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Just conjecture (based on experience watching various gaming trainwrecks) but when things get tough for a small company/project funds tend to be used to cover ongoing expenses rather than what they were initially intended for (like preorders and crowdfunding rewards). If the disruption is short/temporary, things go back to normal equally quickly as long as the delay/issues didn't affect incoming orders so that ongoing profit can cover back expenses for a while. If the issues persist for longer periods and negatively affect future orders due to the delays (despite increasingly desperate measures to remedy it like more frequent or more drastic sales), it's usually an unstoppable spiral unless something incredible happens like a big gofundme donation/angel investor/merger/acquisition.
warboss wrote: Nah, it'll be fine. I'm sure fulfilling those long overdue orders will be super easy... barely an inconvience!
Oh reeeeeallly?
Valete,
JohnS
Valete,
JohnS
"You don't believe data - you test data. If I could put my finger on the moment we genuinely <expletive deleted> ourselves, it was the moment we decided that data was something you could use words like believe or disbelieve around"
The difficulty is if they have any debt over them in addition to customer back-orders. That might put them in a position where they've so much outstanding that there isn't really much to "sell" of the company in value for what a buyer would get when they also get the debt as well.
Which sadly might mean it all ends up going through administration. Whilst that can mean the line gets bought out by someone else in entirety, it can also be a really messy situation where things get lost, missplaced, messed up and so forth.
I know when Wayland bought the Spartan Games stuff they had issues such as their moulds just being dumped on a pallet and the ID system used for categorising was linked to software that hadn't been maintained etc.... Just all the mess you get when a firm hits tough times and crumbles and then administrators box everything up and so forth.
They have a fantastic range of models, I'd hope if the worst comes that somebody else would take it on as theres money to be made selling these figures. The current team have just had too many health issues to efficiently run a business.
it's the quiet ones you have to look out for. Their the ones that change the world, the loud ones just take the credit for it.
A newsletter should be sent out sometime today, this was posted on the KS page yesterday.
I figured I'd use my good health check in to answer a couple of questions we got since my return.
We have had the resins made because the moulds for resin masters are individual and take a while, so they were all made in advance.
We also use resin masters to make metals, it's more expensive but it essentially means that the metals we produce are masters. Those are the metals you get, which is why we have a reputation for high quality metals.
We have had some of the metals produced, just some random ones in between my hospital visits but the bulk are awaiting figures from the ill-fated pledge manager. We don't want to get hundreds of mini x cast only to find out that only 5 of you want it
Why haven't we hired someone to take care of the KS? Sadly it just doesn't work that way. We're a small family business and hiring someone to try and take over a project and business they don't understand would take a lot of money, time and training and wouldn't be a permanent position for anyone qualified.
There 'is' help in place to handle fulfilment and there is an emergency plan in place should I disappear on a long term or permanent basis.
If the worst were to happen, Sal and the backup help would fulfil the Kickstarter as the last act of HF Minis as it currently exists. A little morbid, but I figure you all should understand that the KS wouldn't disappear.
I'll update again Sunday as I'm planning to put out a newsletter addressing similar stuff about our main business.
We do have to make sure we pay the rent so there's a warehouse to fulfil this 'from' after all
BrookM wrote: A newsletter should be sent out sometime today, this was posted on the KS page yesterday.
Spoiler:
I figured I'd use my good health check in to answer a couple of questions we got since my return.
We have had the resins made because the moulds for resin masters are individual and take a while, so they were all made in advance.
We also use resin masters to make metals, it's more expensive but it essentially means that the metals we produce are masters. Those are the metals you get, which is why we have a reputation for high quality metals.
We have had some of the metals produced, just some random ones in between my hospital visits but the bulk are awaiting figures from the ill-fated pledge manager. We don't want to get hundreds of mini x cast only to find out that only 5 of you want it
Why haven't we hired someone to take care of the KS? Sadly it just doesn't work that way. We're a small family business and hiring someone to try and take over a project and business they don't understand would take a lot of money, time and training and wouldn't be a permanent position for anyone qualified.
There 'is' help in place to handle fulfilment and there is an emergency plan in place should I disappear on a long term or permanent basis.
If the worst were to happen, Sal and the backup help would fulfil the Kickstarter as the last act of HF Minis as it currently exists. A little morbid, but I figure you all should understand that the KS wouldn't disappear.
I'll update again Sunday as I'm planning to put out a newsletter addressing similar stuff about our main business.
We do have to make sure we pay the rent so there's a warehouse to fulfil this 'from' after all
Art.
I'm glad they have an emergency plan in place should he disappear long term. I'm not a backer but, if I was, I would be most curious about what the criteria for that plan kicking into action are because obviously being almost a year late at this point without even a pledge manager (according to the comments) in place yet to find out how much of what they need to make doesn't seem to be long term enough. Fortunately, I have the luxury of waiting (with my money) since I decided to instead just wait for the figs I want to hit retail and order them then instead. Still I will give credit where credit is due in that he hasn't gone radio silent so I do believe they're trying in some minimally effective way. Faint praise but praise nonetheless.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2024/02/11 16:08:57
HF was never the most professional company, and now it is completely unreliable.
So... thats not really fair.
I think people have forgotten that a lot of these businesses that started off in the early 00's as mom and pop companies are still just that - they may have been in business for twenty years but that doesn't mean they've enjoyed or benefited from the market growing, or even that they've been able to scale up there businesses; there still small fish, but the pond is bigger, and now theres... 3d printed lakes? Eh.
At the same time, the consumer went from 'Oh hey, it arrived in a week, thats amazing!' to 'Why isn't it here the next day, why am I paying for shipping, and why does it cost this much compared to X?' All the while, ignoring the crippling effects of COVID, inflation, metal prices, and Brexit.
People see HF as being in business for 20 years, and expect a workforce, in-house manufacturing, snazzy designer packaging... and don't really understand whats involved in getting an maintaining a company that can do all that.
Am I saying all this is right or 'an excuse'? No... but I think people lose perspective when things have gone wrong and been so challenging for such a long time. Clearly, from Sals post, this is something thats been considered heavily.
I think over the next few years a lot of British companies are going to face some harsh realities and as consumers, we'll be worse off for it.
At the same time, the consumer went from 'Oh hey, it arrived in a week, thats amazing!' to 'Why isn't it here the next day, why am I paying for shipping, and why does it cost this much compared to X?' All the while, ignoring the crippling effects of COVID, inflation, metal prices, and Brexit.
That sounds horrible. Can you quote the examples of that in the thread?
HF was never the most professional company, and now it is completely unreliable.
So... thats not really fair.
I think people have forgotten that a lot of these businesses that started off in the early 00's as mom and pop companies are still just that - they may have been in business for twenty years but that doesn't mean they've enjoyed or benefited from the market growing, or even that they've been able to scale up there businesses; there still small fish, but the pond is bigger, and now theres... 3d printed lakes? Eh.
At the same time, the consumer went from 'Oh hey, it arrived in a week, thats amazing!' to 'Why isn't it here the next day, why am I paying for shipping, and why does it cost this much compared to X?' All the while, ignoring the crippling effects of COVID, inflation, metal prices, and Brexit.
People see HF as being in business for 20 years, and expect a workforce, in-house manufacturing, snazzy designer packaging... and don't really understand whats involved in getting an maintaining a company that can do all that.
Am I saying all this is right or 'an excuse'? No... but I think people lose perspective when things have gone wrong and been so challenging for such a long time. Clearly, from Sals post, this is something thats been considered heavily.
I think over the next few years a lot of British companies are going to face some harsh realities and as consumers, we'll be worse off for it.
Spot on. The only thing I would add is that Its not " in a a few years" its happening right now and last year at salute was an eye opener. Several companies vanished and I had chats with old friends, company owners, and it is grim.
HF did a lot of good things in the past when things were different, I really hope they can turn this around and get back into those days.
I think fairer would be to say they were very professional in the past, both Sally and Kev were absolute joys to talk to, both at Salute and over social media concerning queries, but things have taken an absolute nosedive in terms of quality after the change of guard.
I don't expect miracles, post Brexit shipping has become hellish to say the least and while I am not part of the "order now, deliver tomorrow" crowd, I do find it very disappointing how poor the communications have been. It's not just the KS crowd waiting on gak to happen, plenty of people who made use of their Halloween sale would also love to know why the promised delivery dates have been missed.
That sounds horrible. Can you quote the examples of that in the thread?
Which bit? This is the general impression I've gotten from this thread and others - usually focusing on smaller, longer-established British manufacturers...
Spot on. The only thing I would add is that Its not " in a a few years" its happening right now and last year at salute was an eye opener. Several companies vanished and I had chats with old friends, company owners, and it is grim.
Salute last year was just... sad. I had plenty of money to splurge, and brought most of it back. Fewer indie companies, more retailers, and those that could have done more just didn't bother (the Corvus Belli stand was bizarre).
Its a cycle though - the less companies make at the show, the less financially viable it is, so there's less stands to visit, so there's fewer reasons to go... and when companies stop going, they don't tend to go back. Heresy is a prime example here.
I think fairer would be to say they were very professional in the past, both Sally and Kev were absolute joys to talk to, both at Salute and over social media concerning queries, but things have taken an absolute nosedive in terms of quality after the change of guard.
Thing is, I don't think its as simple as that. Health has undoubtedly been a massive factor, but it's also scale and time.
Having a small company with 2 dozen products run out of a back room is one thing - having a warehouse and thousands of products is an entirely different beast. Each code you add, means X amount extra in restock, X amount of space needed to hold it, and X amount of potential problems - I can't imagine the logistics and financial implications of that for a large company, let alone one that's all down to one person. And we're not even talking about all the other hats like processing the orders, advertising and social media, trade shows...
Also remember Kev White is now working for GW so can't be involved in Hasslefree stuff any more, and isn't on social media posting new sculpts which remind customers that Hasslefree exists
Back in January I sent a message to the seller asking for clarification and as expected, no reply. In February I received a generic email from the seller asking ME why my order hasn't arrived yet.. have again replied asking for clarification as to why my order hasn't been sent out yet. But nothing since then, he's also been ghosting the KS project again, so I've decided to cut my losses and taken it up with Paypal.
For those who have placed an order during the Halloween sale, I'd highly recommend doing the same if like me you have no more faith in this company.
warboss wrote: Does Paypal have a 6 month window for making a claim?
They did a few years ago when it was relevant to me. I'd be sure to check if you have an outstanding order with Hasslefree. I wouldn't take my chances with them.
Nehekhara lives! Sort of!
Why is the rum always gone?
There is still a six month window, your Paypal transaction will tell you until the exact day how long you still have to file a claim, so don't wait too long. Mine was late April, but I've decided not to wait any longer.
If you are receiving this it's because your order has been delayed due to a problem with a metal mini.
Since my return to work I have resolved numerous issues but the one thing I couldn't do was have metal cast quickly. Your order 'is' being resolved, all missing metals have been ordered as a matter of emergency but we cannot speed up the casters more than just asking sorry.
If you are ok waiting for your order then nothing more for you to do. If you don't want to wait, you can reply to this email and I'll tell you which mini was an issue and we can go from there
Dameon
HF Minis
Well, sent him a reply telling him I cancelled, I look forward to a potential reply a month from now.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2024/03/17 19:02:04
BrookM wrote: Are you fething kidding me.. This just came in.
Hi There
If you are receiving this it's because your order has been delayed due to a problem with a metal mini.
Since my return to work I have resolved numerous issues but the one thing I couldn't do was have metal cast quickly. Your order 'is' being resolved, all missing metals have been ordered as a matter of emergency but we cannot speed up the casters more than just asking sorry.
If you are ok waiting for your order then nothing more for you to do. If you don't want to wait, you can reply to this email and I'll tell you which mini was an issue and we can go from there
Dameon
HF Minis
Well, sent him a reply telling him I cancelled, I look forward to a potential reply a month from now.
I suppose the half glass full way of looking at it is that they solved numerous issues with your order other than producing and shipping the mini you paid for. So I guess an end to world hunger and peace in the Middle East incoming then?
BrookM wrote: Are you fething kidding me.. This just came in.
Hi There
If you are receiving this it's because your order has been delayed due to a problem with a metal mini.
Since my return to work I have resolved numerous issues but the one thing I couldn't do was have metal cast quickly. Your order 'is' being resolved, all missing metals have been ordered as a matter of emergency but we cannot speed up the casters more than just asking sorry.
If you are ok waiting for your order then nothing more for you to do. If you don't want to wait, you can reply to this email and I'll tell you which mini was an issue and we can go from there
Dameon
HF Minis
Well, sent him a reply telling him I cancelled, I look forward to a potential reply a month from now.
I suppose the half glass full way of looking at it is that they solved numerous issues with your order other than producing and shipping the mini you paid for. So I guess an end to world hunger and peace in the Middle East incoming then?
I got a swift reply not long after with the offer to ship out what's available right now alongside a partial refund of the missing mini, but at this stage I am so done with this all and going with a full refund, minus shipping (Paypal doesn't refund that, but I can live with it). Plus heh, the missing mini is the one I had initially wanted the most as it was to be a gift, but at this point, not going to bother any more, what little faith and confidence I had left is all gone.
This is so heartbreaking, as there was a time where Hasslefree was amazing. I still love their products, but they're getting impossible to actually obtain!
BrookM wrote: I got a swift reply not long after with the offer to ship out what's available right now alongside a partial refund of the missing mini, but at this stage I am so done with this all and going with a full refund, minus shipping (Paypal doesn't refund that, but I can live with it). Plus heh, the missing mini is the one I had initially wanted the most as it was to be a gift, but at this point, not going to bother any more, what little faith and confidence I had left is all gone.
Well, I'm glad you at least are getting the lion's share back. I wasn't aware that paypal doesn't refund shipping though admittedly I haven't filed a claim in almost a decade and the last 2-3 were through Ebay via Paypal by proxy when they were still owned together so it's long out of date.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2024/03/18 00:48:37
KidCthulhu wrote: This is so heartbreaking, as there was a time where Hasslefree was amazing. I still love their products, but they're getting impossible to actually obtain!
I think it’s that there is so much unknown, like I assume some minis are being sent out. People must be getting some of there orders.
I am sure if they made a post with, these 5 minis have a stock of 10. They would get some orders, and able to send them out.
For myself I would probably jump on a few minis if they went up with a yes there is stock, and we can send them out ASAP.
But I myself am far too sick to follow up on Emails for minis over what could be months :( just so much Unknown involved.
For what it's worth an update today. Omitting the personal health details the update says the pledge manager is done and just needs to be "confirmed and paid for". Update next week.
