Our first full stocking on twinkietush.com!!

Tonight we will have our first full stocking on www.twinkietush.com!  I wanted to go over a few key points with everyone before tonight, and of course if you have any questions please feel free to email us or comment on this blog post! :)

I want to make sure to reiterate that while we have tested the site extensively, nothing can come close to equaling a real, full stocking.  We are prepared to learn a lot about the site and any areas of needed improvement tonight! :)  We ask for your understanding and patience with this first stocking and ask that you remember we are still in beta mode – we do not expect everything to run completely perfectly. :)  Now to go over some very important points about stockings on the new site:

As you likely already know if you participated in any of our site testing, there is no longer any need to refresh your browsers when waiting for an item to become available either initially or from a pending status!

Now, when you are on a specific listing's page and you do not see the Add to Cart button, three possibilities exist:

1. The item is not yet available.

 - If it's more than 1 hour from the available time, the date and time of availability will be posted.

 - If it's 60 minutes or less from the available time, there will be a countdown clock running. When that clock reaches 0:00:00, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

2. The item is carted by another shopper.

- In this scenario, you will see the window of time in which the item may become available for sale again. If the item is not purchased by the original customer, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

3. The item is sold out.

We understand that not refreshing will take some getting used to, but we truly believe this will help everyone have an equal opportunity to cart items successfully at stockings. Refreshing your browser, while on a specific item's page, will in fact lessen your chances of successfully carting the item.

* A note about items with multiple quantities: we recently began listing items with multiple quantities in a single listing, except in rare cases (like Rainbow Games and Aviary tonight) where we separate them out with a, b, c, etc. listings.  When an item has a quantity of >1, the listing will not go to “pending” until the full quantity is carted.

Once you have clicked “Add to Cart” and have been taken to your cart:

1 - Look at your cart carefully.  If you have successfully carted the item, you will see a running clock on the righthand side of the screen (counting down the 10 minute payment window).  If you do not see a running clock, it means that you have not in fact successfully carted the item, and that it is carted by another shopper.  In that case you will also see an error message in your cart, letting you know that the item is in fact in another shopper’s cart.  I know this may take some getting used to, but it was the best workaround we found in order to allow the dynamic clock and other key site features to function well.

Another thing to look at is the quantity you have selected.  If you clicked “Add to Cart” quickly and repeatedly, you may have inadvertently added more than one of the same diaper to your cart.  If you add more than what is available, the action will fail.  Again, in that scenario, you will not have a running clock.  The lack of a running clock means that the attempt to cart the item has failed.

2 – Once you have ensured that you have the correct quantity and a running clock in your cart, you are ready to proceed!  You have 10 minutes to complete your transaction before the carted item is placed back into the available inventory. A running countdown clock is present in your shopping cart, and a message providing a specific window of time that the item may become available again is shown on the listing page for all remaining shoppers.  You are ready to click “Check Out” and complete your order!

3 – Proceed with checkout as outlined in this flickr album!  Should you need to change your shipping address, you must do so ON twinkietush.com, as shown in the album.  Please also note that while multiple people can sign into the same account, the cart contents will not transfer from computer to computer or even browser to browser.  If you want to ship to another party you must change the shipping address on twinkietush.com and check out on their behalf.

A few other things to note:

- Item statuses are shown on the product main pages as well as the All Items page for quick reference. You do not need to go into the specific item page to see if it is available for purchase. However these pages do need to be refreshed to see status changes.

- Past Items will now be saved and viewable in the Past Items category.

- Again, a major change to note with the new cart system is that shipping addresses must now be changed during the checkout process on twinkietush.com - NOT IN PAYPAL. Once you reach PayPal, no changes should be made. Any attempt to change a shipping address or order information once in PayPal may result in your losing the item.

- If you haven’t already, please make sure to check out the flickr album we created to illustrate the checkout process.  Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinkietush/sets/72157632180627116/

We are looking forward to tonight and hoping to learn a lot and have a really great stocking!  See you at 8pm EST on www.twinkietush.com! 

Group Customs: Changes to the process, and the January 2013 drawings! :)

We will be drawing Groups this Saturday for the January Group Custom slots! :)  Please read the information below thoroughly so that you don't miss any important components!   Even if you are experienced with our Group Custom process please read through this post as there are some key changes this month.

*If you are new to twinkie tush, welcome!  Please note that this is not the only way to purchase one of our diapers. ;)  Read this page for lots of basic twinkie tush information!

Additionally please note that this process is as complex as it is ONLY in order to meet the needs of customers, both new and returning.  It is designed to be fair, not to be purposefully maddening. ;)

We are planning to post the January Group Custom entry thread on Facebook this coming Saturday (1/26) at 2pm EST.  (The thread will then be open for 5 minutes only.)

We ask that you continue to stick to a maximum of 3 Groups per household for the time being.  We are going to be strict about this - if we notice someone in more than 3 Groups that individual will be removed from all Groups.  That means that if one of their Groups wins a drawing the Group win will stand but the individual will be disqualified.  Please help us keep this fair for everyone! :)

When the entry thread goes up on Facebook, please comment on the thread to enter your team!  You may only enter on behalf of one Group (but may appear in up to 3 Groups).  Your entries should look like these, in which the flying whizbees are entering for the first time in the current month and the skullies have entered in two previous months as well as in the current month:

The flying whizbees: 1 month. Kate, Megan B., Amanda, Karen, Jessica, Sarah, Melissa, Henrietta, Pamela, Megan Z.

The skullies: 3 months. Susan, Mike, Allegra, Sarah F., Sarah P., Bess

Also within the alloted time (5 minutes) you will need to send an email to Groupcustoms@twinkietush.com. The email subject must read something like “Group Custom Entry: Team Name (eg The flying whizbees)”. Your team name must be included in the subject line of the email and all Group members must be cc'ed on this email.

The email must contain a link to a google spreadsheet or an attached Excel spreadsheet (please do not C&P in the body of the email) containing the following information for each Group member:

1 - Full member name

2 - Member name as it appears in paypal account

3 - Member contact email

4 - Member paypal email

5 - serged or turned preference.

6 – sizing preference (one size, little tush, or teenie tush)

7 - individual choice of cotton velour or organic bamboo velour (more info on this new addition below)

If any of those elements are missing (no team name in subject, any info missing from the spreadsheet, missing team member cc's, etc.) your Group will not be eligible to obtain the slot. (This is just to keep things fair.)  We recommend reviewing your spreadsheets shortly before 2pm on Saturday to double-check that everything is present and that your spreadsheet matches your planned Facebook entry. :)

*Please do not write “TBD” for your sizing, finishing style or cv/obv preference unless you want me to decide for you!  :)

Once the entry time has expired, we will review all information and announce the eligible Groups for the month. We will then hold drawings from 2 lists as follows:

List 1: Every team that has entered for at least 3 months, including the current month, will be placed on this list.

* Each team in this drawing will receive one entry slot for each month they've entered. That means if you've entered for 3 months including the current month, your team is given 3 entries. So for example if there are 5 eligible teams for this drawing and they all have entered for 3 months, with the exception of teams Abby and Darkside who have each entered 4 times, the entry list would look like this:

1 - team Abby

2 - team Abby

3 - team Abby

4 - team Abby

5 - team Boyish stripes

6 - team Boyish stripes

7 - team Boyish stripes

8 - team Cat Lovers

9 - team Cat Lovers

10 - team Cat Lovers

11 - team Darkside

12 - team Darkside

13 - team Darkside

14 - team Darkside

15 - team Elliot

16 - team Elliot

17 - team Elliot

List 2: Every team who successfully submitted their information in full will be placed on this list.

* For this list, all teams receive 1 entry slot regardless of the number of months they've entered, giving an equal chance to all who are enter whether they are brand new or have been entering for several months.

Please note that even an attempted entry counts when tallying your Group's number of entries. In other words if your Group got the email and FB comment in within the alloted time for a given month, it counts even if some info was missing and your Group wasn't entered in the drawing(s).

Once we have our confirmed 2 lists, we will perform the drawings via random.org. Once we have completed the drawings, we will post all winning Groups on Facebook.

The information below covers general Group Custom policies to keep in mind as you are forming your Groups.  Please note that some of this has changed this month, specifically payments for Group Custom diapers:

* If your Group is selected you will then receive a confirmation email in response to the email you sent in.  That email will contain a link to purchase your Group Custom diapers.  There will be drop-down menu within the payment link for one size/little tush and teenie tush options where applicable.  It is important that you choose the correct option based on your preference as stated in your Group spreadsheet.  Group members will purchase their own diaper, including shipping, at this time.  This means that Group leaders no longer have to collect the payment for the diapers, a significant change from previous months.  However, Group leaders are still required to handle the purchasing of the Group fabric and sending that in (or having it sent directly from a vendor) to twinkie tush.  Group members will have 1 full week from the time they receive the payment link email to purchase their diapers.  Any diapers not purchased within the week timeframe will not be made and there will be no exceptions to this policy.  We feel a week is plenty of time to complete payment. :)  As mentioned above, shipping payments will now be included with the diaper purchase.  You will not receive separate shipping payment links.  Please select your shipping preference when purchasing your diaper! :)

*Anyone from the Group can email us, as long as they are willing and able to serve as Group rep (the person who coordinates sending the fabric to twinkie tush and communicates with me about velour preferences, etc.) The Group rep is also responsible for forwarding information from us to the Group as needed and assuring that the Group is aware of payment deadlines, etc.  Please do not email on behalf of your Group unless you are willing to take on the Group rep responsibility.

*All members of the Group must be copied on the initial email so that we can reach individual members if needed.

* If there is not sufficient turnout for a Group we reserve the right to cancel production, at our discretion. We will flesh out this policy as we see how the new process runs.

*Once we receive your Group’s fabric, assuming all diapers have been purchased and/or the one week purchase period has expired, we will put your diapers into production.  Group Custom diapers will ship 4-6 weeks after fabric is received (again, pending payment).

*After securing the slot, the Group leader will send us (at the Group's cost) adequate yardage of the chosen print fabric and all diapers will be cut from that yardage (please see the fabric requirement chart at the end of this blog post).  All other materials will of course be provided by twinkie tush.  For members choosing obv we will use the natural color as opposed to dyed obv, and for cv I will choose a color that coordinates with your print.  Only one color of cv will be used per Group (in other words please don't designate specific individual colors on your spreadsheet). It is fine for a Group rep to share a Group's velour preference (eg "we'd really love aqua cv if it works" or "we definitely don't want black" or "something light as opposed to dark") but please note that final cv decisions will be made by me.  If you express a preference for a color that doesn't work well with the print I will not proceed with it.  However, if you say "we definitely don't want X color" I will of course honor that.  I will always do my best to accommodate velour color requests!  Any requests made by the Group must be shared with us BEFORE we receive your fabric.  If you have not made a request by the time we receive your fabric, I will choose the color that I feel works best with your print! :)

*Please do not ask for specific snap or thread colors as we are not able to accommodate these requests.  Thank you for your understanding!

*All fabric submitted for Group Customs becomes property of twinkie tush and may be used at our discretion (for stocking, drawings, giveaways, charity events, or anything else we deem appropriate) once the Group order is fulfilled.

     - Please note that we will price diapers made with remaining Group Custom fabric according to the cost of the fabric (based within our current pricing structure).  This is something that has been requested of us by previous Groups and we recognize that it is the most fair way to handle pricing.

* Group size can range from 5-15 people. Each Group member will choose between a serged or turned diaper.  For Groups using woven fabrics all diapers will be turned. The price will be $36 + shipping per each one size or little tush diaper and $28 + shipping per each teenie tush diaper.  Please note that serged/turned and sizing preferences must be finalized *prior* to entering your Groups.  We will make copies of Group spreadsheets via screenshot after winners are drawn and all diapers will be made as dictated by the spreadsheet screenshot.  If your Group secures a mid-month slot (ie payment links will not be sent out for a couple of weeks) you may make changes up until the day before payment links are sent (so the 14^th of the month).

*Should a Group member leave a Group post-drawing, you may replace that member at the Group’s discretion.  However you may not add Group members beyond the number who entered the drawing.  If a member is swapped after screenshots have been taken, the new member’s diaper will be made according to the original member’s specifications.  Please make sure to alert us to any changes in the member list by sending an email to Groupcustoms@twinkietush.com, ccing all accurate (including new) members.

*For Groups pursuing twinkie tush night-nights: the fabric requirement chart at the end of this post shows how much velour you will need to send in to cover both inner and outer velours.  The cost per person in that case will be $40 plus shipping.  Should you prefer to only send in outer velour fabric and have us supply your inner velour, the cost per member will be $45.  It is important that you specify that preference in your Group spreadsheet so that we can set up payment links accordingly if your Group wins a slot.  Night-nights are only available in our one size (OS) pattern.

*Again, all diapers will ship out to Group members 4-6 weeks after we receive your fabric (or once the 1 week invoice period is completed, assuming the fabric arrives before then).

We hope this new payment process provides a smooth, comfortable, and easy way for everyone to participate in twinkie tush Group Customs! :)  As always, please let us know if you have any questions about any of this, and thank you so much!  See you Saturday afternoon! :)