Vinegar Syndrome’s Halfway to Black Friday 2021 Primer
We always love to hear from our valued customers, but during our Halfway to Black Friday sale we receive (literally) thousands of emails with various questions and concerns. In an effort to minimize the number of emails we receive during this hectic time, we have compiled the following list of answers to some of our more commonly asked questions. Remember, every email that we have to take time to answer is time taken away from our ability to ship out more packages. So, help us help you get your package quicker by taking a few minutes to read the following. We hope this helps make your ordering experience with us as smooth as possible and we thank you in advance for your order.
When, where and what is the sale?
HBF2021 at VinegarSyndrome.com is a yearly tradition for fans of genre film! The sale will begin at exactly 12:01am EST on Friday, May 28th and will end on Monday the 31st at 11:59pm EST. Nearly everything in our extensive home video catalog will be 50% off SRP. We will also be unveiling two secret Vinegar Syndrome releases, two brand new Vinegar Syndrome Archive releases, four limited edition catalog slipcovers and so much more! It will also be your last chance to become a 2021 Subscriber (more info on that below).
Please note: our website will be placed into maintenance mode the morning of Monday the 24th to prepare for the sale. Our online checklist (vschecklist.com) will still be available during this down period.
What titles will be on sale?
Every VS, VSA, Peekarama and Partner Label title with a release date prior to February 2021 will be discounted 50% off SRP. Titles with release dates beginning in February will NOT be discounted. Special note: VSU releases, titles in our Staff Picks section and certain older Partner Label titles currently under distribution by another company will not be discounted a full 50%.
I placed an order during the flash pre-order event OR pre-ordered SIX-STRING SAMURAI, what do I need to know?
Congrats on easily your best purchase this year! You might already think you have everything you need, but you couldn’t be more wrong… Add additional orders to your package for free, using the “Add to my existing sale order” shipping option. If you purchased the ‘Everything’ flash pre-order bundle, you will receive the following: SIX-STRING SAMURAI, SURF II, TELEVISED TERROR: VOLUME #1, THE CARDONA COLLECTION: VOLUME #1, plus the two secret Vinegar Syndrome releases. If you are still confused, check the individual products pages once the sale goes live to see what’s include in the Everything package.
I’m a subscriber, what do I need to know?
Thank you for taking the plunge with us so far in 2021! Here’s what is already included in your 2021 subscribership: SURF II, TELEVISED TERROR: VOLUME #1 and THE CARDONA COLLECTION: VOLUME #1, plus the two secret Vinegar Syndrome releases. The new Vinegar Syndrome Ultra release of SIX-STRING SAMURAI and two new Vinegar Syndrome Archive releases are not included, but you will have access to a special subscriber-only coupon codes. Once the sale starts, the coupon codes will be visible on the product pages and will make the release 50% off at checkout. If you are still confused, check the individual products pages once the sale goes live to see what’s include in your subscribership.
Please note: our e-commerce system only supports a single coupon code during checkout. If you are purchasing items with different codes (VSU versus VSA), you will need to place multiple orders.
Also, don’t forget that HBF2021 is your perfect opportunity to stock up on our extensive back catalog. Use the “I’m a subscriber…” free shipping option to add additional purchases to your package. And finally, due to your elite subscriber status, your HBF2021 order(s) will be first to ship following the sale.
Subscribers: see below for more info on the month of June and Partners Only month.
How do I become a 2021 Subscriber?
This is hands down our most asked question of all time. You only have one more opportunity to become a subscriber in 2021, and that is during the HBF2021 sale. The 2021 ‘halfway’ subscription will be available throughout the event! And why should you become a subscriber? So you can enjoy stress-free, 50% discounted releases through the end of the year, including several more giallis, more box sets, never-on-disc slashers like SHALLOW GRAVE and Euro-horror mindfucks like DEVIL STORY. Plus, you will receive EXCLUSIVE COUPON CODES good for all titles released through our sub-labels like VSA and VSU! And as a new and added bonus, you will also receive 50% off codes for ALL Partner Label releases which come out during your subscribership!
As with previous years, we will have two subscription types depending on whether or not you want just the horror and exploitation or if you’d also like the hardcore.
June is Partners Only month!
We are introducing a new policy this June that we hope to continue every June and December. These months will now be Partner Label Only months (meaning: no new VS releases). Why? Well, logistically, combining pre-orders with sale orders has long been an extremely complex process that gets more and more difficult every year. Therefore, as a means of easing our burden and also giving the Partner Labels themselves a time to shine, we’re dedicating two months out of the year specifically to them.
Normally following a big sale, our website closes down completely for about a month while the orders are shipped out. During the ‘Partners Only’ month of June, ordering VS titles will be disabled, BUT all Partner Label releases will be fully available and shipping!
A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS (and everyone else): We are not canceling any VS titles! You will receive just as many releases as you were promised, except the packages for later this year will simply include more releases than originally planned. So rest easy knowing that GIRLS SCHOOL SCREAMERS, a very exciting giallo double feature, several more box sets, a (perhaps?) surprising summertime UHD, and much more will all be delivered, as promised.
When does Partners Only month start?
Typically we launch new releases on the 1st of every month, but since June 1st lands the day after HBF2021, we have decided to list the new Partner Label titles and the start of Partners Only month to June 4th at 12pm EST.
I’m a Subscriber, how does Partners Only month affect me?
As mentioned earlier, we are relocating all VS titles planned for June to July, August and September. There will not be any new VS releases in June, but you can still order Partner Label releases! Use your “I’m a subscriber…” shipping option and the Partner Label releases will ship to you in the month of June for free. Pretty cool, huh?
What are your HBF2021 shipping policies?
Important: we no longer use USPS Media Mail. If you are a subscriber, placed a flash pre-order or pre-ordered SIX-STRING SAMURAI — you qualify for FREE shipping and should use your free shipping option at checkout (see above). Otherwise, our HBF2021 shipping rates are as follows:
• $5 Economy (FedEx Ground, FedEx Smartpost or USPS First Class depending on package size & location)
• $10 Priority (USPS Priority)*
• Canada = $8 (ships from within Canada via Canada Post)
• International = $17 (FedEx International)
• All free shipping thresholds will be disabled during the sale.
*The term ‘Priority’ refers to the 2–3 day shipping service provided by USPS. It does not mean your package will ship out any sooner from our warehouses.
I paid for Priority shipping, why hasn’t my order shipped yet?
The term ‘Priority’ refers to the 2–3 day shipping service provided by USPS. It does not mean your package will ship out any sooner from our warehouses.
When will you begin shipping orders?
Subscriber orders will begin shipping out immediately after the sale ends. All other orders will begin shipping out on Monday, June 7th.
How long will it take for my HBF2021 order to ship?
We have made significant improvements to our order fulfillment pipeline this year. We have switched the majority of our shipping over to FedEx and have completely moved away from using USPS Media Mail. We have also opened up a second fulfillment center in Colorado, which will speed up deliveries to our West Coast customers. We will have a full time shipping crew of approximately 20 people. We will do everything possible to ship out orders ASAP, but please give us extra time due to the volume of orders.
Where is my package?
Each year we get numerous emails from customers asking when their order will ship out. While we are always trying to improve our ability to ship out orders faster, we ask that you please be patient with us. If at any point you are unhappy with the amount of time it is taking for your order to ship, simply ask us to cancel your order for a full refund. If you need to cancel your order for any reason, send us an email and we will refund the order, no questions asked.
My order is stuck ‘In Transit’ and the tracking number has not updated for a few days, what should I do?
If your order has been sitting at a carrier facility and has not updated, don’t worry, it should still be getting to its destination. We can assure you that once you receive a tracking number, your order has either left our building or will be leaving the following day. If there has been no movement on your package for longer than normal please reach out to your local post office or FedEx facility first. They will be able to track down your package for you. Once packages leave our building they are out of our hands and are the responsibility of the mail carrier. If your package has been ‘stuck’ for 30 days or longer, then you can reach out to us and we can figure out a solution for you. Otherwise we please ask that you give your package ample time to get delivered to you.
Can I place multiple orders during the sale?
Absolutely! Since you already paid for shipping with your initial order, select the ‘Add to my existing sale order’ free shipping method on any additional orders. We will ship everything in one large package.
Do you have quantity limits on Limited Edition releases?
Yes. Limited Edition releases (including slipcovers), are limited to (2) copies per customer. Certain Limited Edition releases will be limited to (1) copy per customer. Please check individual product listings for more info.
Item X has sold out, can I call dibs via email in case you have any extras stock?
No. After everything has shipped out, if we have additional inventory on items the were previously “sold out”, the additional inventory will be re-listed on our website once the site relaunches.
Can we pick up our orders at your retail store in Connecticut, The Archive?
The Archive will have all the new VS and Partner Label releases in store starting Friday, May 28th, but we do ask customers purchasing older titles and larger orders to purchase online at VinegarSyndrome.com and select ‘Pick up at The Archive’ as your shipping method. ‘Pick up at The Archive’ orders will be ready for pick up starting Thursday, June 3rd.
For more information on The Archive’s own in-store sale, visit: browsethearchive.com. Feel free to call The Archive at 203–441–5678 for hours and more information.
Think we missed something? Still have a question? Contact us at orders@vinsyn.com and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
