Elastic Pre-Order Information - Round 5 - Delivered
This is where I will post all information and updates regarding the elastic pre-order estimated to arrive on Monday, 4/13/20.
Bookmark this page so you can check back for updates.
Update 5/2 @ 1am CST
I was able to pack 107 orders today. These will be picked up tomorrow around noon by USPS. They will not be scanned upon pick up, there's just too many for him to do that. They will be scanned late tomorrow night or Sunday morning at the station when they are processed in.
Pretty much all orders prior to number 2045 have been shipped. There are a handful of exceptions to this, and most of those are people who were adding things to their order. I will get yours finalized tomorrow.
I will be packing again tomorrow, those orders will be taken to the post office at the end of the day and dropped off. I should finish the rest of the Round 5 orders tomorrow and a few Round 6.
I do have additional elastic that will be available. This will be posted to the website as soon as all Round 5 orders are packed.
Update 5/1 @10pm CST
Elastic is here!!!!
I have been packing orders all day, they will be picked up tomorrow by USPS. Due to the amount being picked up they won’t be scanned in at pick up, so the acceptance scan likely won’t be until late Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding during all of this!
Boxes filled with elastic, each box holds 100 bundles of elastic.
Elastic that won’t fit into the smaller boxes, the Padded Flat Rate Envelops for scale of how huge these boxes are.
Update 4/29 @ 2:15am CST
3 boxes arrived today. They were the new order, not the old one (See last post for more info on what that means). We spent all day cutting, measuring, and bundling this and are about 25% of the way through. I had not planned on selling this as 10 yard bundles which is why we are having to cut and bundle it.
Tomorrow I will ship as many orders as I can with what we bundled today, then we will continue to bundle the rest.
Tracking updated for the original 3 missing boxes and they are scheduled to arrive Friday!
I will not be responding to emails over the next day or 2 as I try to get all this bundled and shipped.
If you have emailed me about a refund and haven’t heard back, please send me another email with Refund Request as the subject. This was I can easily see it and process your refund without having to search through hundreds of emails just asking for updates.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding!!
Update 4/26 @2:00pm CST
For some reason the update I posted yesterday didn't save, I am very sorry about that. So I will recap that plus give the new information from today.
-3 initial boxes still waiting to clear customs. The supplier was told I should have them around the 29th
-China has added strict inspections to all items leaving the country after European countries were complaining about quality issues. These new inspections required of all items being exported, along with the surge of things trying to leave, and flights being cancelled because of Covid-19 is what has led to this delay.
-I ordered 2 new shipments last weekend, 65,000 yards from a different supplier in a different region, and 30,000 yards from the initial supplier. The 65,000 yards shipped Wednesday is still waiting. I was quoted a 10-12 day total transit time. The 30,000 yards shipped on Friday. It has cleared customs and has been exported and UPS is showing a delivery date for the 29th. I was given this tracking number and told it's for the newest shipment, however, I'm wondering if there was an error and it's actually the oldest shipment? I have no idea and I won't until it's here because the supplier is saying it's tracking for the newest order.
-If the 30,000 yards arrives on the 29th and it is the new shipment AND the other one isn't arriving that day or the next I will begin using it to fill all Round 5 orders.
All information below this point is my plan of action if the new shipment arrives prior to the 3 missing boxes. This information will likely change depending on if any other shipments start showing tracking information in the next day or 2. The below is just worst case scenario since we are seeing at least some elastic will for sure be delivered this week. I am just trying to give you guys all the information I have and what I am preparing to do in order to get this elastic to you as quickly and efficiently as possible.
-The new 30,000 yards is NOT pre-bundled like the shipment we are waiting on. This means I have to cut and measure all the orders and will not be able to ship everyone's order the day it arrives. Some of it will be in 20M strips, unbundled. If you ordered 2 bundles of the same color, I will bundle a 20M strip and ship that instead of 2 separate 10 yard bundles. So if you see that you only got one bundle but ordered 2, please measure it, because it is likely 20 meters (or 21.9 yards).
-I am really hoping to see the tracking for the initial 3 boxes to show in the morning (China's end of day Monday). If it does I am very hopeful we will see them mid-week and I will be able to ship the pre-bundled orders as planned. But if not, at least we have SOMETHING that will be here this week and allow me to begin filling orders.
-Not everything needed is in the 30,000 yard order. This means, not everyone's order can be filled if we end up using it to fill orders from Round 5.
What I expect to receive in the 30,000 yard order:
2mm Round Elastic in the following colors:
-Black
-Royal Blue
-Aqua
-Green
-Yellow
-Light Purple
-Hot Pink
-Tan
-Tornado
6mm Flat Black Elastic (Just under 1/4")
New super soft, poly and spandex elastic. It is made for reusable masks specifically. It is round, but hollow, so it will give the best of both worlds, being easy to sew and more comfortable for the wearer than flat elastic. This is coming in 3mm and 5mm sizes.
What is not arriving in the 30,000 yard order:
-1/8" Flat White Elastic
-2mm Round White
-2mm Round Red
Anyone with these will not be shipped if we have to use the newest order to fill orders. Once all orders that don't need these are filled, and we can see if the initial 3 boxes are arriving soon or not we will then decide to reach out for substitutions or to wait if it shows delivery soon.
Update 4/23 @ 11:15pm CST
I don't really have any new information, other than this is not going to be delivered tomorrow as we had hoped (and were told on the 16th). There is a huge delay in shipments leaving China at the moment. I've learned it's not just that the carriers being overwhelmed, but the government is putting more restrictions on exports and they are being very strict on inspections of goods leaving the country which is also leading to the delay.
The supplier is messaging me daily and the freight forwarder daily to get status updates. He is really pushing the freight forwarder to get these out.
I had another order shipped last night with a different company in a different region and he is telling me that their freight forwarder is quoting a 10-12 day delivery window. Typically UPS is a 2-4 day delivery time frame. So that means it's about a week wait prior to departing. If we estimate that the original order is facing about the same delay, then it should hopefully be leaving tonight or Sunday night.
Once it exports UPS is not showing delays so it should move along fairly quickly. Hopefully things being so backed up to get on the flights and exported helps keep them from getting overwhelmed and stick in transit. For this round, all orders are pre-bundled to 10 yard bundles. Once I get them I can ship the same day. So there will not be more unexpected delays.
If anyone want a refund or to cancel your order, please email me and let me know. Give me 2 days to get back with you, I am getting tons of messages a day and it's taking me a bit to get through it. I am not ignoring anyone, I promise! I am just doing my best. But I will issue refunds for those who wan them, please just ask me, do not open PayPal claims. They are really hard on my PayPal rating and hurt my business. I am doing this for free and have said numerous times I will issue a refund to anyone who wants one so I don't understand why people are still opening PayPal claims.
And finally, I will update here the second I have new information. Trust me, I cannot wait for the moment I can post "It moved" instead of these "sorry, I don't really know anything" ones. If it's been a few days without an update, that just means nothing has changed. I hope we are way past that, but we are coming up on the weekend and if it doesn't leave tonight, it won't move for the 2 day weekend. So please do not message me asking if there's new information because it's been a few days since I updated here, it adds even more messages to a huge pile. I PROMISE any new update will be posted here immediately.
I do have a ton more elastic on the way. So if you are needing more I will have it or if you missed this round there will be more. The new shipment on the way may be the last order I do though.
Update 4/18 @ 2:48pm CST
If anyone wants me to ship what I have available from your order now and the remainder when it arrives, please email me to make arrangements for this.
I am going through all orders and if I have more than 50% in hand I will email you to see if you want me to ship what I have now and ship the remainder separately when the remaining boxes arrive, or wait and ship all together.
If you are only missing 1-2 items I can ship what I have now and ship the rest when it arrives, or refund you for the 1-2 missing items.
I know this won’t help everyone get their orders, but hopefully it can help some of you. I know these are needed urgently by all and as such I am brainstorming and trying to figure out how I can get these to as many of you as I can as quickly as possible.
Update 4/17 @ 5:16pm CST
Summary:
-FedEx has delayed all Priority Shipments leaving the departure city by 10-15 days. (Meaning these boxes still have another 1-6 days in line before beginning their journey).
-The FedEx label has been cancelled. UPS is now shipping it because they are guaranteeing to have it in USA customs no later than the 23rd. FedEx was saying it would be the week of 4/27 before it got to customs.
-If you would like to cancel your order and get a refund please email me at info@homegrownribbon.com and I can get it processed for you.
-I will continue to update here with the status of the order and tracking updates.
-I am so sorry again for this, I am doing everything possible to get this here ASAP.
Multiple phone calls and conversations later I think we have finally nailed down the issue. The city these are leaving from has had multiple FedEx flights cancelled over the past couple weeks (and they are still having cancellations). This has caused packages to stack up waiting to get out. Our shipment is stuck in this line. We are Priority so we are ahead of all the Economy shipments, but we are stuck behind all the other Priority Shipments ahead of us from the back up. What I am being told by the freight forwarder and FedEx is the wait is about 10-15 days before it leaves this city. From the sound of it, once it leaves, it should not meet any more backups.
I am furious that my freight forwarder and manufacturer did not tell me this prior to ordering so I could have given an accurate timeframe. They instead told me FedEx IP didn't have delays which is what I estimated the delivery time frame on. The other 3 boxes are here because they shipped from a different city that is not as backed up and were only had to wait 2-3 days for the flight (which is what the FedEx website states and what I calculated for). All 6 boxes were shipped on 4/8/20 (Wednesday). 3 arrived Monday (4/13) as scheduled, while the other 3 are stuck in a city that is super backed up for some reason.
Where we are at now:
-The wait at this time for FedEx is another 1-6 days before it even begins traveling, then 2-3 days in transit. That's not going to work.
-I was able to have my freight forwarder cancel the FedEx label and get it out of line. They are now shipping via UPS Air Freight Express from a different city. It cost more, but they are saying I should have it around the 24th which is next Friday. FedEx was saying the week of the 27th so it's a little bit faster and I like knowing a date not just, waiting in line and still having flights cancelled and no real answers.
If anyone wants to cancel your order due to the delay, I understand, please email me and I can process it for you. I am going through everything tonight, I'm hoping to be able to squeeze out another 20-30 orders with what I have now.
I have gone ahead and ordered another shipment from the company that sent the 3 boxes that arrived Monday (whose city is not backed up as much). These will be here around the 24th-26th. I also found a company selling 50 yards rolls of the 2mm elastic. I ordered last night and it is shipping in 2-3 days. This one is also showing an estimated delivery of the 26th-30th. If either of these somehow arrive before the missing 3 boxes, I will use them to fill Round 5 orders before filling Round 6 orders. So in total right now there is 100,000 yards of elastic on it's way to me. 40,000 yards is already sold.
Update 4/14/20 @ 5:19pm CST
3 boxes arrived yesterday, 3 boxes are still in transit. I shipped all orders that I could with the 3 boxes that arrived. I started with the oldest orders and worked my way forward. I did skip orders to the next order I could fill once I began running out of items, that way I could ship as many as possible. 130 orders were packed yesterday and picked up by my mailman today.
I have no way of knowing for sure which orders were shipped and which weren't.
I do know if you ordered any of the following colors, your order was not shipped:
-Yellow
-Red
-Dark Green
-Aqua (2-3 exceptions)
-Hot Pink (2-3 exceptions)
I spoke with FedEx today about why they are delayed. The city they are leaving from had flights cancelled last week and weekend causing them to get backed up. I did ship these priority bumping them higher up on the list to get out. I am hoping they depart that city tonight which would get them to us on Thursday. I will update as soon as any new information becomes available.
WHEN THEY ARRIVE: I will pack all remaining orders that day and will take them to the post office that day so they ship the same day for you, instead of waiting for them to be picked up the next day by the postman. I am doing everything within my power to get these to you as fast as possible, unfortunately I have no control over FedEx and what happens in transit, but I can and will do everything on my end to get these out ASAP.
Some good news for you, most of these were bundled into 10 meters instead of yards, so many of you will be receiving just under 12 yards per bundle, instead of 10 (yay!!).
The 130 orders that were picked up today by USPS
This is the stack of just the Priority Envelopes and Boxes that are going out. 
A picture of my shipping station after I shipped the 130 orders. This is what is left of the elastic that arrived after filling them. 1,800 bundles arrived in the first 3 boxes. Over 2,400 more are in the remaining boxes.
We have ear savers available in our shop now. You can add these to a current order and I can ship them together saving you on shipping if interested. These go behind your head to hold the elastic instead of your ears. They are made out of a durable, flexible plastic (not acrylic) which makes them more comfortable to wear and will allow them to hold up to long term use. They are made by a local police officer and his wife. Please email me or comment below if you would like to add some to your order.
info@homegrownribbon.com
I will be opening a new pre-order tonight or tomorrow. This will be for more of the 1/8" Flat Elastic and 2mm Round Corded Elastic. This order would arrive in 7-10 days (mid to lat next week). If you are interested in this drop a comment here or shoot me an email. Also keep an eye out in the pre-order section or elastic section for when it opens.
Update 4/12/20 @12:15am CST
3 boxes have cleared customs in Alaska and will be leaving shortly to head to Memphis and then on to San Antonio. At this time they are on track to be delivered Monday.
3 boxes have still not made it to the US. They still have 27 hours to get to Memphis to make the flight to San Antonio, so there is still time for them to make it on Monday, but at this time I can not guarantee they will.
What does this mean?
If everything arrives Monday, I will begin packing everything Monday to ship Tuesday. Orders placed first will be the first packed. I am going to pack as many as I can Monday, working most of the day and night. I do have over 300 orders at this time, so a few may not be packed until Tuesday. If that is the case my husband will make a run to drop them at the post office Tuesday evening before the cut-off, so they still go out Tuesday as originally planned.
If only 3 boxes arrive, I will still pack orders Monday. 60-75% of orders will be able to be shipped from these 3 boxes. I will begin packing them in the order paid and when necessary skip orders that cannot be packed without the second box. I will pack all that I can and get them out as planned.
I am going to begin printing shipping labels. This does not mean your order has shipped yet. It does not guarantee it will be one of the ones to go out Monday, should only 3 boxes arrive. All it means is that I am prepping now so once the boxes arrive I can pack faster. I am printing everyone's label ahead of time to speed up the packing process. Please do not message me on Tuesday or Wednesday saying your label doesn't show any movement, it will, please be patient.
Update 4/7/20 @ 12:55am CST
We currently have 40,000 yards of elastic being bundled and prepared to ship.
Estimated delivery date is still Monday. I paid Priority Shipping for these which is typically 2-3 transit days. Monday is the 3rd transit day (delivery date).