f.a.q.; who are we, and what do we do?
Got a question?
Don't worry, Junsu has lots. (most of them don't even have to do with this project :o)
Q: So what is this? Who ARE you people? What is a "support project"? Why is Junsu thinking about ducks?
A: Cassiopride is, as it says in the banner, an "international Cassiopeia-TVXQ support project". pinkulemon founded the project in February 2009 with the following questions in mind:
- Why is it so difficult and expensive for international TVXQ fans to buy TVXQ CDs?
- How can international fans be allowed to contribute to TVXQ's official sales in Korea and Japan?
- How can international Cassiopeians band together in a big way to show our support for TVXQ?
Cassiopride was the answer. This is a non-profit project operated by Cassiopeians for Cassiopeians - we want to help you purchase TVXQ's products in the cheapest and most efficient way possible, show our support for our favourite boys in a concrete way, and perhaps bring local fans together in ways they never thought possible! (And we don't know why Junsu is thinking about ducks. Sorry.)
Q: Non-profit?
A: Uh-huh. This means we only charge you what is absolutely necessary - retail prices, tax, shipping, and handling charges for our supplier. (If you live in Japan or Korea, consider becoming a supplier for us and helping us give Cassiopeians access to TVXQ goods for even cheaper!) And we're always looking for ways to make things even cheaper for you - make sure you explore our site to find out about all our options!
Q: Why shouldn't I just buy my stuff from online retailers (YesAsia, CDJapan, etc)?
A: In most cases, but not all, it'd be more expensive - so we have a price comparison in each order post for your convenience. Cassiopride's real brainchild is in our Mass Order system (which is unfortunately not available in all regions, yet) - we highly encourage you to Mass Order wherever possible because that's where the real saving occurs! The only exception to this is YesAsia, which offers free shipping...but please remember that sales at YesAsia DO NOT contribute to TVXQ's Oricon sales in Japan in any way. OURS DO. This is a support project, after all. Paying the little bit extra to give TVXQ a #1 is more than worth it ;) Our shipping method is also faster and more secure than YesAsia's free shipping (my stuff has arrived damaged EVERY SINGLE TIME D:), and we promise to give you prices as low as we can go!
Q: Can any fan from any country participate?
A: Yes. However, please note that we have two main kinds of orders - mass and individual. Mass orders are only available in a few regions - more on these in a bit. Individual orders can be sent to anywhere in the world.
Q: What is the difference between a mass order (MO) and individual order (IO)? I'm so confused :'(
MOs are our attempt to make buying TVXQ CDs even cheaper for you. This means everybody's orders will be collectively shipped to your local representative, and you can then pick up your CD in person - voila, cheaper international shipping and ZERO domestic shipping charges! It's also a great way to get to know local Cassiopeians! Local reps are currently available in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru (Malaysia). We are working on getting mass orders where you live, never fear! ;) IOs work just like ordering from an online retailer - you pay for shipping directly from the supplier to your home. This does cost a teeny bit extra, but it's a pretty negligible amount. (:
Q: Do I have to be an LJ user? Do I have to be a member of this community?
A: For both questions, no, you don't - but we highly advise you to be. Why? It'd be a lot easier for you to keep track of your order (and a lot easier for us to manage)! You'll also get quicker updates about exclusive and limited stuff we might sell (like official tour goods). If you're not an LJ user yet, you can sign up here - it's fast, free and easy, and make sure you also join the AWESOME dbsg community! It's a great way to make loads of friends ;)
Q: So how do I place an order?
A: Look for the tag corresponding to the CD you want to order. Then read the instructions in the post that applies to you (it depends on which country you're from) - it's pretty self-explanatory. Please also note that instructions may differ from release to release so ALWAYS read through each order post carefully before placing an order!
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: This also depends on which country you're from - so check order posts for more details. In general, we accept cash-on-meet-up (NOT cash-on-delivery, we need your money before we can purchase your goods in Japan/Korea), bank transfer, and Paypal (which carries a 5% Paypal charge).
Q: Why are the prices quoted for mass orders subject to change? Why is there a deposit and an estimate?
A: This is due to variable shipping costs. The more people order, the cheaper the price becomes. Estimates for mass orders are quoted based on the weight of each CD. There is a 2kg weight limit for each shipping - so if a CD is exactly 200g, each shipping will contain 10 CDs. This means if 10 orders are placed, everyone will pay the quoted estimate. If only 5 orders are placed, you might have to pay a little bit more. (For the above example, the estimate would increase by 75yen.) Obviously, it DOES pay to tell other fans from your country to chip in.
Q: What happens if I pay you more than is needed? e.g. My bank only allows me to transfer numbers rounded to the nearest ten but I'm supposed to pay you $28? Or you change my order to a mass one and I don't need to pay you as much?
Make sure you let us know if this occurs so we don't miss out. We can add these to a credit balance, so the next time you order something from us, we can just give it to you for cheaper! (:
Q: How long will my CD take to arrive?
A: That depends. For mass orders, generally a week. For individual orders, you can specify the kind of shipping you'd like - EMS (3-4 days), Regular Air Mail (5-8 days) or Economy Air Mail (about 2 weeks).
Q: How come mass ordering isn't available where I live? Can I do anything about it?
A: Since local representatives are needed to make mass orders work, you can apply to be a local rep for your region at the commlove post (but we will only make mass orders available in regions we receive sufficient orders from - so place orders and tell your friends!). If we notice a lot of orders are coming from a particular region, we might also automatically e-mail everyone from this region and ask for volunteers. Countries like the US are extremely big so it would be difficult to hold national meet-ups and deliver goods - but if you'd like to look for fellow fans in your vicinity and MAKE your own mass order region, the commlove post is also where to do it!
Q: What does a local rep do? Can I apply?
A: Outside of Malaysia and Singapore, a local rep's primary responsibility will probably be to receive cash from other local fans (via bank transfer or meet-up) and then transfer all this money to our supplier via Paypal or international bank transfer. (This is still a project-in-progress so the system might change with trial and error.) This means you must also constantly keep up to date with orders being placed on the comm and follow community procedure for all orders (sending of notification e-mails, organizing meet-ups, etc). Yes, it is a big responsibility...but so is administrating this community and coming up with this stuff (who do you think is writing this FAQ?!). D; It's basically a voluntary effort and you are highly encouraged to apply only if you feel you will have the capability and motivation to be responsible for it - and you must have a Paypal and/or bank account (check that transferring funds to Japan is not a problem for you). You can also apply to give assistance to your local rep (by helping to distribute goods/administrate, etc). All this can be done at the commlove post.
Q: What does a supplier do? Can I apply?
A: YES PLEASE. Suppliers are people based in Japan or Korea that are in charge of pre-ordering at their local CD store and then shipping the orders out when CDs are released. We are currently paying a fair bit to our (non-Cassiopeian) supplier for handling charges so we are urgently looking for anyone who would be willing to help out for a very low price or even better, for free! (Think of the boys? :3) Suppliers must have a Paypal account or have an additional bank account in Malaysia or Singapore (basically, a way to check their funds in either country). If you're not sure, that's okay, just ask us and we'll try to work out a solution! Please do apply at the commlove post if you can help!
Q: I can't find the CD I want to order in the tags list. Can you help me buy older or other CDs?
A: Yes, we can! The tags list is a list of official pre-order efforts carried out by the community. Every once in a while (perhaps once in two months) we will open up a Special Order post where you can ask us to help you buy anything you want - even CDs by other artists (as long as a TVXQ CD is part of your order). Please be aware that there will be a minimal additional charge for Special Orders, because our supplier needs to hunt down your CDs for you.
Q: Orders were closed for the CD I wanted to buy. Can I still order it from you?
A: Yes, as a Special Order - see the previous question for more details (:
Q: This is a great project. Is there anything I can do to help?
A: Why thank you! ♥ Yes, we are always looking for ways to reach Cassiopeians all over the world and make this truly international. Firstly, check out the commlove post - give your ideas, thoughts, feedback, etc. Volunteer to be a local rep, or discover other local Cassiopeians. If you live in Japan or Korea, PLEASE do not hesitate to offer your services as a supplier! Also, SPREAD THE WORD! Blogs, websites, Youtube, Facebook, anything! Remember that there are loads of other Cassiopeians out there who might not know about the project but would want to support TVXQ and bring them even closer to world domination :'D Also, the more people that order, the cheaper prices become...how's that for an incentive? ;)
Q: My question wasn't asked here *wails* HELP ME!!! TT-TT
A: Don't cry, crying makes Changmin violent. >:| To ask a question, feel free to drop us a comment on this entry or e-mail us at cassiopride@gmail.com. If you have a suggestion for the project, please direct it to the commlove post (: Try not to PM us on LJ because half of you block other LJ users from replying your PMs without even knowing it. (If you have ever asked pinkulemon a question via PM and haven't gotten an answer, this is your reason.) :/
With love,
The Cassiopride team ♥