ThingCHARGER Inc.

We are very sorry for this individuals frustration. On February [redacted], the same day that they filed this complaint, they contacted us via email requesting a refund. We had already begun that refund process and had emailed them to let them know, prior to receiving this complaint. We would...

like this individual to know that there is a delay between when they file a complaint with the Revdex.com and when the company in question receives that complaint.It seems as though this individual was not aware of our weekly update via hangout video that we have been making available to our contributors for over a year now on our website. We are sorry about that. If our supporters are unable to locate that on our website, we encourage them to use the contact us button and we would be happy to email them a link.At our earliest supporters request, we do not send out mass emails. However it does seem from their emails to us that they were aware of our crowdfunding status and of the delay between contribution and shipping.With crowdfunding, an inventor takes a good idea to the internet. There, many people contribute a small amount of money towards making that idea into a reality. The inventor then takes that money and uses it to create, manufacture, and ship the product. When the product is ready, it is then shipped out to all the people who supported its creation, as a thank-you gift.Because of that process, there is usually a lag between when contributions are received and when perk packages are shipped. This can feel frustrating, but it is a normal part of crowdfunding. It seems that this individual was simply not comfortable waiting, so we are processing their refund.

Revdex.com:At this time, I have not been contacted by thingCHARGER Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

thingCHARGER is a crowdfunding campaign. Before we ship perk packages to our supporters we send them a link where they can add upgrades and select additional tips for their chargers. This individual selected an additional tip for the bonus charger in their perk package which is where the additional...

charge came from.   When the individual contacted us with their concern about the invoice we responded with an explanation of the invoice.  At the time of this response the individual has received all of their thingCHARGERs and their tips.

We try to make our crowdfunding status clear to potential contributors and we are very sorry that it evidently was not clear to this individual. That status is expressly stated in a number of places throughout our advertising and contribution pages, but we...

apologize that in this case it was unclear. We acted as quickly as we could to meet this individual's expectations and our records show that their thingCHARGER has been delivered. We never alter our contributors selections without their express permission and we remain committed to asking only for our actual cost for shipping – we do not profit from shipping fees. We have reached out to this individual to clarify the charges that they may have seen prior to shipping and hope that they will contact us directly with any further concerns.

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]

When this individual reached out to us, we were happy to explain crowdfunding and our shipping timeline. Because crowdfunding uses the funds collected from our amazing supporters to create, manufacture, and ship our products to our supporters, there is often a long delay between the receipt of...

funds and the shipment of packages. This can feel like a problem to individuals who are unfamiliar with crowdfunding, but it is a normal part of the process. We are terribly sorry that in this case that lag time caused concern. Our records show that this individuals package has been shipped and is in transit at this time. We truly hope that they will reach out to us with any further concerns they may have.

I purchased the Thing Charger in April of 2015 and hadn't received it as of December of 2015. I notified them that I would like a refund. It took weeks sending numerous emails with no response. They informed me that they couldn't credit my charge card because Indiagogo was in charge of handling reimbursements. I was furious at the thought that not only did I not have the product I ordered, but I was out my money also.
I finally got an email from them stating that they would send me a check instead. I didn't care how I got reimbursed, just as long as I didn.
Just a few days ago I finally got a check.
I will never do business with them again, and I advise others not to attempt to do so also.

Revdex.com:At this time, I have not been contacted by thingCHARGER Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Revdex.com:At this time, I have not been contacted by thingCHARGER Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

We are very sorry that this individual did not receive our email responses to their questions. We have attempted to reach out to them via both phone and email and will continue to attempt. We encourage our supporters to email us at [redacted]Because crowdfunding uses the funds collected...

from our amazing supporters to create, manufacture, and ship our products to our supporters, there is often a long delay between the receipt of funds and the shipment of packages. This can feel like a problem to individuals who are unfamiliar with crowdfunding, but it is a normal part of the process.We have reached out to this individual to try to attempt to address their concerns and will continue to do so.

At the time of these transactions thingCHARGER was a crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding is a new platform that allows people to raise money for their project. Later, when the project is complete the selected perk packages and shipped.The original contribution that we received was for the...

perk package of thingCHARGERs  and a base shipping rate.We only charge tax where required and this is based off of the shipping address. When an individual their shipping details we then calculate the taxes, if there are any. The taxes for this product were only charged once.Thank you,Ashley G[redacted]Operations ManagerthingCHARGER Inc.

Review: I've placed an order with the company, #[redacted], for 4 thing chargers. I've not seen anything from them, nor have I received a follow up email as to when I can expect the devices. After going back over the website, I noted in smaller type that these devices were being made, and whatever is made first goes out to some original persons/customers....the wording us misleading. I was under the impression, both from televised adverts and initial wording in the website, that there were devices already made and waiting to be shipped. There is no definitive date. I would like a full refund.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund as soon as possible

Consumer

Response:

Hello. I'm replying to the complaint, complaint number above, regarding shipment and refund. I've just heard from the company. At this time, I feel the matter has been resolved. I just wasn't getting any response before, so I had concerns. I appreciate your help and your time, and I hope I haven't caused any inconvenience. Thank you so much. [redacted].

Review: Ordered Thingcharger in October ([redacted]) of 2015. Contacted them via email on 11/**/2015 after seeing this item on the store shelves for retail sale locally. Got some story about retail first before any of their items are shipped to paying customers. Tired of waiting. I could have made one of my own, and probably better, by this time.Desired Settlement: I want a complete refund ($127.65). No interest will be charged. Thank you.

Business

Response:

We have offered this individual an immediate refund. We are very sorry that we did not get them their thingCHARGERs as quickly as they would have preferred. thingCHARGER is a crowdfunding campaign which began shipping to our earliest supporters late last fall. We've been working hard on fulfilling all of our supporters perk packages and finished shipping to our 2013 and 2014 supporters at the end of January. We expect to finish all of our 2015 supporters by early summer. With crowdfunding, an inventor takes a good idea to the internet. There, many people contribute a small amount of money towards making that idea into a reality. The inventor then takes that money and uses it to create, manufacture, and ship the product. When the product is ready, it is then shipped out to all the people who supported its creation, as a thank-you gift.Because of that process, there is usually a lag between when contributions are received and when perk packages are shipped. This can feel frustrating, but it is a normal part of crowdfunding.The units that were released to Sam's club were placed there by our distribution partner as part of a market test. While they were a relatively small number of units in terms of large scale manufacturing and marketing, we truly understand that they were upsetting and are very sorry for that.Here at thingCHARGER our focus remains on shipping to our direct supporters.We were nearing this individuals place in our shipping queue and are very sorry that we did not reach it in time for them. We are, however, happy to give them the refund which they have requested.

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 ordered thingCharger on April **, 2015 and have not received my merchandise. I have contacted the company twice and have not had any response. I just called the company and [redacted] has a voicemail stating that they have a mad rush on the product. Im like mad rush, what about April **, 2015 C'mon [redacted] and [redacted], I want my product or return my payment of $127.65.

Business

Response:

When this individual contacted us on January [redacted], we returned their email the same day. They verified their shipping information the next day and their package was shipped immediately. We normally expect that supporters that contributed to our campaign early were fully aware of our crowdfunding status, but occassionally they are not. With crowdfunding, many people contribute a small amount of money toward a great idea. The inventors take that money and turn it into a fantastic product, which we can then ship to the amazing people who supported us. We are so excited to be a successful crowdfunding campaign that is shipping as quickly as we can to our earliest supporters. We are shipping in the order in which we received contributions to honor our earliest supporters for the patience and their incredible support.It looks like this individuals package was delivered on January [redacted]. We hope they are truly enjoying cordless charging, but if they have any further concerns, we encourage them to contact us at [redacted]

In today's world of instant ability to get products and service ( in many cases ) thingCharger falls flat. If they would spend half as much developing inventory and logistics as they do doing marketing, they could sell their product and deliver it on a reasonable time frame. Sadly, that is not the case. I ordered mine about a month before Xmas and now learn it will get it some time in 2016. There are competing products on the market by the way.

I ordered and paid for * thingCHARGERS on 9/**/2015 for $87.00. In January we were told the chargers would ship soon but we needed to order the tips. So we ordered the tips which were doubled shipped (8 tips for * chargers) right away for an addition $31.3*). As of */*/2016 we have not received the chargers. When we contact customer service (only via e-mail) it is obvious the company has severe issues and are using customer money to have parts built. We never, never get a straight answer on delivery. We want a full refund for everything!

Review: thingcharger.com is a deceptive website which appears to purposefully bury, minimize or hide any indication that it is a so-called "crowdfund campaign." In fact, all transactions appear to be a normal retail purchase. In any event, there is nothing on the website or "order receipt" (their term) that would indicate delivery would be delayed. In fact, the receipt clearly shows that they charged for shipping and When queried about the expected delivery date, thingcharger.com then claims that you made a "contribution" and not a purchase. Then they chide you for not understanding crowdfunding. While they now claim they will ship my order, I have no reasonable expectation that they will do so. I have asked for a refund.Desired Settlement: I want that website either shut down, modified to clearly indicate that anyone giving them money is not making an actual purchase, or for them to clearly provide an estimated delivery date as is required under the rules. (See FTC's guidance on Prompt Delivery Rules at [redacted])

Business

Response:

We find it unfortunate when there is a misunderstanding. At the time of this response these thingCHARGERs have been delivered. thingCHARGER is currently a crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding has become more and more popular in recent years. Americans are enjoying getting behind new ideas and helping small start-ups succeed. Crowdfunding works a bit differently than a typical "direct sales" and we explain this on our website in the following areas. *In our video Amy and Seymour do ask for contributions to help us launch thingCHARGER. *On the front page of our website, you will see the phrase “Contribute now to our pre-launch campaign and receive thingCHARGER(s) as an awesome thank-you perk from us when we ship, located at the bottom of the page. *In addition, when selecting your perk package and preparing to hit the “continue to payment” button, you will see these words written below: “Contribute now to our pre-launch campaign and receive thingCHARGER(s) as an awesome thank-you perk from us when we ship.” *Also, our terms and conditions page does clearly outline our crowdfunding status. Here is that link: [redacted]

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 response is laughable. The so called statements that is it a crowdfunding campaign -- where they exist -- are not readily evident. It really does appear to me that the website is purposely minimizing anything that might provide that information to the consumer. They have made no offer to ACTUALLY state "clearly and prominently" on the thingCHARGER website that it is a crowdfunding campaign and that shipping would not be immediate. First, I only got to the company's website from a Facebook ad. There was no indication on that ad that it was a crowdfunded campaign or that shipping would not be immediate. I notice the company didn't address that. Second, there is no indication on the thingCHARGER video that it is a crowdfunding campaign until the very bitter end of a lengthy video. And, frankly, they really only refer to "contributions". The video also references the indiegogo.com campaign which is over. And, they don't outright call it a crowdfunding campaign. One would have to make the inference that they were talking about a crowdfunded campaign. And, there is no indication on that video that shipping would be delayed in anyway. Third, when you click on the "get yours" button on the thingCHARGER website, its automatically scrolls down -- past the faq and the rest of the website -- to the buttons to choose 1, 4 or 7 chargers. It in no way identifies them as perks. Then, in order to see the statement that it is a "contribution" (it doesn't say it is a crowdfunded campaign) -- that is in barely visible white lettering on light grey -- one would have had to continue to scroll down past the buttons to the very end of the page. In addition, there is no indication that shipping would be delayed in anyway. Fourth, when one chooses to purchase one of the thingCHARGER packages the website takes you to an intermediate page which provides information on the product and links to upsell you. Nothing on that page indicates in any way that it is a crowdfunded campaign or that you will not be delivering promptly. It looks just like a regular retail purchase. By the way, the only link to the terms and conditions referenced by the company, is on the very bottom of that page. There does not appear to be any other links to the terms and conditions elsewhere on the company's website. Fifth, when you select the "choose this" button and the website takes you to the order page, the only mention of a crowdfunded campaign is at the very bottom of the form after the shipping details and the "place order" button -- again requiring the user to manually scroll down to the very bottom of the page.In addition, thingCHARGER's invoice gives NO indication that thingCHARGER isn't immediately shipping, that my payment was considered a "contribution," or that it was part of "crowdfunding" campaign. The invoice I recieved clearly refers to my "order," identifies the "product," and even includes charges for shipping and includes my address.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We are terribly sorry that this individual still feels that we have not addressed their concerns.We make it very clear in a number of places throughout our advertising and check-out process that we are a crowdfunding campaign. We also provide as much information as we can about our shipping timelines, given that we are working very hard every day to improve and speed that process. While in this case, it appears that the individual was unaware of crowdfunding at the time of contribution, we have made every effort to speed their shipment and accomadate their expectations.

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:

I still firmly believe that thingcharger's marketing, and website in particular, appears to be purposefully structured to hide or bury that it is a crowdfunded campaign and not a regular purchase. They have not address specifically their advertising or their invoicing which does not reference crowdfunding or a delayed shipment in any way. They have not made any attempt to modify their website or marketing to address my concerns or the concerns of others that references to crowdfunding or a delay is shipment. They have not explained why they are not following standard best practices required by kickstarter and other crowdfunding hosts. I am obviously not alone in my belief -- try doing a quick internet search on thingcharger and complaint or scam.

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

Sincerely,

Review: Ordered the thingCHARGER a month ago and have not received the product. Then I recently received an email stating I needed to complete the order process which then charged me additional funds of $12.95. I then received a confusing invoice with a different order# stating a charge of $179.60 which is $60.00 more than the original purchase price of $119.80. It seems the continue to bait you to get the order shipped and then nothing.

This company has the most awkward and deceiving order process I have ever encountered.Desired Settlement: Immediate-Full refund of the purchase price. Based on the their confusing invoices, I'm not even sure what amount I have been charged.

Business

Response:

thingCHARGER is a crowdfunding campaign. Before we ship perk packages to our supporters we send them a link where they can add upgrades and select additional tips for their chargers. This individual selected an additional tip for the bonus charger in their perk package which is where the additional charge came from. When the individual contacted us with their concern about the invoice we responded with an explanation of the invoice. At the time of this response the individual has received all of their thingCHARGERs and their tips.

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: Placed an order on November [redacted], 2015. Order # [redacted]

The website was misleading and never advertised or told consumers that orders would ship late into 2016. I was charged on my credit card $127.65 on November [redacted] and never received my order and was never told when placing my order that it wasn't shipping in a reasonable amount of time and that I would need to wait months for my order to ship. The website now states this information but it did not when I placed my order on Nov [redacted]. I emailed customer service on December [redacted] 2015 and never received a reply about why my order hadn't shipped or why I wasn't told on the website that the inventory wasn't available.Desired Settlement: I do now t want to be charged now for my purchase and wait until June 2016 for my order to ship. I would like to cancel my order and be refunded my total charge of $127.65

Business

Response:

At the time of this writing thingCHARGER is still a crowdfunding campaign. We have been shipping our beautiful product since September and continue to ship as fast as we can.It seems that perhaps you did not realize this, and we apologize. I would love to make this right. Please check your email for a message from us asking you to confirm your shipping information.Below is a little information about crowdfunding:Crowdfunding is a platform where inventors can launch a new product by asking for the funds upfront. Once we have your thingCHARGER made we send an email asking to confirm your shipping details so we can send you a thank-you gift of thingCHARGERs for your generous support.

Review: First purchase made on NOV ** 2015 for 3 thing charger and one free one total 127.65

Second purchase on DEC ** 2015 for 3 thing charger and one fee one total 127.65

I was in contact with the company several times by e mail during this time. [redacted] I was very concerned I was not receiving any information about my products. Until one time I was informed I would have them by Christmas.

Well today is JAN *, 2016 and they just arrived in the mail. I did not open the package because I want to return for a full refund. I also sent them an e-mail regarding my request. Hope you can help me and thanks for the time you have spent reading this information. I am a senior citizen and can't loose money On a fixed incomeDesired Settlement: credit to my credit card

Business

Response:

This individual has been refunded as of January [redacted]. As soon as their package was returned to our warehouse, we inspected it and processed the return.When this contributor first reached out to us they were unaware that we are still a crowdfunding campaign. With crowdfunding, many people contribute a small amount of money toward a great idea. The inventors take that money and turn it into a fantastic product, which we can then ship to the amazing people who supported us. Because crowdfunding uses the funds collected from our contributors to create, manufacture, and ship our products to our supporters, there is often a delay between the receipt of funds and the shipment of packages. When we learned that they were unaware of our crowdfunding status, we acted as quickly as we could to try to meet their expectations and resolve their concerns. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so quickly enough and they have requested a return and refund. This individual has been refunded and their banking institution will credit their account. We are very sorry, but hope that we have resolved the issue to their satisfaction.We encourage anyone who is concerned about their package, or has any questions, to contact us directly at [email protected]

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,