Getting a 389.95$US Zulu Main Battle Tank for 6.25$US?!?

Zulu Main Battle Tank - Power doesn't come cheap!

Something interesting happened over the holidays now that “refund season” is in. I got lots of digital file orders, a record actually from all four corners of the map. Great! The problem is, several consumers with no knowledge of wood or laser/cnc machines much less manufacturing were ordering PDF Guides and expecting a physical kit to be shipped to them for the holidays are complaining!

The Problem

For example, a customer would order a Zulu Main Battle Tank with almost 200 pieces over several sheets of 6mm Eurolite Plywood for 6.25$US and then, after the holidays, explain to me how dissatisfied they are that they didn’t get the kit that retails for 389.95$US. They ordered the PDF expecting a kit! This happened several times! I know better than to say anything bad about a customer that makes an order but how anybody can imagine that a wooden product laser cut and produced on-demand can be shipped to them for only a few dollars is just beyond my level of comprehension. I had the same issue with a Mars Rover just a few days ago and the order would have been over 700$US – customer was expecting this (in a hurry) for 29.95$US fully assembled, as I found out after about a week of going back and forth getting the address and shipping information to them. They told me 42$ to ship a 29.95$ item was too much (yes, that’s how I found out!).

The only way I can possibly explain this, other than not spending the time to read the product description is the “Walmart Effect” in which people (consumers) expect incredible value at bargain prices which don’t reflect the actual production value put into product. In other words, they expect something for nothing. What’s ironic is the 6.25$US for the Zulu Main Battle Tank wouldn’t even cover the electricity, much less materials and labor involved with cutting the model.

2847 AD Zulu Main Battle Tank: 3D Assembly (720HD)

Listening to the vocal minority

Just because I don’t understand some customers, don’t mean I ignore them. I tend to deal with very well educated and incredibly talented people everyday… from laser cutting shop owners to gifted designers from around the world!

I tend, ignorantly, to believe that EVERYBODY is like this. To me, Zulu Main Battle Tank (PDF Blueprints and Assembly Guide) is INCREDIBLY clear and very different than a Zulu Main Battle Tank (10mm Plywood). As I begin to make the steps towards getting WoodMarvels.com products into retail, I’m reminded that my assumption is wrong. So, I’ve instituted a big change to the product descriptions across everything found at WoodMarvels.com. Gone is (10mm Plywood) and is instead replaced with (Physical Laser Cut Kit @ 10mm). After I spent several hours I realized I forgot to say “wood” in the description but I hope that the domain and all the animations showing a wooden product make this clear. We’ll see.

This problem outlines huge PROGRESS!

This issue regarding consumers not understanding the product I am selling to them is a very new “problem” which I think outlines that WoodMarvels.com is SLOWLY becoming a brand in the consumer marketplace. I never had this issue arise before, now I am (I hope it’s gone with this change by the way). I’m in negotiations with a few large retailers at the moment regarding getting my products on their shelves and I hope to have some leeway on this front to announce this year as retail is a big goal of mine!

For all the headaches that the general consumer provides to companies, the potential marketplace is something I just cannot ignore… I just have to remind myself that WoodMarvels.com is no longer just a niche for designers and manufacturers, it’s expanding into the consumer mindset. In other words… PROGRESS!

Interesting note

Through the years, I had called the physical kit of my products several names, going through the database and updating all of them unifies this description across the site. It also allows me to be vague about the material as I’ve found out, Eurolite isn’t available everywhere… so one cutting hub in Italy may have to cut their product in a different plywood than another in Australia. Which is another issue I’ve been dealing with.