Deluxe ed. issues: A message from White Rabbit

[White Rabbit]

A message from White Rabbit...

Firstly, we'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of Paused in Cosmic Reflection and helped spread the word about the book. We're sure you'll agree Robin Turner has done a brilliant job with Tom and Ed in telling their story, and that Paul Kelly's design is incredible. We are thrilled with how it has turned out and the amazing response so far, and hope you are all enjoying reading it. However, as some fans have quite rightly pointed out, there have been some issues with a number of copies of the deluxe edition. We'd like to explain why this happened, and how we will fix it.

This deluxe edition was a very ambitious project from a design and production perspective, and whilst we're pleased to see many fans with perfect copies, we of course cannot ignore those whose copies have arrived in a less than pristine condition. Please be assured we are doing everything we can to investigate how any defects occurred, and we will sure make sure that every fan who contacts us about an affected copy will receive a prompt response – and we will do all we can to put it right.

The main issue we have seen in a small but concerning number of copies is around a page fix, whereby a printing error in some copies had to be stripped out and replaced by a corrected page. Adding in pages in this manner (or 'tipping in' as it's known in the publishing industry) is a common occurrence and is usually very smoothly executed and unnoticeable to the naked eye. This was done partly to expedite the books reaching their buyers – for context, a full colour book like this has a printing and shipping time of several months – but not least for environmental reasons, as we always try to be as eco-friendly as possible and minimise wastage and additional shipping. Therefore, whilst the delay on the deluxes was frustrating and something we of course regret, replacing this page should have been a simple and invisible fix that would result in the smallest possible delay.

Whilst the bulk of copies that have been fixed look pristine, we now know some clearly do not. We have insisted the printers we contracted for this job provide a clear and full explanation on how this happened, and they are investigating. For any book this is clearly unacceptable, but especially one that retails at £130 – we fully acknowledge this. We'd like to sincerely apologise to all affected fans, to Tom and Ed, to Robin, and to the band's management for these issues.

If you have an affected copy, please send a photo of the affected page (with your order number and the issue number of 500 from the title page of the book) to support@whiterabbitbooks.co.uk

We will then be able to offer fans:
A % refund on the purchase price
A complimentary copy of the standard edition of the book

If you have any other questions or issues with your copy, please contact this address and give as much detail as possible. And if you would prefer a full refund, you can return the book to us and we will refund the full price, and postage costs incurred.

We know this will not make up for the disappointment caused to those affected, but we hope this message goes some way to explaining why this has happened and how we intend to fix it. It goes without saying that we are massive fans of the band and this has been a dream book for us to publish, and we are committed to putting things right. We apologise again, and we thank you all for your patience and understanding as we fix these issues.

[neorev]

I would love to actually see this "pristine" copy.

[whirlygirl]

Thank you very very much for taking the time to come here with this message, and for your attention. Much appreciated to be heard on this!

[mesamm99]

It's all a total bummer. Will be emailing my version and ask for the standard edition. Would certainly be interested in seeing an unaffected version of the book as it appears all forum members have affected books. 

[M_O_N_O]

I would love to actually see this "pristine" copy.

Mine is actually (nearly) pristine. Box and book arrived completely undamaged and I wouldn't have noticed the re-glueing without this forum.
As annoying as each case is, you have to keep in mind that the number of people who are complaining is still relatively low compared to the total number of copies made. Only few people will sign up to a forum or post here in case everything went well.

[ThePumisher]

Mine is the "pristine" version because it's not damaged and the pages aren't cut out, they are still in the mixed up order. If now the print on the vinyl will be on the right side and not messed up in quality, i'm happy with my version.

you have to keep in mind that the number of people who are complaining is still relatively low compared to the total number of copies made.

Would be a big coincidence if only the books from the forum peeps are affected, wouldn't it? But you are right, the number here is really low, we need to be 50 people to be 10% of all books.

[Wolkenkrabber]

If now the print on the vinyl will be on the right side and not messed up in quality, i'm happy with my version.

I thought you didn't get the record?

[Joslyn]

Would be a big coincidence if only the books from the forum peeps are affected, wouldn't it? But you are right, the number here is really low, we need to be 50 people to be 10% of all books.

The fault margin is at least 2% with current feedback. And that is AFTER the delayed the book for a month because of an undefined issue (we now know is a text misorder). 2% on a 500 run is high. What kind of quality control was done after delaying the book? 

[ThePumisher]

I thought you didn't get the record?

Yes, but they offered me to send the vinyl and the Kate Gibb print again =>

We would like to offer you a refund of 10% on your original purchase price to recompense for the damaged pages and we can send you a new copy of the vinyl and the missing artwork.

[neorev]

If the number of damaged books is so low like some claim (though there are plenty of fans who are not members here and resellers who haven't opened theirs), then why can't they reprint the small amount of books they damaged?

They can refund a percentage and send you the standard book, but can't reprint the actual damaged book?

Then again, there should have been proper quality control at multiple points that would have caught this mistake before just printing them all.

[whitelabel84]

@WhiteRabbit Really appreciate your team reaching out to the Forum members and acknowledging this unfortunate issue.

[BurnerMan54]

Unfortunately my copy is far from pristine as well. I will send an email and hope this will be fixed. To say I'm disappointed in how this publication was handled by you is an understatement. I'm quite baffled how a professional publisher could fuck this up so badly, excuse my language.

[Joslyn]

Open letter response to message:


Dear White Rabbit,



I hope this message finds you well in the New Year. I'm reaching out regarding the recently released Chemical Brothers book, Paused In Cosmic Reflection as its release, quality control, and production issues are awaiting resolution in cases where readers have contacted you individually. This message intends to hopefully gain a better understanding of what happened in your process that resulted in issues ranging from missing pages to missing products accompanying the book.


We understand the ambitious nature of Paused In Cosmic Reflection to help commemorate the Chemical Brothers' 30-year career. As a whole, the community appreciates the different versions accessible to suit every level of fandom! The Deluxe Edition, with all of its exclusive bells and whistles in a limited edition run of 500 being the crown jewel coming in hot on the heels of For That Beautiful Feeling. The extra 'secret' chapter that appeared on the USB release of the album seemed a bit odd but helped build some momentum for the book which promised to be a feast of information and insight into the band's 30-year career.


The standard editions were released on time, though with printing errors on pages 12 and 13. The Deluxe Edition suffered not 1, but 2 delays. We received an email On October 26 stating the release of the deluxe edition was postponed to October 30^th due to "a minor production fault was found with the packaging in a number of copies of the deluxe edition" and "in order to ensure fans receive only the highest quality product, we have committed to manually inspecting all 500 deluxe editions and correcting any copies by hand where this fault is present".
Following that email we received additional messages that shipping was anticipated on November 9 (email November 1^st ) and a confirmation that all copies of the deluxe version would be shipped by November 23^rd (email November 6).


The first copies of the deluxe edition were received. Though the initial look of the book is amazing some problems were immediately spotted, and others were more noticeable on a deeper look. We saw the messages coming in on the Chembase fan forum.

A summary of the defects on delivery:

• • Copies with the printing error still in the book
  • Copies with a centimeter sticking where the misprinted pages were ripped out
  • Copies with pages glued together over an inch where a fix was done
  • Copies missing the additional Kate Gibb art
  • Copies missing the 7" vinyl of "Superflash"
  • Copies where the label on the 7" was stamped on the empty side instead of the trackside
  • Copies with damages on the outside and inside of the clamshell

On December 8, a message addressing the issues of the deluxe edition was placed on the Chembase forum. Many fans have received "perfect copies" but White Rabbit can not ignore "those whose copies have arrived in less than pristine condition". The ones with a defective copy will be helped. By sending an email with the issues we should get a "prompt response".



We are glad that the issues brought to your attention individually are being addressed and are thankful for White Rabbit's message on the Chemical Brothers forum. The message does prompt some questions below. We fans aren't entitled to know every detail of your process and how the White Rabbit team could have avoided these issues, but we do seek to have a better understanding.

• How come multiple issues like ripped-out pages remain, glued together pages, items missing and misstamped vinyls were not spotted when manually inspecting all 500 copies, what was the cause of the delay?
• While the majority of the fans on the Chembase forum have received copies with multiple issues in your message you state "many fans have received perfect copies". What is that claim based on?
• We understand the 7" vinyl of "Superflash" has a limited pressing of 500, and are curious as to how those may be replaced. Was the run limited to 500?
• Will the complimentary copy of the standard edition have the same printing issue or would that printing issue fixed?
• If it is fixed how do we know that those copies will not have the ripped old pages or the new glued-together problems?
• If there is a perfect print of the standard edition how come that version could not have been placed into the deluxe edition cover?
• What for those who already have bought the standard hardback edition?

Paused in cosmic reflection is a fabulous book. Robin Turner together with Ed and Tom created a wonderful read worthy of the band and their most particular of fans. It is obvious the Deluxe Edition is a labor of love from all that had a hand in its creation and we applaud all the work and effort going into this deluxe edition of the book.


As you may have read, The Chemical Brothers fans are some of the kindest souls, so we hope this message doesn't seem like we are coming for you with our pitchforks raised. We recognize the love, time, and effort going into Paused In Cosmic reflection. We do have some missed open and honest communication which we hope will be seen and heard by the powers that be. Hopefully, there are answers to some or all of these questions to avoid further discussions (and unnecessary speculations or rumors.)

Love Is All, and wishing you the best in 2024!



Joslyn
Toxic
Whirly
Instantreigen
Bosco
Molotov10_0

[Joslyn]

Dear White Rabbit, 

I am sending you this email to finally get some clarification on the handling of the multiple open cases on the Deluxe edition of Paused in Cosmic Reflection.

It has been 6 weeks since I posted a response to the message you placed on the Chemical Brothers forum on December 8, 2023. This was written on behalf of several dedicated fans and was brought to your attention by email and Instagram as well as a link to the forum. The release of Paused in Cosmic Reflection has not been without its issues, especially the deluxe edition. Many of us are still waiting for refunds, replacements, and complimentary books you have offered as compensation for the ill handling of the misprint of the deluxe edition.

I can again summarize all the defects amongst the Chembase community but you can read that in the before-mentioned response. What I can share is my personal experience.

When I received the normal hardback of the book from a local, Dutch webshop I noticed the mistake while reading the book and listening to the audiobook. The first email I sent you was on November 12, 2023, which is processed under request 154623. Although I have had reactions to this message I never really had any answers to my questions.

After giving you some additional information I received a compensation proposal for my defective deluxe edition. Under request 157007 I reluctantly accepted the proposal of 35% refund on the book, replacement 7" vinyl, and a complimentary book as a full replacement of the deluxe edition was/is not a possibility. After the initial message on January 12, I received the refund but after asking on January 30 when the replacement vinyl will be sent, of which a small number of extra vinyls were produced as a contingency, I am still waiting for an answer.

The way White Rabbit is handling the defective books is appalling and ridiculous in my opinion! What is written above is my experience but I am certainly not the only one. Although some people are helped, we have seen some cards signed by Tom, Ed, and Robin coming by, there are still fans waiting even longer than I do as they accepted your refund proposal earlier. There are fans with books in worse shape but got a worse proposal (misprinted pages ripped out, no new pages replacement, I have to mention this). There are fans with defective books who have no need for compensation or can not or do not have the time and effort to contact you guys. We have collectively tried to get in contact and asked for an explanation, we have individually reached out to you to get answers or confirmation of replacement shipments. I have written a dozen messages to the support desk, and some have been forwarded to the store team. We don't even know if the offered complimentary book is free from errors.

So almost 4 months after releasing the book I am still waiting for answers and/or shipment confirmation of the replacement items to get closure. What should have been a celebration of 30th career anniversary of this great band has become a deception. After the refund, I still have paid 95 pounds for a defective book. The proposed compensation has only partially been executed. Whichever copy of the book I open I am still frustrated by the open requests and questions. I can not separate the book from all these issues. 

To close off I would like to make a friendly but urgent appeal to you to settle the requests cases on this book, not just for me but for all fans with open requests on a defective copy, by the end of February 2024 so we can receive replacements shipments in March, without any additional custom fees. Of course, you can let me know by replying to this email, but I would urge you to also post a new response on the forum.

sincerly,

Joslyn Dresen
order WRB2795
placed June 28, 2023

[Joslyn]

Update:

Unanounced I received a package today with the replacement items as was promised. So for me personally the case is closed.
But for some friends and fellow fans the case is still open which means that my response is still valid.
Also there are some many open questions. Although I hope to get some answers to be fair I don't expect them. But I would like to be pleasently surprised.

[whirlygirl]

Fabulous to hear your missing items are now in hand, @Joslyn !! Regarding the questions posed in the letter awaiting answers, I agree...