokai]

Just speculating here, but I don't believe the story from Ookoodook - we get no email on our delivery status until now and they do not even reply to our inquiries, but then we suddenly get an email that conveniently explains that there will be a much bigger delay than originally advertised and yet it is not their fault. More likely this is meant to cover some larger incompetence at Ookoodook. It's all just speculation, though.

Possibly. I won't try and make excuses for anybody. I will give them the benefit of doubt, but yeah, I can see why people are unwilling to slide it.

It helps that I'm currently very busy and having a book would just present another distraction, so not having it longer is actually kinda beneficial for me. I know most people won't feel like that, since my situation doesn't apply to everybody(or indeed, most of you), but for me, it's actually not all bad.

It's annoying that I won't get calendar until the end of February(by the looks of it), but I ordered it just because I enjoy having it. I'm not using dead tree versions of the calendar for some years now and I wouldn't even order it this year(or last one, as the case may be), were it not for the fact that I could get a book along with it.

So yeah, I'm not all that much bothered by the delay, but were it not for my current, very special situation, I would probably be at least mildly pissed.

[snowblizz]

I mean, what the hell had to happen for a guy to confuse Europe and Canada? I bet there's a story to be told there.

Nothing. The US education system explains it adequately. In a place where Paris is a distant third behind Paris Hilton and Paris, Texas.

I don't find it that hard to believe without dipping into "americans are dumb" either.

A truck rolls up and asks for a certain pallet, random warehouse person knows "hey I rolled in 2 of those with the stuff you ask in, they are over there". Neither trucker or warehouse guy gets paid enough to think for themselves or double check every detail so everything is loaded up and off it goes. It's the busy season and these pallets need to go.

This is the warehouse of the printer that is never getting any business from Rich again for a whole other mess after all.

[The Black Cat]

Well, that explains the delay on European orders, but there's still no word on my Canadian one either. Perhaps instead of Canada they were actually both pointed to Australia. Following a series of geographic puzzles is the only way to catch Carmen Sandiago these books!

[Joerg]

Unfortunately, the message doesn't contain any information on when we can expect the books and calendars in Europe. I'm away for the first three weeks of february.

[factotum]

Well, that explains the delay on European orders, but there's still no word on my Canadian one either.

The e-mail also said that the books etc. had arrived at the Canadian fulfilment centre and were being sent out, so I'd imagine you ought to get it quite soon.

[Menarker]

I'm also frustrated with no deliveries, no emails sent to me, no responses to emails I sent. And the tracking code for my order doesn't indicate that my package is on the way at all. And I live in Canada in one of the busy cities (as opposed to a rural area with limited delivery service).

It's not the wait that bugs me as much as I'm not being reassured by the drastically worse communication this time around, compared to previous years.

[Unkillable_Cat]

Iceland (technically part of Europe) here checking in, book arrived on Tuesday, and I picked it up on Friday. Thanks very much!

[King of Nowhere]

Iceland (technically part of Europe) here checking in, book arrived on Tuesday, and I picked it up on Friday. Thanks very much!

gret news!
with some luck, the same ship that went to iceland may have been on its way to north germany. but it's all a big maybe, not sure we can infer anything on the delivery time for the rest of europe

[Lissou]

I backed a Kickstarter from APE games (which runs Ookoodook) and they've been super busy with it lately, I wonder if that's why they have been less communicative this time around?

Either way, glad to see European books are starting to arrive :)

[factotum]

gret news!
with some luck, the same ship that went to iceland may have been on its way to north germany. but it's all a big maybe, not sure we can infer anything on the delivery time for the rest of europe

If Unkillable_Cat's order was part of the cost reduced shipment, then as far as we know they all had to go to a fulfilment centre in Germany and then get sent out from there, which is the entire reason for the delay in the first place. If it wasn't part of the cost reduced shipment, then its arrival doesn't tell us anything about how that's going--hamishspence got his books in the UK at the beginning of the month, because he didn't go with the cost reduced shipping.

[DLH]

Still waiting here in Canada as well, haven't heard anything from Ookoodook, beyond the first couple emails.

[King of Nowhere]

so, one month has passed with the forum down. meanwhile, i (we?) got an email from ookodook that was reassuring but rather vague, and i still haven't gotten my book. what are the experiences of other europeans?

[hroþila]

so, one month has passed with the forum down. meanwhile, i (we?) got an email from ookodook that was reassuring but rather vague, and i still haven't gotten my book. what are the experiences of other europeans?

According to the most recent email I got (February 13th):

The pallet is still on the Atlantic, and is scheduled to arrive in Germany on 2/24. We've been in near-daily communication with the fulfillment house there, and they are ready to get started.

[DavidBV]

I had not received any emails in weeks so this is what I got after repeated attempts to get an update on the euro-delivery:

Another email has gone out. I apologize if you did not receive it. The shipment is expected to clear customs on the 25th and from there arrive to the freight forwarder to ship to customers.

[factotum]

According to the most recent email I got (February 13th):

Yeah, I got the same e-mail.

[Waraila]

I had not received any emails in weeks so this is what I got after repeated attempts to get an update on the euro-delivery:

Well this is reassuring, thank you for posting this. I was getting worried. I've had no e-mail updates and no response to a query about the shipping via their shipping e-mail.

So I'll assume another couple of weeks, so second week of March hopefully for my books.

[DavidBV]

Well this is reassuring, thank you for posting this. I was getting worried. I've had no e-mail updates and no response to a query about the shipping via their shipping e-mail.

So I'll assume another couple of weeks, so second week of March hopefully for my books.

If it indeed clears customs on 25th, it still has to be individually packed and shipped to all of us. We have no idea how long this can take but probably not less than a week. Then another 3-5 days to deliver, or just 1-2 in Germany. At this point I don't think we'll get any notifications from Ookoodook, so we'll know when we unwrap it, I guess.