Getting close! Finish line is within view!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Dec 09, 2022 at 09:11:06 AM

All Spark parts are in!

If you read the last update, you'll remember that the new cool clasps Nick designed were a little behind. Happy to announce that they are under our roof, look great, and function perfectly!

You might also remember, that despite not having all the materials, we didn't let it slow down production. We've been assembling the necklaces sans clasp, as well as prepping all the other materials and Add-Ons. Well, almost all the materials...

We're still waiting on the individual product packaging and some of the Ferro Rod Toggles for the "3 Packs." The packaging has shipped (super-expensive expedited) and will hopefully arrive in the next week. The additional Ferro Rod Toggles should ship tomorrow and will also hopefully arrive next week.

So... We can't ship without the final packaging, which looks great, by the way. (Please give Nick a high five for his fancy package design ✋)

But... We're going to prep everything else in the meanwhile and as soon as packaging is in-house, we'll start the final picking, packing, and processing!

We'll keep ya posted as soon as the packaging and extra ferro rods arrive. Until then, we'll be busier than a...

• squirrel in a nut factory
• Walmart on Black Friday
• cat at a laser show 
• toothless beaver 

Feel free to fill in your own "The Wazoo crew will be busier than a..." below 👇

Thank you very very very much! 

~Dustin (Co-Founder & Expert Necklace Clasp Attacher at Wazoo) 

Black Friday Update | Pieces, Processes, & Progress
over 1 year ago – Sat, Nov 26, 2022 at 05:17:12 AM

As a small business, the holiday season has spooled up and consumes a lot of our daily manpower. However, that doesn't mean we've slowed down on the Spark production! 

MOST COMPONENTS ARE IN-HAND

QUALITY CONTROL

The threading process requires the use of oil to machine the threads in each end.  If that oil is not entirely cleaned off it prevents the plated coating from properly adhering to the metal. 

This could have caused substantial setbacks in our timeline if we received them like this, but thanks to some good quality checks at the factory, they caught the issue and had everything recoated within a few days! This caused a minor delay in receiving the clasps, but it shouldn't slow us down.

PRODUCTION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY

Since the clasps can be easily threaded on once they arrive, we're prepping as many necklaces as we can in the meantime to keep on track! 

BLACK FRIDAY 

Since many of you may not currently be on our newsletter, we wanted to let you know we're running our biggest sale of the year right now. We understand you've already pledged for necklaces and add-ons here on Kickstarter so there is no expectation or obligation to shop. We're simply sharing it for those that might find value in it.  

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving with friends, family, and good food!

 -The Wazoo Crew

On Track & Ready to Lock Down | Last Chance To Add-On!
over 1 year ago – Sat, Oct 29, 2022 at 08:33:37 PM

On Track

All parts, pieces, and components are ordered and in work.  Some will be arriving as soon as the next 1-2 weeks so we can begin some sub-assembly tasks.  Everything is still looking good for delivery in December! 

We'd love to encourage you all to buy extras as gifts for this Christmas.... but we aren't going to jinx ourselves by promising any specific dates like that.  We understand how creative the Kickstarter Gods can get regarding production and delivery timelines. 

Locking Down - Last Chance!

You'll receive a final 48-hour notice from Backerkit soon.  This means you've only got 48 hours to edit your pledge or add more add-ons (gifts? 🤷‍♂️).  We also have some secret savings in the pledge manager for you like our custom SOS Micro Whistle keychains for 30% off - That means they're only $5.50!

We also opened up Pre-Orders for our Viking Sparks™ so this is your last chance to add one to your order before they're out of stock again. 

Shipping Savings

Many international customers will also notice your balance due in Backerkit is now lower than it used to be.  This is thanks to Tara who has been working hard testing new service providers and software to save you money!  (more details to come in a future update)

Production Update | Clasp samples and Firecards™
over 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 06, 2022 at 04:49:14 AM

Threaded Necklace Clasps 

This custom clasp was an integral part of the Spark Necklace™ design and had been in the works for months prior to launching the campaign.  We've been through two different manufacturers and half a dozen sample batches. It's hard to hit Wazoo quality standards, but we're finally there!   

Clasps are ready to go into production! 

The great news is that we're still on track for on-time delivery!

Firecards™ 

Artwork and payment have been submitted for a full production run of the new Firecards™. If you missed them during the campaign, check them out: 

Adding-On & Stretch Goal

The pledges you've filled out in Backerkit can still be edited.  We had a high number of requests for more Viking Spark™ necklaces and there are still some available to claim! Just log into your Backerkit profile and add one to your order.  You can also add additional Firecards™ or many other Wazoo items.  We'll still honor the 150k stretch goal (even after the campaign) and we're getting close!

Surveys are out | More Viking Sparks™ available | Shipping FAQ's
over 1 year ago – Fri, Sep 09, 2022 at 09:22:20 PM

Surveys

Surveys have all been sent out through Backerkit so if you haven't seen yours yet, go search it out!  If you still can't find it, reach out to us directly and we can doublecheck your email and resend it. 

Viking Spark™ Add-Ons

Due to all your requests for extra Viking Sparks™, we decided to pull aside more of our whetstone inventory for you Kickstarter backers! We just added 200 available as Add-Ons.  If you've already filled out your survey, no problem! You can log into Backerkit and edit your survey to add one (or more) to your order. 

FAQs

Why is the survey charging me shipping?

The short answer is to save you money.  Charging shipping after the campaign limits the number of hands in the pot taking a cut of the funds. This helps keep the amount we have to charge as close to the shipping cost as possible. 

OMG, What is up with international shipping?

Pandemics? Global supply chain issues? Lizard people?  I'm not sure there's a single root cause but the end effect is the same - international freight has skyrocketed over the last 6-8 months.  We posted estimates for international shipping costs on the campaign page in hopes of preventing sticker shock: 

The rates you see currently in the pledge manager are accurate, worst-case prices - they will not be any higher than that.  These are rates for DHL ECommerce so we trust their tracking and global reliability. We are doing everything we can to find creative solutions that can reduce these costs before we ship but it's a balance of cost, speed, and reliability.  There are some cheaper options out there but the deliverability is questionable at best.  Is it worth saving $5 for a 20% chance your package gets lost in the mail? 

If we are able to find a reliable alternative that would save you money, it will be automatically adjusted on your account before your card is charged. We'll keep you informed in future updates.