Preventing a Switcheroo
Since we (GNL) were told by the factory & Aptus to expect to move to production in two weeks, we've still been working on getting those final master samples. The master samples, of course, are needed in order to establish a contract. A spec sheet will do for most of the components, but showing an acceptable range of real products is what is required for a good contract that involves a printed product.In the time since the 9/1/16 update, we have had three more rounds of samples, but none of them were even close to correct. They were a significant step backwards, actually. The factory decided to glue a layer of card stock (thick paper) in between the backing layers, to help make cutting the backing easier. This is in exactly none of our communication with anyone. It makes the boards not spring back into shape when bent (they stay bent, like card stock would), and we have no plans to allow for something that can absorb water to be a part of this board.
If your reaction is, "Well tell them to stop doing that," we have.
Repeatedly. and emphatically.
It really seems a habit of material suppliers to try to swap out for inferior (or simply different) materials at the end. And that is precisely what we are experiencing. And precisely what we aren't going to allow.
You Will Get What You Paid For!
As a reminder of our commitment to this project: Jerry literally sold his house to ensure that there is money to move forward, despite the shenanigans of the prior factory.We have no intention of providing inferior quality stuff. The bait-and-switch nonsense we are experiencing now is precisely what we do not want to do to anyone else, and we refuse to do it.
Now What?
The factory reads these updates as well. They know the history of the project, and how long people have had to wait. And not unlike the previous factory, they seem to think that we might just be desperate to move forward with something different from what we originally discussed.We're not.
We (GNL) will continue to insist to the factory that we want the final product to match the construction of the samples we initially showed you guys in our videos. (Not the color, don't worry!)
So we are still waiting for the factory to produce the correct master samples, and to make it match what we agreed upon earlier.
This is certainly not where we were told we would be two months ago, either. But we're not daunted; we're going to make the boards. It's just a matter of time. And we have no intention of being swayed by 'hardball' negotiation tactics.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for backing us. We really do appreciate all your support!
