By Mark Rodriguez
Back in 2014 when I was still new to the subscription box craze, I decided to be different and instead of choosing the famous Lootcrate, I chose to try its competitor Nerd Block. Like most sub boxes at the time, Nerd Block would come with different random nerdy items including exclusive shirts and Funko Pops.
At first they didn't follow a theme, it was just random stuff. Then they added themes like Val Kilmer's favorite items. Eventually they'd create more boxes like Nerd Block Jr for girls or boys, Arcade Block, Horror Block, Comic Block and Shirt Block. Eventually they'd rename Arcade Block into Gamer Block and have it set up for either teens or kids.
The Canadian company behind Nerd Block also owned Shirt Punch and they eventually opened a brick and mortar store where people could buy their stuff.
Sadly on July 2017, Fan Blocks filed for bankrupcy and so Nerd Block and Shirt Punch were taken down. Their store was closed as well. This left a lot of unhappy customers that paid for their subscriptions in advance who were now left without their boxes or their money.
August 2017 would mark the successful return of Shirt Punch under new management and being completely seperate from Nerd Block. However, Nerd Block itself was still silent. What happened to them?
Then on March 2018, anyone that ever subscribed to Nerd Block received an email announcing their eventual come back, also under new management. This was met with mixed reactions because they have lost a lot of trust from their customers and most just wanted their money back.
The kicker is when on July 12, 2018 they announced that they will help the customers that never got their money back. They also said that they would be announcing their new line of boxes 'next week'. Well we're halfway done with October and next week has still not come.
So now we're left wondering what happened? It seemed they were ready to do with this big relaunch, similar to how Shirt Punch was able to make a successful comeback but that all came to a screeching halt. Could the backlash from frustrated customers have frightened them off?
Even though this was a new American-based company that had nothing to do with Fan Blocks, it seems people still want their money back regardless of the fact that the ones that robbed them are long gone. These new guys acquired the Nerd Block brand name but also inherited the tarnished legacy that Fan Blocks left behind. That's one of the biggest problems whenever some of these sub boxes shut down their business, they just suddenly cut and run, leaving people wondering what happened to their 6 month subscription without any way to contact them.
I would like to say it's too soon to know how this story ends. I'd love to keep you guys updated on this but I'm wondering if there will be anything to update. Perhaps this new company decided to reconsider after being blasted by angry customers. Perhaps Nerd Block is gone for good. As one of the first competitors for Lootcrate back when the sub box craze started, it'll be a real shame if it all ends here.
Back in 2014 when I was still new to the subscription box craze, I decided to be different and instead of choosing the famous Lootcrate, I chose to try its competitor Nerd Block. Like most sub boxes at the time, Nerd Block would come with different random nerdy items including exclusive shirts and Funko Pops.
At first they didn't follow a theme, it was just random stuff. Then they added themes like Val Kilmer's favorite items. Eventually they'd create more boxes like Nerd Block Jr for girls or boys, Arcade Block, Horror Block, Comic Block and Shirt Block. Eventually they'd rename Arcade Block into Gamer Block and have it set up for either teens or kids.
The Canadian company behind Nerd Block also owned Shirt Punch and they eventually opened a brick and mortar store where people could buy their stuff.
Sadly on July 2017, Fan Blocks filed for bankrupcy and so Nerd Block and Shirt Punch were taken down. Their store was closed as well. This left a lot of unhappy customers that paid for their subscriptions in advance who were now left without their boxes or their money.
August 2017 would mark the successful return of Shirt Punch under new management and being completely seperate from Nerd Block. However, Nerd Block itself was still silent. What happened to them?
Then on March 2018, anyone that ever subscribed to Nerd Block received an email announcing their eventual come back, also under new management. This was met with mixed reactions because they have lost a lot of trust from their customers and most just wanted their money back.
The kicker is when on July 12, 2018 they announced that they will help the customers that never got their money back. They also said that they would be announcing their new line of boxes 'next week'. Well we're halfway done with October and next week has still not come.
So now we're left wondering what happened? It seemed they were ready to do with this big relaunch, similar to how Shirt Punch was able to make a successful comeback but that all came to a screeching halt. Could the backlash from frustrated customers have frightened them off?
Even though this was a new American-based company that had nothing to do with Fan Blocks, it seems people still want their money back regardless of the fact that the ones that robbed them are long gone. These new guys acquired the Nerd Block brand name but also inherited the tarnished legacy that Fan Blocks left behind. That's one of the biggest problems whenever some of these sub boxes shut down their business, they just suddenly cut and run, leaving people wondering what happened to their 6 month subscription without any way to contact them.
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| Well, obviously this never came to be and they still haven't updated the FAQ |
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