Factory Entertainment Tricorder

Latest update from FE: 2nd batch is currently undergoing manufacturing and should be ready in 30-60 days.
However, due to the stupid Trade War, they’re unable to promise when they’ll be delivered. Current tariffs are more than they can afford to pay so they won’t be doing anything till the situation is sorted.
Wish they could at least ship to the rest of us. As an Aussie, if they could ship direct to me from their Chinese factory, there should be little to no additional cost.
Sigh.

Full text of email below:
“We’ve (understandably) received a number of inquiries recently asking for an update on the status of the second batch of our Star Trek: The Next Generation Medical Tricorder prop replicas and our Strange New Worlds Phaser prop replicas.



In short, we are continuing full steam ahead on production of both replicas, with the expectation that they will be completed by our factories in the next 30 to 60 days. Under normal circumstances, that means they would arrive in our warehouse and ship out to customers by mid-summer. While we still hope that will be the case, as you know, the current administration has placed a tariff rate of 145% on imports from China. While we fully expect that the tariff rate will be lowered to something more manageable through negotiations between the United States and China, or that an exemption will be granted to our types of products in recognition of the lack of realistic manufacturing opportunities domestically, the timing of that is uncertain and we simply cannot afford to pay the current tariff, nor are we willing to ask our customers fully absorb it, since it would amount to several hundred dollars on each of these items. Therefore, it is entirely possible that these products will be a further delayed beyond the expected ship date.



We wish we could be more definitive about timing, but this is a political matter that is entirely beyond our control.



We know you are anxious to receive your replicas, and we are equally eager to get them into your hands. In the meantime, please know that we are 100% committed to getting these products to you. As to other Star Trek replicas you may have seen on display at San Diego Comic-Con or Star Trek Las Vagas or on social media, in order to avoid creating similar timing unpredictability going forward, we have elected to delay launching them for preorder until they are actually on the water to us or in our warehouse.



We will continue to keep you updated as the tariff situation evolves.



THE FACTORY ENTERTAINMENT TEAM”
 
Sent FE a message in their web chat and they say they are unable to directly send internationally from the factory at this time. No surprise there, but it seems unlikely that events in the US are going to get any better. They should really think about sending a company rep to China to set up an international distribution option and avoid shipping through US, at least for International customers. In the past it was easier to just pass everything through US but that’s not going to be a viable option now, at least for the next few years, maybe never if the downward spiral continues.
So annoying.
 
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