Kickstarter, Inc.

Review: Dear Whom It May concern,

I pledged a project - [redacted] - using KickStarter. The project creator did not deliver the product. It has been a year. Original delivery date was December 2013. I tried multiple times to get an update with no Luck. They dont respond, and they dont care.

Kickstarter support is not willing to work and force project founder to refund my payment. I only got copy/ paste messages.

This is a fraud, and many people are victim of it. I think Kickstarter should not promote projects because I made my transaction based on the trust that Kickstarter offers..

It is ironic that they claim they are not part of the business.

Sincerely,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: I need to get a refund and please bring some rules when creators dont respect the funders and do not deliver their product.

Business

Response:

Here at Kickstarter HQ, 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 the agreement between backers and creators, 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.When you back a project on Kickstarter you enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our Terms of Use: [redacted]These terms outline the responsibilities of backers and creators. This information can serve as a basis for legal recourse if a creator doesn't fulfill their promises. We hope that backers will consider using this provision only in cases where they feel that a creator has not made a good faith effort to complete the project and fulfill.We hope this information is helpful.Regards,Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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:

This answer is given to every other complaints in here as you may see from their previous response. I don't see any good faith for a resolution.I am not able to get any update or a refund. If we look at Kickstarters terms [redacted]It clearly states - When a project is successfully funded, the creator must complete the project and fulfill each reward. Once a creator has done so, they've satisfied their obligation to their backers.Clearly they did not follow kickstarters terms. I want Kickstarter to take an action on them and get my money refunded.I also asked Kickstarter to give me the project creators information, so I would take them to the small claims court. Yet they don't share this information. On the other hand, creator does not gibe me this information as well. I believe that Kickstarter needs to give this information since I am not able to get it from the creators.Thanks,[redacted]

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

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:

This is not acceptable

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Hello, Thank you for your email. As explained, when an individual like [redacted] backs a project, he enters into an agreement with the project creator. Under the old Terms of Use, the creator would be in breach of that agreement between the creator and backer if, after failing to fulfill a reward, the creator also does not offer a refund. As such, [redacted] is free to attempt to enforce this agreement against the creator. While Kickstarter is the platform for that agreement, it is not itself a party to it, and does not itself offer rewards or mediate these disputes between creators and backers. We hope this helps. Regards, Kickstarter

Review: I have tried to get in touch with Kickstarter several times about taking down a video I posted for my kickstarter campaign a few months ago. Kickstarter has no phone number which is incredibly frustrating so I cant call anyone. I emailed them 22 times in total. Only one time did they respond saying they would take down the video a few months ago and never took it down or responded to my 20 emails after that time. They have no customer service or phone number and make over 1 billion a year! I have gotten tons of stalkerish emails from my video being up and I want it down.Desired Settlement: Take my video down

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Kickstarter, Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

This letter is in response to the complaint submitted by [redacted] on 6/**/2013, case # [redacted]. We hope it helps you and [redacted] understand how Kickstarter works.

Kickstarter is a platform where one party, the Creator, runs a campaign to raise money from other parties, the Backers, to fund a creative project. We’re a home for everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology.

When users back a project, they enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our terms of use. Because of this, and for purposes of transparency, project creators are not permitted to change or delete their project pages once a project is finished. This was communicated to [redacted] in an email sent on February **, 2013.

Regards,

Kickstarter

Review: I pledged to a project that changed creators months after the project was funded. As the pledge was made to the previous creator, there is no actual contract with the current creator. Also the product created by the current creator will be different that what was promised by the original creator.Desired Settlement: Cancel the whole project and refund everyone.

Business

Response:

Hi there,While we cannot speak to the specifics of the project in question as it is not named in this complaint, I'm happy to provide more details about how Kickstarter works.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.Here at Kickstarter HQ, 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.When you back a project on Kickstarter you enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our Terms of Use: [redacted]These terms outline the responsibilities of backers and creators. This information can serve as a basis for legal recourse if a creator doesn’t fulfill their obligations under the agreement. We hope that backers will consider using this provision only in cases where they feel that a creator has not made a good faith effort to complete the project and fulfill.Best,Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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:

This project in question is Under the Dog. After several months of silence once it was funded, they suddenly changed creators as is evident by the current creator having joined months after the project was funded.Yes, the contract was with the previous creator though but technically, not the current one.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: Kickstarter is a crowd funding website. By making a pledge to a contract, Kickstarter collects this pledge and passes the funds to the creator of the project minus a fee. Because of the pledge, the creator gives a "reward" to the person making the pledge.

Kickstarter has frozen my account due to an issue with one creator. It seems that Kickstarter will only allow certain races to be racist in their projects. When I addressed this with a creator, the creator sent me very, very insulting messages. When I responded in kind, the creator complained to Kickstarter and my account was frozen. I have requested that they "un-freeze" my account so that I can continue to communicate with creator for whom I have pledged and am awaiting rewards. Without the ability to communicate with the creators, they will not be able to fulfill the rewards, and I therefore have given pledges for "nothing."Desired Settlement: I would expect Kickstarter to either "un-freeze" my account, or refund all of the monies for pledges made where they are precluding my ability to receive my rewards.

Business

Response:

Hello,

This user was notified that a number of his actions violated several of our Community Guidelines. He was suspended from the Kickstarter service after refusing to comply with our remedial instructions.

The Kickstarter community is one based on trust, consideration, and respect; unfortunately, some users violate these core tenets, and we are forced to suspend their use of the service. As has been communicated to [redacted] privately, a demonstration that the user will respect these values may result in restoration of his account.

Regards,

Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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:

The response from the business is not the truth. I did nothing to violate any of their terms or conditions. I DID NOT violate any of their policies. If they consider any of my actions to be in violation of the perceived policies, they should refund all monies they took from me under false pretenses. This entire situation was caused because Kickstarter has an unwritten policy that Black campaign creators may start a racist campaign, but that would not be acceptable for other ethnic creators. I objected to this policy and "ruffled feathers" out of fear that I would make this practice public knowledge. Therefore, if I am an unacceptable campaign pledger, I need to be refunded all of my monies. This solutions, by the way, had been concurred with by [redacted] Payments (a branch of [redacted]).

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: I am a professional composer in the video game industry (have been for 10 years) and an avid Kickstarter backer and supporter. Since I'm a freelance contract composer, I have to reach out to game developers in order to find work. I usually do this through emails or messages on the kickstarter site... and ALL of my emails are personalized and not sent out en masse. I'm very picky when it comes to which projects I want to take on and whom I want to work with. Apparently one game developer on kickstarter marked my message to them (incorrectly) as spam and kickstarter continued to lock my account because of this ONE spam complaint. My attempts to contact customer support on this matter resulted in a series of "canned" responses from them accusing me of sending mass spam messages out to tons of developers (which I simply have not done)... in fact, I usually only contact one or two devs per week soliciting my services as a composer and almost always get a very nice response back. Four days later, and countless nice / professional emails sent from me to resolve this issue, and my account is still locked. At this point, kickstarter is costing me clients (at least two, cause I cant reply to their messages), money, and blocking me from supporting several projects I'd like to donate to. This is outrageous and something needs to be done about this... is this sort of Elitist attitude how Kickstarter treats all game industry professionals and backers? I have supported and been a part of tons of Kickstarter projects in the past.Desired Settlement: There is literally no phone number for Kickstarter anywhere. I'd like to talk to a real person to figure out why they have really blocked me out and to (hopefully) explain my situation. I have NEVER spammed anyone on Kickstarter and never will... but they seem to think otherwise.

Consumer

Response:

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,

Review: I have submitted 2 projects that had no problems. I submitted a new project similar to others currently running but an original idea. My project was denied but when I questioned that and showed there were similar projects they still denied my appeal. When I wrote to them to understand why they froze me out from starting any projects but my account is open for them to take my donations to other projects. I believe that kickstarter is skewed and there are other improper business practices happening. They provide a false customer service number to the Revdex.com and provide no way to speak directly if there is a problemDesired Settlement: I would like to know why I was so abruptly banned from starting projects for asking my rights to a company I have worked worth before.

Business

Response:

Kickstarter expects all members of our community to follow our rules ([redacted]) and Community Guidelines ([redacted]). Because these principles ensure the health of the Kickstarter community, failure to abide by them may result in the revocation of certain account privileges, such as the option to launch a project on Kickstarter.

While we cannot publicly comment on the reasons for actions regarding a specific user, we privately communicated to the complainant the reasons that his project was not permitted to launch.

Regards,

Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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:

They did not send me a proper response nor did they answer my question on the reason why my project was not approved. Their response was that they could not explain why my project was denied so the response they sent to you is an outright lie. They also banned me from starting new projects for asking for a specific reason why my project was not accepted. I broke no rules only appealed the project and then cited other projects that are like mine and are approved and running currently on kickstarter.

Their response to me:

And their previous message:

My project violates no rules and is within the same guidlines as other projects currently running on their site. Again I would like an exact reason why my project was denied and why I was banned from starting new projects for asking why my project was denied.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Hello,

A response has been previously sent to [redacted] referencing the grounds for the rejection of his project. Again, this is not a matter on which Kickstarter can comment further. As our Terms of Use clearly state, Kickstarter may terminate any user's access to the service at any time. [redacted] has violated our user guidelines and has had his privileges curtailed accordingly.

Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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:

No such information was provided as to exactly why my project was denied. I have asked more then once and when I asked for a specific reason why I was told that couldn't be disclosed and I was banned from starting new projects. I asked for a phone call and have received nothing from Kickstarter to discuss why my project was denied and why I was banned. They provide no customer service phone number but take money I dont see how that is legal.

Again kickstarters did not answer my complaint and is for some unkown reason hiding the reason why my project was denied when there are other projects of the same layout running on their site.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: Webpage received a pledge of $ 250 for one of its customers. The pledge was bind to a reward from the issuing production company. This reward has never been received after the the project was successfully finished and funded. Asking Customer Service to look into the problem, it simply told me that they will forward the message and replay the problem to the fundraiser people. Nothing really happened, so god knows what really happened to my pledge and why Kickstarter does not make sure that the fundraisers of the project really do their end of the legal deal.Desired Settlement: I want the Reward or the money back.

Business

Response:

Hi there,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.When you back a project on Kickstarter you enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our Terms of Use: [redacted]. Kickstarter is not part of this agreement. For more information about backing a project on Kickstarter, see our Trust page: https://www.kickstarter.com/trust Best,Kickstarter Support

Consumer

Response:

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,

Business

Response:

Hi there,We hate more than anything when a project 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. Our Terms of Use, referenced in our last reply, outline the agreement between a backer and creator and Kickstarter's role as the platform for this agreement. 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])).As funds are disbursed directly to the creator, we cannot facilitate refunds. We recommend reaching out to the creator through Kickstarter messages and/or other channels, such as direct email if available, to see if a refund is possible. In the meantime we will be sure to pass your feedback along to the rest of the team here. It’s our mission to make sure that Kickstarter is a place where folks can launch and support projects with confidence and excitement.Best,Kickstarter Support

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Review: AXA Technology - creator of AXA Music Air Purifier: Enjoy nice music with clean air

This creator has made no effort to update its supports and there is no evidence that they will be honoring their obligation.

I tried to personal contact well over a month back asking for a refund with no response.

Please help,Desired Settlement: Refund because kickstart policy as listed on website was not fulfilled by kickstarter or the creator.

Here is a cut and paste from their website.

Reward > Creator accountability

When you back a project on Kickstarter you enter into an agreement with the project creator as described in our Terms of Use. This agreement requires creators to fulfill all rewards of their project or refund any backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill. We hope that backers will consider using this provision only in cases where they feel that a creator has not made a good faith effort to complete the project and fulfill.

This reward should have been fulfilled in Sept it is now Jan and after multiple attempts I have not heard back from the creator. My attempts to also communicated with kickstarter also ended with them closing my case without responding to my last response.

I am not concerned with who refunds my money, based on the guidelines above, I just need the refund to be honored.

Business

Response:

Hi there,We hate more than anything when a project 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, as we have in the case of this project, 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])). Ultimately, however, the outcome of a project is the responsibility of its creator, as our terms of use state: "The creator is solely responsible for fulfilling the promises made in their project. If they’re unable to satisfy the terms of this agreement, they may be subject to legal action by backers."Best,Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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:

The canned response provided by kickstarter did not answer why kickstarter was not standing behind the policy which I cut and pasted directly from their website.The response they provided was word for word match which other individuals have received from kickstarter for situations which were very different than mine. A cut and paste response does not answer my complaint.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

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

Consumer

Response:

Tell us why here.. This is directly from the kickstarter website:Reward > Creator accountability When you back a project on Kickstarter you enter into an agreement with the project creator as described in our Terms of Use. This agreement requires creators to fulfill all rewards of their project or refund any backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill. We hope that backers will consider using this provision only in cases where they feel that a creator has not made a good faith effort to complete the project and fulfill. Aso kickstarter created this message they are responsible for ensuring the creator is held accountable. I also took time stamped screenshots of this message on your website and emailed them to myself and other in case it was taken down.

Review: I purchased a copy of the book "Pixies: A Visual History, Volume 1" by [redacted] via Kickstarter at "[redacted]" on May **, 2013. The book is also now available at "[redacted]". Both web sites state every copy of the book is signed by Black Francis (a musician featured in the book). The book went into distribution in September 2014. I received a copy on September **, 2014. But the copy I received is not signed by Black Francis.I asked for help with this issue via "[redacted]" on September **, 2014 but never received a reply.I asked for help with this issue via e-mail to "[redacted]" on September **, 2014 but never received a reply.I asked Kickstarter for help via their web support on September **, 2014, and they replied, but they said it's up to [redacted] to help me. They suggested contacting [redacted] via Kickstarter's "Contact Me" form. I used Kickstarter's "Contact Me" form to contact [redacted] on October *, 2014 but never received a reply.The book was sent from [redacted] in Michigan. I called [redacted] for help. They said I should contact [redacted], the book publisher, for help. I asked for help with this issue via "[redacted]" on October *, 2014 but never received a reply.I called [redacted] at [redacted] several times during September 2014, but I only ever got voicemail, and I never received a reply to the messages I left.Desired Settlement: I would like a copy of the book that is signed by Black Francis.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Kickstarter, Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

This letter is in response to the complaint submitted by [redacted] on 10/*/2014, case # [redacted]. We hope it helps you and Ira understand how Kickstarter works. Kickstarter is a platform where one party, the Creator, runs a campaign to raise money from other parties, the Backers, to fund a creative project. We’re a home for everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. The filmmakers, musicians, artists, and designers on Kickstarter have complete control over and responsibility for their projects. Project creators offer rewards to thank backers for their support. Kickstarter is a platform and a resource. We’re not involved in the development of the projects themselves, do not receive backers' funds, and don't offer refunds. When users back a project, they enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our terms of use This agreement establishes a legal requirement for creators to follow through on their projects, and gives backers a recourse if they don't. While Kickstarter is the platform for this agreement, we are not a part of it. Kickstarter itself cannot force the creator to fulfill rewards, offer refunds, or communicate with backers (though we encourage them to do so). In this case, we cannot force the creator to fulfill the reward that the backer has specified. We encourage this backer to contact the creator about her issue by clicking the "Contact me" link in the profile pane of the project page. Regards, Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted]. I agree that Kickstarter probably can do nothing to force a fix to the problem that occurred. Their suggestion to use the "Contact Me" form is the same suggestion they gave me before, and the seller never responded, so that doesn't help. They could take action such as banning that seller from starting future projects on their service, but that doesn't fix the problem that already occurred. Since Kickstarter does not take responsibility for sellers on their service my original Revdex.com complaint was not against them but against the seller, [redacted], which also goes under the names [redacted] and [redacted]. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Review: The following project was funded on Kickstarter on 09/**/2013:

[[redacted] They raised $1.2MM, 5% of which Kickstarter collected as fees ($60,000).

To date, the CGC team (aka [redacted]) has not delivered the product which was funded on 09/**/2013.

Kickstarter states that they do not guarantee the delivery of a backed product and that they do not grant refunds. However, they do state under Section 4 of their rules/polices that:

"If a creator is unable to complete their project and fulfill rewards, they’ve failed to live up to the basic obligations of this agreement. To right this, they must make every reasonable effort to find another way of bringing the project to the best possible conclusion for backers."

"The creator is solely responsible for fulfilling the promises made in their project. If they’re unable to satisfy the terms of this agreement, they may be subject to legal action by backers."

The CGC team does not and will not respond to emails, [redacted] inquiries, [redacted] inquiries or questions posted directly on their Kickstarter page, here:

[[redacted]]

Their [redacted] page is located here (filled with complaints and unanswered questions):

[[redacted]]

After emailing Kickstarter, Kickstarter refused to help facilitate any form of legal action or any acts of good faith to reconcile the long overdue project.

At this point, the CGC team has collected a little over $1.2MM, Kickstarter has collected approximately $60,000 and the backers of this project have paid $79 dollars and received nothing.

The company has gone on to create a website to accept pre-orders for $99, stating that they'll be shipping in Spring of 2015:

[[redacted]]

Both parties are operating without penalty even though no services have been rendered (even in the form of attempting to help the backers contact the CGC team).Desired Settlement: I would like a refund for the amount I paid to fund the [redacted] project - $79.00.

If a refund is denied on behalf of Kickstarter, I would like Kickstarter to contact the CGC team requesting a refund for the same amount - $79.00.

Business

Response:

Hello, It's unfortunate that the [redacted] project has not yet been able to send rewards to their backers. However, when a creator provides a shipping date for rewards on a Kickstarter project, our site clearly displays it as an estimated shipping date. As these products and rewards are creative in nature and do not yet exist, it is not possible to have guaranteed shipping dates. This backer is correct in regards to Kickstarter’s position in regards to delivery of rewards and refunds. Each time a pledge is made on the site, a notification appears to each user that states, "Kickstarter does not guarantee projects or investigate a creator's ability to complete their project. It is the responsibility of the project creator to complete their project as promised, and the claims of this project are theirs alone." Below this, we link to our Trust Page, which outlines additional details. When a user backs a project on Kickstarter, they enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our Terms of Use: [redacted]. Our Terms of Use outline the responsibilities of backers and creators. This information can serve as a basis for legal recourse if a creator doesn’t fulfill their obligations under the agreement. 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. This information is publicly available and provided for all users on our Trust Page: [redacted]. Due to the fact that we are not part of this agreement, we are unable to facilitate or mediate any type of legal dispute between backer and creator. We have reached out several times to the creator of the [redacted] project to relay the concerns of their backer community and encourage them to reach out to their backers. While we can encourage creators to respond to their backers, we are unable to force them to do so. The responsibilities of communication and fulfillment are strictly between the creator and backer. While we can reach out to creators through Kickstarter, we are not able to take any action on activity that takes place on third-party services (such as [redacted], personal emails, [redacted], or other websites). While the Terms of Use can serve as a legal recourse for backers, we are clear that Kickstarter is not involved in that process in numerous places on our site. We have reminded this backer of the Terms of Use to which she agreed upon pledging to a project on our site, and encourage her to continue reaching out to the creator. Best,Kickstarter

Review: Kickstarter, through their website, sponsors companies and individuals to solicit funds from "backers" to fund a project.....I am a backer of a project

with the company [redacted].... I have yet to receive any "reward" from [redacted] for the money they received from me. My reward

was to be a 3D Printer. I paid [redacted] $499.00 for the printer.....the money was paid on October **,2013...Kickstarter is only the vehicle by which

companies and individuals can solicit funds for projects, but, I feel kickstarter owes me a refund as well.....Kickstarter does not charge their 5-10% fee to the

companies or individuals until the company or individual has reached or passed their pledge goal... The more money the company or individual collects from

backers, the more kickstarter receives....This, in my opinion, makes kickstarter a partner with the company or individual as kickstarter is not charging a "flat fee"

to the company or individual for use of the kickstarter website.....also, companies that do not reach their pledge goal do not pay.Desired Settlement: full refund of the monies kickstarter received from my pledge to [redacted]

Business

Response:

Hello,

We hope this response helps you and the complainant understand how Kickstarter works.

Kickstarter is a platform where one party, the Creator, runs a campaign to raise money from other parties, the Backers, to fund a creative project. The filmmakers, musicians, artists, and designers on Kickstarter have complete control over and responsibility for their projects. Kickstarter is a platform and a resource. Kickstarter is not involved in the development of the projects themselves.

When users back a project, they enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our terms of use. Kickstarter is not a party to that agreement between the Backer and Project Creator. All dealings are solely between users.

Regards,

Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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 says,"When users back a project, they enter into an agreement with the project creator, as described in our terms of use. Kickstarter is not a party to that agreement between the Backer and Project Creator. All dealings are solely between users." this is not true.....Kickstarter fees are based on the amount the project creator

collects from the backers....the more the project creator collects, the more kickstarter receives in fees....Therefore, kickstarter does have an "interest" in every project created on their website, and, in my opinion, is a partner with every project.....The only way kickstarter would not be a "partner" is if kickstarter charged a "flat fee" to every project creator for the use of the kickstarter website..

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Hello,

As previously explained, while Kickstarter is a platform for the agreement between creators and backers, it is not a party to this agreement. The terms of the agreement (found in our terms of use) outline the responsibilities of backers and creators. This information can serve as a basis for legal recourse if a creator doesn't fulfill their promises. We hope that backers will consider using this provision only in cases where they feel that a creator has not made a good faith effort to complete the project and fulfill.

Regards,

Kickstarter

Review: Kickstarter is allowing a group to collect money for a film project that is still owes it's last film crew/cast payment for it's unfinished film "[redacted]". They have been informed by the film producer of the unethical behavior of Kickstarter's community. [redacted] These people are committing wage fraud in [redacted] state through Kickstarter.Desired Settlement: That all of the people involved with this Kickstarter are banned from using the site again, so they can't steal from people.

Consumer

Response:

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,

Review: I am in the process of building a 20 foot motor boat with surface design and images to celebrate the African slaves who revolted on the schooner The Amistad. I was given wood scraps from the construction of recently built replica of the historic slave ship that was constructed at the Mystic Seaport shipyard in Mystic, CT. I was seeking additional funding through Kickstarter to defray the cost of supplies and equipment to complete the project. I prepared my materials for the site as instructed by the organization. My project is entitled [redacted] to honor the enslaved African Mendes from Sierra Leone who revolted on the ship.

There are five days to go before my project period ends. The only messages that I have received are from other individuals soliciting to promote my project for a fee. When I emailed the kickstarted "campus" to question the four solicitations from online marketers, I received an email from the following. The email messages are included below. Alex H[redacted], a representative of Kickstarter and the most recent email, had me call him. We did a couple of days of phone tag until I reached him personally. He proceeded to tell me that for a fee he could provide my site with greater visibility. The fees were $295 or $495. I told him that he should have included this on the web page. There is no indication on the web site that a person needed or could pay a fee to receive more visibility. After the phone call, I posted a message stating that anyone who sees my project would they send me a message that indeed I am in the kickstarted "rotation." Well I have five days remaining and I have received no messages. I had my colleague review my project presentation. She is a professional abstract painter and a college professor. She thought my presentation was organized and clear as to my intentions with this project. I, too, am a college professor in the field of music but I have a serious past time in the visual arts. I have exhibited at reputable galleries and recently I did construct a wooden boat and received awards for the artist renderings on the vessel. I am listed on the website of the Wooden Boat Magazine under the Cours d'elegance contest for owner built and professional wooden boats. this contest is held each year at the Mystic Seaport Wooden Boat Show in CT.

I also noted that the Kickstarter website has a rotation of projects on the opening page of their website. Did these people pay money to get in the rotation?

Messages

Inbox

Search messages

Alex H[redacted] Oct ** 2015

Mendes pour Liberté -A Wooden Boat. 5

Hi DEBORAH, thanks for the quick reply. Please shoot me your phone number when you get a chance, thanks! ?

Heidi K[redacted] Oct ** 2015

[redacted] -A Wooden Boat. 1

Hello there, Hi there, I am a college student focusing on social media promotion. I assist people with social media advertising and marketing as a way to help pay my educational costs. I will tweet your message to over One million twitter users for up to 7 days for just thirty-four dollars, or write and distribute a news release about your project beginning at only thirty dollars. I also have a low-priced social networking promo specifically designed to crowdfunding. It's my Social Media Blitz- You can Push your project to sixteen million hyper-active users on [redacted], generating likes, shares and raising your recognition- as low as one dollar a day. In case you would like to know more, check this link: [redacted] Many thanks!

Gregg B[redacted] (deleted) Oct ** 2015 [redacted] -A Wooden Boat. 1

Hello! We can take care of your Kickstarter campaign’s marketing work for as long as it remains online with THE MOST TARGETED service! We target the crowd that is interested PARTICULARLY in YOUR cause! If you want to increase your project exposure then you can order the plan that is best for your campaign: [redacted] Copy & paste the above link in your browser & check out our service. We’re a team of four online marketers with MBAs from top institutes. We have extensive promotional and marketing experience specifically geared towards sponsoring not just any crowdfunding campaign but the ones that are on Kickstarter.com “Art" is the category in which we’ve had MAXIMUM success so far after “Technology" Note: We don’t check our account here regularly, so if you want to get in touch with us, you can use the “Contact Us" page on our website. We offer a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. So your investment is risk-free and you can concentrate your project :) Gregg B[redacted]

Therese Evans Oct ** 2015

[redacted] -A Wooden Boat. 1

Hello, I looked at your project and thought our services could be helpful to help you receive more visibility and exposure. Kickstarter uses an algorithm that takes into consideration things like social media shares, page views, pledges, etc? Our services can help you boost your ranking within Kickstarter so users can find your campaign to begin with. We have packages starting at only $5. [redacted] Good luck with your project! I wish you the best on your project! Regards, Rosa.Desired Settlement: To have kickstarted indicate on the website as an individual submits a project that fees are involved to receive distribution to a worldwide market or rotation on the front page of the website. If I had known this I would have gone with the $35.00 offer.

To have someone explain to me what area was reached to view my project. This company seems misrepresents itself.

Business

Response:

Hello,Sorry to hear about this issue.To clarify, while these people are getting in touch with the creator through the messaging system on Kickstarter, Kickstarter itself isn't affiliated with any advertising, promotional, or marketing services. These people do not work for Kickstarter, as you can see on our team page: [redacted]. Any unsolicited offers you receive should be taken with a grain of salt.While it's ultimately up to creators to research and determine what's best for your project, we take spam behavior very seriously and will take the appropriate action according to our Community Guidelines: [redacted]. Please mark these messages as spam and our Integrity team will look into this as soon as possible. Apologies for any inconvenience.Note that creators do not pay a premium for promotion on Kickstarter. There are many ways you can get your project noticed, and make it as attractive as possible for your own audience. For a full play-by-play, take a look at our blog post about how to be featured on Kickstarter: [redacted]Best,Kickstarter Support

Consumer

Response:

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:

With all due respect, I wrote Kickstarter about these solicitations and got the response from the Alex H[redacted] who stated that he was from Kickstarter. I never got a response from the company. I prepared the project proposal as directed. There is some disconnect here. Your agency is not clear about this.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

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 has not answered my simple questions. I would appreciate a simple direct response.1.What group did you expose my project to? How does one get the rotations on website front page?Simple questions. As soon as I can get a direct response I will close this complaint.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Hi there,Our Editorial team looks through all projects on the site. We have a whole team of people in our office with backgrounds in all sorts of creative fields. When we spot projects we think are really exceptional, we try to let the world know about them. Best,Kickstarter

Review: Please note that I ordered a pair of ugg boots for 120.00 and never received merchandise. When I tried several times to contact customer support the company never responded. I believe this is a fake website and is being advertised on pintrest.com. I contacted my bank and filed fraud report.Desired Settlement: Would like to be refunded for money for merchandise that was never received and for the website to be shut down so the merchant can no longer scam people

Business

Response:

This complaint seems to have been sent in error. Kickstarter is a platform where one party, the creator, runs a campaign to raise money from other parties, the backers, to fund a creative project. Kickstarter is not an online store and has never sold UGG Boots.

Review: Torquing Group - received around 3 million in money from backers who were expecting to receive a drone. The video they used acted like it was close to releasing when in fact it may have been fake. We lost $260 and never received anything. The deliver date kept getting pushed back and recently the company filed for bankruptcy. Now everyone is just out of their money. They need to refund EVERYTHING!Desired Settlement: He needs to return our money from the drone he failed to deliver and used fake videos of the product.

Business

Response:

Hi there,We have sent two emails to all backers of the Zano project outlining the steps we are taking to increase the transparency surrounding this project's demise. To clarify further, we cannot offer refunds on behalf of a creator, as the agreement is between backers and creators: [redacted]Best,Kickstarter

Consumer

Response:

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]

I think Kickstarter needs to removed from Internet - this is NOT the first project to take peoples money and they get nothing in return - Kickstarter should be going after this company for all of its fake video of a product they didn't have. We will NEVER use Kickstarter again and I hope everyone else will follow suit.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Hi there,We're always looking for ways that we can improve. If you have any feedback or suggestions to how we could improve the Kickstarter ecosystem, please don't hesitate to contact us at [redacted]For more information on Fulfillment on Kickstarter, see this link: [redacted]Best,Kickstarter

Review: I began researching Kickstarter in February of 2015. I was an advocate of the Go Get Funding Campaign Platform, but due to the nature of my most recent a project (a nationwide launch of my afterschool dance program) I decided to use Kickstarter since many of their projects were meant to help companies "kickstart" a project or business.

The first place I headed was to their Terms of Conditions page as well as Creator FAQ page. I read through each item individually and launched my project with a goal of $15,000. I understood the terms that pledges would not be sent to me til the end of the project. Through Get Get Funding, pledges are sent immediately to the project creator. I was fine with that. I also set a really large goal because the project itself- (a nationwide expansion launch) is a big feat. Before I launched I was looking for information on how if it worked similar to the Go Get Funding. I didn't want to waste my time on raising funds on a crowdfunding platform that wasn't right for me. I'm a very small business and don't have time to waste.

Here's a breakdown of some of the Terms that Kickstarter lists on their Project Creator page located at: [redacted]

These pertain mainly to if a project is "not successfully funded" vs "Successfully Funded"

Are projects that were not successfully funded browsable on Kickstarter?

in Creator Questions / After your project ends

If my project is successfully funded how do I receive my funds?

in Creator Questions / Stripe Payments

My project was just successfully funded, where did my project video go?

in Creator Questions / After your project ends

What is a creator obligated to do once their project is funded?

in Kickstarter Basics / Accountability

Can projects be edited after funding is completed?

in Creator Questions / While your project is live

What happens when a project is overfunded?

in Backer Questions / Backing a project

..

In reading the answers to these questions, Kickstarter mentions what happens to a project that is "successfully" funded, however it does not mention the terms of a project that is "unsuccesfully funded" or a project that "fails to meet it's goals"

Apparently if a Kickstarter campaign does not meet it's goals, none of the pledges are actually sent. This is unlike the Go Get Funding platform where all donations that were sought after go immediately to the Crowdfunding creator.

There were two locations (these were discovered only AFTER my project ended) and located in Kickstarter 101 section. I would like it noted that the terms "all or nothing" is not mentioned in a single answer or question for the Project Creator FAQ section. Here are the two locations where "all or nothing" is described. My comments below are separated in []

Why is funding all-or-nothing?

in Kickstarter Basics / Kickstarter 101

All-or-nothing funding is a core part of Kickstarter and it has a number of advantages:

It's less risk for everyone. If you need $5,000, it's tough having $1,000 and a bunch of people expecting you to complete a $5,000 project.

It motivates. If people want to see a project come to life, they're going to spread the word.

It works. Of the projects that have reached 20% of their funding goal, 81% were successfully funded. Of the projects that have reached 60% of their funding goal, 98% were successfully funded. Projects either make their goal or find little support. There's little in-between.

[ALL-OR-NOTHING in the paragraph above is NOT clearly defined on the side of the project creator. Kickstarter fails to inform the project creator in a CLEARLY DEFINED manner that- Project creators- if you don't reach your goal, you don't get ANY of the funds that you raise].

In Kickstarter 101- How does Kickstarter Work

Every project creator sets their project's funding goal and deadline. If people like the project, they can pledge money to make it happen. If the project succeeds in reaching its funding goal, all backers' credit cards are charged when time expires. If the project falls short, no one is charged. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing.

[Again this is a definition that is more so for the backers of projects. All-or-nothing is still not CLEARLY DEFINED for Project Creators. If the project falls, no one is charged. What is the definition of a "project failing?" What does "no one is charged" mean? This is confusing. Kickstarter charges project creators a percentage when a project is "successfully funded". So when first read, it is implied that the Project Creator is not charged the percentage (which is how it works on other Crowdfunding Platforms such as Go Get Funding). As a first time Kickstarter user, this is clearly confusing and poorly explained. Who is "no one" is it the Backer or the Project Creator? This statement still DOES NOT clearly inform Project Creators that All-or-Nothing means you don't get ANY of your hard raised money if your project is "failing" or "unsuccesffuly funded." All-Or-Nothing is not clearly defined as it pertains to project creators.]

It's important to remember that Kickstarter is built on an all-or-nothing funding system. No one is charged until a project meets its funding goal and the funding period ends. This gives backers time to fully evaluate a project, and it also gives our Integrity team some time to look into any concerns raised by backers. - [Again, this is read as project creator's aren't charged the fee when a project does not meet it's goal. Where does this CLEARLY explain and PS...you don't get any of the funds raised if your goal isn't met]

When conducting a search for "All-or-Nothing" it is mentioned 6 times TOTAL on the website. Not once is it explained or defined for a PROJECT CREATOR. It appears in Kickstarter 101, Accountability and Troubleshooting sections of Kickstarter.Desired Settlement: I have shown the Kickstarter terms to an attorney who handles cases for consumers and they believe we have a case in which Kickstarter willfully engaged in the trade practice knowing it to be deceptive which is a violation of the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act which has been put in place to protect consumers from misleading advertising.

SInce Kickstarter has not clearly defined for PROJECT CREATORS in such simple terms as- "If your project is unsuccesful and you do not reach your funding goal, you do NOT receive any pledges." as a definition of their "All-or-Nothing" process. This statement clearly defines not only what a "failed" project is (a project that does NOT reach it's goal) but also what the term "all-or-nothing" means as it pertains to PROJECT CREATORS.

Failure to clearly define the terms "all-or-nothing" as it pertains to me, the Project Creator as well as defining in detail what a "failed" or "Unsuccessful" project was resulted in 90 days of TIME (which is money) in raising $814.00

Although Kickstarter views that as "unsuccessful" or a "failed" project, we the project creators dedicated 90 days to raise that money and since we were unaware (until three hours AFTER our project ended and we had to go to an EXTERNAL website) to discover that we weren't going to get DIME!

It caused a huge embarassment as we had to reach out to each individual backer and let them know that we didn't understand how Kickstarter worked, not to mention the hours away from our business to promote a project that was no where NEAR reaching it's goal.

Had Kickstarter made a clear definition to PROJECT CREATORS what happens if a project "fails" and clearly defined the process that "no one is charged" ALSO means that creators do NOT receive any pledges...we would have 1) either set a more reasonable goal 2) stayed with the Go Get Funding Platform which does give us all the funds that we DO successfully raise.

Because of the clear misrepresentation of Kickstarter terms as it pertains to the PROJECT CREATOR and the undefined terms of:

"failed projects"

"successfully funded"

"all-or-nothing"

"no one is charged"

as it perstains to the PROJECT CREATOR and what happens to the pledges of the "failed projects" we are asking that Kickstarter make a pledge of the $814 that we SUCCESSFULLY funded through their crowdfunding site and consequently lost due to misrepresented terms and conditions and misrepresented and undefined terms on their website.

We'd also ask that Kickstarter include in their FAQ for Project Creators what the term "Failed Project" and "All-or-Nothing" means as it pertains to PLEDGES that are being collected!! As the term "no one is charged" could pertain to the percentage that is taken out of projects that are "successfully" funded. It is not clearly stated that the statement "no one is charged" means that funds are NOT given to the Project Creators and the Backers are not required to fulfill their pledges. With the number of other Crowdfunding platforms who follow the "no one is charged" as it pertains to the percentage paid back to the crowdfunding platform when a goal is met, you would think that Kickstarter would do a better job of defining the term "no one is charged."

Business

Response:

Hi there,Thanks for getting in touch. Sorry to hear about the confusion you experienced when reading our Terms and when trying to learn more about how our site works. We are very open about the fact that funding is all-or-nothing on Kickstarter. This means that backers are only charged for their pledges if the project ends having met its funding goal. If this is the case, the backers will be charged at the moment of the project's deadline passing. If a project is successful, we then assess fees from the total of funds collected, which are taken directly as each backer is charged. These funds then go to the creator. If a project does not meet its goal, no backers will have been charged in the first place, meaning no fees would be assessed by us either.We do highlight our all-or-nothing feature in several places throughout the site, including our FAQs, which you've mentioned, as well as our Learn and Hello pages:[redacted]

[redacted]We also highlight the fact that Kickstarter is all-or-nothing directly in the project build process. When creators fill in their funding goal amount when building their project, they see the following text:"Your funding goal should be the minimum amount needed to complete the project and fulfill (and ship!) all rewards. Because funding is all-or-nothing, you can always raise more than your goal but never less. Once your project has launched, it will not be possible to change your funding goal.If your project is successfully funded, the following fees will be collected from your funding total: Kickstarter's 5% fee, and payment processing fees (between 3% and 5%). If funding isn't successful, there are no fees."We appreciate the feedback given about a desire to put this information in more places on the site. We will pass this along to the rest of our team to take into consideration when making future product improvements.Should you wish to relaunch your project and try again, feel free to do so by starting a new project draft: [redacted]For more tips on how Kickstarter works and how to run a successful campaign, you can also look at our Kickstarter Creator Handbook: [redacted]Best,Kickstarter

Review: Kickstarter.com is to supposed to be used for fundraising issues of original works. I have an original work that needs fundraising in terms of production and advertising; this original work that I produced via [redacted] Independent Publishing format. I am a new author, so I wanted to utilize Kickstarter in order to fundraise my book in order to make certain changes to my book (which costs) and seek funds in order to advertise. First they stated, that my project was unclear and that may awards were no good enough, then the told me I must submit a video (which is not required), then finally they said that they do not help people with works completed all ready, so they rejected my project and rejected the appeal. They keep submitting the guidelines page to me for a reference, but there is no mentioning of a patron not utilizing Kickstarter to help fundraise in order to seek funding support of my book. It is reasonable that a creative work would need fundraising, and as such, would need support of funds. Quickstarter has no mentioning of a project like mine being against company policy. Secondly, the customer service person, [redacted], was very condescending and very rude to me from the start. [redacted] sent me snide comments in an email reply. Since I do not have the backing of a publisher, the book may contain errors in which I have to remedy at a later date, which costs money. Money that I could have raised on Kickstarter.Desired Settlement: I want to be able without bias to submit my project in order to allow donors to help me fund my project. Also, if possible, have someone other than [redacted] to correspond and seek investigation in this matter. If this issue is not received with the desired outcome, please have Kickstarter.com to make a reference to this issue on their site. It is not fair to patrons seeking assistance that Kickstarter can decide to remove a project without a listed reason for doing so that violates the guidelines listed on their site.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

We’re writing in response to [redacted]'s complaint. Thank you for forwarding it to us.

Kickstarter is a platform where one party, the Creator, runs a campaign to raise money from other parties, the Backers, to fund a creative project. Each project submitted to Kickstarter is reviewed against our Project Guidelines by a member of our team called a Project Specialist. [redacted] submitted his project, "Rays of Sunshine from the Hood", for review on August **, 2013. We declined the project because its primary purpose was promotion or marketing of an existing work, which is prohibited under our guidelines. [redacted] has since launched a different project on our site for another work of his. We assume that whatever his complaints were, he has resolved them and chosen to use our site.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any further questions.

Regards,

Kickstarter Legal

Consumer

Response:

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,