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:04/23/2024

  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 had not heard any news regarding a project that I had backed so I checked in to see what was going on only to discover that the project (Kimos) is currently being worked on in ********, ******. This is dishonest of the campaign creator as the project was, and STILL is, labeled as being a project out of *****, *******. Had I known where this project was being worked on I never would have funded this project. According to Kickstarters rules honestly is a requirement for projects they allow on their platform. I've submitted a complaint and have heard nothing back from them since.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/20/2024

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/08/2024

  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.

  I purchased EM3 Ether vr glasses and never received what I paid for. They never sent anyone anything theyre just a scam. I want my money refunded as per their policy which states project creators are required to fulfill all rewards of their successful fundraising campaign or refund any backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill. So going by their own terms of service me and everyone else that purchased these vr glasses should be refunded. I have tried to contact kickstarter to resolve this issue about being scammed but have been ignored. I would like the money that was stolen from me be refunded.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2024

  Hi there,

  We're sorry to hear this has become a frustrating experience for you.

  When a project ends successfully, we collect all funds and disburse them directly to the creator so that they can get started on their creative idea. As such, Kickstarter is not able to facilitate refunds on behalf of a creator. If you'd like to check in with the creator to see if a refund may be possible, you should reach out to them directly. 
  
  Its important to keep in mind that if the funds have already gone towards bringing the project to life, a refund may not be possible at this time. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

  For our records, we would appreciate it if you could use the "Report this project" button at the bottom of the project page. This will help to flag the specific project to our Trust & Safety team, who will perform a full review of it, and take action if its found to be violating ******************** Guidelines, or Terms of Use. This also helps us to keep track of all the reports received for a given project.
  
  We really appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us and want to thank you again for actively keeping an eye out for the Kickstarter community.

  Best,

  Kickstarter

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/24/2024

  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]

   Under your own terms of service creators are required to fulfill all rewards of a successful fundraising campaign or refund any backers whose reward they do not or cant fulfill. I have already tried to handle this directly with kickstarter but have been ignored. I will not do any more business with that company because they let scammers rip people off and fail to do anything about it. Im not the only one that got scammed. Everyone who backed that project got their money stolen. Kickstarter made there commission and could care less if the projects are legitimate or just scams. And when you bring it to their attention you are ignored. So in conclusion dont trust kickstarter they dont care if the projects are scams as long as they get their cut. They dont stand behind their own policies. To be fair not all the projects are scams but youre playing Russian roulette every time you back something on their site.

   

   

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

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

  Business Response

  Date: 05/23/2024

  Hi there,

  Thank you for sharing this additional input. We are always reviewing how best to provide updates on situations like this, while also setting realistic expectations when we have relayed all of the information we currently have available.
  
  I want to first clarify the relationship between Kickstarter creators, their backers, and our Community Support team:
  
  Kickstarter creators are responsible for all communication around their campaign, including the fulfillment status of rewards on- and off-site. You as a backer have our on-site tools (such as leaving comments on the project page or project updates, and direct messaging creators), and any off-site contact information the creator wishes to provide.
  
  Our Community Support team is here to help with practical use of the site (whether this is troubleshooting your pledge if it is errored, or resolving a bug in our user tools), and to clear up any potentially gray areas when it comes to our site rules, but we are not able to force any creators to fulfill their project rewards. If a creator does not deliver their promised rewards to backers, our policy is to not let them launch a new project on Kickstarter. I understand that, as in this case, it can be frustrating when things are not going as planned or a creator is not communicating as expected, yet the possibility that a project may have delays (or not come to fruition) is something important to consider when deciding to back a project on Kickstarter.
  
  As an active part of our backer community you may already be aware of this, but we are always open to your thoughts and feedback on how best to convey expectations for the creator-backer relationship.
  
  Finally, I just want to re-confirm that we have received your report about this project, and our experts in project review, the Trust and Safety team, will take action accordingly. Note that actions taken on a project or creator may not be outwardly obvious to other users, and unfortunately we are not able to follow up with each individual backer about the result of a project report.

  Best,

  Kickstarter

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/14/2024

  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.

  Starting in 2022 ***** had a project that we help fund for a device that helps ADHD. Covid was running rampant. Once the project was fully funded it took a while to get all the components produced during Covid. In May of 2023 we were told that the components were in the country and they were going to start putting it all together. On December 6, 2023 we were told that the product was finished and was going to start shipping out. Supposedly only one person claims to have received the product. I have messaged ***** and Kickstarter. ***** has not responded to anyone, Kickstart has responded but is not doing anything. I am being told to contact the seller, I have multiple times. This is my next step, if I do not get resolve with this avenue I will look into other avenues.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2024

  Hi there,

  Thanks for reaching back out and bringing this to our attention. Im sorry to hear that backing this project has turned into a frustrating experience for you.

  When the project ended successfully all funds raised went directly to the creator. As such, Kickstarter is not able to facilitate refunds on behalf of a creator and any form of reimbursement will need to be arranged by the creator themselves.
  
  Ultimately, creators are responsible for their own project. This includes fulfilling rewards, communicating with backers, issuing refunds if they can, and keeping their community informed on the status of their project.
  
  While we can and do enforce our Terms of Use, we cant force anyone to issue refunds. It is up to each creator to determine whether refunds are within scope, as the funds may have already been used to cover project costs. If this is the case then a refund may not be possible at this time.
  
  Thank you again for getting in touch.
  
  Best,

  Kickstarter

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/14/2024

  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:

  If you can't force a refund, can you at least force the creators to contact me. I am trying every step to get this matter addressed.  Please don't make me go to the next step.

   

   

   

   

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

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

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2024

  Hi there,

  Thank you for your follow up. 
  
  Ultimately, creators are responsible for their own project. This includes fulfilling rewards, communicating with backers, issuing refunds if they can, and keeping their community informed on the status of their project.
  
  While we can and do enforce our Terms of Use, we cant force anyone to issue refunds. It is up to each creator to determine whether refunds are within scope, as the funds may have already been used to cover project costs. If this is the case then a refund may not be possible at this time.
  
  Thank you again for getting in touch, I hope that you and the creator are able to work out a resolution soon.

  Best,

  Kickstarter

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2024

  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.

  I have two separate complaints related to two different projects in Kickstarter. Both have been funded successfully. The first one , called EM3 ether, the creator stopped responding to all backers and giving updates which goes against kickstarter's terms and conditions. No items have been delivered to any of the backers and the promised delivery date has gone by ( August 2023). The second one called alisleep by alisleeplab, the project has been fully funded, a few backers received their item (which based on the comments have been faulty either not working at all or stopped working after a few uses) the rest did not received the item at all (like in my case). The creator is not responding to any message. In both cases kickstarter has been notified of the issue by many backers, the only response we get is to report the project in their platform, which I did to no avail. They respond saying that they will look into it but no one has received any feedback and no action has been undertaken by kickstarter to resolve the issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2024

  Hi there,

  We're sorry that working with these creators 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 the 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. 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 these projects and the creators.

  Best,
  Kickstarter Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/07/2024

  Type:Delivery 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.

  I participated in the crowdfunding of a "Storaxa" device - Backer 3940. The "Creator" has an estimated time of delivery as June 2023 and as of Mar 2024 they have stopped communicating and Kickstarter has shows no interest in making sure the that parties comply with their platform rules. Kickstarter has not kept it's part of the deal and is perpetuating a scam.Kickstarter needs to hold funds and reverse charges for Storaxa Kickstarter's term of use say: A creator in this position has only remedied the situation and met their obligations to backers if:they post an update that explains what work has been done, how funds were used, and what prevents them from finishing the project as planned;they work diligently and in good faith to bring the project to the best possible conclusion in a timeframe thats communicated to backers;theyre able to demonstrate that theyve used funds appropriately and made every reasonable effort to complete the project as promised;theyve been honest, and have made no material misrepresentations in their communication to backers; and they offer to return any remaining funds to backers who have not received their reward (in proportion to the amounts pledged), or else explain how those funds will be used to complete the project in some alternate form.The creator is solely responsible for fulfilling the promises made in their project. If theyre unable to satisfy the terms of this agreement, they may be subject to legal action by backers. Kickstarter reserves the right to take any action it deems appropriate with respect to campaign funds while a dispute is pending.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2024

  Thanks for flagging this issue. While we work with creators to help them plan and bring their projects to life, getting to the final delivery of a project can come with unexpected hurdles and delayed timelines. Unlike an online shop, creators have control over the timeline and final project delivery. Our Trust & Safety page goes into a bit more detail on this.
  
  If you want to find out more about the status of this project, the best person to contact is the Project Creator. We recommend contacting the Creator for more information. To do that, visit the project page and click on the Creator's profile image, found to the left of the projects name. This will open up their bio page where you can click the "Contact me" link and send them a message.
  
  You can also try reaching out through their social channels or website (where they might be more readily available for questions).

  Best,

  Kickstarter

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/18/2024

  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]

  Kickstarter is trying to hide behind complex, obscure and predatory legal language in their terms of service, all the while not standing behind one word in their promise to its customers. They have made no effort to support the customers in their attempts to get any form of reply from the "founders". They ignore, deflect and deny any bit of responsibility. The only thing they are good at is collecting money. 

  Their fraud, safety, CS, PR and other groups are unreachable and only respond in automated canned messages. With so many people being burned by fraud on KS and their inability to address underlying issues with their platform, these issues are gathering more attention. I understand that Kickstarter does not care about its customers but with MKBHD taking this on I wonder if their approach will change

   It is clear that my complaints are being disregarded. I hope others won't repeat my mistakes and stop supporting Kickstarter's fraudulent business practices.

   

   

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

  
   
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/05/2024

  Thanks for the feedback. Indeed unlike an online shop, creators have control over the timeline and final project delivery. Our Trust & Safety page goes into a bit more detail on this and our Terms of Use, which you agreed to when pledging, clearly state this as well.

  Best,

  Kickstarter Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/09/2024

  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]

   

  Your so-called Mistrust & Safety-Hazard team did not follow any of the measures that are included in your terms & conditions, which is the essence of this complaint.

   

   

   

   

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

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/27/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 have been a member since August, and I have pledged $3500 dollars. A few days ago, me and a creator sent several messages back and forth. Shortly after this my account was under review and I was told that due to all the messages it was a red flag, and I was accused of Spam. I cannot communicate to my creators or even see my messages or activity. Therefore, I am out $3,500. I have written to them 10 times and they are not responding for over a week. I am sick over this, and I lost $3,500 dollars for simply emailing someone too much? What world do we live in? They are willfully ignoring my messages for some reason. If they look at the messages, they will see I am not spamming or selling anything. But they know this, they are just being cruel and evil and spiteful. I am not sure what to do. I want to *** them for me losing $3500, damaging business relationships I have on their, for stress and anxiety and missing work over this slow form of sick torture. Please give me advise or hold them accountable. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/29/2024

  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.

  5 years ago. I paid to find a Kickstarter book project with the agreement that my name would be in the said book, the book came out & my name is not in it, Kickstarter refuses to acknowledge my emails, repots, complaints, no acknowledgement at all from them, they've taken my money several times & never gave the rewards promised , I am going to take legal action, now I know they are located in Brooklyn, that says a lot, nothing good comes from Brooklyn

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/22/2024

  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.

  I've reached out to Kickstarter support regarding a creator who has misused their platform, lied to backers, and then gone non-responsive. By Kickstarter's own policies, they recommend 2 weeks as a reasonable time to wait for a response from a creatorI've waited 22 weeks and reached out 5 times to the creator with no response. When reaching out to Kickstart support regarding this flagrant disregard for their own policies, they've opted to treat these request the same as the creator by marking the tickets solved with zero response. They did this 4 times a few weeks ago despite my persistence, and today they've repeated that pattern, marking my support ticket as "solved" with no response. Why even have policies if they aren't going to be enacted in support of people who have been manipulated, lied to, and then ignored on their platform? For over a year Kickstarter has ignored the concerns of HUNDREDS of backers regarding the deceptive use of their platform by this creator and have offered no help in reaching a resolution.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2024

  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 the 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. Its important to remember that each creator will approach their project differently, and issues may come up that delay the process.

  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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/22/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 continues to turn a blind eye to consumers as scammers are running wild on their platform.The project in question is ******************************************************** after the creator went to indigogo, indigogo correctly saw the red flags and suspended the campaign however Kickstarter despite many users reporting this project and the creator going "dark" Kickstarter refuses to acknowledge their users and take no action on this.Their canned response is to report the project which I have along with many users, as looking at comments on this project is a history of users raising their concerns along with users saying they reported the project.Kickstarter continues to turn a blind eye whenever there is a project that turns out to be a scam. There needs to be better checks and balances in place to ensure that consumers are protected in cases like this.This company continues to be worth billions when the regular consumers are getting taken advantage of and the Kickstarter support is non existent. Please refund me along with all the users you have done wrong.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/05/2024

  Hi there,

  Thank you for following up with us. I'm sorry that your experience with this creator wasnt a positive one.
  
  
  When a project ends successfully, we collect all funds and disburse them directly to the creator so that they can get started on their creative idea. As such, Kickstarter is not able to facilitate refunds on behalf of a creator. Kickstarter takes the privacy of our users seriously, so we don't provide a creator's contact information directly to backers. However, a creators verified name can be publicly found in the creator bio of their project.
  
  
  Kickstarter's Terms of Use outline the responsibilities of backers and creators. If you believe a creator is not fulfilling these responsibilities, we recommend reporting the project from the project page, which will flag it to our Trust & Safety team for review. If you believe further legal action is appropriate, please talk to an attorney about how to proceed.
  
  
  We hope that backers will only consider the above options in cases where they believe that a creator has not made a good faith effort to complete their project as promised.

  Best,

  Kickstarter

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/12/2023

  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.

  On July 23, 2023, I purchased an air conditioning unit on the Kickstarter platform from ********. To date, ******** has collected $788,386 through the Kickstarter platform for their product. I have not received my purchase nor have I received any updates on the status of my purchase. Kickstarter allows its platform to be used to defraud ***** customers out of three quarters of a million dollars ($788,386). I have reached out to Kickstarter to report this project and have received no response. I have also reached out to ******** and received no response.According to Kickstarter's terms and conditions:- If the problems are severe enough that the creator can't fulfill their project, creators need to find a resolution. Steps should include offering refunds, detailing exactly how funds were used, and other actions to satisfy backers. For more information, see Section 4 of our Terms of Use - Creators should not make guarantees or promises they can't keep Since Kickstarter has been unresponsive, not held the creator accountable according to its Terms of Use, and allowing egregious misuse of its platform, I want a refund.Additional Details:On October 19, 2023, customers were asked to provide shipping details. However, customers were not able to choose the installation method (vertical or horizontal) as promised. In addition, the survey ******** used to collect shipping information did not work. Customers, including myself kept receiving the error The creator's Stripe account is error, please contact the creator. I am unable to even provide shipping information to even receive this product.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2023

  Hi there,

  Kickstarters mission is to help support creative freedom and independence. Our site operates on a system of trust and we expect creators to be honest with their backers when they are encountering unexpected delays or changes to their project timeline.
  
  When a creator launches a project on Kickstarter, theyre inviting people to form a contract with them. Anyone who backs a project is accepting that creators offer, and forming that contract. Kickstarter is not a part of this contract, it is a direct legal agreement between a creator and their backers. More information about this can be found in our Terms of Use.

  I hope that this helps to address your concerns. 

  Best,

  Kickstarter