Baycal Financial Inc

Hi there,Here at Kickstarter, we hate more than anything when a project doesn't come to fruition. We expect creators to fulfill rewards, offer refunds if they’re unable to complete their project, and communicate with backers at every step along the way. While Kickstarter is the platform for this...

agreement, we are not a part of it. We do not investigate a project creator’s ability to complete their project, nor do we facilitate refunds or the fulfillment of rewards. While in most cases you’ll find that rewards are delivered as promised, it’s also important to realize that some projects might not fulfill as planned.Allowing creators to take risks and attempt to bring something new to life is the backbone of what we do. However, we also understand that there is an inherent level of risk in any creation process. Kickstarter is built around minimizing that risk through all-or-nothing funding, which allows the collective voice of the people to decide which projects reach their goal. On our end, we review projects, uphold [our rules]([redacted]), practice careful governance, and use anti-fraud filtering. The foundation of the entire system, however, is the collective wisdom of the people who back projects.Still, despite a creator's best efforts, some projects won't always come together as planned. In these situations we make ourselves available to creators to help however we can, and we encourage them to be as open as possible with their backers about the obstacles they face. But no matter our efforts, projects will sometimes fail to come together as planned and backers will sometimes be disappointed in outcomes. We strive to constantly learn from this, and to make sure that expectations are appropriately set for backers (like on our [Trust & Safety page]([redacted])).We also expect all members of the Kickstarter community to act with honesty and openness. When we find that people are abusing the system or the trust of others, we do not hesitate to suspend their account or restrict certain account privileges, like launching another project. On our end, among staff, we track creators' fulfillment histories as comprehensively as possible - from snags to more serious complications - to help ensure creator accountability. We may adjust our policies based on feedback from backers and creators, and/or data aggregated across projects. Additionally, our Integrity Team monitors our system and reviews reports that we receive from our community. While we can’t speak to the nature of specific projects that have been approved or declined, we’re constantly working on improving our vetting process for creators and we are grateful for the feedback that folks like you provide.  Best,Kickstarter

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
 Kickstarter does not follow its own posted rules and guidelines regarding the accountability of the "creators".  Kickstarter is very quick in responding if it regards to them getting funds, otherwise you have to continue to email them or file a complaint with Revdex.com to get a response.  kickstarter ignores fraudulent behavior of the creators as in this case bait and switch shipping...we paid and expected fedex 3 day shipping and now we are getting usps...longer wait time for a tstand that was promised to be delivered in time for christmas 2015 (a selling point for us looking for gift ideas)but cheaper for the creator who is no doubt pocketing a profit off the shipping charges.  yet, kickstarter does not care about what happens after they get their "fee",  ks says it incubates products but seems to forget the backers like me are paying their salaries through the fees paid to host the products.   because of the risk we take as backers, kickstarter should take more responsive action against "creators" that mislead, fail to deliver on time, more excuses, no responses to questions, fraudulent acts.  i know understand why there are federal investigations going on looking at the kickstarter business model...many folks have been scammed and ks says...oh....sorry.  backers need to be warned of the ks methods and the risks involved in giving funds to promote and build ks products.  you have no recourse, no way to complain according to ks...I think it is time that either ks takes some responsibility and make the " creators" be held accountable with actions with the backers (the folks that invest and support this business)  potential backers need to know there is no added benefit in funding these products as in the tstand I invested there is no discounted pricing (same prices are on the tstand website), other promised thank you's are not the website either...so other waiting months, paying upfront for express shipping that I did not get (i still have not gotten my tstands)..I could have waited and bought online at same price...the other issue I raised with ks was the fact the creator told me he would not respond to my questions, he wanted only positive comments and no drama.  he gave me a veiled threat that he would "ship" my tstands first...my impression is that he either meant as in broken or not all... and ks would be silent if that was the case. I mentioned this to them and no response.  ks also ignore valid complaints and threats.       
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hi there,Thanks for  your reply. You should have received an email from Kickstarter notifying you that this project was cancelled by its creator and that your pledge was automatically canceled and your card would not be charged. It's not possible to resend this email, so we would recommend checking any spam or junk folders of the email address associated with your Kickstarter account if you're unable to find it.Should you like to delete your Kickstarter account, just visit your account settings at the link below and click the "Delete my Kickstarter account" button. [redacted]Let us know if you need any further assistance.Best,Kickstarter

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
This is an automated Macro response from the business and a little useless regarding this case. I do understand the concept of the webpage and its policy, however the following I must remark and question:1. The money was collected by the business itself and not by the project creator. If that is not the case, please let me know. If this is the case, then your part of the contract is overdue.2. If number 1 is not true, then I assume the actual business relationship is between the project creator and Kickstarter. Is there no policy to prevent the misuse of the service, in other words that the project creator is obligated to fulfill the founders/sponsors reward. If there is no such thing then please let me know.
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hi there,Our Terms of Use outline the steps a backer can take in the event that the creator cannot fulfill rewards. Our Terms of Use can be found here: [redacted]Best,Kickstarter

Hi there,We definitely understand your frustrations regarding delays with the Coolest Cooler project. At the same time, we also understand that the Coolest Cooler team is equally frustrated by these delays. A backer's desire to examine the validity of this creator's claims are understandable. Part of what makes our community so special is the vibrant backer community that supports creative endeavors and holds creators to the highest standards for transparency and integrity. That said, we also encourage backers of this project to keep in mind that this creator undertook a highly complicated project, has provided a detailed description of the path, has admitted to mistakes, and has committed to pursuing a positive outcome.When you back a project on Kickstarter you enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our Terms of Use: [redacted]. While Kickstarter is the platform for this agreement, we are not a part of it. A big part of Kickstarter’s mission is to support creative freedom and independence; we don’t step into the actual creative process itself. We encourage you to continue to reach out to this creator directly if you have additional questions about your reward and when it will be shipped.Best,Noah

Hi there,Thanks for reaching out. We certainly understand your frustration, as you expected delivery of your reward by this time. In these cases we hope to share a little insight into our process that highlights why creators may experience delays.As background, backing a project on Kickstarter is...

very different than purchasing an item as you might do in a store. Creators often launch projects on Kickstarter early in the development process. The goal of this is to give backers, like you, an opportunity to be a part of a creator’s process from the beginning.Project creators on Kickstarter choose an “Estimated delivery date” when crafting their rewards. This date serves as an early estimate as to when the creator may be able to fulfill (send you your reward), but the date may slip based on the demands of a given project -- delays in manufacturing, quality control, and more. We find that most delays occur in order to maintain or improve the quality of the project’s end result. It's very rare that project delays are due to any sort of maliciousness. No matter what, we expect a project creator to be respectful and keep you, as one of their backers, in the loop.We understand that this is a frustrating situation, but if you’ve heard from LIX regarding the delay (it looks like they’ve been active in updating backers and you can check that out on their project page), then they’re doing what we ask of them. You can find the most recent update about delays and rewards fulfillment here: [redacted] . In this case, we advise that patience, and more importantly, support, are what a creator needs in order to fulfill. Often, the best thing to do as a backer is to cheer a creator on despite bad news or delays.Again, we thank you for your feedback in this situation, and we will keep it in mind as we continue to improve the Kickstarter platform.Best,Kickstarter

Hi there,Thanks for reaching out and sorry for the trouble here. Each message that we receive from backers is reviewed by a member of our team. We apologize if our response seemed "cold" in any way.To clarify, Kickstarter does not decline charges; all declines originate from your bank. At...

this point we'd recommend reaching out to a customer service representative at your bank to explain that, on Kickstarter's side, we're seeing these charges being declined, and to see if there's anything more they might be able to do to allow charge attempts to go through. They may be able to offer further insight on whether they're able to remove any flags. We've also seen some backers have success using a different card and retrying their pledges.That said, if the issue is already resolved on your bank's end, please log in to your Kickstarter account and go through the "Fix Payment" flow to retry collection on that card. Charges aren't automatically retried until the end of the 7-day period backers have to resolve any issues with errored pledges.Best,Kickstarter

Hi there,It is our policy not to comment on project suspensions further than what is already communicated to the creator and backers. This is stated in our Terms of Use, linked further below. For more information on why a project may be suspended, please see our FAQ, which is also copied...

below: [redacted]A project may be suspended if our Integrity team uncovers evidence that it is in violation of one or more of Kickstarter's rules, including:— Misrepresentation of support, through self-pledging— Misrepresentation or failure to disclose relevant facts about the project or its creator— The creator provides inaccurate or incomplete user information to Kickstarter or one of our partners— The characteristics of the creator account overlap with the characteristics of backer accounts that pledged to their project— A party related to the creator is posing as an independent, supportive party in project comments or elsewhere— The creator is presenting someone else’s work as their own— The creator is offering purchased items, claiming to have made themProjects may also be suspended if they chose to 'Launch Now' but, on closer inspection, do not fall within our rules. For more information, please visit our rules ( [redacted] ) and Terms of Use ( [redacted] ).Best,Kickstarter

Hi there, We hate more than anything when a project doesn't meet expectations, is heavily delayed, or doesn't come to fruition. Allowing creators to take risks and attempt to bring something new to life is the backbone of what we do. However, we also understand that there is an inherent level...

of risk in any creation process. Kickstarter is built around minimizing that risk through all-or-nothing funding, which allows the collective voice of the people to decide which projects reach their goal. On our end, we review projects, uphold our rules ([redacted]), practice careful governance, and use anti-fraud filtering. The foundation of the entire system, however, is the collective wisdom of the people who back projects. Still, despite a creator's best efforts, some projects won't always come together as planned. In these situations we make ourselves available to creators to help however we can, and we encourage them to be as open as possible with their backers about the obstacles they face. But no matter our efforts, projects will sometimes fail to come together as planned and backers will sometimes be disappointed in outcomes. We strive to constantly learn from this, and to make sure that expectations are appropriately set for backers (like on our Trust & Safety page at [redacted]). In general, if you have questions regarding the status of the project, we encourage you to reach out to the creator directly. If you’ve already tried that and haven’t received a response through Kickstarter messaging, you might want to consider reaching out through other channels such as the creator’s own website, where available.  We'll be sure to pass your feedback about this project and your experience on Kickstarter to the rest of the team here. Thanks for being an engaged backer and part of the Kickstarter community. We hope you hear more from this creator soon. Best,Kickstarter

Hi there,Thanks for reaching out and taking the time to share your experience with us.Projects that launch on Kickstarter are often very early in the development process. This gives backers an opportunity to be a part of the creative process from the beginning. It also makes backing a project on...

Kickstarter very different from purchasing an item in a store.Project creators on Kickstarter choose an “Estimated delivery date” when crafting their rewards. This date serves as an early estimate as to when the creator may be able to fulfill, but could slip based on the demands of a given project. When delays do occur, they’re often in order to maintain or improve the quality of the project’s end result. Still, a project creator is expected to be respectful and keep their backers in the loop.When a creator is communicating, we hope that backers are able to return that respect by being patient and supportive. Often, the most productive thing a backer can do is to cheer a creator on despite bad news or delays. Still, if you have questions or concerns regarding the status of a project or if you’d like to see if a refund is possible, we encourage you to message the creator directly. To message a project creator, visit the project page and click on the creator's profile image. This will open up their bio page where you can click the blue "Contact me" link to send them a message. Supporting creative freedom is a fundamental part of our work; we strive to maintain a secure and vibrant community, while allowing creators to autonomously execute their projects. For more tips, checkout our post on [communicating with project creators] ([redacted]As funds are disbursed directly to the project creator, we're unable to facilitate refunds. That said, we hope that this matter is resolved soon and are here to help if you have any other questions or concerns. Thanks for being a thoughtful backer and part of the Kickstarter community.Best,Kickstarter

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:I have not received a refund!  I want my $147.00 back.  You promised me my bag delivery date last June.  Maybe someone could at least call me to tell me how to get my refund, as every response seems to just be another excuse on how to put me off while promoting their "project" that has never materialized.  Soon I will be moving out of state and nothing can be delivered to my present address after that, so I just want my money back.  If they can pay for 700 other bag shipments to go out, they can pay me back for never receiving mine.[redacted] 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hi there,Kickstarter is a platform where creators come to launch new ideas, with the support of backers. Creators on Kickstarter have a remarkable track record, but there are no guarantees that a project will work out. If a creator can't complete a project as promised, their contract with backers...

requires them to bring the project to the best possible conclusion, as detailed in our Terms of Use ([redacted]).Best,Kickstarter

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
 
 It does not provide a solution and there should be some type of consequence to the Trunkster team.
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hi there, Thanks for reaching out and bringing this to our attention. We're sorry to hear that backing this project has been a frustrating experience.  Kickstarter is here to help creators fund new ideas, giving them control over their creative work as backers follow along and become...

a part of the process. But projects often start off by sharing an idea for something that isn't yet finished, and nobody can predict exactly how the process is going to go. Many ideas get refined or modified as they move from prototypes to actual products, and it’s not uncommon for wrinkles to crop up that push back a project’s estimated delivery date. Small changes can even be healthy for a project's ultimate success. Our biggest expectation is that, especially when a project is delayed, the creator is maintaining regular communication through updates or messages. If that's not the case here, we're just as disappointed as you, and we encourage you to find polite ways to appeal to the creator or nudge them to post more information. On our end, we've reached out to the creator with a reminder of their obligations to their backer community, and have forwarded along your concerns and those of your fellow backers.  That said, it does look like the project creator has posted a recent Project Update addressing fulfillment/the delays. You can view that at the link below.
[redacted] We apologize if this is frustrating, however, it seems that this creator has made efforts to communicate with backers. Often, the most productive thing a backer can do is to cheer a creator on despite bad news or delays. Finally, it seems that you were able to contact our Community Support team. If you have any other questions, feel free to follow up with us.   Thanks for being a thoughtful backer and part of the Kickstarter community. We hope you hear more from this creator soon. Best,Kickstarter

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hi [redacted],In cases where there are concerns on the part of a backer regarding rewards or refunds, we encourage backers to work out any issues directly with the creator. As explained before, funds are disbursed directly to the creator, which means that Kickstarter cannot facilitate refunds and it is up to the creator to determine whether or not they will issue a refund. We realize it is frustrating when a creator is not communicating as quickly or consistently in this situation as you would like, but we cannot force a creator into action, and it's possible that it may be taking a while due to the sheer amount of backers the creator is handling at once. That said, we've reached out to Baubax to encourage them to communicate more effectively with you and fellow backers. Our goal is to open the lines of communication and encourage them to respond to messages in a timely manner. You should continue reaching out to them as well (whether it's through Kickstarter messages and/or through direct email) to inquire further about the refund process on their end.Thanks again for your patience and understanding.Best,Kickstarter Support

Hi there, Thank you for reaching out. We're sorry to hear about the frustrating experience you've had with this project. We've reached out to this creator to remind them of their obligations, as well as our expectations regarding communication. We're sorry they haven't yet responded to you...

and other members of their backer community. That said, it's important to remember that creators run projects on Kickstarter for ideas that they care deeply about. In cases where they run into roadblocks or are busy working on their projects, they might not be aware of the best ways to keep in touch with their community. We do our best to try and help creators when they run into these situations. We set up a resource page of services to help with project completion, and try and communicate backer sentiment when we hear it from our community. Ultimately, creators are responsible for their own behavior — from communication and engagement to fulfillment. A big part of Kickstarter’s mission is to support creative freedom and independence; we don’t step into the actual creative process itself. We’d encourage you to keep reaching out to the creator to ask for an update, and stress that even a short note that they’re still working on it would be preferable to silence. If you’ve already tried that and haven’t received a response through Kickstarter messaging, you might want to consider reaching out through other channels such as a creator’s own website, where available. Thanks for being a thoughtful backer and part of the Kickstarter community. We hope you hear more from this creator soon. Best,Kickstarter

Hi there, Thanks for writing in. I took a look at your account and can confirm that our Community Support team has sent you a message yesterday. This message contains further instructions to help you trace your refund.Normally, with Stripe, our payments provider, refunds are automatically...

applied to the card originally used to pledge to a project. If a card is no longer valid (having expired or been cancelled), one of two things will have happened: The bank will realize that the card number is no longer valid, but will see the account it’s tied to, at which point the refund should be transferred to the new card number/account automatically.Stripe's card updater service will recognize your new card number that replaced the old card. The refund will be applied automatically to the new card number. We hope this situation is resolved soon. We remain available should you have any questions. Best,Kickstarter

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Kickstarter policy also states they will work in behalf of investors. Also, your response does not  address any of the safety or modification issues. 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]