Dear all,

I am posting this update to let you know that Fulcrum still aims to fulfil all outstanding orders. It is not a particularly eloquent statement, but I hope it does the job.

I don’t expect any sympathy or want to keep apologising as I feel that after so many delays customers who are still waiting are getting fed up of hearing excuses.

I just want to explain what is happening and why things are like they are. The short answer is a lack of time on my part. The longer answer is below.

When I made the decision to honour orders placed rather than walk away from it all, I knew that it would take a lot of work on my part. I did not realise how much it actually takes though. I know it has been multiple years, but shipping of throttles is still taking place, and the outstanding ones will be shipping soon. I am not going to give deadlines, but I want them all done by the end of summer. I know that is vague, but it is because of the circumstances.

All orders placed were paid for, so it is up to me to make good on this. It slows shipping as I have to fund each batch but I will get there.

I don’t know if it was completely clear from my previous announcements but while the Fulcrum website is up, it is not trading and I am not taking orders and haven’t since I ceased trading so there is no income. This means that I must work full time to cover all my living costs involved in running a house and then use whatever is left over each month to finish assembly and then ship them. All components are paid for and in stock and the majority of throttles are assembled.

In the meantime, Fulcrum does not have working offices or staff and will not until caught up. Once caught up then I can return to full time running of Fulcrum and normal production. From then on, items will only be offered for sale when they are in stock with no preorder system.

I am still offering support on existing products though and can still be contacted by emailing [email protected]

Thank you again for all the support and patience shown, I know I've said it many times but honestly I cannot express how much it means. I also know that it has probably worn thin or worn out with a good number of you. I do not take it for granted.

Chris

Fulcrum Simulator Controls

2 hours ago, tutmeister said:

Dear all,

I am posting this update to let you know that Fulcrum still aims to fulfil all outstanding orders. It is not a particularly eloquent statement, but I hope it does the job.

I don’t expect any sympathy or want to keep apologising as I feel that after so many delays customers who are still waiting are getting fed up of hearing excuses.

I just want to explain what is happening and why things are like they are. The short answer is a lack of time on my part. The longer answer is below.

When I made the decision to honour orders placed rather than walk away from it all, I knew that it would take a lot of work on my part. I did not realise how much it actually takes though. I know it has been multiple years, but shipping of throttles is still taking place, and the outstanding ones will be shipping soon. I am not going to give deadlines, but I want them all done by the end of summer. I know that is vague, but it is because of the circumstances.

All orders placed were paid for, so it is up to me to make good on this. It slows shipping as I have to fund each batch but I will get there.

I don’t know if it was completely clear from my previous announcements but while the Fulcrum website is up, it is not trading and I am not taking orders and haven’t since I ceased trading so there is no income. This means that I must work full time to cover all my living costs involved in running a house and then use whatever is left over each month to finish assembly and then ship them. All components are paid for and in stock and the majority of throttles are assembled.

In the meantime, Fulcrum does not have working offices or staff and will not until caught up. Once caught up then I can return to full time running of Fulcrum and normal production. From then on, items will only be offered for sale when they are in stock with no preorder system.

I am still offering support on existing products though and can still be contacted by emailing [email protected]

Thank you again for all the support and patience shown, I know I've said it many times but honestly I cannot express how much it means. I also know that it has probably worn thin or worn out with a good number of you. I do not take it for granted.

Chris

Fulcrum Simulator Controls

Hi Chris,

It's very nice of you to share this with us, Chris.

Despite losing patience and sometimes even doubting, I still had some hope that one day...

I am keeping my fingers crossed and wish you the best of luck in achieving your current and future goals!

 

Dear Chris,

thanks for your honest words. 

Wish you all the best. Rooting for you and Fulcrum.

regards

Chris

3 hours ago, tutmeister said:

Once caught up then I can return to full time running of Fulcrum and normal production. From then on, items will only be offered for sale when they are in stock with no preorder system

Thanks for the update, Chris. Best wishes on getting Fulcrum up and running again soon.

Al

Honest info, and while it may be taking longer than expected, in an alternative universe another manufacturer would have closed the company and not honoured outstanding orders.  Props to you for not doing this Chris, it speaks volumes about your character.  When production restarts, count me in for a throttle please 👍

Hi all,

Does anyone have any news about the throttle? Someone received theirs?

It's really frustrating. Almost 3 years of waiting.... then such optimistic news from Chris...

And again, nothing.

I ordered a yoke about 3 years ago, any word on that?

Yes, every single day.

I am dispatching but it is slow as the rate of posting them is bottlenecked financially.

I hate this situation but can't see any way of speeding it up until I can start selling products again and going back to full time production. Until then, Fulcrum is not a fully functioning company with staff and premises etc.

I am still providing support to existing owners though.

I will email when the throttle ships to you, and I will be sending out more this week like I do every week.

Thanks again for all the patience shown.

Chris

3 hours ago, tutmeister said:

I am still providing support to existing owners though.

I can absolutely confirm this, thanks for your help Chris! Happy to support you going forwards... K

22 hours ago, tutmeister said:

I am dispatching but it is slow as the rate of posting them is bottlenecked financially.

I hate this situation but can't see any way of speeding it up until I can start selling products again and going back to full time production. Until then, Fulcrum is not a fully functioning company with staff and premises etc.

I am still providing support to existing owners though.

I will email when the throttle ships to you, and I will be sending out more this week like I do every week.

Thanks again for all the patience shown.

Chris

I doubted it for a long time, but now I can confirm that Chris is still operating and gradually fulfilling outstanding orders.

I know how difficult and tiring waiting is. Only patience remains for us. However, Chris is slowly but surely moving forward.

Thanks and good luck.

 

5 hours ago, mlody147 said:

Thanks and good luck.

 

I appreciate  your kind words.

Chris

USA Customers,

I shipped a throttle to someone in the US and it got hit with a $989 tariff! This was clearly a mistake as they applied a 200% tariff for steel and aluminium products without checking the package details.

The UK is exempt from this and only has a 25% tariff applied to the value of the steel in the product and not the value of the whole device.

I appealed on behalf of the customer to UPS to correct this, but there is such a huge backlog of appeals, there is around a 3 month delay. Apparently they are unable to change it once it has been applied so you have to sit in the first come first served system they are operating to deal with all the appeals on tariffs.

In theory, they should check the details and there are now new customs forms that they have issued to me that should help mitigate this happening again.

However, the best way to stop this from happening in future is to get Fulcrum products pre-approved by US Customs and Border Protection. You are then issued with a reference number than is attached to shipments to the US that mean they can pass through customs unmolested. There is a process in place for this where you submit technical documents, detailed description, photographs, normal use case, packaging details, proof of origin of parts etc to USCBP and they assess and approve or deny your product.

The problem right now is that due to the Gov shutdown, the Customs website that you upload your documentation to states it is currently unmonitored and any decisions will not be made until Government funding has been re-established.

I am currently waiting on approval for the throttle.

I can still ship to the USA using the new forms but obviously there is a risk that the wrong tariff gets applied and the package then gets stuck in the appeals queue. I will email you before shipping to confirm address and ask if you want me to ship or hold off.

Regards

Chris

 

 

6 hours ago, tutmeister said:

USA Customers,

I shipped a throttle to someone in the US and it got hit with a $989 tariff! This was clearly a mistake as they applied a 200% tariff for steel and aluminium products without checking the package details.

The UK is exempt from this and only has a 25% tariff applied to the value of the steel in the product and not the value of the whole device.

I appealed on behalf of the customer to UPS to correct this, but there is such a huge backlog of appeals, there is around a 3 month delay. Apparently they are unable to change it once it has been applied so you have to sit in the first come first served system they are operating to deal with all the appeals on tariffs.

In theory, they should check the details and there are now new customs forms that they have issued to me that should help mitigate this happening again.

However, the best way to stop this from happening in future is to get Fulcrum products pre-approved by US Customs and Border Protection. You are then issued with a reference number than is attached to shipments to the US that mean they can pass through customs unmolested. There is a process in place for this where you submit technical documents, detailed description, photographs, normal use case, packaging details, proof of origin of parts etc to USCBP and they assess and approve or deny your product.

The problem right now is that due to the Gov shutdown, the Customs website that you upload your documentation to states it is currently unmonitored and any decisions will not be made until Government funding has been re-established.

I am currently waiting on approval for the throttle.

I can still ship to the USA using the new forms but obviously there is a risk that the wrong tariff gets applied and the package then gets stuck in the appeals queue. I will email you before shipping to confirm address and ask if you want me to ship or hold off.

Regards

Chris

 

 

#trump4simmers 🤦

Yokes? And my address has changed since my order... Canada is still tariff free 😃