Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/19/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I backed a project "Nixiea: A Classic Retro Nixie Wrist Watch" by ***** Team. They collected $109.00 August 2022. This company has gone silent since September 2022. I understand the risks involved with pledging through Kickstarter. I have filed a complaint through their channels, but they have also been silent. Since they shield their creators with private profiles, they have a responsibility to investigate on behalf of their ********. I would like to get a response from Kickstarter on how they will handle this situation.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Kickstarter, PBC regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/16/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  KickStarter's mission to help Creator to bring their creation to live via crowd funding. One of the rules KickStarter stated is its community is built on Trust and Communication. For this complaint, the project is called "Dockcier - A thunderbolt 3 Dock with 8TB Storage Boost". The Creator was supposed to deliver their product sometime in October 2022. Since then, there are many complaints from this project backers as the Creator has stopped responding to the backers. Following KickStarter's engagement rule, we supposed to email the Creator and seek help from KickStarter by reporting the situation. Unfortunately neither the Creator nor KickStarter would respond to the backer community. Each backer funded the project at a cost of $125 plus shipping. Together, KickStarter and the Creator have collected $143,861 from the backer community and ran away. We the backers have no-one to turn to...but to report this to the BBB for this business practice. More can be reviewed in the below KickStarter URL: *************************************************************************************************************************** Thanks,****

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2022

  Hi there,
  
  We're sorry that working with this creator has turned into a frustrating experience for you. Part of the responsibility creators take on when they launch projects is taking the time to work with backers and make sure these kinds of concerns are handled refunds, items lost in shipping, and all those other service details. It's disappointing that, in this case, it seems that process isn't quite working out.
  
  Ultimately, creators are responsible for their own behavior from communication and engagement to fulfillment and while we can and do enforce our Terms of Use, we can't force anyone to actually write their book or send off their designs to the manufacturer. A big part of Kickstarter's mission is to support creative freedom and independence; we don't step into the actual creative process itself. 
  
  When creators go silent, we know that this can damage backers trust. Weve reached out to this creator and asked them to take time to respond to backers, as well as post an update on their progress so far. However, its important to remember that each creator will approach their project differently, and issues may come up that delay the process. 
  
  Although we are unable to offer refunds on projects, we are constantly working to improve the vetting process for creators and make sure Kickstarter is a beneficial place for both the creator and backer. We will continue to monitor the situation with this project and its creator.
  
  Best,
  Kickstarter Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/27/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Respectfully, I disagreed with the response from Kickstarter.  If Kickstarter has taken action to reach out to the Creator and it too received no response as we (the backers) did, then what Kickstarter should and can do, at the very least, is to mark on this particular project page as a scam so to prevent other innocient individuals from paying more to the scammer.  Instead, Kickstarter allows this project to continues and to accept new orders. This is something any credible business should do to protect the consumers.  On the other hand, the way Kickstarter is doing today only for the backers like us to assume that Kickstarter is benefited from this scam project.]

   

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/16/2023

  Hi there,
  
  We have reached out to this creator using the contact information they provided when they launched their project, to encourage them to post a new update. When a project is delayed we expect the creator to keep their backers in the loop with regular updates and we understand that when a creator is being uncommunicative this can lead to a concerned community.
  
  While we work with creators to help them bring their projects to life, its important to understand that the final delivery of a project can come with unexpected hurdles, delayed timelines, and changes to the product.
  
  Unlike a store, you are not purchasing an item when you decide to pledge towards a project on Kickstarter you're helping to create something new. Differentiating your support as a patron of a project rather than a retail shopper is fundamental to the creative process we champion. Creating is not a seamless process. Nor can it be measured on a predictable timeline, because it's often wrestling chaos into something new and innovative.
  
  When the project ended successfully all funds raised went directly to the creator so that they could get started on bringing their idea to life. As such, Kickstarter is not able to facilitate refunds on behalf of a creator.
  
  Best,
  Kickstarter Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/28/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I am not asking KickStarter for a refund.  The request is rather simple. "STOP THE ******  This can be done as simple as noting on the product page informing people about the current status of this project and stop accepting any new backer purchases.  This is totally something within the power and capability of KickStarter to do.

  It's simply unacceptable for KickStarter and this "creator" to continue to trick and lure more new backers/buyers from paying into this scam.

   

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/13/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hi. I am filing a complaint over a concern regarding a project I funded for 765 dollars back late last year. The project in question is supposed to be for a game called Paprium with the kick starter being about a current generation release for Paprium. My pledge went for 3 collectors editions o the Genesis ******* of the game, and a limited edition joystick. However a year later people have become skeptical with very few updates over the last month. Recently there was an update on the 16th of November last month claiming that the developers are working with a new company, to help with production, of the game, but didn't specify which company was going to manufacture copies of the game. They also said there would be an update in another week, despite no new update as of this writing. I myself tried to dispute this charge with my credit card company, but the developers countered the claim without evidence. To make matters worse, since this purchase was over a year ago Discover claimed that nothing could be done giving me the thought that this may possibly be an elaberate scam. Unless evidence is proven that the game is still being manufactured, I would like a refund. Ny Discover dispute case number is **********

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2022

  Thanks for reaching out. Were sorry to hear that this project is experiencing delays.
  
  Unlike an online shop, creators have complete control over their projects timeline and its not uncommon for the estimated delivery date to change. Its important to remember that backing is not buying. Our Trust & Safety and Terms of Use pages go into a bit more detail on this.
  
  That said, delays shouldnt translate into a bad experience for you as a backer.
  
  If you want to find out more about the status of this project, the best person to contact is the project creator. You can find the steps for how to do this in our help center.
  
  Alternatively, you can also try reaching out to them through their social channels or website (where they might be more readily available for questions).
  
  If you have any other questions, please let us know and we'll be happy to help.

  Best,

  Kickstarter Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/22/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I myself spent 765 dollars on this scam and will not stand for a business that refuses to hold scam artists accountable.  I am willing to tolerate delays, but not without proper context or proper excuses.  My complaint with remain until Kickstarter takes actions against this likely scam.   

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In 7/28/18 I pledged on kickstarter to support a project for Domio Motorsports. My pledge number is 1169.The company was seeking $20,000 in funding and received $195,083 in funding. As per the funding terms, if the project was successfully funded I should have received the item I pledged for. After consistent excuses I have still not received anything. I have found that this company is currently selling this product in the market and has duped hundreds of people of their money and is not responding. Kickstarter is refusing to take any action and it appears they are a part of this Pozi scheme.I would like to get support to prevent such businesses getting away with taking away people money.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2022

  Hi there,
  
  Thank you for your note. 
  
  Our mission is to provide a place where anyone can bring creative projects to life. That said, our biggest expectation of creators when their project isnt going the way they expected, is that they communicate this honestly with their backers. It's important to remember that backing a project on Kickstarter is not the same as buying a product from an online store. Rather, you are supporting a creative endeavor which comes with risks and challenges.
  
  We try to minimize risk through all-or-nothing funding, which allows the collective voice of the people to decide which projects reach their goal. Our Trust & Safety team also reviews projects to make sure they adhere to Our Rules, additionally we support creators as they work through their projects, practice careful governance, and use anti-fraud filtering.
  
  In the situation where projects dont come together as planned, 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 that they are facing.
  
  Sadly, despite our best efforts, sometimes projects will fail. As a platform were always learning and looking for ways to make sure expectations are appropriately set for our backer community. Were grateful for any and all feedback from our community and appreciate you getting in touch with us. 
  
  Best,
  Kickstarter

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/01/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   The business claims that the project failed, however no messages or communication regarding the project failing has been provided.

   

  The project was overfunded, and it is an established business at this time. How can a project be overfunded by *****%, be running as a business providing the same goods and services and claim it failed. How is Kickstarter not embezzling backers by allowing creators to do this?

  This makes Kickstarter a business promoting and facilitating embezzlement, without any type of protection to consumers.

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************