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Dear WarStagers,
We are really happy to say that tons of WarStage pledges have already been delivered and are being built and played with, now that shipping is complete in the USA and the UK!
You can see what some other backers are doing on that cool Facebook group created by one of you guys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/503063647354382
It’s great to see that all the effort we have been putting in, and all the patience and support you have been giving us, is paying off! And for that, we want to say a big thank you once again 😊
But everything is not done yet and we are not resting on our laurels, and we certainly haven’t taken our foot off the gas!
Following on from the last update we are fighting to resolve some complex issues. Check out the full details in the rest of this update.
Despite daily chasing from Raging Heroes HQ we are still having a really hard time getting all the information we need to resolve the few remaining problems we face from around the world.
Of course, COVID and Brexit are still big culprits for delays and problems in communications, And like Hercules, we are wrestling these problems into submission!!
Europe
We told you last month that the hubs are a bit overwhelmed by COVID restrictions and new Brexit regulations, so we continue to step in as much as possible to help them out.
Like all major industries (including huge companies like Games Workshop) there are issues delivering from the UK to mainland Europe. A horrid concoction of COVID restrictions changing on a daily basis, and misunderstandings around Brexit regulation that are confusing logistics experts around the world.
The best plan is still to ship the European pledges from the UK hub to a new German hub and distribute them from there.
One of the problems we came up against was a disagreement with the haulier about a piece of documentation we had to provide, an EORI number (an Economic Operators Registration and Identification number… sounds super exciting, right?). We were being told by import/export specialists that we only needed to provide our French EORI number as we are a French company and that’s what is in the regulations.
BUT the haulier tells us that people at customs won’t let things go through if we don’t have a German EORI number (as the hub would be in Germany) despite the fact that the law says otherwise...
Lots of back and forth followed made worse by the fact that the only way we can communicate to the haulier is through the UK hub... who can be slow at replying to our messages. Each email and call chasing an answer adds to our frustration, but more importantly, add days to the process!
We have managed to set up an arrangement with the Hub so that we could use their German EORI number. It could look like a simple thing when you put it like that but it creates a lot of additional complications and this is not the best option.
Another way to deal with that is to get a German EORI number for our company but it creates other complications. We are investigating that option at the moment. Working through the murky waters of these new rules, unable to rely on the industry regulators who should be able to give a quick answer. This gives you a glimpse into the sorts of problems that slow down the delivery of your WarStages goods.
On top of this, shipping to Europe isn’t the easiest thing right now. With COVID restrictions changing between countries rapidly our plans are forced to shift and alter as the news breaks. The main freight route between the UK and Europe goes through France, with Dover to Calais seeing 5,000-6,000 lorries per day! Because of ever-changing restrictions at the French border, we have decided to organise an alternative shipping route to Germany to be sure that we won’t face additional delays if France decides to toughen its policy.
Lastly for Europe, we have been talking with financial advisers about a VAT bill we are being asked to pay for a second time. We are a little shocked at this as we paid VAT when the packages entered the UK, but we are told this is a common problem at the moment. The advisers we are working with have the same dispute with HMRC (UK Tax collector) for dozens of other companies. It feels comforting knowing we are not the only ones facing this issue, but lots of people in the same boat as us means there is a backlog getting it resolved.
We have decided that if the advisers cannot get this sorted by the time the haulage paperwork and route is sorted then we will carry on with the shipment, pay the VAT and resolve the issue when the shipment is completed. Definitely not ideal for us, but at least you won’t have to suffer any additional delays
The European haulage was pretty close to being sorted out when we posted the last update, but you can see how things change, new issues crop up rapidly and take a massive amount of our staff’s time to get things resolved.
Still, we fight on doing everything we can to have your pledges shipped as soon as possible!
Anyway, the conclusion is that we are currently waiting for the feedback of a Custom and Taxes specialist about the EORI number situation. As soon as we have his answer, we can give the OK to the hub to start shipping. We hope that to be done this coming week.
Canada
We are really happy to say pledges for Canada are now shipped. With them being underway it shouldn’t take long for everyone in Canada to receive their pledges! It’s probably done by now.
But just so you know, there was a delay of a little more than 2 weeks because of an admin mistake made by the people at the US hub:
We had paid some handling and admin fees a few weeks ago, but the paperwork sat forgotten on someone’s desk at the hub. A few days passed as we thought that shipment was on the way but suddenly we realised that, no, the Canadian shipments were still on hold!
Cue a bucket load of chasing from Raging Heroes HQ, showing proof of payment, and an eventual sheepish reply when the hub admitted their mistake: they had forgotten to pass on the proof of payment to their accounting department and so the shipment to Canada was still on hold… for no good reasons!
Anyway, all this is sorted now. One Hydra head chopped down for good!
Australia & New Zealand
Everything is good on that front. We are in the queue, waiting for some room on a ship to have the parcels sent to Australia and New Zealand. This should happen in the next few days!
When you do get your packages, make sure you go to our WarStages playlist on YouTube! Some of the pieces are complex and intricate, and we have created 36 videos to ensure you have the best possible reference to assemble your kit and don't run the risk of damaging the most delicate parts.
That is all for today, we’ll keep you posted as soon as we get some relevant information.
Stay safe and don’t hesitate to show us what you are doing with your WarStages kits if you’ve received it.
Now, back chasing down this hydra…
See you soon!
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At Raging Heroes, every army we create starts with carefully chosen ingredients. For the Dark Elves, you've got: Refinement. Elegance. Extreme Evil. Gothic fashion. Japanese Rock bands. Scandinavian fairy tales illustrations from the 19th century. Find out more about your past and future favorites!
richard flament
July 19, 2023
Bonjour, et pour les livraisons en France, ou cela en est il?
Slts.