Temporary Credit Card Processing Issues on the RACS Store Site [RESOLVED]

[14:34 EST] Just a quick FYI to everyone, the FDC merchant processing platform is having some problems this afternoon after they implemented the RappidConnect system in Nashville earlier today. So if you are getting a CC network authorization error during checkout, this is why. It's not a problem on our end or with you, it's a remote problem with merchant services (Visa/Mastercard), and has been developing since about 8:15am this morning.

 

If you run into this problem, and cannot get your order to go thru, just input your credit card info and select a not credit card card payment method, like money order, and the store will pass your order without obtaining an authorization. Then we will do it manually on our end once the system is back up.

I apologize for any trouble this causes anyone trying to place an order on our store. They are working on the problem and hope to have everything cleared up shortly.

-Bob (aka Robert)

 [15:42 EST] We have temporarily disabled automated authorizations on the store site, so you should be able to place an order on the RACS store site normally. We will reinstate authorizations at the time of order once FDC in Nashville is fully up and running again.

[18:58 EST] Issues looks the be resolved.

Temporary Processor Issues - RACS Store Site

Just a quick FYI to everyone, we're experiencing some payment gateway issues on the store currently. These issues are not on our end, but on our merchant processors end where orders are being allowed to authorize but then a false negative was being returned to the store which may not allow some orders to pass through to our secure server. Our processing bank is aware of the issue and is working on it.

This means there will be some folks who placed orders between around 7pm EST last night and this morning may not have gone through. 

If you placed an order last night or this morning and are not sure if it went through or not, please shoot us a message to customercare@animecorner.com and we'll let you know. Until the issue is fully resolved, we have disabled auth checks so that all new orders will be allowed to pass through the secure server without checking payment validity, which we will do manually once your order is placed.

I apologize for any trouble this causes anyone, and wanted to let everyone know that you can now continue to place orders as normal on the store without worry.

Thanks everyone!

-Bob (aka Robert)

RACS Winter Weather Shipping Advisory

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that we are right in the middle of winter storm Toby here in RACS territory. We're supposed to get about 20 inches of snow before it's all over tonight. Our warehouse was closed for ice yesterday, and is closed again for the snow today.  It's no matter because none of the carriers were running yesterday or today so nothing is going out in any case. We'll be back once the storm ends tonight and will be processing orders for shipment tomorrow. If you've ordered since Monday evening please be patient, we'll get your order out to you as soon as we can.

Thanks for your understanding everyone! :)

Bob (aka Robert)

How WE Buy Anime - Friday Night Figures Style!

The boys at Friday Night Figures have done it again! Checkout their latest video:


Thanks so much guys!

You can hat tip the boys by shopping at RACS through their link here!

RACS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

Just FYI everyone, the RACS fulfillment center in Winchester VA is right in the cross hairs of winter storm Jonas. With the snow coming in around 1pm, carrier pickups have already been suspended so we will be getting out as much parcel volume as we can early today and then closing up around mid-day today so our staff can get home to their families and get ready for the Snow-Pocalypse. There will be no newsletter this afternoon, though Robert is going to try to get one out sometime tomorrow. They are calling for 33-36+" of snow here, which is epic for our area, so we expect things to be pretty much screwed up here through Monday. Please keep those orders coming and bear with us as we get dug out and back to work filling your Anime orders!

Stay safe everyone!

RACS Holiday Shipping Cutoffs

I'm looking at the calendar this morning and see that there are only two weeks left before Christmas, so I think it's time to talk about shipping cutoffs and deadlines so that anything you need before Christmas actually gets to you before Christmas!

Super Saver Shipping (Dec 11th) - We ship your super saver and/or free ship orders several ways depending on your order's size, breadth, weight, and product type. The default method is usually standard mail, however, we may also use First Class service, SmartPost, or even Ground service for larger orders. The holiday cutoff for standard mail service is probably around today (Dec 11th), meaning that each day after your package has less and less chance of reaching you by Christmas. The other services have a little longer window, but when you choose super saver you can't be sure how it will ship so don't risk it - after today choose Priority Mail or Ground shipping if you definitely need it b/f the holidays.   
 
Priority Mail / Ground Shipping (Dec 17th) - Even though Pri Mail and Ground can have vastly different quoted leads times, we like to cut both off around the same time. This time of year Pri Mail can take twice as long as usual to get from us to you, and next week both UPS and FedEx will suspend their delivery guarantees for ground shipments due to the holiday rush. I would peg the cutoff for Pri Mail / Ground service this year at around Dec 17th, though if you are closer to our warehouse in Virginia that could probably be bumped up to as far as the 21st. Bottom line, get your holiday orders in before the 17th and choose Pri Mail or Ground service to ensure pre-Christmas delivery.

FedEx Express Two Day and Overnight (Dec 22nd/23rd) - We're famous for getting last minute Anime orders to customers on time during the holidays, and this year you can use FedEx Express 2nd Day service right up until Dec 22nd, and Overnight through the 23rd to get your holiday orders on time.Just keep in mind for last minute shopping there may be stuff we're sold out of, so try to place your orders as early as you can.

International (Dec 11th / Dec 21st) - The shipping cutoff for holiday delivery of Airmail parcels is today. Canadians may have a few more days for this service, but every year Canadian customs gets pretty bogged down around this time and they have never failed to disappoint us in the past. After today, I recommend you choose either EMS or FedEx International service for time sensitive orders. They should deliver on time if shipped right up until the 21st of Dec.

We'll be in the next two weekends to make sure that as many of your weekend orders go out on the following Monday if possible. Count on that we'll be doing our part, just keep in mind the carriers might have a different view and plan accordingly. :-)

Anime Unboxing - Authority Style!

From our friend the Authority over at Friday Night Figures:


We love these guys! :-)

Here Comes the Swag!

Only at RACS. The Swag we brought over this morning (Pentanko & Puchikko figurines this time around) to include with out-going orders today as part of this weeks MOESAVINGS newsletter exclusive discount & free swag offer:

By Friday we want that skid to be empty, but it's up to you to make it happen! :-)

There They Go!

Here's today's third and last batch of Fed-Ex 2nd Day and Overnights ready to go out to all the procrastinators.

Pretty much what our entire day looked like. I expect tomorrow will be more of the same. :-) Remember we'll be processing FedEx Overnights on Tuesday right up until around 3-4pm EST , so if you still need something last minute, it's not too late. :-)

Hey, Someone Noticed our Packaging!

Hey, someone actually noticed the care we take when we package your Anime orders:


Jenn put this one together (over our Black Friday weekend order processing marathon), so she took a little bow today. :-) Good Job!

Shout out to Jared and the Authority for a great review and for being great guys. Thanks! They are fellow small business people, and we always enjoy putting their orders together. You can follow their YouTube channel here.

Black Friday Madness - RACS HQ

We started pretty early this morning, and as per usual, the Black Friday rush is on. We'll be in all weekend processing your holiday orders. Here's a few quick pics from around the office I snapped today:

Now I gotta get back to work!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is enjoying the holiday weekend!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

We're getting our first major snow of the season here at RACS World Headquarters in North Western Virginia. It looks like we're going to have to pack it in a little early before the roads freeze over and the stuff starts to accumulate after dark.

Here's a shot of the business park from the second floor window of our warehouse a little earlier today:

That slushy stuff is going to get nasty once it gets a little colder, and they are calling for around 8-12 inches total thru the night. We're going to make sure everyone's orders get out the door today, then we're going to close up and head out. We'll be back in at 6am on Friday to start processing all your holiday orders.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everyone, stay safe, and enjoy your Anime!

Taking a Break

Jenn takes a break Thursday between pulling manga orders at our Winchester, VA fulfillment center.

RACS Online Store - Server Migration

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that we will be migrating the entire RACS store site to a new server on Thursday Sept 4th. We'll start working on this around 11am EST, and everything should be completed within a couple of hours. While the migration should be 'seamless' and 'transparent' (these are the systems engineers words, not mine), there will be a DNS propagation for the AnimeCornerStore.com domain and depending on where you are this might make accessing the store site inaccessible thru our domain for a few minutes to several hours. If you have any trouble accessing the store site thru the regular URL tomorrow, try this direct link.

While I'm assured the migration will not result in any downtime for the store (hey, you know how these things go), if you are planning to place a new order this week do us a favor and try to get it placed before 10am EST on Thursday. That way we can make sure the warehouse folks have plenty to work on if the site experiences any downtime, and that you won't run into any issues trying to place your order Thursday afternoon.

I'll post back once the migration is finished, and while we don't anticipate any issues, I'd appreciate reports from anyone experiencing any anomalies with the store site once it's all done.

Thanks everyone!

UPDATE [1:15pm, Sep 4th]: Migration complete and should have been totally transparent to everyone on the front end. No down time. Looks like we hit it 100% - a testament to two months worth of planning. Yeah!! :-)

Socked in Again - Winter Storm Titan

Just when we thought it was safe to start unpacking the deck chairs, yet another winter storm mixed with another blast of arctic cold air is coming through our area today laying down 1/4" of ice under several more inches of snow. We don't know how much just yet, looks like it will be 6 or 8 inches total this time. It's not so much the snow as the ice with this one.

Anyway, we're going to be running on a delayed schedule today (3/3) and unless the snow stops pretty early we'll more than likely have to close the warehouse for the day, and I doubt any of the carriers (UPS, FX, USPS) will be running today in any case. So please be patient with us and give us a little extra time to get your orders shipped over the next couple of days - we'll get into the warehouse and get to work on them as soon as possible!

Socked in...

Well folks we're getting socked in here in Winchester, VA by Winter storm Pax. Overnight about 10 inches of snow has fallen so far and we're due for another foot or so during the day today. I'm almost ready to call this the worst winter we've ever had here.

We're closing up the warehouse today and telling all our people to stay home, so there won't be any shipments going out but no freight would be running anyway - UPS, FedEx, and USPS all suspended pickups and deliveries today. We should be back up and running on Friday (fingers crossed), so please keep those orders coming - we'll get to them just as soon as we can get dug out!

UPDATE: My deck, about 7:00am (Thur) this morning. Still coming down hard.

UPDATE: About 4:00pm (Thur) - my front driveway after 2 1/2 hours and 2 tanks of gas in the blower. Now we can get to the road, but the roads aren't passable yet as they haven't been touched yet since last night. My blower has a 22" intake height, and it's hard to tell in the picture but in a lot of places the snow was just a little higher than the intake, so it was slow going. It's still snowing and they are calling for 3-4 more inches before it ends later tonight. And yes, I did clear off the snow on top my Suburban after I took this. I hate dudes that go down the road with a ton of snow blowing off the top of the car on the people behind them - that's just rude!

Oh by the way, I tried out a new pair of ICE TREKKERs on my boots, and they are the greatest thing since sliced bread! They add lots of grip on the ice and snow, and I didn't slip once even walking up my steep hill and they gave me lots of grip in places I had to push on the blower a little bit. You can see the tracks they leave in the picture.

Got Ice?

We do.....

We've been in the warehouse working through holiday orders all weekend again. Yesterday we put in a full day, but today (Sunday) the weather just didn't want to cooperate:

The forecast was calling for 3-6 inches in the highlands, but I can tell you we've got every bit of 6" of dry powdery stuff already. It changed over the sleet around 1pm this afternoon, and that's when I decided that we needed to break and let everyone go home. This evening and tonight it's going to change to nasty freezing rain.

We will, hopefully, pick it back up first thing tomorrow morning. As long as the carriers are running on time, shouldn't be any big thing. Wish us luck!

Cyber Monday @ RACS - Still Alive and Working Our Asses Off!

I had really wanted to post something over the weekend to let everyone know that we are still alive and well and managed somehow to survive the Black Friday rush, but it didn't happen. None of us got much rest over the long weekend. We're currently filling holiday orders as quickly as possible, and if you placed an order over the weekend and haven't gotten a shipping confirmation yet don't worry, you will soon. Don't forget, super saver orders are currently getting the lowest shipping priority in our warehouse, so they are taking a couple of extra days to get processed and I expect that will be the case for the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, I managed to snap a couple of pictures at the warehouse from over the weekend. Enjoy!

Jenn working on picking yet another Black Friday ticket from the Manga area.

RACS Store orders being staged for shipment preparation. Do you see yours!?

Jenn finishes up packaging for her batch of orders for the day.

Final labeling and checks being performed on another batch of outgoing orders.
Jenn is telling me to stop taking pictures and get back to work!

Recycled & Environmentally Friendly Packaging Materials Used at RACS

I know most of you will find this incredibly boring, but I wanted to post a little about something we think about everyday - the recycled packaging materials we use for your orders here at RACS.

Shipping Cartons

We source shipping cartons and mailers from 3 different vendors out here on the East coast, and we always make sure we buy cartons that are made of at least 20% post consumer recycled materials - higher if possible. Something that might surprise you is that the more 'recycled' cartons are, the more costly they usually become (strange how that is), but we always source the cartons with the most recycled content available that still meets our budget at the time of the purchase. As a side note, a factor that directly impacts how much we can spent a quarter on packaging materials is directly related to how much shipping revenue we capture during the previous quarter (in other words: how  many of our customers choose our free vs. paid shipping methods), so in that respect our customers (you) have a say in how much 'recycled' content your shipping cartons contain.

Loose Fill

Last fall we switched our primary packaging material away from the white cornstarch loose-fill to FP's new, environmentally friendly, green Flow-Pac Super 8 loose fill. This is the green stuff that a lot of you now get in your larger Anime parcels. The cornstarch stuff, while very nice and also environmentally friendly, was just a little too dusty and had a tendency to settle more in transit than we would like. Mostly though, it's just too heavy and with shipping rates skyrocketing, we had to make a change. We tested the new Milex grain protein loose fill, but ran into the same problems of settlement, weight, and cost. The FP Super 8 costs about the same, but saves us several hundred dollars in shipping costs over the course of a year due to the lighter weight. Plus, it's 100% biodegradable - something that standard Styrofoam loose fill isn't.


Now I know the 'weight' of loose fill seems irrelevant, but what happens is that most of the major carriers charge us as a formula of per pound (or dimensional pounds for larger packages) rounded up to the nearest pound. So where the extra cost savings comes in is the percentage of parcels that don't get rounded up to the next pound because of an extra once of loose fill weight, like from 2.95 ( = 3.0 lbs shipping weight) to 3.05 ( = 4.0 lbs shipping weight).

And before anyone starts firing off an e-mail about the merit of airbags or craft paper  - after shipping over 400,000 packages I can tell you that loose fill / flow-pak is the absolute best type of packaging material for Anime type shipments - especially manga, figurines, and mixed item shipments. I hate airbags for a number of reasons (key words - plastic and expensive and suck) and if you ever get a parcel from us with airbags in it it's only because we are recycling bags someone else sent us. Craft (or butcher) paper is just a cheap alternative to real packaging material for companies that don't want to allocate the storage space in their warehouse to loose fill or don't want to invest in professional dispensing equipment. As far as a packing material, craft paper is just a terrible option. Anytime I get a parcel from someone that just wraps the product in crinkled up craft or butcher paper, I know they really don't care what condition it gets to me in.

Padding Materials

We added an HSM Cardboard Shredder to our shipping operation back in February and it's been put into good use. One thing we have always had a problem with is that our receiving operation creates several hundred pounds of scrap cardboard every month, mostly from incoming vendor shipments, and for years we have had (and paid extra for) a separate dumpster to recycle our cardboard waste. Not a great option but better than nothing. With the ever raising cost of shipping supplies, we decided to look for an alternative to pre-packaged packing materials that we have to truck in, preferring a product that we can make right here in our own warehouse. Shredded cardboard has long been in use as a packaging material in Europe, but has not really caught on widely here in the US - yet.


The new machine (which is made in Germany and built like a tank) allows us to make our piles of scrap cardboard into excellent quality flexible, reusable, biodegradable packaging material which reduces our recycling costs and also allows us to reduce our usage of prepackaged packing material - especially things like plastic bubble wrapping and airbags. We already had a big HSM industrial paper shredder in our office (which we use for all customer and order related paperwork that doesn't get filed), so the cardboard shredder was a perfect choice. The new machine is currently saving us on the order of four to five thousand dollars per year, and reduces our plastic packaging material usage and cardboard waste we send to recycle by around 25-30%.

So when you see some of this packaging material in your next RACS parcel, you'll know our commitment to the environment is not just a dog and pony show. :-)

Virginia Sales Tax Changes - July 2013

This notice applies to our Virginia customers only.

As of July 1st, 2013 sales tax in Virginia will increase state wide to 5.3%, and to 6% for residents of Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads area.

As many of you know, our fulfillment warehouse is currently located in Winchester, VA, and since we operate and ship from Virginia we have to collect VA sales tax (which is currently 5%) on all orders shipping to addresses inside the state of Virginia. Virginia is our home state and is currently the only location/state that we collect sales tax for, or ever intend to collect it for if we have our way about it.

VA dept of taxation recently sent us a letter letting us know that effective July 1st, 2013 they are increasing the state wide sales tax rate three tenths of a percent from 5.0% to 5.3%.

Also (and for the first time ever) they are adding an additional 0.7% sales tax for residents of the Northern Virgina and Hampton Roads areas, making the effective sales tax for those areas 6.0%. This will be the first time that Virginia has authorized a regional sales tax that will not be the same amount state wide.

The 6.0% tax rate will apply to Northern Virginia residents who live in the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park plus Hampton Roads region residents who live in the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, Surry, and York and the cities if Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg.

And while it won't apply to us, but in case you are wondering, the Virginia sales tax on groceries (food) will remain the same at 2.5%.

We will adjust our sales tax collection matrix for destinations inside Virginia to the new amounts starting July 1st.