Your major press launch is in 3 days, the long awaited Branded USB Memory sticks that will be the centre piece of your event have just arrived and you eagerly open the box and get that sinking feeling! There’s a problem with the Branded Memory Sticks and the sands of time have run out. What can you do?

Apart from kissing your job goodbye, there may be something that can be done to rescue the situation.

Firstly contact the UK Branded USB provider assuming you have not purchased direct from the Far East. A reputable company will give you more than excuses and apologies and sort the issue out. If you have purchased direct from the Far East and wait for the normal response of ‘return the goods and we shall replace’ the deadline will be missed.

So what can go wrong and what can you to save?

1. Courier delays. If the Branded USB Memory Sticks have been delayed in transit and are now stuck at an international hub, you may be able to save some time. Ask them to hold them at their hub rather than sending on a next day delivery and arrange for a point to point courier to pick them up and deliver direct to your event or client. Beware it will have all the commercial invoices on the box so if you want these to remain undisclosed you’ll need to ask the courier to remove.
2. Delays in customs. If you need the goods urgently, the Far East or UK customs have a way of selecting your order for inspection. Not much that can be done other than to provide your courier with a letter or authentication prior to despatch to minimise the risk.
3. The Promotional USB Memory sticks do not work when you plug them in. You will need to test on various operating platforms and not behind a corporate firewall as this may restrict access. If there is still a problem then format all the disks and pray!
4. Problems with the Branded USB print. If the brand police are not happy, but end users will not really notice then commercially it may be worth using the USB Branded Memory sticks and then kicking the provider’s shins very hard and asking for a part refund. However, if there is something materially wrong, then ask a UK printer if they can remove the logo using a special solution and then reprint. Can be costly but worth a shot. Alternative produce some dome stickers with your logo printed on and place on top of the offending print. If you have used a Twister memory stick which is the most popular model, then look to print some new clip via a UK provider and replacing.
5. Problems with the dataload on the Custom USB Memory Sticks. If data has been loaded on to the USB Drives and it is not protected or has an autorun function then simply format the Branded USBs and reload the data. For quantities of less than 100 units, grab a very long coffee and spend a few hours doing this thankless task. If time does not permit, or if the quantity is higher then contact a UK data duplication house that can do this for you at a price. If the disks are protected then panic! The only chance you have is to ask the supplier for software that will allow you to reprogramme. This is both a technically difficult and a time consuming process.
6. Missing Accessories or problems with packaging. It is not uncommon for essential items such as keyring or lanyards to fit on the branded memory sticks have been forgotten when despatched from the Far East. Or the gift box they come in to be broken. Again there are several UK suppliers that hold this type of stock. So get onto web and start searching – you should find something that will do the trick.

If none of the above works then search for a UK supplier that holds blank USB Memory sticks and who can print within the timeframe required.

Finally always insist on a pre-production working sample, that way you will know exactly what you are going to receive and allows you to sleep easier…well just a little!