How to press to receive updates without sounding obnoxious?

Question

I recently (well, a few months ago now) backed a project on Kickstarter.

It was not my first one, so I was fairly prepared (I thought) to the process.

Well, turned out I was wrong.

Unlike other times, this package was blocked at the customs. The customs office then sent me a letter that was delivered 3 days after the package was sent back because I failed to collect it in time.

I immediately contacted the creator, asking to send it back as soon as possible, and offering to pay for the new stamps in the way they would prefer.

After 4 weeks the package was still nowhere to be seen. I contacted the customs, and the delivery company. They claim the last info they have is from before it was given to the customs, and that it is the sender's job to open an inquiry.

I told the sender as much, but it is now more than 2 weeks ago, and I have not heard anything back since.

I would like to push the issue with the sender, but I would like to avoid coming across as unfriendly and invasive.

I am in the EU and they are in the US, if it matters culture-wise.

What is an appropriate way to signal that I would like to be kept up-to-date with any development, without coming across as excessively demanding?

Note: I do not consider this customer support, since there is only one person in the company on the other side.

Answer 1

Consider:

Hey, don't want to be a pain. I know the original problem was entirely out of your control. But I still haven't received my [whatever].

I've tried following up with customs and the delivery company, but they say that they can only give answers to you. Is there any chance that you could follow up and find out why they haven't delivered it or notified me that I need to take additional action to receive it?

I was and am super excited about [whatever]. I think that the idea is great and really want to try it. If they send you any updates, could you let me know? I'm feeling kind of frustrated, because not only don't I have the product, at this point I don't have any idea why I don't have the product. Did they return it again? Lose it in transit? Anything that you could tell me would be helpful at this point, as they won't tell me anything.

Replace [whatever] with the actual product name. I'm assuming that your Kickstarter order includes an actual product and not just tangential merchandise like stickers and t-shirts. If not, you may have to adjust.

I used the phrase "super excited". If that doesn't match how you actually feel, you should change it. But you should try to give some kind of compliment at that point, as you are proposing extra work. You want to express that that extra work will accomplish something. You may want to explain what about the product makes you desire it so much.

This also acknowledges that you are not blaming the other person for the problem. It points out what you have done from your end and why you need help from the other end. It expresses how the situation is making you feel while putting the blame on customs and the delivery company. But it also explains how the other person can help.