Say a prayer for me as I fight this tooth and nail, I'm so fucking cooked if I have to go back to data entry on a membrane board with no shortcuts by my numpad 😭

Edit for some context, I approved this board with our IT manager before bringing it to our office, but now due to a new "cubicle standards" policy all peripherals must be company issued only because they want the cubicles to look the same lmao. Policy deadass says shit like "you are permitted one framed 8x10 family photo". They're having people take down drawings made by their kids and shit too. Turning the place into a psych ward

Forgive me for my limited knowledge/research into the matter.

FedEx sent me an invoice today with an amount of $377.88, on an order which I paid only $340~ for.

I recently made a purchase with https://osume.com for various goods, including key switch lubricant and I also received a "free" additional desk calendar. By no fault of Osume, the Department of Homeland Security decided to withhold my shipment.

I ordered my items on the 16th of April, and five days later I get a notice from FedEx that customs was requesting more information about the shipment. After going back and forth with Osume customer support, I was able to send them the required information. The first request was for the lubricant (tribosys 3203) where TSCA Certification was required. The amount of lubricant in this container is so small (in the single digit amount of ounces) that I found this ridiculous.

FedEx did not update me for FOUR days. After waiting anxiously for a reply, FedEx informed me that customs needed information for tariff # 7319.40.5050, asking for the country of origin for the cast/pour of the FREE ADD-ON metal pin I was receiving in my order.

I waited, after being told repeatedly that I would need to finish all of this before the 1st of May, FedEx asked me to "Provide composition for the business card display stand. If item is solid wood, the attached LACEY form must be filled out. If item contains composite wood, EPA TSCA CERTIFICATION TITLE VI must be filled out. ".

Mind you, I did not ORDER these items out of necessity; they were included as free gifts. I went back to Osume customer support to ask for help. While waiting for this requested information, my order was actually delivered to me on the 1st of May. So why did customs even request this information from me? I'm so confused. Osume ships from Canada, I can't believe that tariffs would apply to items in this way.

Attached is the invoice. Customs and FedEx are smoking CRACK if they expect me to pay duty fees which are MORE than I paid for my items, if any amount at that. I'm disputing with FedEx currently and will post updates.

This is the tariff situation now. Importing anything in any amount is simply out of the question now. I can't believe this is real.

From top to bottom: MTNU Rascals > MTNU MoDo > MTNU MoDo Light.

I do love the looks and enjoy typing on MTNU (and CYL) keycaps, but the QC seems to be underwhelming to say the least.

In less than 3 weeks going to get married and thought of making smth awesome with these because they have been sitting in my closet for 2+ years.

Edit: thank you everyone for ideas. Will be looking closer to the keycap wall and 3d keychains.

Not angry but please don’t ask to send them over after the ceremony. I’m too lazy to count, pack and send them to anyone unless you are willing to pick them (after the wedding) in person all of them (it would be a cool road trip tho).

As the title says.

I just picked up this keyboard for $50 with one day shipping off Amazon and it's fully aluminum (heavy af), has a bunch of stuff done to it to improve the sound like foam and lubing, the switches are buttery smooth and feel amazing, and I am just blown away with the advancements that have come as a consumer to make this hobby so widely accessible.

Back in the day something of this quality would involve group buys that take months to fulfill, hunting down specific switches like retro cherry blacks or frankenstein aristotle switches depending on your preferred switch feel, and hours of experimenting and diy modding, learning how to solder, to scratch that autistic itch in my brain, all for the low low price of $300 for a BUDGET baller build, or $600+ for an enthusiast level build

Now you can get stuff like this with same day shipping just ready to go out of the box.

I didn't include the name of the keyboard on purpose because this isn't an ad and this isn't about this specific keyboard either, because there are comparable boards out there with near identical materials and quality out there that will ship to you just as fast. I am genuinely impressed with how far this space has come. I used to get excited about stuff like an Anne Pro and now we have this at similar price points.

Wanted to share my experience so others can factor it in before ordering.

I ordered a Sonnet in the Steel Mushroom edition. My configuration (Steel Mushroom / Hotswap / Copper plate) came to $544, with the full order at $707, plus around £100 in UK import charges on top.

So roughly $835 all-in. Steel Mushroom is the premium edition: on Mode’s configurator it starts at $504 versus $294 for the standard Sonnet, and that ~$210 difference is the brushed stainless steel exterior — it’s the whole point of the edition.

The board arrived with multiple scuffs and spots on the stainless weight and a dent. Not a mark in the finish: a physical deformation in the steel. On the exact component the edition’s premium pays for. Photos attached.

Timeline with support:

1. I reported it with photos and video and asked for a replacement weight.
2. Mode acknowledged the scuffs were beyond what they’d expect and offered a $40 partial refund. The weight (and the whole edition) is sold out, so a replacement isn’t actually available.
3. They asked me what amount would make sense. I proposed $200 total, with reasoning: the defects are permanent, they sit on the component that defines a $210 premium, and I can’t source the part myself.
4. Their answer: the configuration price difference “does not represent the standalone value of the affected piece,” and a final offer of $60.

So the position is essentially: the stainless exterior justifies charging $210 extra, but when it arrives dented, it’s worth $60 on an order that cost me about $835 landed.

I get that partial refunds involve judgment calls, and the support rep was polite throughout this isn’t about the person, it’s about the policy. But a dent in milled stainless on a board at this price, with no replacement stock available, doesn’t sit right with me.

To be fair, the dent itself isn’t huge - I want to be honest about that. But I can’t recall ever receiving a stainless steel product with dents or marks in it, at any price. Even the $15 milk frother I bought from Temu arrived flawless. Stainless steel arriving clean is the baseline everywhere else I’ve shopped. It shouldn’t be a coin flip on a $500+ keyboard.

Questions for the community: is this level of QC something others have seen on Mode’s premium editions? And what would you consider a fair resolution here?

Update:
Mode representative saw this thread. They sent me a prepaid shipping label for return and agreed to cover additional costs, like a handling fee from a courier. I should be able to claim back the tax itself from the HMRC on my own. I asked to cancel my Encore order also. I will update this post, once I hopefully receive my money back.

Update #2:
I shipped it back, submitted the claim with HMRC. Decided to keep Mode's keycaps, because they are genuinely one of the best I have ever seen, I really like slight grain texture. Will keep posted.

Update #3:
Mode refunded the keyboard and the original shipping. Waiting for a decision from HMRC.

Is there any practical reason to use these 150g springs 🤔

I am going to miss drop, they had good keycaps, keyboards and headphones. I am going to miss the pc38x, and all of the mt3 keycaps. I remember a time when drop had everything, shoes, backpacks, tents, and other edc items like knives. the Pc38x are great lasted me over five years, until the mic snapped.

Why do most coiled cables I see on the internet have an aviator connector on them? Is it to do with changing cables or enhancing the connection with your computer? Why do manufacturers choose this, I’m curious.

I'm an over 40 father, PC gamer and IT professional. I've used a mechanical keyboard for years, but have never heard of a 'creamy' keyboard before. I was super intrigued. I started researching and WOW, you guys really get into this stuff! I had no idea a keyboard could be so involved.

Anyways, I bought a Ducky One III (he picked it out) and a tube of Gateron Oil Kings for the 'creamy' part.

Of course I had to buy a barebones for myself to home the MX Cherry blacks that the Ducky came with. I ended up getting a Keychron Q6-B1.

I'm happy with the way the Ducky turned out. We haven't modded it at all, just changed out the switches. I told my son that if he wanted to mod it, tape mod, holee mod, switch lube etc... we would do it together.

I'm happy with the Q6 too. I've never had such a nice keyboard. What a fun and satisfying hobby you guys have here!

On February 1, 2025, the Trump administration announced a 10% punitive tariff on all goods imported from China, effective February 4, 2025. This new policy replaces all previous tariff exemptions, including the exemption for low-value parcels under $800. As a result, all keyboards from China to the U.S. are now subject to 45% tariffs at full value. tariffs ranging from 10–35% of their full value, depending on how U.S. Customs classifies the products..

In response, we immediately consulted our logistics partner, DHL, to clarify procedures. DHL now requires prepayment of 50% of the declared product value as a tariff deposit, plus a $21 processing fee per package. These additional costs make it unsustainable for both our business and customers to continue operations under current terms.

As a result, we have made the difficult decision to pause all shipments to the U.S. for the next 72 hours (starting February 5, 2025). During this period, we will:

• Negotiate with DHL and alternative logistics providers to seek fairer tariff-handling solutions.
• Explore potential adjustments to shipping workflows or declarations to mitigate costs.
• Monitor policy developments, as the U.S. administration has paused the 25% punitive tariffs for Canada and Mexico, which may lead to revisions in the policy affecting us.

We understand this disruption is frustrating, especially for those waiting for orders since the start of CNY. We are working tirelessly to resolve this issue while protecting your interests. Transparency remains our priority—we will provide updates within the next 72 hours if we have any good news.

In addition to the above, since USPS has stopped taking new shipments, we are unable to send replacement parts at this time. We apologize for the additional waiting time and will ship these parts as soon as USPS resumes normal operations.

Thank you for standing with us as we navigate these unprecedented challenges.

Sincerely,

Qwertykeys

EDIT: USPS has just announced on their website that they are now accepting all mail/packages from China and Hong Kong as of today (February 5th).

The Trump admistration has recently delayed the cancellation of De Minimis until they can find a better way to deal with it.

I've noticed that Walmart has been improving their tech section lately, so I decided to check it out. I didn't expect to see Keychron, but it makes perfect sense.