TGW Presents "The Tale of the Tempest" designed by Lotrek LIVE on KS

[Bradius]

***ring*** ***ring*** ***ring*** Bring out your troll. ***ring*** ***ring*** ***ring****

[Timmargh]

wow what a gongshow this has become

now ppl r paying customs/taxes on-top of their pledge bc fulfillment centre used dhl/purolator knowing full-well they charge additional customs fees to the end user for internationally shipments

twg, i will not back another project of yours

complete amateur hour with you

*TGW

[TheGentlemanWake]

Anzh

I’m very sorry and disheartened to read your comment. I have tried to conduct this project in the most professional manner possible. Using Gamblers Warehouse — which fulfills countless campaigns— was one of my first commitments to professionalism. I hired them to do a job and do it correctly. So it seems the issue you have is with their decision to use DHL. The option of a choice in which carrier was used or how to handle tax/customs was never presented to me as part of their service. Perhaps my mistake was trusting a company that literally does this everyday with the task. I’ve noted the issue. But I’m not sure how it could’ve been avoided. Seeing as how it’s a requirement of Canada law. In the end your decision to punish the TGW brand by withholding future support feels like it should be extended to any project fulfilled by Gamblers Warehouse.

[TheGentlemanWake]

Has anyone in Canada gotten their decks yet? Tracking info from Gambler's Warehouse just says "in transit" and there hasn't been a tracking info update since Jan 18th. I'm wondering if this is normal, or has my package been lost or something?

My package arrived in Toronto. Unfortunately I had to pay duties on it.

If I may ask… what was your pledge and how much were the duties? Trying to get a sense. As an American I’ve never paid duties or taxes on goods shipped to me so it’s not something that comes to immediate mind.

[Strag]

I can share that in the UK, if DHL handles a parcel they will collect VAT on it, which is fine, that is part of what they have to do. However they also add a handling fee on top, regardless of the parcel value!

Recently for Xmas my boss sent a little gift pack for a virtual night out which included three tiny bottles of booze and two packs of crisps (potato chips). Declared value was £25 so DHL collected £5, fair enough as VAT is 20%. However they also tried to charge me a £10.50 handling fee for processing the VAT. Note that this is on top of what they charged to ship the parcel itself.

I fought with them on it and eventually after two months got them to remove the handling charge, saying that since it was a gift andnot something I ordered they have no right to charge me anything, or otherwise they could come collect the parcel (I left it unopened in my home office).

DHL and UPS (has similar practices) are both scummy for this type of practice and I would prefer they not be used by people who ship to me.

[TheGentlemanWake]

I was chatting with Lorenzo. Who i consider a great friend and really a mentor. He says if Gamblers used dhl it was because the package was a large shipment. I guess they don’t always use dhl. Can anyone else confirm?

[JacksandJokers]

I was chatting with Lorenzo. Who i consider a great friend and really a mentor. He says if Gamblers used dhl it was because the package was a large shipment. I guess they don’t always use dhl. Can anyone else confirm?

Omar,

I can't say for sure if Gambler's only use DHL for larger shipments (as I can't remember who usually delivers my smaller pledges).

I can confirm however that DHL delivered my TOTT pledge which was pretty substantial and luckily I managed to avoid all taxes this time around. In the past however I have been charged over £100 GBP on much smaller packages.

In my experience incurred taxes are based both upon the amount declared on the Customs form and blind luck

[Bradius]

I can't confirm it, and GW is impossible for someone like me to reach. However, that is my understanding as well. However, there are likely some countries GW has to use DHL for and some countries where it just makes financial sense to use DHL over other carriers. This may include Europe. I know Lorenzo has recently moved to using an EU freight forwarder to handle most of the world (Non-US/Canada?) so that the EU buyers don't get hosed with EU taxes for decks that were actually produced in Europe anyway.

Besides all of the tax issues, I also recognize shipping has gone insane. I know this has hit you hard in the pocketbook due to the delays. Others aren't saying it, but I am sorry that has hit you so significantly financially. Somehow, I don't think of you as waking up in the middle of the night trying to think up new ways to delay the project...yah. No.

Hang in there. Nearly done. Looking forward to my stuff. If not, maybe I can contact Pigcake to break into your place and look for my stuff...

I actually got hosed by US Customs many years ago on an order of a few rings for my wife from a seller in Thailand through eBay. I think they thought I was a reseller. Not sure as they never bothered before, but my import fees were more than the items cost. Plus the vendor got the order wrong, so I paid over twice for several things I didn't want. Oh well. At least that only happened once.

[TheGentlemanWake]

I think JacksandJokers maybe shipping from Germany helped with the lack of VAT? I know that for within EU countries it’s definitely a help to fulfill rest-of-world from deallez fulfillment.

Brad, thank you first and foremost for your kind support. It has been a one sticker shock after another with fulfillment. It ended up costing about double what we originally thought it would based on estimates derived from the Parlour campaign. But luckily, thankfully, the campaign did well enough to cover those expenses. The delays are what has hurt TGW inc. because six months of sitting on the successors means a lot of income has been spent on just operating expenses. I’ve invested quite a bit into the successor as well and we won’t see returns on that until six weeks after the campaign launches (if it successfully funds of course—crossing my fingers). Six months ago my confidence for a successful follow up were higher. Seeing folks vow to not back future TGW projects due to things that were mostly out of our control make you not take these things for granted.

[BaconWise]

Parts of this thread make me sad. Seeing members (who have undoubtedly backed a billion campaigns) call Omar unprofessional is delusional at best.

OMAR, you have handled this project (and Parlour) with incredible professionalism. Your communication and continued engagement set you apart from the vast majority of other creators and it absolutely proves you are anything but an amateur. I am one of the backers who are waiting patiently for my reward. I say patiently because you have explained (REPEATEDLY!!!) the situation and that is enough for me. I am having a hard time understanding how others continue to complain about the delay, knowing these cards actually exist and will eventually arrive. You have earned your credibility through your actions with Parlour and that should be worth something.

I get frustrated seeing you have to defend yourself here, on Facebook, and via your updates. Tale of the Tempest is an incredible achievement and sincerely hope the vocal minority don't tarnish the experience for you. For what it's worth, I am excited to see Successor and whatever else you come up with. From this humble collector and amateur creator, you are doing inspiring things in this community. Cheers

[Strag]

To be fair, one of the people who said they won't back in the future is one of two UC members I have on ignore. Probably a net win for TGW.

My only issue was with Deallez and not TGW and it wouldn't stop me from backing another TGW project or even having someone else use Deallez again (I just got another parcel from them today that was flawless). I am personally very happy with what I have recieved so far and hopefully will receive my missing Dynastinae decks shortly as I got the shipping notice today.

Shipping is rapidlly becoming a global nightmare, not sure we will see any relief soon.

[TheGentlemanWake]

Thank you for the support gents. It definitely helps to hear. I know that with customer service a quiet base is a happy one... but the vocal minority can be loud and make you lose sight. So it is reassuring to read successful customer experiences.

Shipping is a SERIOUS issue all goods-based manufacturers must contend with moving forward. I know that rising shipping costs--and 7% inflation in the US--will have a small but meaningful impact on the prices for the successor decks and I think the days of sub $20 custom decks may be numbered. Between Parlour and Tempest the prices rose by a modest $1 to $3 depending on the deck but I tried to make sure the standard editions stayed under 20. It's going to be tough to keep that up. Lorenzo and I were chatting about that. Two years on and the pandemic really had a significant affect on the economy no doubt.

incidentally, if you've watched my channel you may know that I'm a backer of Dwarven Forge modular terrain for TTRPG and wargaming. Well they had a $4million dollar campaign right around the same time as Tempest and they too have had one nightmare after another with fulfillment. I have yet to receive my pledge. I know it's coming and I will get what I pledged for, but its easy for me--as a fellow creator--to know what KS campaigns are like and the challenges they go through.

[riutshoxie]

I guess they don’t always use dhl. Can anyone else confirm?

Shipment inside Germany was handled by DHL.

[e10li]

I was chatting with Lorenzo. Who i consider a great friend and really a mentor. He says if Gamblers used dhl it was because the package was a large shipment. I guess they don’t always use dhl. Can anyone else confirm?

Yep can confirm, I've only had small packages (<6 decks) come in from Gambler's Warehouse and it was always via USPS. In my experience, it also seems that Gambler's Warehouse declares decks in the shipment as having a value of around $2 USD (might've been $5 USD, can't remember for sure), so usually for a small number of decks, the declared value of the package ends up being under the $40 cad threshold (assuming package is coming from the US, otherwise the threshold is $20 CAD), meaning the package is technically not eligible for duties and taxes.

I forgot who was talking about GW choosing DHL despite knowing they charge taxes/duty, but I should mention that the issue with private couriers always charging a lot in brokerage fees is not as well known of an issue as you'd think (at least in my experience this was the case). Additionally, even public couriers like USPS, Canada post still have the chance of charging you, it's just that they're usually too lazy to do it for packages less than ~$200 CAD (again, in my own experience).

[Strag]

incidentally, if you've watched my channel you may know that I'm a backer of Dwarven Forge modular terrain for TTRPG and wargaming. Well they had a $4million dollar campaign right around the same time as Tempest and they too have had one nightmare after another with fulfillment. I have yet to receive my pledge. I know it's coming and I will get what I pledged for, but its easy for me--as a fellow creator--to know what KS campaigns are like and the challenges they go through.

Just took a look at that campaign and holy moly. One of the pledge options cost $6.6K without shipping and 224 people pledged for it! That's almost $1.5 Million right there. Kinda doesn't make me feel so bad when I go huge on a Lorenzo or Lotrek KS.

[alric]

It's one thing to be impatient with delayed projects, it's only human nature. It's another thing to automatically suspect a project won't be fulfilled or is a scam due to the delay. I get that there are tons of Kickstarter projects that fail and/or are scams, but there are a handful of playing card designers who are above reproach and should never be doubted, and I consider TGW projects to be in that elevated group. Finally, assigning blame to a card designer for things that are completely out of his/her control is just embarrassingly ignorant. As others have mentioned, losing the support of Aznh is actually a huge benefit.

Looking at this project's trajectory, I think one of the biggest bottlenecks was Lotrek. Look, I'm a huge Lotrek fan as are the majority at this UC, and I know he's extremely talented. But I think after all these years, a basic truth must be spoken: Lotrek cannot be trusted to complete anything in a timely manner. I know he is sincerely apologetic every time, and he has pristine transparency, but the whole "haha, Lotrek is late again, it's to be expected" routine is getting extremely tiring and frankly, shows a lack of professionalism. The early years of Lotrek's career can be excused, because he's learning the ropes, and he's experimenting on the cutting edge after all. But after all these years, you have to be able to make realistic deadlines and be able to meet them, at least most of the time. And TGW isn't the only one who's project was delayed due to a Lotrek collaboration. I'm not saying this to assassinate Lotrek's character, I don't know the man at all but from all I see here at UC, he seems like a great guy. Lotrek's work is amazing, he seems like an open and friendly person, and I want him to be better. But at this point, if I were to start a playing card project, I would not be able to work with him. As much as I want to have his amazing artistic talent and technical brilliance with foils on board, that does not outweigh the fact Lotrek cannot be trusted with any timelines. When it comes to work and my career, my first goal is to be professional, and I need that from everyone on my team as well. I know there are a lot of ardent Lotrek fans here, and before you all crucify me, I want to emphasize I am not criticizing his art/skill, or character, but pointing out a painfully obvious fact about his punctuality. That, in my opinion (and just my sole OPINION), reflects a lack of professionalism and I desperately want him to be better because I love his work.

Sorry about the thread hijack, I received my order and the decks are amazing. The Great Wylenti from Lotrek is exquisite. It does not handle well at all, but the gold foil on black background is wonderful to behold. It's easily the best value in a deck of playing cards and I thank TGW and Lotrek for making a deck of this caliber so affordable. It is a credit to the two of you to do so, especially in the light of skyrocketing prices of custom playing cards now. I live in the U.S. and I am dismayed to hear about the logistical costs and challenges for international card collectors, while amazed and impressed that you guys continue to collect cards despite it all. I'm really looking forward to the next project from TGW.

[bdawg923]

Ye at no point during this Kickstarter did I ever think that it's a scam. Delays happen. And trolls exist to make you feel like shit. If the troll doesn't like delays, then the troll shouldn't back Kickstarters where delays happen, especially in the current world situation. Omar pours his blood sweat and tears into everything he does. There's legitimate complaints about this Kickstarter as there are about every Kickstarter. But honestly, "complete amateur hour"? Ridiculous thing to say

[Cardians]

fwiw, I just picked my package up from FedEx here in Canada and I only paid $19cdn for duties and I got the grand package. Most of it was FedEx's fees to bring it to the Great North.

At the end of the day, if paying a small import fee to get my items in 2-3 days instead of the snail-mail 4-6 weeks, I'm more than willing to pay the amount on top for faster service. That's the positive side of using couriers other then USPS.

BTW, the decks came out amazing Omar.

I for one will be backing your next campaign and for someone like AZNH that only shows up to troll, it makes me laugh they can't even get TGW correct. LOL

One thing I've read over and over again is, you're never going to please everyone Omar. Keep doing what ya doing, and be great at it. We learn everyday.

Cheers,
KW

[Timmargh]

Like others, it annoys me to see impatient, name-calling idiots accusing hard-working creators of pulling a scam. It's happened on Tony's Horsemen campaign a few times, too.

Luckily, I'm a patient man. How patient? Well, I have a campaign that funded at the end of 2013 that I'm still waiting for …

[Bradius]

Tim, thanks for sharing. That made me go to memory lane and share my very first Kickstarter project that enticed me to Kickstarter. It sounded so cool (watch the campaign video), but was never delivered. Hundreds and hundreds and hundred projects later I am still there. Maybe a bit wiser, but sometimes willing to take a gamble on something interesting. Sorry for hijacking the thread a bit.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26 ... escription

[rockets455]

{Expresses dissatisfaction with this campaign}

Everyone here is too nice to say this, but {Proposes an improbable activity for individual quoted above to engage in}.

Edit - the mods have washed out my mouth with soap

[bdawg923]

Speaking of the next Kickstarter, is that launching soon or are you waiting for all the tmpest packages to deliver?

[TheGentlemanWake]

Speaking of the next Kickstarter, is that launching soon or are you waiting for all the tmpest packages to deliver?

Honestly my energies have been so devoted to solving all the fulfillment issues and dealing with backers that I've put off handling some homework with regards to the Successor. SO most likely april/may launch. Unless things are faster then perhaps March. But more than likely april/may. Really striving for all the prototypes to be as final as possible. One of the issues with Tempest was stuff was being designed DURING the campaign. Which isn't very efficient or production-friendly. I really want to have things be close to ready so as soon as funding is (hopefully) achieved we can roll straight into production and get a good headstart on fulfillment on the next campaign.

[TheGentlemanWake]

For NA Backers... decks are coming!

[joeblow]

Has anyone in Canada gotten their decks yet? Tracking info from Gambler's Warehouse just says "in transit" and there hasn't been a tracking info update since Jan 18th. I'm wondering if this is normal, or has my package been lost or something?

My package arrived in Toronto. Unfortunately I had to pay duties on it.

If I may ask… what was your pledge and how much were the duties? Trying to get a sense. As an American I’ve never paid duties or taxes on goods shipped to me so it’s not something that comes to immediate mind.

It was $20 CAD, half of which was the collection fee. Fortunately the value that of package on the label was not the full KS cost. I had the Complete package. Not a big deal, just odd and has only happened to me a couple times after backing hundreds of projects.

[rousselle]

Have the Wylenti decks been released from customs yet?

[TheGentlemanWake]

Have the Wylenti decks been released from customs yet?

3 of the 4 boxes. Don't ask me to explain why the 4th one has not.

[portcullis]

Still waiting on mine ... No update on Deutsche Post tracking in a month ... I know it's "Covid times" and all that but I received stuff I've ordered since January 4.

[BaconWise]

Have the Wylenti decks been released from customs yet?

3 of the 4 boxes. Don't ask me to explain why the 4th one has not.

I am close to fulfilling a project that was shipped from China as 17 parcels via DHL. Tracked it all the way to Cali then it said "partial delivery". I went into the shipping details and they ended up releasing 7 from customs. A couple days ago they released 4. And I believe the final 6 will be leaving for Cali today or tomorrow. Long story short: customs is stupid. The more I experience the process, the less it makes sense.

In other news: My decks are on the move from GW! Just received a tracking update today

[TheGentlemanWake]

Still waiting on mine ... No update on Deutsche Post tracking in a month ... I know it's "Covid times" and all that but I received stuff I've ordered since January 4.

Have you sent Bao at Deallez an email? Let’s do that if you haven’t. Where are you located?