(This news update was first emailed on April 25th, 2025 to fans who had registered an interest in finding out more about our Tricorder.)
IMPORTANT: we are making plenty of Tricorders
A very small number of Tricorders were sold on Amazon in the last two days. This didn’t go as smoothly as we’d hoped, though:
- The quantity (200 units) sold out very quickly, but then the Tricorder would occasionally appear to be back “in stock” for brief periods, causing confusion and frustration.
- During some of these brief periods, international shipping wasn’t available.
- Some people had their orders automatically cancelled by Amazon for suspected fraud – we believe this is probably why one or two units would then become “available” again.
We’re really sorry for the distress and confusion that this has caused for some of you. We want to reassure you that we are making plenty of Tricorders and we believe that you will each be able to buy one from us if you want to.
Tricorder in its shipping box
We are pausing Tricorder sales for at least a week
We’ve shipped another batch of 952 units to Amazon this week. We were hoping that they would already be showing up in the Amazon system by now, and that we’d be sending out a batch of “invitation to purchase” emails today, but that’s not the case.
To avoid a continuation of the confusing situation with the Tricorder appearing to fluctuate in and out of stock, and it only becoming available one or two at a time, we are pausing the sales to allow some time for the incoming stock to build up to a sensible level so that we can create some stability in its availability.
As I write, we are manufacturing Tricorders and airfreighting thousands of them into the UK. However, the process of loading them into stock at Amazon takes a bit of time.
Opening Tricorder sales again
Once there is sufficient stock in the Amazon UK store to create a more stable and pleasant purchasing experience, we will set the Tricorder listing to “active” once again and start emailing people again to let them know that it is available. We will aim to do this at around 4pm UK time. We will monitor that stock carefully and pause the sale of the Tricorder again when the stock is depleted, in order to allow more stock to fill the sales channel once again and prevent the listing from going in and out of stock due to order cancellations
Tricorders for sale on eBay
A small number of Tricorders have already been sold and we have heard that some are already appearing on eBay. Whilst everyone can buy their Tricorder however they wish, we strongly urge fans not to buy from third party sellers at the moment. We have plenty of stock arriving and you should wait for that to become available through our official retailers (Amazon UK, the Star Trek Shop or IGN Store).
Shipping to a non-UK address
Our decision to sell on Amazon UK was not taken lightly and was in response to the evolving tariff situation in the US. When there is sufficient stock available, fans who do not live in the UK will be able to purchase from Amazon UK and we do not know of any restriction that will prevent this for our customers outside the UK. (In case you didn’t already know, we’re based in the UK ourselves.)
The tariff situation
The US tariffs on bulk shipments of products from China have been changing rapidly over the last few months, starting with 10% announced in February and reaching 145% on April 10th. If those tariffs reduce to a more manageable level we will review the situation regarding importing the product in bulk to the US for sale domestically (such as via Amazon US) and take the appropriate action.
US tariffs on small packages to individual consumers with value under $800 USD (“de minimis” shipments) have also been in flux recently. At the moment they are scheduled to become 120% on May 2nd, or a flat fee of $100 USD, but it’s unclear which of those fees will be charged. It’s also possible that the changes due on May 2nd will be amended or postponed.
What will happen next
We will write to everyone in waves in order of their first registration with an invitation to purchase as the stock becomes available. As mentioned above, when we do send out emails at some point in the next few weeks, we will aim to send those emails out at around 4pm UK time to give everyone a chance to read them in the normal waking day, wherever they live.
LLAP
Chris
Coming next time
Captain’s Logs searchable archive
Fans who register with us will be the first to read our news and the progress of this exciting Tricorder development and, later, where and when to purchase it. You can catch up with the story so far here on this blog, but if you haven’t already done so, why not register your interest in the Tricorder – you’ll then receive a personalised registration certificate and early access to these updates (before we publish them on our website).
After all these years of waiting we in the US will have trouble getting a tricorder. All because enough ignorant fools elected an idiot.
I don’t want to get political, but it is causing havoc with many people’s plans. For companies that develop projects both in the US and the UK and in fact anywhere in the world that then gets them manufactured in China, and has an important part of their customer base in the US this is causing significant worry. I hope it will be resolved soon as either a new permanent situation that we can adjust to or something that will pass so in either way, we can enter calmer more stable times.
Chris:
From your mouth to God’s ear. Selfishly, when the tariffs were announced, my first thought was how this would affect our tricorder. I knew that no good would come of this for you or your customers. Sadly, we need play the hand as dealt.
Best. Mike.
I understand your point and how you feel and I share in that too because I want to buy one of these. We are all in this together. However It’s funny how for DECADES it certainly wasn’t selfish for so many countries to tariff the US (with zero $ reciprocation) many who we give $Billions in aid every year and we still get raked over the coals so now that we are returning the favor to even the playing field and make it more fair (with a cost to us for sure in the short run) we are the bad guys. I don’t like this either but Wand needs to hold off until these tariffs work then come down and many just go away and other countries who have been screwing us for so many years because previous Presidents here allowed it and encouraged it will be forced to stop.
I think the discussion of to tariff or not to tariff is not one that we can not answer as I really don’t think any of us have the geopolitical skills or nuanced knowledge to know how the balance of trade really works, and whether distorting it will have serious unintended consequences that are impossible to predict and equally impossible to correct. All I will say is that President Trump put in place a tariff against all UK imports of 10% even though the UK is one of the few (five I think) countries in the world that the US actually runs a trade surplus with… i.e. not a deficit… a surplus; so how does that work in the great scheme of things?
Also, whether or not tariffs can rebalance trade, and these things are extremely complex, so it is not completely clear that tariffs can rebalance trade, implementing them in a such a chaotic way with little warning, nor any grace period, or creating them and then pausing them, has caused mayhem for just about everyone. For the bulk of manufacturers moving manufacturing to the US will take years and need careful resourcing and planning. It will also result in far more expensive products for people living in the US whether tariffed or domestic, because it really costs so much more to make something in the UK or the US than it does in China.
Think also on this… we have been working on the tricorder for more or less seven years. For all that time much of the work has been done in the UK and has been funded from the UK, then literally days before we come to sell the product, yes granted the final product actually made in China (for many many reasons), the whole US market is upended. Yes, it may or may not calm down, but now no one trusts a statement heralding greater or lesser tariffs, because each day brings new and unexpected news. How do we plan? Where do we store the product while the tariffs get worked out? What if we or companies like us can’t wait and don’t survive this mayhem?
It is only my opinion, but in my experience if you are great and powerful you don’t have to bully, nor make fun of lesser people than you, nor do you need to scare your opponents into submission, all you have to do with your greatness and power to act in a calm and measured manner with strength and lead from the front… now that is greatness.
The tariffs are a moving target, certainly, and hard to figure out — and I’m a lawyer. But tariffs have a lot of moving parts, and on top of that the policy may shift as trade talks are ongoing. I appreciate all that. But there are people, such as myself, who are willing to pay them. My tricorder is due for delivery on 5/8, and still shows “in transit”; it would be nice if it enters the country by 12:01 AM tomorrow morning, but if it doesn’t. I did set aside the money for a tariff. Some people are willing, some aren’t, and them’s the breaks–but griping won’t solve anything.
As for me, I’m still very stoked for the greatest Trek prop replica ever produced. I plan to enjoy the ever living ^#$#^@$ out of it.
I did the math and made myself sad. The original $350 goal jumps to almost $900 with the extant tariff. Best. Mike.
Don’t be too sad yet–the tariff will be dependent on the declared customs value, which may actually be less than the retail price in some cases. The regulation on customs value is rather confusing in the case of direct retail imports like Amazon (at least it is to me). We’ll have to see what our final bill is when it comes in.
I am not sure, please keep us informed, we are as in the dark as you are and would like to act on any information that you have about the de minimis impact and how it is worked out / plays out
Thank you for your contributions to this adventure that we’re all on. I agree with you that “griping won’t solve anything.”, but only on a microscale ie. This very specific audience.
However, I contend that, as a US citizen, that ‘griping’ en masse does solve things faster than not.
Regardless, while I find myself in a similar position to yours, the added expense will certainly taint my experience while simultaneously giving a good story about our times.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Excellent post!
This also effects the Tomy USS Enterprise. It was a prepaid campaign. I sent an inquiry about it but have heard nothing.
I would imagine that this is causing them significant issues I hope things calm down a bit and you are not left out of pocket.
Try to keep politics out of this. Trump is a brilliant businessman and is looking out for the well being of American citizens in the long term. Because many companies grew dependent on cheap Chinese labor is no reason to blame the Administration for spoiling your childish fun. The economic future of a country is worth more than a $350 toy in my humble opinion. If I get a tricorder it will be cool. It will go nice with my Wand Company Phaser and Communicator. A far cry from the old AMT “Star Trek Explorer” plastic model kit I had when I was 10. But if International trade issues interfere with that, I’m mature enough to say, “Oh well. If I can’t get one, I’m not going to throw a temper tantrum over it.”
Brilliant businessman? Based on what? And how are these tariffs good for Americans, exactly?
Just curious.
Oh, I don’t know. An estimated net worth of 5+ Billion Dollars? Maybe? Do ‘ya think?
There is no way to keep politics out of this. You have your opinion on trump, most of the rest of the world would disagree. Putting a 145% tax on an already stressed US population is NOT brilliant, by any means.
It’s not a tax on US citizens. It’s a tax on FOREIGN COUNTRIES imported goods. The economic hit on China’s economy is the goal. Yes, American companies who outsourced manufacturing to cheap Chinese sweat shops will be affected. The incentive is to bring those manufacturing resources back to the U.S. The economic footing of our country is more important than your precious Star Trek toy. If you can’t detach yourself from your attachment to trinkets, then you can’t possibly understand the complexities of international trade and commerce. Trump knows exactly what he’s doing. If you don’t get it, that’s not my problem.
Who pays it though? Product prices rise to adjust for it and that means that it is an effective tax on purchases. Industries that were destroyed by consecutive administrations over the last 40 years are not going to come back in the next few months. The skills don’t exist, the factories don’t exist. Yes, please do buy domestic, buy local, that is better for the environment than buying products that have to ship all over the world to get to you. But then think though how much stuff in the past few years you have bought that was locally made or even just made just in the US. That of course is before you take into account the raw materials that absolutely have to come from elsewhere as they either can’t be sourced in the US or the industries needed to get them out of the ground don’t exist and won’t for a decade. It is only my point of view, but the way this is being rolled out will make products in the US more expensive and make more million and billionaires but at the cost of the majority of individuals. If you’re a billionaire then this is made for you and you are likely under the current conditions to see your fortune massively increase.
As far as Trump’s net wealth is concerned, that might not be quite the gauge of success imagined. Depending on how you made it and at what cost to others along the way. Running the largest economy on earth with so many diverse and intricate needs, is not the same as being a successful TV star or a lucky and rich businessman. Or then again, it might be, only time will tell… I mean look at Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he was a comedian and yet he has held off the mighty Russian Bear for the last three years.
Chris, Yeah, I get it. You are the small business person that is directly affected by this. You had an opportunity to have this product manufactured in China at a certain cost so you can have it available to us for a reasonable retail price. But both of our countries governments (UK and US) had such oppressive tax structures that businesses almost had to move manufacturing overseas to stay in business. So if that presents a problem for not being able to manufacture things locally, then how do we fix it? Do we even want to “fix” it? Trump, as a businessman wants the US to be more self sufficient. China has been imposing tariffs on our goods for years and previous administrations just rolled over and submitted. The transition is not going to be easy, but I still understand why it is necessary for long term stability. If that means higher prices for frivolous or luxury non-essential items, then so be it. When the cost of more essential things like food stuffs and fuel are affected, then governments will be forced to change their policies. I don’t pretend to understand all of it. But I do grow weary at the uninformed rubes who continue to be blinded by irrational “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Do a little homework and realize even barely 100 days into this Administration, we are in a much better situation than if the election went the other way. I know you’ll work this out and this tricorder project will be a huge success for you!
If you believe this only effects this single item you are not very well informed. If you think China pays the tariff you are absolutely wrong. The supply chain has just started to feel the effect of this pure stupidity. Do you really believe factories will be built to make every single part of every single thing you buy? If you have 20 years to spare and companies have billions of extra dollars to stand up factories then maybe. Then the cost of everything will triple or quadruple to pay for it. Just really. Really ill informed.
Matt, You’re right. I’m just a dumb MAGA Republican who’s ill informed. It would be much better to maintain the status quo and continue to let American companies go out of business because everyone knows its just cheaper to spin up another Chinese sweat shop full of overworked, underpaid slaves to do the work that good ole’ Americans just won’t do anymore. A multi-billionaire, successful business tycoon doesn’t understand international trade and commerce like Matt Sheets does. The fact that China has been levying tariffs on American goods for years is totally inconsequential. What do you care? If you get your big screen TV and game console cheap, who cares if it is because an army of slaves put it together on an endless assembly line for less than a dollar an hour? Did it ever occur to you that Trump is intentionally manipulating the tariffs and trade agreements in order to create uncertainty in the markets? Do you even know that American imports are more than 15% of China’s entire economy? It doesn’t sound like much, but the next one down the list I think is Germany at around 4%? You can’t fool me with your paperback psychology analysis. Trump is playing 4-dimentional chess while you’re still stuck on checkers. I think Trump is an absolute genius. Time will prove me right.
Of course you are going to parrot fox news sound bites. I seem to have struck a nerve with you. Was it the insult to your dear leader or the stating of facts about tariffs that got you going? Please turn off the faux news for a couple of days and think for yourself. How in the world are you a star trek fan? Please take your trump marketing somewhere else, nobody here is buying it.
“It’s not a tax on US citizens.”
It is a tax SOLELY on US citizens. Worse, it is a grotesque violation of every American’s rights. As Tony EXPLICITLY confirms, it is the American State trying to FORCE Americans to buy and build ONLY in America and from Americans. It is the American State trying to DICTATE every single Americans’ associations and trades.
Talk about the DEFINITION of totalitarian!!
And it is ALL based on a vile LlE – that you LOSE, rather than PROFIT, when you buy from the grocer and he buys nothing from you.
Someone’s drinking the mainstream media KoolAid and it isn’t me. I get all my news from actual, reliable, alternative sources. Fox News is not even on my radar. Nationalism has become the new dirty word. What’s wrong with a country with a GDP the size of America wanting to be self-sufficient and manufacturing goods in our own bloody country? Since when has that become a sign of “Totalitarianism?” What happens when you manufacture goods in YOUR OWN COUNTRY for YOUR OWN CITIZENS? Let’s see…Hmmmm….No IMPORT/EXPORT rules apply to the citizens. The government’s main source of revenue now becomes tariffs and excise taxes paid by OTHER COUNTRIES to buy American goods and NOT outright theft and extortion ON ITS CITIZENS in the form of income tax, capital gains taxes, corporate taxes etc. It seems like a strictly Nationalistic approach to being more self sufficient takes us AWAY from a totalitarian regime. It seems you ignoramuses are perfectly content to have America enslaved by foreign actual totalitarian states that force their “citizens” (subjects) to work for absolute minimum wages to make the products you take for granted. Let the Wand Company geniuses make the items we love to collect. Let the heads of State run international commerce that will keep America Great, and you just go to work every day and earn that precious paycheck and hope you can make ends meet after our gargantuan federal bureaucracy rakes you over the coals and shakes you upside down for all your spare change in order to fund terrorist governments and sex change operations in Guatamala. Go right on pontificating on how stupid Trump is and how smart you think you are. Go right on with your self delusion. It will all be over soon and everything will make sense. Maranatha! When all is said and done, we will all have our tricorders and the tariff situation will probably end up not being a very big deal at all.
Don’t bother posting any more replies. You are never going to drink your KoolAid and swallow your misinformed and distorted world-view. I think I’ve opened a portal to the Mirror Universe and y’all are trying to suck me into the interphase gap so you can place me in the Agony Booth and laugh and jeer as I writhe in pain and release all my bodily fluids. I’m not paying attention to this thread anymore. It’s gone way off the deep end and is not productive. I’ll just patiently wait for my tricorder invitation to purchase and happily pay the minuscule fee that will tacked on to cover these over-hyped tariffs. I am a Star Trek fan. I am THE Star Trek fan. All of you are just fake Star Trek fans. Of course we all know Gene Roddenberry was a staunch communist and his fantasy of a future “Utopia” free from the evils of Capitalism and belief in God. Donald Trump would get my vote for President of the United Federation of Planets. Make Earth Great Again. MEGA!!!! We should get hats. Trump absolutely will go down as the Greatest President of All Time. Mark my words you bunch of subservient, carbon-based bipedal units!
OK, I think I would like to call time on this particular line of discussion. I think that it is way off discussing the Tricorder and our current shipping woes. If we have any more name-calling on any post I will delete that post. You mentioned earlier that the US accounted for 15% of China’s economy, I’d just like to fact check that comment. Official data shows that the US accounted for 2.74 per cent of China’s GDP in 2023, and that percentage increased to 2.84 of China’s GDP in 2024. The figure you quoted was how much of China’s exports go to the US. In fact in 2023, China exported approximately 14.8% of its total exports to the United States. This means that the US was China’s largest export destination, with China sending $502 billion worth of goods to the US out of its total $3.4 trillion in global exports. In this respect the US runs a significant trade deficit with China, but that is not as crucial to China as you might think.
Chris, I stand corrected. I did understand that it was a percentage of total exports, not overall GDP. But I respectfully disagree that is has minimal impact. I think time will tell, but China’s economy is in worse shape than they care to admit. The scary part is, when they finally start collapsing they will lash out and cause as much damage as they can before they go down. Just an opinion. But a well informed one. However, I agree. This thread is officially closed in my books. Thank you for your patience and I know you’ve made an awesome product and I’m eagerly waiting for my invitation email. God Bless.
You are paying the money… No company is going to swallow that cost. Who wants factory jobs anyway and even if they came it would robotics doing the work.
Off the deep end for sure. I know you won’t be buying a tricorder, since, according to you, it was made in a Chinese sweatshop. You buying one now would look pretty silly.
Please, let’s call time on this. Tensions are high for everyone and now everything has been aired we can hopefully leave it there. thx
Tony, you are correct and on point. Some of the responders here, while innocently not versed in economics are likewise not in world history. It’s okay. Someone from Wand just noted that the U.S. has maintained a trade surplus with the U.K. so they do not understand the value/need of/for a U.S. tariff. If the simplest of mathematics escapes them too then there is no point in carrying the conversation further.
Putting an end China ripping us off and stealing IP is a good thing and way past due. (Not to mention their abuse of the de minimis loophole).
Yes in some ways I agree, but there are ways of doing that. Maybe this will work out, but there will be casualties. This situation has taken 40 years to grow into what it is now and successive administrations, years ago welcomed the benefit of cheaper goods and helped create the situation. So maybe drastic measures are needed, but that is another point. It is a point that is not really properly relevant to the issue here. We want to sell something that we have taken nearly seven years to bring to the market and many fans and i would say everyone here wants to own it. So reflect on that… that exact situation has very little to do with another global commerce war that is raging above our heads over mistakes that are at least a generation in the making. So let’s call time on this aspect of the discussion and return to our true passion, our tricorder, as CBS described it… Our love letter to the fans.
Good day, Chris.
query: When my turn has come on your list. can I purchase it and you hold it until the tariff bs stops then ship it?
regaards
Dave G
There will be enough to go round, if you want to wait to buy it, then wait, it will all be fine
There will be so many even Mr Spock would reply “Fascinating” 🙂 (and lift one eyebrow) Great job you guys.
Hi Chris! Thank you for all of the hard work and your dedication to quality Starfleet equipment.
This may be a silly time to mention this, but I will anyways.
How abought a Next Generation/Voyager away kit in the future? I’m thinking TNG/Voyager era Tricorder, Phaser, Data Pad, EMS Doctor portable emitter, Voyager Neural Gel-pack lit up as a beautiful display decor lol
lovely ideas, but right now focussing each day on how to solve the current issues and reevaluating if what we are doing is right or if there is a better way of doing it. BTW, I loved Voyager and wrote a script and submitted it when they were accepting unsolicited scripts… (obvs rejected), but I still love that whole show
I know I won’t be at the top of the list, but I can wait for my email. Thank you for all your hard work and LLAP
Businesses hate uncertainty, and the tariff situation has introduced chaos into global trade. The tricorder drama is a very small slice of how the impact is being felt by consumers and businesses worldwide. I can’t imagine the stress that this is causing to TWC and so many others. I know I have many other pre-orders with other suppliers, too, and I doubt many will handle as well as TWC has done. I expect that many other wish list items will just disappear until/unless we get stability back.
The Tomy movie version Enterprise is now up in the air, so to speak. It was a prepaid campaign. They have no idea how they’ll handle any of this. As far as other suppliers many of the items on my purchase lists are now unavailable. I can’t get them even if I pay the tariff. There are no US suppliers for 95% of the items. This is a mess.
Everybody calm the %@##^ down and remember your Kipling… “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same…”
I prefer:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting
V/R
Dan
excellent and very pertinent in this case too. 🙂
And for the jittery FaceBook crowd: “If you can keep your head when all about you / Are losing theirs and blaming it on you…”
If… one of my favourite poems, and that line is one of the best. I think if everyone could read that single poem and do their best to live by it the world would be an even more amazing place.
Chris, thank you (and especially your staff) for all the hard work in making this real. While I can’t wait until I receive the invitation, I fully understand the many issues you have faced getting to this point. I will make sure that I send a picture when I finally have a tricorder in my hands.
Eric.
Okay ladies and gents, we now have some details about the US tariffs / de minimis situation. Per the Epoch Times, “Starting on May 2, the United States will begin collecting a duty of either 30 percent of the value of packages at $800 or less shipped through the international postal network or $25 per item. On June 1, that rate will increase to $50 per package.” So, the tricorder will end up costing $455. Still a bargain, I believe, for what we’ll be getting.
Here is a link to the White House fact sheet on the subject:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-closes-de-minimis-exemptions-to-combat-chinas-role-in-americas-synthetic-opioid-crisis/
That is a bit out of date now, that was from 2nd April… one month is a [very] long time in this presidency!
How has yesterday’s (far from extensive) UK/USA ‘Trade Deal’ affected matters, if at all, or are you still unpicking it?
As I’m reading info on the tariff situation, here’s what I see for products imported from the UK.
From 5 April 2025, a 10% baseline tariff on imports from the UK, affecting most goods.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10240/#:~:text=The%20following%20tariffs%20affect%20UK%20industries%3A%201%20On,on%20imports%20from%20the%20UK%2C%20affecting%20most%20goods.
So, on the $350 tricorder, that would only be an additional $35. Not bad.
It will come down to how the US federal government defines the tricorder. Will it be classified as an import from the UK or from China? I guess we’ll soon find out, but I hope you’re right, Pete! I’m in Canada so I won’t pay tariffs – just the abysmally bad exchange rate between the Canadian dollar and the UK pound, plus 12 percent Canadian federal and provincial sales taxes. So cheer up my American friends; you’ll still be paying less for your tricorders than Canadians will, despite the tariffs…
That is a bit out of date now, that was from 2nd April… one month is a [very] long time in this presidency!
The tricorder is made in China and is therefore Chinese-origin goods. The fact that it’s being shipped from the UK is irrelevant to determining Country of Origin. Country of Origin is the country of manufacture, unless the goods undergo a “significant transformation” in an intermediate country. Simply assembling and/or packaging them elsewhere is not enough.
Also, the Epoch Times information above is out of date; those are the postal tariffs from early April. They have been raised twice since then, and substantially. The tariff for Chinese-origin goods traveling by international post is currently 120% ad valorem or $100, at the discretion of the postal carrier.
For goods shipping by private carrier, like DHL, Maersk, FedEx, etc., the full panoply of tariffs apply and vary by the goods in question. My best estimate for the tricorder, based on its HTS code and stacking the various tariffs, is 170%. But as I said, this is only an estimate. Tariffs are highly complex with many moving parts and are difficult to calculate.
Finally, the true variable is the customs valuation of the tricorder–that is, the value declared to customs, which is the basis of the tariff calculation. Local sales tax and shipping/handling aren’t included in this, but the full retail price may not be the basis either. It’s difficult to figure out from just reading the regulation, so I really don’t know. But don’t jump to the conclusion that it’s necessarily $350 x 170%, or $350 x 120% (if shipping by international post), or indeed $350 x anything.
Addendum – it may be more like 145%. I had the wrong Section 301 tariff in there. I thought the tricorder would be on list 3 and be subject to 25%, but it turns out that the tricorder’s HTS prefix falls under List 4 and happily is 0%. This is what I meant when I said tariffs are difficult to calculate.
At this point it looks like Americans will never be able to own one unless they purchase directly from wand company, IN PERSON visiting England.
Americans already own them and more will be coming. Our US fans are very important to us and we will be looking every day for ways to get through this tariff maze and get the tricorders across to the US one way or another, right now Amazon.co.uk is still the best solution and those few returns will have most likely been when the situation was on the turn and there was once again some added confusion. It will all get straightened out.
Chris
My order has been unchanged since 04, April with Maersk. In the event the package is returned to Amazon UK by customs (like a VERY few have), is there a process to have it re-dispatched since it’s paid in full? Or is this an issue to take up with Amazon?
Thanks
jim
CORRECTION:
Unchanged since 25 April
Hi Jim, I’m from St. Louis too. Born and raised here. Go Blues!
We can’t alter anything to do with the order once it has been made. So, I’m sorry, you will have to take that up with Amazon. But for anyone that has their package returned and then can’t resolve it, and then can’t then reorder, when things calm down we will personally see what we can do… it will all be alright even though this stage is very distressing for everyone.
Chris Barnardo… In other News! I am looking for to Captain’s Logs searchable archive!!! Everything I’ve seen and read, TWC is now the Standard in these Star Trek props so if you could kindly keep the products coming know you will have buyers for sure.
hi… well we have been working very hard on that functionality, and we now have that up and running. This searchable archive we have created represents the tip of a huge body of work carried out to locate, transcribe and organise every single Captain’s Log from The Original Series. Of course to listen to them, you’ll need a tricorder, but this archive will help you locate the log you remember and then when you have the season, episode, and log number you’ll be able to find them easily enough on the tricorder and listen to the original studio recording of the log. We will make a formal announcement about this new archive resource as part of our next tricorder sales news update … so while you are waiting for that, enjoy!
About the Captains Logs.
Any chance some future update could allow us to simply play through all of the 220 plus captains logs in order with one press of the button without having to cycle/select-press the button over 200 times lol? Would be nice to just sit back and listen to them through from time to time.
That is a fun idea. I will put it to the team, but actually we have no plans to do that at the moment
Or even like media players have as an option… random shuffle! That could be fun!
Gosh, I cant wait to get the email. Has anyone got theirs yet?
Chris,
Another piece of the puzzle that I would think you have some insight in…
TWC has put a lot of time and I’m sure a great deal of money developing the tricorder, are you guys in a good financial place to weather the burden that the tariff and shipping problems have caused? Us Star Trek fanatics have been frustrated with the delays and the tariff issues, but I’m sure it pales in comparison to you guys. Thank you for all of your hard work and support in keeping us informed.
Thanks for thinking like this. Yes, we are very lucky to have a very prudent outlook and have always been very measured in how we do business. We have also been very lucky with our contracts with Pokémon and Bethesda. I should think for many small companies, this latest chaos, coming hot on the heels of the disruption caused by covid, will have been the last straw. Long term projects coming to fruition can’t simply be parked until an unknown future time. Materials have been bought, factories have to be paid, product can’t sit in the factory indefinitely. But we have the contingency plan of bringing the Tricorders to the UK and doing it in waves and using air, all of which is expensive, but the lesser of the evils that we are now dealing with. This process also allows us to monitor the situation and pivot to a different one if we see an opportunity to make things better for our customers. But today, right now, we are good, thanks for asking, I really appreciate that generous thinking.
Holy smokes! Someone just paid £2191.43 on eBay.UK today for a Wand tricorder. I seem vaguely to remember an aphorism about…what was it… fools and their money?
https://tinyurl.com/35vtau5j
WTAF!! that is insane. We have barely started making them…
If that damn fool winds up having to pay a tariff on top, I may cough up several organs laughing.
Here’s another eBay tricorder entrepreneur…
https://tinyurl.com/ytcc9rpc
…and another one, from the USA, which sold today for US$1399.99. A relative bargain compared to the £2191.43 one. At this rate the scalpers are going to profit more from these tricorders than the Wand Company will. Bloody criminal, but you can’t stop the opportunists or the wealthy idiots.
https://tinyurl.com/3m6r7ans
Yep. As expected. The Nvidia 3080 scalping scam all over again.
Hey Chris (and everyone at Wand Company): I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work and your perseverance in making this product a reality. And while I know the tariff situation has made things more complicated, I am one US fan who’s happy to be patient. I know I’ll get one sooner or later here in SoCal. And I know it will be worth the wait. Cheers to all of you and thanks!
Agreed. There is so much negativity and entitlement floating around here and in the FB group. I can’t even begin to imagine how stressed and frustrate you guys are. You’re clearly scrambling as fast as you can and doing a damn fine job at what seems to be a logistical nightmare. Continue ignoring the noise, your reputation speaks for itself. We’ll get them when we get them.
Sure, I’m just as excited as the next guy, but I understand things happen. I’ve waited my whole life for something like this, much less 5 years for TWC to develop it. I’m happy to wait as long as it takes to receive what has already proven to be an amazing product. I hope all this mess isn’t clouding the mass sense of success and accomplishment you guys should be feeling right now.
All the best to you and your team!
OK People, I have been following this closely and the good people at The Wand Company have explained this to us ad nauseam and I still am unsettled. I have had $500 bucks set aside for the Tricorder for a long time now. Do I need to double that now? Ive yet to see anyone from the US, anywhere report that they got their invitation to buy and what the final price was.
Estimate 145% of whatever the declared customs value will be. Nobody seems to know what that is yet, so I’d just go with the retail price of $350. Also, the China tariffs may not stay up too much longer. With sales not resuming for a while yet, just keep your powder dry and be patient. This will sort itself out before too long.
To be clear, that’s 145% added to the retail price of $350, not 145% of the price being the final total. This is an estimate. As I said, I’m pretty sure about the tariff, just not about the customs value.
It is not. Tariffs are never on the retail price of any object. But rather on the cost to manufacture plus the cost to import. So for an example. If the Tricorder cost $70 per unit plus $10 for the shipping. Then the tariffs would be on the $80, not on retail of $350. Westerners use to know these things, now westerners understand very little. Also China started the tariff war decades ago. Europe started it well over 50 years ago. The US is finally responding in kind. I guess Karma comes into play, though a bit delayed sometimes. Also, I did not vote for trump nor would I vote for Kamala. Voting for the Dems or Rep is like voting for either the Borg or the Dominion to rule over you lol.
Anyway, I’d like to think many Trekkers are beyond our elites political games. Both parties have been in power, and both have betrayed the people at almost every turn. Lets keep the elites narrative’s out of this and stay united as a Star Trek family!
Gene Roddenberry said in the Inside Star Trek CD interview (second CD in the ST Motion Picture 2 disc soundtrack CD set) that powers were studying the so called Star Trek phenomenon to try and guide/herd the masses for political aims. He warned that an effort would ensue to hijack Star Trek in the future, essentially making it star trek in name only. This seems to have already happened these days. He said he though humanity would be too smart to fall for it. Sadly, he was overly optimistic at times. I only wish Gene Roddenberry were here today to help guide, or maybe himself run for a high office as an independent. He would have tens of millions probably willing to vote for him. Anyway, not need for anyone to overly worry about the tricorder. The Wand Company are a dynamic bunch and we as supporters can be adaptable. They are making thousands more and we can have a little patients. They will not cost an arm and a leg, not even a tooth. However yea, we may be paying an additional $80 perhaps. We shall see. I believe China and the US will work out an amicable deal by July. Then things will calm down and both nations can finally respect each other in trade. Also in order to save the planet. We need to buy more things local anyway. Too much plastic junk everywhere including polyester/plastic clothing. We can do better. Is this not one of the core elements of Star Treks teachings? Genesis 2 also says the Creator placed man on Earth in Eden to work it and take care of it. Revelation 11 warns against destroying the Earth, emphasizing that those who do so will face consequences. I am not religious, but I do believe in universal truths. We need not be divided by media holders and script writers any longer. Star Trek is not perfect, but it is a good templet to pursue truth no matter what that truth is. Whether it is scientific truth or political truths, nor philosophical truths or spiritual truths. We can pursue the truth and never be offended because we listen to different points of view. We must not let the media tell us who to demonize. We can do better then all of this. Dialog with everyone. No more controlled media. Star Trek lives!
That may very well be, as you may have notice I said above, but since we don’t know what the actual declared value to customs will be (I’m not privy to that information, are you?), then assuming retail value is just prudent planning. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong on the high side, and one is no worse off.
I must correct you. I’m an importer/ exporter of manufactured goods and retail goods.
Duty and taxes are assessed whenever a shipment crosses a border, if required by and at the tariff rate determined by the receiving country. It’s charged at whatever value the shipper noted on the declaration. It doesn’t matter weather it’s the “cost” or the retail, just whatever the -shipper- puts on the form. It’s illegal to undervalue items to reduce or avoid duty and taxes. Each country has their own tariff schedule and assesses based on country of manufacture and product type. The recipient pays the duty to receive the shipment. No duty, no product. It sits in impound until you pay, and you pay daily storage fees after the first couple of days. Some carriers also charge processing fees. All costs are borne by the recipient of the goods, NOT by the manufacturing country, so if that recipient is a manufacturer or reseller, those costs are most often passed on to the subsequent purchaser. As Chris said above, it’s a tax, pure and simple. Paid by you and me, ultimately.
“China started the tariff war decades ago….”
No. When another country attacks its OWN citizens, treating them as its PROPERTY, to be disposed of as IT sees fit, to satisfy ITS desires, it is NOT making war on other countries – any more than someone rap ing a woman in his hometown is war on everyone in other towns. And the idea that the US must treat ITS citizens as nothing but the State’s CHATTEL *because* other nations treat THEIR citizens as human CHATTEL is the most grotesque evil imaginable. It is the declaration that BECAUSE someone rap ed a woman in his hometown, then you must rap e women in YOUR hometown. It is the declaration that BECAUSE *others* RAP E, then YOU get to RAP E!
It is the very DEFINITION of *evil*!
This feels like an EXTREMELY politicised post and I don’t think this is the place for it! That’s what QUORA is for isn’t it? LOL
The US has had tariffs in place on many items for years also. Several years ago tire manufacturers lobbied for tariffs on Chinese tires. After the tariffs were imposed the US tire manufacturers raised their tire prices. It figures.
How many need to be in the warehouse before orders are opened again and are we getting close to that level?
we hope to have about 1000 in play. On Tuesday (tomorrow as I write) we are going to assess the situation again and see where we are. So hopefully close. We also hope to have some feedback from Amazon about the tariff situation andf the cancelled /returned orders and what is happening now.
Thanks mate. Just sitting here hitting refresh every few hours so I don’t get left out again.
Thank you for the update.
I am a terrible mathematician…someone help me out here…
If China is shipping 1K units to Amazon.UK every two weeks, that’s about 16 shipments in by Christmas, which which would get the folks with the 15,000 registration range their Tricorders.
Which would put someone like me at 111,000 registration getting my Tricorder mid year in 2026?
That’s if the current mfg. rate stays the same.
While your maths may be correct your estimation of the numbers of people registered is way out by a factor of at least 10 times. There will be enough to go round and if there isn’t we will make even more
I’m not so sure the actual registration number you got on your certificate reflects the actual amount of orders ahead of you. I’m guessing it is just a randomly generated number and we really have no idea where we are on “the list.” My confirmation was from February 2023, so I suspect I should be in the first few shipments. Chris keeps telling us not to worry and there will be plenty to go around. I trust him.
Yes, the numbers are sequential but for a couple of reasons the actual number is not reflective of the number of people who registered, so yes, you are exactly correct, there will be enough to go round
As a US resident, if I have Amazon ship my order to a friend’s address in the UK, and that friend then individually ships it to me in the US, could I still be subject to massive tariffs/customs/whatever when the package hits the colonies? It’s hard to predict how aggressive the scalpers are going to be, and I feel pressure to know exactly what steps I will need to take, and quickly, whenever I am finally able to make my purchase.
The scalpers would face the same issues. I don’t think they are a threat. From the first 170 units sold there have been a couple or so Tricorders on eBay. I don’t think that there are loads of scalpers waiting to spoil your day. If there is enough product to go round, the scalpers will be wasting their time and money buying stock that is still available to buy from us.
I was able to order 2 but DHL just had them on hold and returned them to Amazon
now DHL is saying they can’t deliver to Amazon and Amazon won’t refund me until they get it
Chris-any news on refunds from Amazon and when we’ll be able to re-order?
Plenty to go around by when…? I am a patient guy. Just trying to get a rough estimate for the budget $.
I see people in the very low registration # getting theirs. People in the 5,000 range have not received their emails (last I checked). Chris is not mentioning the number of how many are registered…not sure how to make sense of his numbering system.
But really – tell me I am wrong for thinking that there will be a lot of folks on the list getting their emails from Wand after this next Christmas.
Sorry, I know this time is fraught on so many levels, and more uncertainty and waiting is just adding to the angst. We have only sent out about 200 emails so far. So please try to ignore the naysayers as I have been saying since we started the project all those years ago.
Especially, dear God, whatever you do, stay away from the FaceBook collector/fan groups. There’s nothing but whining and hysteria over there, and certainly no reliable information. Brave souls have tried explaining that Wand is making thousands of tricorders, yet the FOMO panic has gripped those people like a virus. Best avoid those feeds altogether.
Thanks for the intel… yes some of it is very panicky, (resigned smile) but that just goes to show what an excellent product this is and how in demand it is. Both of which are great positives. The only slight downside is that many people that are overtly negative rarely retract their negativity in light of a better than expected outcome, so the whole experience projection from them feels a bit one sided… fine be passionate, fine blow hot and cold… but please don’t just blow cold regardless and then nothing when it all works out.
Thanks for your efforts, Chris! Looking forward to things smoothing out and getting one to add to my TWC collection. 🙂
My certificate number is 196416. Is it possible to tell me if my purchase email will be sent within the next 6 months? I want the tricorders, but I also need to purchase the phaser and communicator from eBay. Considering their prices are around $2000 and $400 respectively, I have to budget my funds.
Yes it will, and much sooner than that. Sorry not to be more specific.
I appreciate greatly the detailed work and craftsmanship gone into the working prop., your patience and demeter and calim presentation and any news I listen only here to filter the noise out. When product is in hand and this administration is behind us it will be our interactions with each other now that remain on record of our character. THIS is all only a moment in time.
Question…any insight about the the SIM CARD… interested in future uploads and what to look forward to. I love the Captain’s log lol lol just finished reading them all!!!
Amazon UK is still rejecting my US address. Automatically when I go the site a warning pops up. Is there a trick to this?
No there is no trick. Earlier when we said that Amazon.co.uk would ship anywhere we were correct… then, and some US and other non UK fans were able to buy and have Tricorders shipped to them. We think that due to the confusion over the de minimis tariffs Amazon.co.uk has paused sending items from the Uk to the US. They certainly have for us and we have noticed a number of other products from other retailers that you used to be able to buy in the UK and have shipped to the US are now [temporarily] not available for shipping to the US. We are working with Amazon to resolve this, but please be patient, the situation is chaotic and very fluid at the moment.
It’s nteresting that I see other electronic items on Amazon.co.uk that show avialable to ship to my US address, and they are listed as dispatching from Amazon (vs directly from the seller).
Chris
Mine and a couple of other U.S. bound shipments (per reports on the ROF) have cleared customs yesterday with no Tariff impact., if that helps your dealings with Amazon UK.
So wow, I thought we were all just a bunch of guys so excited to finally get a Tricorder. All the political talk and insults is unfortunate. Oh and I just saw a Tricorder on ebay UK for over $2000….
Do not be tempted… not that you would, that is ridiculous, the Tricorders we are making right now are not going to go away, they will be on sale sooner or later for a sensible price and having a Tricorder a few weeks or days before someone else is not worth that extra amount of money.
Tricorder update email #1 March 11, 2021 in my email. Heres a bit of the message:::
Dear Kevin,
It’s been 232 days since we announced that we were working on a functioning Original Series Tricorder and you have been patient, but now an update is long overdue.
Work progresses well on the development as we overcome the challenges of creating an exact Tricorder replica that functions properly and is a worthy companion to our Phaser and Communicator.
And don’t we know it… this has been one seriously long and arduous project for us.
…and man, are we grateful. Thank you, Chris & Company, from the bottoms of our hearts.
Chris, it’s yer own dang fault; if you didn’t make such impeccable products…
(Joking, of course, but not about the impeccable part.)
And in other news, two more guys on the RPF received theirs in the last two days, with two more definitely being delivered tomorrow. Thursday deliveries (including mine) still TBD due to poor tracking info. But it’s positively raining tricorders here in the US!
And another guy on another board got his today in New Hampshire!
Another one just cleared customs headed for Massachussetts, JimInStLouis’s has cleared customs, and mine too! It be raining tricorders up in here!
It really is a disconcerting about the tariffs and what that might do to the cost of the tricorder. Be that as it may, after some of your more late updates on the tricorders features and functionality, I was betting on a $500 dollar price for it, and was flabbergasted at the stated $350 cost which was only $50 dollars more than the hoped for $300 .. will I get it if the total goes to $500? it’s hard to say, but I think it is absolutely worth every penny of that … I just wish that increase was going to Wand and not for some tariff.
My Tricorder shipped on May 6th, after the May 2nd Tariff increase. Total with tax and shipping was $411.49 USD. It made it through customs in the U.S. and I never heard about an additional Tariff charge. It’s all a lot of panic over nothing. The only thing I’m wondering about is VAT. I thought a previous update stated this would not be charged to U.S. buyers. But at $16.28, I’m not sweating it.
Items:
£270.00
Postage & Packing:
£19.92
Total before VAT:
£289.92
VAT:
£12.25
Total:
£302.17
Order Total:
£302.17
Payment Total:
USD 411.49
I’m guessing these ones that are showing up are part of the original 200 unit shipment? What about the additional 1000 units that were supposedly available to ship earlier this week?
Yup. Waiting as well.
Yes that is true. However, although those next thousand units are nearly in place in Amazon, we are encountering additional difficulties with Amazon not being able to ship them out to the US. All the while, our factory continues to make tricorders as we have not paused that activity, and thus more shipments are on their way. However, as these shipments are coming in wave by wave, if the tariff situation eases and bulk shipping to the US becomes viable, we have the option of diverting some shipments to the US and selling from Amazon.com. As the situation is so subject to change at a moment’s notice, we are now waiting a little more to see what news these US-China talks in Switzerland this weekend bring us.
In the UK VAT is 20%, so that VAT line in your list of costs looks like a [state?] sales tax line. Sales tax, or VAT or tariffs are charged on the price including shipping costs.
Ah… that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification Chris.
jim
Greetings, I received, to the U.S., an order of two Tricorder units on May 5th from the direct buy on Amazon Co UK (the Amazon option to buy even more was available), there were no tariffs since they were customs cleared before May 2, 12:01am. As for my satisfaction of the Tricorders, the likes outweigh the dislikes (there are a personal few which I realize cannot be changed), my overall satisfaction is Positive. Thank You. At this point, I will occasionally monitor the TWC website for any possible updates in regards to Tricorder usage news (software updates, etc). Perhaps at some point, TWC will offer a hand scanner accessory. I suspect TWC may offer a Medical Version Tricorder in the future with hopefully an incorporated Bluetooth connected hand scanner. I would advise TWC to learn from their buyers, the dislikes of the Science Tricorder and make the improvements should a Medical Tricorder be developed. I’m happy to have avoided the frustrations others are going through. I consider myself lucky for once, timing is everything. Live Long and Prosper
P.S. Amazon U.K.’s adhoc shipping box’s are the worst, certainly not made for the rough and tumble journey of international shipping, it’s a wonder the Tricorder’s didn’t fall out along the way.
Are there any currently known restriction with Amazon UK shipping to Canada?
No, but we are pausing so that registrants can be invited in order of registration and because we feel that a tariff resolution is close at hand, possibly with some progress this weekend. After the weekend when more is known we will reassess the situation and if there appears to be a static situation with no movement, we will consider restarting the emails so that non US customers will have a chance to purchase. At the moment all plans are on hold though as we wait to hear what the outcome of this latest round of talks will be.
Hi Chris, what about us UK customers? when will we be able to order via Amazon UK?
Hopefully we will know more next week and make a decision whether to restart with the emailing. ideally we wanted everyone to be told in the order that they registered and differentiating between the US and the rest of the world would broach that. But we may have to do that next week. On the other hand good news might come out of the meeting between the US and China in Switzerland next week and if it does then we could start making new plans.
Mine shipped on 4/25, and I was notified that it cleared import customs on 5/6 (yesterday). It has to have entered customs prior to 12:01am on 5/2, or it would have been returned to the shipper as so many others have, meaning it sat waiting in import customs for at least five days. My total was very similar to Jim’s above, but the tax I was charged was my local sales tax as is Amazon’s practice. I paid a total of $418.01 US.
I’ve been lurking on the rpf and my experience mirror’s asalaw’s with a similar cost ($428 USD). Based on the dates…his, Jim’s and mine were likely travel buddies. I’ll trust him on the timing regarding clearing customs. I know I was nervously waiting to see what would happen. As far as I know, I didn’t get hit by the tariffs and I hope a tricorder shows up at my door in the next day or so.
In humility, can I say that these updates with the comment sections are like the Wand Company inviting us into their living room. They’ve been very good hosts to us in a very difficult time for them. We should all try to be very good guests. I’m not here as “Bill the political guy”…I’m here as “Bill the fan”. Nobody wants to hear about my tariffs thoughts and it’s bad form to feed an argument in someone’s house.
I pray that things will settle down. That everyone at the Wand Company weathers the storm and will prosper through it and that every fan here gets their tricorder as soon as possible. And I hope all our tricorders arrive safely.
I know it’s not my place but I ask that everyone be charitable in their thinking and assume good motives of all…especially when we disagree. Remember that we’re all here because we are united in something we love made by people who love what they do and are experiencing hardships for the sake of it. They deserve grace, patience and respect for their efforts…for which they’ve asked for nothing up front.
Sorry for going on…it was just on my heart to say it. I wish you all the best. I now return to bashing Ctrl-r on my keyboard waiting on the update.
Hear Hear 🙂
I’ll just say it’s much easier to be a good guest when you were able to get an order in and it’s been shipped. When you keep seeing the prize and having it snatched away…..you get a little irritable. I’m sure I’ll be much calmer is and when orders are opened again. Living in Japan I’m sure it will happen while I’m asleep and they’ll be gone again by the time a wake. Keeping fingers crossed.
Hi Ken. True, true…but being a good guest is much more important when things are difficult. Especially when your host could use encouragement as much as you do. I do understand. I’ve missed my share of boats. You haven’t missed yours, it’s just delayed. As a US customer…I’m VERY aware of how fortunate I am to (hopefully) get in under the wire. I’m thankful and I won’t apologize for that.
I think Wand is using this pause, at least in part, to load up enough stock in Amazon UK to smooth out the availability issues. Chris has said they’re making plenty to go around. Being in Japan, I don’t think you’re staring down the barrel of the tariffs. Apologies if I’m wrong on that but that seems a plus for you. Tariffs look to be an ongoing concern for US customers…unless and until something changes, of course. So be of good cheer. Nobody wants to see a tricorder in your hands more than Chris and company. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you too! We got this.
Thank you for your kind words, they are mush appreciated. We are all striving for a common cause.
When will we have an updated blog with shipping status and other important information?
I wrote it late last night and we will hopefully post it today. The situation is very fluid at the moment, which is making it even harder to say anything definitively. But hopefully there are some encouraging signs that the situation is moving towards resolution, so with all our fingers crossed, we hope to then have better news in the near future
I want to personally commend you and your staff for your hard work and dedication to this project. As a boy growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s,and being a huge Trek fan, I never thought I’d live to see technology mirroring what was depicted in the show. Smart phones have evolved to the point that give the user a “Trek” feel, but, now…thanks to you, we can actually have a working Tricorder. It’s the dream come true to the 8 year old that lives inside me. I look forward to the day when I can hold one in my hands and hear that familiar scanning sound. Thank you again for your efforts.
Did you pause shipping poke balls and other wand items to the USA too?
yes, we have no other choice. We have some Poké Ball stock already in the US… and there is some in the retail pipeline already… but yes it is a very tricky time
I support the idea of sending purchase invitations to registrants in non-USA locations if tariffs aren’t modified by next week. This would give Wand Company a much needed income stream and would take some pressure off the large influx of USA based orders that are sure to hit once the tariffs come down. I fully admit to having a naked ulterior motive since I’m in Canada, but as an alternative I’d also be willing to pay in advance (ie: right now) if there were some way of doing so, in order to give Wand Company some influx of cash at this uncertain time. I’m definitely willing to put my money where my mouth is.
I’m in Canada as well and find myself paying more attention to the US tariff negotiations hoping for a resolution sooner than later.
I would also have no problem at all with prepaying to help out TWC while US sales are paused, if that was even possible with Amazon.
Thanks for this updated thread Chris, and for your transparency of the situation. The rational among us are relaxed about the waiting times and logistics. I bid you patience and a smile fielding any forthcoming comments/thought analysis that now apparently includes other wider ethical, economical and diverse philosophical global concerns. If you’re free on Wednesday, Sir Keir wants to know if you can cover PMQs as he has a hair appointment. 😉
Excellent email update today, and delighted the Captain’s Log database is live now! Meanwhile, mine is due today but not yet out for delivery. I’m on pins and needles AND tenterhooks, which at my age is no good at all for my skin!
Awful situation with the tariffs as you say, but hopefully a trade deal and some predictability are around the corner.
Thanks, I felt it was necessary
Just got your latest update. I know it’s been repeated often, but thank you for your transparency. Many other companies would be happy to take customer’s money and just leave them totally in the dark with no updates and no information as they struggled with the shipping difficulties. Trump announced the latest trade “agreement” with UK this morning. But it was all about the steel and auto industry. No mention of “miscellaneous electronic devices.” Obviously, that doesn’t even apply here as these were manufactured in China. Unfortunately, I don’t see lots of warm fuzzies between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. I doubt “Wand Company Tricorders” are even on their minds. Whatever happens, happens I guess. I know you guys are caught between a rock and a hard place. With tons of inventory, and no way to ship it. It must be frustrating. Where’s Han Solo when you need him? I bet he can fit several thousand Tricorders under those floor plates in the Millennium Falcon.
thanks, just trying to keep everyone in the loop
I’d try Harry Mudd or someone from the Orion Syndicate first before trying my luck with another franchise… 😉
I just wanted to state my support. I will wait patiently until I can get my tricorder; however long that takes. Thank you for keeping us updated.
I and another RPF member just got updated tracking from the Postal Service–looks like Saturday for us. Hilariously, Amazon UK still says arriving today! Oh, well. For now I’m playing “Anticipation” by Carly Simon, and Saturday I’ll switch it to “At Last” by Etta James. 🙂
I tried to find the answer to this as I scanned through the mostly political discussion but couldn’t find it.
Based on the registered interest so far, ( I only found this today unfortunately ) is there a timeline as to how long it would take to get through everyone already registered, considering production rates and so forth?
I almost just fell out of my chair.. A Tricorder has made it to ebay USA and its going for $2800!!!!!!!
I know its silly but Im usually no drama but even Im starting to feel a little nutsy. Especially after seeing that ebay listing.
Must be a Klingon 🙂
A Ferengi, surely?
Unfortunately the old PT Barnum saying still holds true, just hope the people spending that much to get one early can actually afford it and not panic buying.
A tricorder like this has been one of my dream items to have for 50+ years, so I’d pay maybe 2X the list price, but 8X is just nuts.
Here’s hoping the announced UK deal settles things down and they can start shipping next week.
Heck, I badly wanted the Strange New Worlds phaser from Factory Entertainment. But for $800.00? No thanks.
The UK deal has nothing to do with it. The tricorder is made in China and is subject to tariffs against China-origin goods. US Treasury Secretary Bessent is meeting with a Chinese delegation in Geneva this weekend, so hopefully that will bear some fruit. The Chinese will have to deal soon, as their economy is being very hard hit by the tariffs.
President Trump announced today that he believes an 80 percent tariff on all Chinese imports “seems right”. We’ll see whether Xi Xinping agrees to move forward with a deal on that basis. That’s still a pretty punitive rate.
He’s probably still “negotiating” via such public statements. The keys for him are opening Chinese markets to US goods, halting the flow of fentanyl and precursors, and putting a lid on the $600 billion in Chinese IP theft every year. 80% is still crippling for China, so he’s trying to get the Chinese in a dealing frame of mind for the Geneva talks this weekend. Trump is a transactional individual, and he’ll continue making draconian public statements to get what he wants. He’s built half the NYC skyline negotiating like that. It is a mistake to think his public statements represent where he’s willing to end up, as the deal evolves.
Latest rumour, via the New York Post, is that the 145% tariff will be reduced to 50% – 54% as soon as next week. To be taken with a large grain of salt, though…
Captain Chris,
Thank you for the leadership, much appreciated to you and your team !
According to Postal Service tracking, mine is in the local distribution center and on schedule to deliver today. Now my biggest problem is figuring out how to keep myself distracted till it arrives…
A big shout out to Captain Chris and team !!! Thank you !!!
Chris, I love everything about the product and thank you and the team for manifesting a dream. Ironically politics is in Star Trek’s DNA.
After the incident at Deep Space Station K7, what kind of tariffs would the Federation place on the transport of Tribbles?
Mine arrived in perfect condition. I love every single little thing about it! At last my Wand Prop Trinity is complete! What a wonderful job you’ve done with it!
Ok. Simple maths for all. An item costs £100. A tariff of 10% now makes it £110. Regardless of who imposes the tariff on who. You as the customer now pays £110. Which would you rather pay £100 or £110? Personally I would rather pay £100 or less rather than more. Yes we all have ideas of what is right or wrong. But in 2025 we live in a global economy whereby everything we use or have is part of a global economic landscape. Disconnecting or dismantling that is not that simple. I don’t care where an item comes from. Since somebody somewhere is making it & getting paid. Global trade & economics isn’t something knee it’s been going on for thousands of years. Why do you think we have trade routes. One of the oldest & longest being the Silk Road.
The question is, does the Wand Company have any “wiggle” room in the price of the tricorder? My guess is not. They seem to be focused on just creating authentic collectibles for the fan base and they priced the item reasonably to cover their costs and pay their staff a fair wage. But we all know the path of any product from manufacture to consumer passes through a lot of hands. From factory, to distributor, to wholesaler, to retailer to shipper and ultimately to the actual customer. And every step along the way has to have their piece of the pie as a fair wage. So a product that costs $60 in raw materials to make, then has to be marked up to account for the labor, then step by step through all the stages, it might end up with a price tag of $100 on the store shelf. Now take all of that and add International shipping with EXPORT and IMPORT tariffs to make it more complicated. Does the tariff percentage apply to the “declared value” or the wholesale cost, or the retail cost? Is there enough “wiggle room” in the profit margin the manufacturer anticipated that the tariff charge can be absorbed? An overall 60% markup instead of 66%? Or do gargantuan government bureaucracies trying to manipulate global markets really have no idea, or just don’t care that us “little people” simply can’t afford to deal with the fluctuations in the price of every day items? It makes your head swim if you try to think about it too hard. I just want my $350 tricorder and I’m willing to pay a reasonable shipping fee. I guess it depends on what your definition of “reasonable” is. *sigh* I started these posts as a die-hard Trump supporter. Now, maybe not so much.
for a product such as the Tricorder the margins a much thinner than that. Obviously multiple taxmen take their cut, and then there are the royalties for the privilege of having the Star Trek licence… everybody that touches the product from start to finish has to make their buck. At The Wand Company we do our best to make the right product with the lowest cost. We don’t compromise, but then we don’t take advantage of our fans’ dedication to their chosen passion.
While I empathize with the Yanks……if they can’t figure it out can the sales be started up for the rest of us soon?
I was thinking the same thing. (UK finger-twiddler here).
Chris Banardo.
I’m interested in news or a post about the SIM CARD and what possible enticing updates might be in the work? It would be an “after market” item purchase for these first purchasers, but a sim card would come with item at later releases.
More pictures, more planetary detail? I remember and episode where Scott was looking at engine schematics that would be a neat graphic to see….
Love your work and excited for more. LLAP
An overall markup?
Why should everybody else in the world have to pay for America’s dumbass mistake?
Here in the UK, where are used to pay well over the odds for goods (action figures, books, electronics, whatever) due to our taxes. This is one time where I feel perfectly happy paying the overprice that was initially stated.
1. You misunderstand tariffs. That 10% you speak of is NOT what you pay as a retail price, but 10% on the manufacturing cost.
2. You don’t care where an item comes from “since someone somewhere is getting paid..”, here you ignore the fact that in one place in the world someone gets paid $1 for doing the exact same task that in another country another person is paid $15 dollars for doing the exact same job. Imagine what the retail cost would be if the Tricorder was manufactured in the U.K.???? I imagine it woul be impossible to do so as it would likely cost many many hundreds of dollars more. Would you pay say $924 dollars for the exact same item manufactured in the U.K.?
3. You might not care where an item comes from, but the reality is that in a global economy, where something is manufactured matters. In almost ALL cases of literally anything, goods are much cheaper to manufacture in certain locations of the world than other locations. An irrefutable fact. This is because of myriad reasons such as labour costs (being the primary one if you build in associated factors such as paying a fair wage relative to the cost of living in that country and child labour laws to name just two), and costs of running and maintaining manufacturing capablity and the cost of raw materials. Where of course it get’s complicated further is costs in one location will further increase if raw materials need to be imported that are themselves subject to differing tariffs between nations.
This item isn’t an Etsy ashtray or ewooden shelf knocked up in someone’s shed in their garden.
In any event, there are trade talks going on right now in Geneva between the Treasury Secretary and a Chinese delegation. Hopefully they’ll come to some sort of agreement and the tariffs can start coming down. I’m not at all surprised to hear Chris say the margins are thin, and 145% is not a trivial sum to add whatever the basis. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a second tricorder this year.
Should i keep
On refreshing Amazon to see if they are in uk? I feel i might be wasting my time with the tarriff thing.
I think the best way to know is to have your name in the list and wait for an announcement from Chris, or your invitation to purchase email.
The news from Geneva appears to be good. Quotes like “great progress” and “how quickly it came together” are emerging. Statements due to come out tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
I thought the real issue was axing of the de minimis exemption? The Chinese tariff is not going to go down enough in the short term to make a difference. 145%, 80% or even 50% is going to price out a ton of folks.
I don’t think the de minimis exemption is coming back. I hope I’m wrong, but at least with respect to China, it doesn’t look like they’re going to restore it. Unless they work out some compromise where de minimis items no longer get expedited customs and instead get regular inspection. Too much fentanyl coming in for that.
I do not trust any comments from the American delegation. I’ll wait until something is signed.
90 day window open. SELL BABY SELL. 😉
Source CNN:
“The announcement comes after a weekend of marathon trade negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland by officials from the world’s two largest economies.
The tariff revisions will be imposed by May 14. US President Donald Trump’s 20% fentanyl-related levies on China, imposed in February and March, will stay. However, each side has agreed to lower “reciprocal” tariffs on the other by 115 percentage points for 90 days.
That effectively means the US will temporarily lower its overall tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China will cut its levies on American imports from 125% to 10%, according to the joint statement”.
I’m hoping that I might be on the next email invite.
Here’s hoping Amazon UK takes the cue and lifts its restriction on shipping to the US now.
Or maybe this will open up the American market so we can buy direct from Amazon US!
Great news on the Tariffs, however since my Certificate says TC-234535, I will be waiting in the City on the Edge of Forever!
See comments above. The number you got is no indicator of how many orders there are. Chris explained the numbers are “sequential” but not reflecting actual amounts. They are basically processing everything in calendar order of the date you signed up.
Chris, now that the 90 day deal is in place, will we start seeing shipments? And, if so, how soon?
Yes, I’d much rather pay even the 30% tariff vs 145% tariff or the eBay “tariff” that we’ve seen after the first 200 units were made available. If they would start to ship in quantity, those eBay prices would come down.
File this under amazing: There’s rain in the forecast coming up tonight, it’s been getting quite cloudy for several hours, and my tricorder is registering the falling barometric pressure. When I started measuring it was 1016.53 hPa, an hour ago it was down to 1014.96, and it’s still falling. Amazing!
Hoping Chris will fill us in soon. He’s probably busier than a one legged man in an @$$ kicking contest!
Or a one-armed wall paper hanger
Or a headless milliner?
Its being released very very soon. I feel warp factor 8 coming on
Im just going to be honest. I just wish someone would be honest with us here in the US about how much a Tricorder is going to cost us. Its driving me bananas!!! I just found TWO more Tricorders on ebay here in the US going for over $2,800. Another up for auction with bidding up to nearly $2000. I dont understand where these are coming from and how are they coming up with these prices that are, in some cases, thousands more than weve been told a Tricorder will cost us. Its been six weeks since we got the email entitled –Its Time At Last– Maybe I just need to get a life….
Like it says on the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, don’t panic.
This has been a long, strange trip for all of us, expecially for The Wand Company. If you want to see what’s been going on, I suggest you read all the comments in this forum.
As far as the eBay tricorders… forget it. TWC is making lots of Tricorders, it’s now just a matter of getting them to us. The comments above will explain exactly why, and how it’s progressing.
I don’t think it’s an issue about anyone being honest about the cost. By the sound of it after reading all of the comments in this blog, there’s confusion about the final cost and shipping due to the strange situation with the current tariffs. If that wasn’t happening, all of this would be a simple transaction with no confusion. Just know that everyone is in the same boat as you: we’re all waiting and we all have no idea what the final price will be.
Chris has been very transparent about the current situation and has been giving us as much info as possible. He has said there will be enough tricorders for everyone that wants one and I believe him. We have been waiting so long for this product, waiting a little longer doesn’t matter too much to me…and believe me, the people that spend $2800 on one are going to feel foolish after the rest of us get them for far, far less.
Be patient
Based on the latest news on the 90-day hiatus on tariffs with China, our Imports will have a tariff of between 30% and 50%. And as far as I can understand, that doesn’t necessarily mean it applies directly to the stated $350 retail price. It’s applied on the manufacturing cost of an entire bulk shipment. However that is divided up per unit at the retail level is a bit of economic voodoo. I’m guessing we’ll ultimately pay less than $400. People who have gotten theirs in the first batch of 200 reported paying between $400 – $425 and that was with the 145% tariff. I’m betting Chris is busy working out the details on the latest tariff news with Amazon. I’m hoping maybe The Wand Company can ship direct from China to the US now and we can purchase through Amazon US.
They clearly were one of the lucky few to get one of the first batch of I think Chris said was 170, and have taken advantage of the siuation. They only have a short window for doing so I imagine, as soon as more and more stock is released, this crazily inflated resale value will drop significantly. If there are people in the happy and able to pay those frasnkly ludicrous sums, then it is what it is, but I don’t think this momentary craziness remotely reflects what reality will be once normal restock and shipping has resumed.
Sorry for the typos!
It’s ok, I’m typo king
Those buying for thousands are just FOMO people with deep pockets. Happens with every single collectable out there aimed at adults. Especially before a release. Have seen it dozens and dozens Of times with other collectibles and people panicking and paying stupid prices and then all of a sudden a mass release. I would get in a panic over it.
That should read …..I would NOT get in a panic..
The cost of a Tricorder sold by an opportunist to someone who should know better is not the actual cost of the product as sold by us. Please wait until the Tricorder becomes available for you to purchase from us. We have been clear and honest about the cost of it when purchase from us. Third party sellers can charge what they like and as much as someone else will pay.
Gosh, ! So Ive been following the Tricorder very closely for nearly 5 years. My post was in no way a condemnation of anybody. Especially The Wand Company guys! I can only imagine how stressed they are. I mean all of this trade war stuff happening and coinciding with the release of the Tricorder. Ive said this before, I thought we were just a bunch of guys excited to get a Tricorder. My post was my immediate and admittedly over-reaction to seeing more Tricorders on ebay. Im sorry if I was misunderstood but we dont need to lecture each other do we? Im betting we will know soon…
Hi Kevin! I don’t think anyone took your post as an attack of any sort, I certainly didn’t see it that way!
I just got the update email from The Wand Company and I’m a little left out by it. I already started buying Amazon UK gift cards to pay for the
tricorder and now US customers will no longer be able to purchase from Amazon UK. What about my store credit?????
Wonderful news in today’s update, I think $415 will still be in range for most people who could afford one at $350. Let’s blow some tricorders out the door!
Thanks, yes we were very happy at the news after the weekend’s talks. Certainly a step in the right direction.
So no “invite to purchase” emails to US customers? I guess we just wait for them to show up on Amazon, then it’s a feeding frenzy like throwing a chunk of raw meat into a kiddie pool with 1000 hungry piranhas? Sounds like fun!
Go back and re-read the email. US customers will get their invites to purchase when there’s stock available on Amazon US, that’s very clearly implied.
I don’t see any such thing. This is what stands out to me, “when we send out our next “invite to purchase” email, we will not be sending it out to any of our US customers.” … “We will do our best to start airfreighting Tricorders to the US as soon as possible. Once they arrive there will be a wait while the stock is loaded into Amazon US.” … “We will be diverting the next few shipments to the US and we believe that there will be enough Tricorders for everyone that wants one to buy one.” I don’t see any hint of expecting any kind of email other than a general announcement that they are in stock and available for purchase. This has the Nvidia 3000 series release fiasco written all over it. I hope Amazon will have a purchase limit imposed. You know the scalpers are going to take full advantage of this.
Yes, the email states that “since Amazon UK is not able to send our products to the US at the moment, we will not be sending out the invitation to any of our US customers.”
He’s talking about the emails that will be sent to those who can still buy from Amazon UK.
That means they won’t be sending them out with the emails to the non-US customers. The email most emphatically does not say or even imply that they will never send out an email to US customers. It’s not the greatest drafting in the world, but there is absolutely no call to assume they won’t ever send out emails to US customers, even when there’s stock in the Amazon US store.
guys, please… please… read all the emails I have sent out… sheesh. WE WILL SEND OUT EMAILS TO THE US CUSTOMERS WHEN WE HAVE US STOCK.
Dude! Sorry. I’m just reading what was sent and I specifically saw “no emails to US customers.” I can’t read your mind, I can’t read “between the lines.” I’m just reading what was sent. The previous emails, are obviously not valid anymore since the latest tariff news. The implication was since all orders were going to have to come from Amazon UK, the emails would contain a link that would allow US customers to purchase through that source. Since the source is now going to be Amazon US, your message clearly stated, “no emails to US customers after today.”
I’m just logically analyzing what was sent. I know the demand is high, even within kind of a niche community. I also know human nature and remember when I was eagerly awaiting the release of the RTX 3080 video card and what a fiasco that was.
None of this was intended as a personal attack. Just thinking out loud is all. Apologies to everyone who took it the wrong way.
No worries… I am fighting a bit of a fire on multiple fronts here. I know how stressed everyone is. I should have been more accurate in my Newsletter. It’s a steep learning curve for me!
As an appeal to our logical friend Mister Spock. Your email was not clear. It committed the logical fallacy of “Absence of Evidence” or “Appeal to Ignorance.”
In the context of customers still eligible to purchase from Amazon UK, you stated,
“…no emails will be sent to US customers.”
What you failed to clarify, was there was no specific statement that said,
“US customers will be sent email invitations when stock is available there.”
The argument that ensued, however unintentionally was the result of “Shifting the Burden of Proof:”
“This fallacy improperly places the burden of proof on the person challenging the claim, rather than the person making the claim. The burden of proof always rests with the person making the assertion, not with those who question it.”
My humble apologies, I could (should) have been a little more accurate. Of course, when the stock is in place in the US we will turn on the listing and start sending out invite emails. It might be worth noting here that the stock doesn’t just flow from the port into Amazon. Amazon itself has restrictions on how much stock we can load in at any one time, so it is an act of juggling the stock flowing in and then getting it is stock so that we can activate the listing… there are a lot of moving parts to this operation.
Exactly. As Chris says, context is important. First-semester law students are taught never to make a firm conclusion from an ambiguous statement–otherwise, they get sewn into a bag of feral cats. Which admittedly is better than getting a C on the exam. In any event, cut them some slack for crying out loud.
I seriously doubt that The Wand Company’s critics could shepherd a complex product through design and development, navigate a global pandemic and its attendant supply chain chaos, methodically knock through a lengthy punchlist of engineering issues, and finally, at the moment of release, get sandbagged by stiff tariffs–and still deliver a great product.
As a happy Wand customer of many years, I say give it a rest and show a little patience. Stop acting like it’s the storming of the Bastille every time you see an imagined outrage in an email. As they’ve said many, many times, there will be plenty of product for everyone who wants one.
Thanks once again, I appreciate that I could have been a bit clearer in my last email… I am refining my emailing technique
NO WE WILL NOT BE DOING THIS. We are doing our best to get the Tricorders to everyone in the best way possible for the best price. Look at all the emails we have sent and take them together. The tariff situation has caused a lot of issue and is a moving, fluid situation, but now… the news is we are shifting a lot of stock to the US and then the same rules will apply in the US as have applied all along.
I can only hope Chris that…
1. Very very soon you get a decent holiday either somewhere very hot, or very cold depending on what floats your boat, and…
2. This experience will not prevent you from releasing any other Star Trek related wonders in the years to come because we’re a pack of ravenous FOMO babies XD .
Are the Whovians and FALLOUT fans as feral as us lot?
ha ha… I am on vacation right now… in Italy actually in the beautiful Amalfi coast region. We started with a tour of Pompeii … wow! it was just totally mind blowing on so many levels. If you ever and i mean ever, get the chance to come to Pompeii then grab it with both hands. To walk down an incredibly ancient Pompeii street that was bustling with people more than 2,000 years ago and to experience an architecture that is as modern as any street or shopping mall that you might walk down today, was unbelievable… almost life changing. How far we have come in the last 2,000 years? Well really it is only is only our tech that is different. Ironically, here we are looking at the Tricorder, a vision of what technology would be like 200 years from now, as viewed from 70 years ago, and yet Pompeii’s main street felt as if it was a street built yesterday… it really does stretch the imagination. If you want to see for yourself right now search 3D Pompeii or go here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIk9znbWcIU… they had streets, laundrettes, bordellos, fast food, houses, apartments, theatres, stables … you name it, a modern city. In those days a massive 20,000 inhabitants lived and worked there, servicing the locals and the many visitors that passed through. Sorry to go off the thread here, but just trying to get some perspective on our lives in the light of 2,000 plus years of history.
Dude! I was in Pompei September of last year! My partner had always wanted to go so was a dream come true for her and it is quite incredible to walk those streets being so well preserved as they are. A day didn’t do it justice really. Salerno was very lovely also, but tbh i find the whole italian coast thing a bit nuts how its all carved up into parcels run by families who pass down generation to generation the rights to run a slice of what should be free access to everyone. I prefer Spain much more for wild coast, I lived there for ten years and my heart will forever remain in Andalucia. In fact not 30mins ago i booked 2 weeks starting with a week in Cabo de Gata National Park in Almeria, then down through Seviile to do a week in the Sherry Triangle on the opposite side off the peninsula from where I’ll pack 15 or so bottles of Sherry in empty luggage to drink the rest of the summer 🙂 . Back to Italy though.. Naples was a very impressive city! HUGE buildings and architecture for the time they were built. Truly impressive scale.
yes… just awesome… the whole of the med is lovely really and steeped in so much history
Been there. Used to go every May. Perfect weather, although we stayed on the Sorrento side. Did Herculaneum too.
First, sorry you have to do ANY work at all while you’re on holiday, but you are much appreciated.
I’ve never been but the devastation of Pompeii is an amazing and tragic story. I’ve been fascinated ever since getting the Pink Floyd at Pompeii RCA Videodisc for Christmas around 1984.
Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
The least they could do is send a bulk email/update to those on the mailing list advising when it will actually be available for sale via Amazon US. I think that’s only fair if they’re not going to individually notify registrants in order.
Sorry my newsletter was a bit vague on that point. We will invite ROW customers to purchase from Amazon UK and then when the stock is ready on Amazon UK we will turn on the Amazon US listing and then invite our US customers to purchase tricorders from Amazon US
Thanks for the clarification, Chris. Much appreciated. Cheers, and enjoy your holiday.
Wow, Great news. That email is packed with info. Thank You Chris/Wand Company!!
Great Caesar’s Ghost, will you people leave this poor man alone? Chris has told us everything we need to know—and I guarantee we’re all having a better month than he’s been having. If you don’t feel like reading the entire thread, that’s only one person’s fault—and it ain’t Chris.
Look: I first registered my interest in the tricorder in July 2020, which means I probably will be in the first few waves of purchase emails. But if I’m not, I can deal. Am I freaking? I am not. Are many of the folks on this thread NOT freaking? Yes. Try to be like them. Please.
Agree 100%
Got my “invite to buy” e-mail earlier today. Ordered! I’m in Canada, so Amazon UK gave me an estimated delivery date of May 21st. So looking forward to this.
Mr.chris Barnardo,
Getting to know through the e-mails and blog is way better then the bloody product. Keep up the good work mate.
Thanks, it’s a long old story
I know Chris says there are plenty of units to go around however, when you get your “invite to buy” email and duly press the ‘order now’ button only to receive an ‘out of stock’ message, it still causes a ‘squeaky bum’ moment!! After almost 6 years of waiting, my fingers remain firmly crossed.
I am very sorry, the stock sold out quite quickly. We have two more shipments coming in in the next few days.
These two shipments will be just for the Amazon UK listing, correct?
yes
Great, thanks for the prompt reply as always, Chris!
How many did you have just out of curiosity?
Thanks for the latest update about tariffs and shipping units soon to the US and the projected price there at just over $400 .. I’ll get it when it comes available but it chaps my hide that you are not getting one penny of the increase cost 🙁
I realize it’s easy to say as I already have mine (and I love it), but I’m delighted to see the stock blowing out the door. This is a great sign for the future. More sales means TWC can continue making awesome replicas. This is making me very optimistic. I hope you move a million of them.
Just got back from a long midnight run…thought I’d check my emails before bedtime. And there is a link to the UK Amazon store for my Tricorder purchase from 6 hours ago! Aaargh! Click on it —
— And it’s out of stock. I weep. My teeth gnash. I can’t believe I missed the window.
How many were in the sellout tranche this time, Chris?
Hope I catch the slot on the next go-round. Bah!
See below!
Nope. Didn’t see them. God, I’m going to have to put a special email alert on my Mac for Wand Company emails for the next weeks! (I think it’s going to be the Amok Time fight music!)
I just happened to be checking my email when the invite came in so I ordered right away. My credit card company wanted me to verify the purchase, which I did. I wanted to verify the order, just to make sure and thankfully the order had been placed because it was already out of stock! Took only like 15-30 minutes to sell out.
Non-US buyers. 4 more back up on Amazon so be quick!
Got my link for my UK Tricorder yesterday, about 5pm UK time…clicked on it, paid and it shipped about 3 hours later.
It is out for delivery today, so I am delighted, and am so looking forward to finally getting to hold one after all this time…
Thanks for all of the updates…Not long now! 🙂
This thing is gonna sell like ice cream in August. Awesome.
Chris, picking up my questions from email… I registered for a tricorder a few years ago, and I have an Amazon UK ship to address as the default address in my UK profile. I’m concerned that Amazon UK is still going to filter me out and prevent me from seeing any units because I live in the US, even though I want to ship it to a UK address. Any way around this, or is this strinctly an Amazon problem?
I received a purchase invitation yesterday and was able to place my order. Package was dispatched to Canada this morning.
Thank you Chris and everyone else at Wand!
Me too. I lucked out and was loafing in front of the computer when my invitation to purchase came through yesterday. I was tempted to buy two, but decided to let someone else snag one at this early time in the roll out. A pleasure shared is pleasure doubled, after all!
FYI, I paid £270.00 plus 12 percent federal and provincial taxes here in Canada for a total of £302.40, not including DHL shipping (which will take until May 23rd – slow boat, thence to mule train, I guess). According to XE Currency Converter that equals US$402.09 – a few bucks less than the US$415 tariffed price for our American colleagues. However, once you factor in the lower shipping cost when ordered domestically via Amazon USA, plus the fact that American buyers don’t have to cough up federal Goods and Services tax like Canadians do, I think the US price will be less (even with the tariff) that we Canucks have to pay via Amazon UK. I just hope that the Wand Company can air freight large volumes of product to the States within a short time frame so the wait time in the States is as short as possible.
Richard, if you happen to see/read this, as a fellow Canadian who was also able to place an order on the 14th, I’m curious if you think/know if there will be more import charges applied (DHL brokerage for example) when they get here?
It sounds like we paid the exact same amount of 270 GBP + 32.40 GBP import fees + 25.18 GBP for DHL shipping, giving a total of 327.58 GBP. At the exchange rate on the 14th, the total I was charged was $619.78 CND.
I’ve never ordered anything from Amazon UK before and I’m a little concerned that DHL will also add their usual high brokerage fees. I also noticed DHL tracking now shows the order has arrived at the Cincinnati Hub in Ohio USA. Not sure if yours also went that route? Sure hope we don’t have to pay the 30% US China import tariffs as well on top of the $60 import charge and perhaps DHL brokerage or this adventure could end up just south of $1K CND.
My tracking to BC is stating May 30th now and seeing that you are likely in the east with your date of the 23rd; if you do get yours around that date, I and I’m sure other Canadians would like to know if there were any extra import/brokerage fees added on. I’ll report back as well when mine gets here.
Thanks in advance if you happen to see this.
Got mine! It’s GORGEOUS.
Now sitting alongside my phaser and my gen1 Communicator, a pair of Starfleet cufflinks, the phaser remote for the Mood Rock which sits on a high shelf, all sitting just underneath an NC1701-A dedication plaque… and if i turn my head I can look at my A1 Wrath of Khan poster, A2 Original Motion Picture poster, and A3 ST:IV poster all in a line on the wall…. Pure heaven.
Now I’m just sitting here gazing at the Tricorder as the slow minutes tick by of the 4 hours until I can switch it on 😉
Apropos of nothing: The forced perspective of the descending poster sizes make my office space look much larger than it is!
Well, mine was delivered less than an hour ago (UK). Plugged it in and fired it up, the diagnostic told me it was approximately 34% charged. Had a quick play and set it up and it’s sitting charging now. Why does one function mention an SD card? I’ve not seen any reference to this. Thanks
LLaP
It was an early part of the design. It is built in but there is no code to support t6he hardware yet. A year or so ago the decision was made to finish the code without adding that functionality that would have further delayed the project, but it was too late to remove the hardware. The slot has been divisive amongst fans, but the hardware behind it might yet provide very useful additional functions at some point in the future… perhaps.
Thank you Chris. This is truly a stunning item.
I love it.
Will updates be communicated to purchasers?
Cheers
Mods, baby! 😉
Might you be updating the OS at some point do you think? The Prop screen is great fun, but I for one would love it if the clock home page could be turned on permanently while plugged in.
I don’t think I’d ever bother with another time-piece again if I could just glance over to my always on Tricorder clock.
The Star field is also very cool!
Maybe where now only prop screen is always on, would you consider adding both time display and star field as always on options?
Great ideas, I will pass them on to the rest of the team.
Hi Chris, I got the email to purchase the tricorder but it came late at night and I only saw it the next day. Will the next email also come at the same time irrespective of the date as if I had an idea of around what time the Amazon listing gets updated to available then I can check the page daily in those times.
I heard on the news last week that the White House cleared things with England, at least, meaning little to NO tariffs. (I like to think that my letters to Donald Trump to please NOT tariff America’s closest allies (England, Canada, Israel, France) had something to do with it, but I’m not nearly that conceited–probably 270 million other Americans complaining had more to do with it!) Anyway, hopefully, the way is now clear for the Wand Company to stock Amazon.US so we can actually purchase one! I also can’t help but think that if you guys had begun sales a year earlier, we wouldn’t have had to worry about tariffs, but you’re not really from the 23rd Century, or you would’ve just checked your ship’s Library Computer history banks!
The new tariff deal between the US and the UK is for certain products made in the UK, and the tariff is now 10%. The recent talks between the US and China have resulted in a pause for the worst of the tariffs between China and the US and the tariff the US is imposing on product made in China, wherever they are shipped from, is 30%. As I said in my last newsletter we are now shipping the next few shipments in bulk to the US. As they will have a tariff of 30% applied to them, which we can not fully absorb, and as a result, the price of a Tricorder in the US will rise to $415, once the stock has arrived, has been loaded in to Amazon and is available to purchase. At that point we will email our US customers in the order in which they registered.
It hasn’t escaped us that if we had completed the development and manufacturing a year earlier, we would have avoided the whole tariff situation, which, believe me, would have been better for everyone.
Ah, Would it have been better for everyone though? We must not forget the lessons of The City on the Edge of Forever! Change the past and you cannot predict how you’ll mess with the present! 😉
Chris, I know this is probably a given, but I thought I would ask. I live in the US and was in the first wave of 200 that received their emails, but because of the time difference and when I saw the email, I was unable to order. Will I be sent another email at the time the US stock becomes available? Thanks so much!
I hope it’s clear to everyone now that this is a 30% tax on US citizens. We end up paying it. This is not the Wand Company or Amazon doing any of this. YOU pay this tax because of a misguided idea.
Chris, I’m sure this is probably a given, but I just wanted to double check: I was a very early registrant and one of the first 200 to receive an invitation to purchase a Tricorder, but because of the timing living on the West Coast of the United States, I did not see the email until they were long sold out. Also, I’m not sure I would’ve even been able to get one given all of the issues with Amazon UK shipping to United States. I registered that I was unable to purchase at that time, but will I receive another invitation when they go up for sale on Amazon US? Thanks so much!
How annoying and frustrating. Thank you for being so calm about it. Yes you will get another email. And yes, it will be an invitation to purchase from Amazon.com, as soon as we can get the stock there. As you can imagine it is even more chaotic now with this pause as everyone is rushing to get things finished and shipped and that is causing a lot of issues. I guess this is one of those trying times when the classic WWII slogan, KEEP CALM and CARRY ON is most relevant.
Hi, Chris
I just wanted to clarify. I missed the first email sent out to UK customers (by hours!), and am (channeling patience!) waiting for a new UK batch. You said that you’re now shipping in bulk to the US. How much in terms of ratio/amount of the consignment coming in to be apportioned is the UK getting now for the next allocation? Are we going to have to wait longer because of the US allocation? Cheers!
We are sending them out in the proportion of the people that registered, so things should work out although as everyone is well aware it is taking a bit longer than we had hoped
Cheers, Chris. It’ll take as long as it takes. We’ve waited this long…now it’s a reality, and it’ll get here, I know!
Thank you so much Chris! I will stay vigilant with the emails, and stay patient. Looks like this has been a smashing success, in terms of the product. I’ve seen so many posts and everyone seems so happy with the Tricorder! Congratulations on producing this incredible piece!