Dear Gates Innovations Community,
I am reaching out to you today regarding your Digital Key Fob orders. This email is for everyone who has purchased a digital key and whose order is currently showing as unfulfilled. To ensure I can address everyone’s queries efficiently, please do not reply to this email. Instead, if you have specific questions, kindly send a new email to [email protected] with your order number in the subject line, for example: “Gates Innovations Order XXXX”. Emails with blank, unclear, or punctuation-only subject lines may be mistakenly filtered into a separate spam folder, potentially causing delays in response.
First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your orders and your incredible support throughout this digital key fob journey. Your backing means the world to me. I understand that many of you receiving this message placed your orders during the early adopter phase and are still waiting for your digital key fob. I deeply regret the delays and want to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. I have learned a great deal throughout this process and am working tirelessly to ensure every key is checked, modified, and shipped back to you as swiftly as possible. I am truly embarrassed by these delays and committed to resolving them.
To provide transparency, I want to explain the primary reasons behind these delays. Sending this mass email is the quickest way to reach everyone who may be waiting for an update, given my current bandwidth. I will still respond to individual emails as soon as I can, where necessary.
The initial delay for early adopters stemmed from my decision to expedite the final release version of the digital key fob. This means that everyone who ordered a digital key will receive the latest version, featuring the updated user interface (UI) and enhanced hardware performance. These upgraded digital key fobs are now in hand, and I am in the process of modifying and fulfilling orders in the sequence they were received.
Unexpectedly, I also had to relocate my workshop, which introduced further delays. I am pleased to share that I anticipate finalizing the lease for the new space this week and plan to move in by next weekend.
Gates Innovations began as a passion project fueled by my love for design, manufacturing, and the automotive community. However, I have recently transitioned into a demanding new role with more business travel than initially anticipated. To address the current backlog and ensure timely fulfillment moving forward, I will be hiring additional help.
Here are some general updates regarding your digital key fob orders:
- Shipping Address: The ship-to address in your order confirmation email is indeed a UPS store, which serves as my package handling service.
- “Delivered” Tracking Status: If your tracking number shows “delivered,” it confirms that I have received your key for modification. In the unlikely event that your key is marked as delivered to the ship-to address but is actually lost (which has never occurred), please rest assured that I will take full responsibility. I will cover the costs of replacing your key directly through BMW, ensuring you are not left without a solution.
- Tracking Notifications: Once your key is checked in, you will receive an automated tracking notification. This is triggered when I print the shipping label for its return. Typically, your modified digital key fob will ship within 2-4 business days after you receive this notification.
- Customizable UI Logo: The digital key fob will be shipped with the Gates Innovations logo as the default UI. However, you can easily personalize this. By holding your finger on the logo for 10 seconds, you will access a new screen where you can select a different emblem to display.
- Discord Community: To enhance communication and provide better updates on ongoing projects, along with exclusive access for existing customers to upcoming ventures, I will be launching a Discord server. I will share the invitation link as soon as it is available. This platform will offer improved visibility on progress and more direct interaction.
Once again, I sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this process. I am dedicated to completing everyone’s digital key fob order as quickly as possible. I fully understand that the waiting time may have become excessive for some. If you would prefer to request a refund due to the delays, please send a separate email to [email protected] detailing how you would like to proceed with the refund. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions; I am here to assist you. Thank you again for your incredible support.
Sincerely,
George Shih
