Updates
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PROJECT UPDATE
Rawren Designs
CREATOR
about 1 month ago
Project Update: Project Update: Fulfillment Status and Transparency
Hi everyone,
I want to share a clear and honest update regarding the status of this project and the rewards associated with it. I apologize for my radio silence in regards to this project; there is no excuse, I simply have not been in the best headspace for a multitude of reasons.
This campaign was created and funded in early 2025 with the intention of producing a new line of enamel pins. I fully entered this campaign intending to deliver on those rewards, and I genuinely wanted nothing more than to see this project through to completion. Unfortunately, after the campaign ended, my personal and business circumstances changed drastically and unexpectedly. I lost my primary source of income, while at the same time facing significant increases in manufacturing, tariff, and shipping costs. These expenses escalated beyond what was originally budgeted and made production and fulfillment financially impossible.
As these challenges compounded, the funds originally allocated for this project were ultimately used to cover basic survival needs for myself and my partner, including housing and food for us and our five cats (it was six but one passed away from cancer). This was not an outcome I ever intended, and it is one I deeply regret, even if it allowed us to survive for a moment. I have been trying to get job after job after job, but have not had any success.
At this time, I do not have the financial ability to manufacture the remaining rewards, nor do I have the means to issue refunds. I understand that some backers may request refunds, and I want to acknowledge that frustration openly. While I am unable to provide refunds right now, my intent is to do so in the future if and when I am financially able, as I have done for people who requested refunds on previous campaigns. As outlined in BackerKit’s Terms of Service, backing a project is support for the potential creation of a product, not the purchase of a pre-existing item. You are not guaranteed to receive the item(s) you pledge for.
I take responsibility for the fact that this project was not fulfilled as planned. I know that backing this campaign required trust in me as a creator, and I am sincerely sorry that I was unable to meet that trust due to circumstances that ultimately overwhelmed my ability to recover financially, mentally, and physically.
I am sharing this update to ensure there is transparency and clarity, rather than silence or uncertainty, as I know someone reached out to Backerkit Support on behalf of you guys. Regarding the closure of Rawren Designs: over the course of 2024 I had the unfortunate pleasure of handling a social media hacker (My campaign log ins and my email were untouched) who deleted/took over accounts of mine for months until I gave up and created new ones under a new name. I made it clear on my new accounts that it was me, as I wasn't trying to hide it. I opened a new storefront because I couldn't get into the old one.
I privated my business social media and store until further notice - I simply do not have the mental stability to try to continue running a small business with my current life situation (they hadn't been active in half a year anyway and I never looked at them) but you can still reach me at [email protected]
I know this is disappointing, and I appreciate you taking the time to read and understand this difficult update.
I privated my business social media and store until further notice - I simply do not have the mental stability to try to continue running a small business with my current life situation (they hadn't been active in half a year anyway and I never looked at them) but you can still reach me at [email protected]
I know this is disappointing, and I appreciate you taking the time to read and understand this difficult update.
PROJECT UPDATE
Rawren Designs
CREATOR
11 months ago
Project Update: Regarding Tariffs + Survey Reminder
Hello everyone, I hope that the week has been going good for you. I wanted to pop on here and talk about the current state of this (and many other peoples') projects due to the tariff increase currently happening.
For those who are not aware, our lovely (/s) president has been dramatically increasing the tariffs that US citizens have to pay for China goods to be imported. This affects many large and small businesses, myself included. While he recently inacted a 90 day suspension on tariffs for a lot of countries, China is excluded from that list, and instead the tariff fee increased to 125%+
For example, if I were to pay for an enamel pin project for $4k, I would get charged with a whopping $5k+ in just tariffs on top of that. It essentially doubles to cost of manufacturing as of right now. This does NOT mean that the project is cancelled, I want to make that VERY CLEAR. While I am extremely concerned for what is playing out in our economy in regards to tariffs on incoming goods, the situation keeps changing day by day, and it is completley unpredicable where we will be even this time next week. With that in mind, my manufacturer will continue to make the samples for me, and then we will go from there. We may have to delay shipping the product until this calms down. If it truly seems like there is no possible way that I can get anymore product from my manufacturers here, then I will gladly refund you.
I am not going to ask anyone to help cover the tariff costs, as I know some other makers have. I don't feel comfortable asking for assistance on something that is not your fault. We will figure this out! I only ask that you PLEASE have patience with businesses, big and small, as we navigate through these unpredictable times.
As a reminder, please complete your surveys if you have not done so as well, that way I can have an accurate count of what I should order.
Thanks!
For those who are not aware, our lovely (/s) president has been dramatically increasing the tariffs that US citizens have to pay for China goods to be imported. This affects many large and small businesses, myself included. While he recently inacted a 90 day suspension on tariffs for a lot of countries, China is excluded from that list, and instead the tariff fee increased to 125%+
For example, if I were to pay for an enamel pin project for $4k, I would get charged with a whopping $5k+ in just tariffs on top of that. It essentially doubles to cost of manufacturing as of right now. This does NOT mean that the project is cancelled, I want to make that VERY CLEAR. While I am extremely concerned for what is playing out in our economy in regards to tariffs on incoming goods, the situation keeps changing day by day, and it is completley unpredicable where we will be even this time next week. With that in mind, my manufacturer will continue to make the samples for me, and then we will go from there. We may have to delay shipping the product until this calms down. If it truly seems like there is no possible way that I can get anymore product from my manufacturers here, then I will gladly refund you.
I am not going to ask anyone to help cover the tariff costs, as I know some other makers have. I don't feel comfortable asking for assistance on something that is not your fault. We will figure this out! I only ask that you PLEASE have patience with businesses, big and small, as we navigate through these unpredictable times.
As a reminder, please complete your surveys if you have not done so as well, that way I can have an accurate count of what I should order.
Thanks!
PROJECT UPDATE
Rawren Designs
CREATOR
11 months ago
Project Update: Xenogender Update!
Hello! Sorry it's been a minute, but after speaking with CS it looks like there is no easy way to add an additional variant into the items after the surveys have been sent. SO!
ANYONE THAT WANTS XENOGENDER PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:
- Choose any other variant
- Comment here (or emailing me if you'd like it to be private) which variant you want replaced in your survey with Xenogender
- You will get Xenogender instead when the orders are sent out!
So sorry about the confusion! I appreciate ya'll working with me on my mess-up!
PLEASE remember everyone to fill out your surveys! I will be CHARGING CARDS NEXT MONDAY. If your survey is not complete by then, you run the risk of an item you want to not be in stock due to inventory counts.
ANYONE THAT WANTS XENOGENDER PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:
- Choose any other variant
- Comment here (or emailing me if you'd like it to be private) which variant you want replaced in your survey with Xenogender
- You will get Xenogender instead when the orders are sent out!
So sorry about the confusion! I appreciate ya'll working with me on my mess-up!
PLEASE remember everyone to fill out your surveys! I will be CHARGING CARDS NEXT MONDAY. If your survey is not complete by then, you run the risk of an item you want to not be in stock due to inventory counts.
PROJECT UPDATE
Rawren Designs
CREATOR
12 months ago
Project Update: Surveys Sent - Shipping Issue Is Fixed!
All surveys just went out, thank you to the smoke test people who got back to me about the missing US option so that it could be fixed before releasing it to everyone!
Please make sure you fill out your surveys as soon as possible, as it helps me determine the amount that I need to order for each design! Keep in mind that you can also add on anything that you wanted to pick up after the campaign on this step as well!
If there are any issues with filling out the survey please let me know either via comment on here or via email at [email protected]
Also as a side note, I am in the middle of re-branding my business name due to a recent identity hack of my business profiles across most of my websites, so the backstamp on the pins will be my new business name and not Rawren Designs!
Please make sure you fill out your surveys as soon as possible, as it helps me determine the amount that I need to order for each design! Keep in mind that you can also add on anything that you wanted to pick up after the campaign on this step as well!
If there are any issues with filling out the survey please let me know either via comment on here or via email at [email protected]
Also as a side note, I am in the middle of re-branding my business name due to a recent identity hack of my business profiles across most of my websites, so the backstamp on the pins will be my new business name and not Rawren Designs!
PROJECT UPDATE
Rawren Designs
CREATOR
12 months ago
Project Update: Smoke Test Surveys Sent Out! - Error W/ Just CA showing up
Hello everyone, the smoke test surveys have gone out to a select random few of you, so please take a look at your email to see if you recieved one! By filling it out asap, you help me fingure out if there are any problems with the survey before it gets sent out to everyone. If you have any issues, comments, questions, email me at [email protected]
EDIT: For some reason it is only showing CA as a shipping option, so please bare with me as I add US to it. I will update here when it is all good to go! So sorry
EDIT: For some reason it is only showing CA as a shipping option, so please bare with me as I add US to it. I will update here when it is all good to go! So sorry
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