A Money Back Guarantee with Kickstarter projects: Are you interested?

[lmpjr007]

They have to return it - but have you seen international shipping rates? They can kill Kickstarters when they're just one-way. I shudder to think of their impact of goods are being returned too.

They would pay for shipping it back to us most likely.

That said, the refund possibility would not affect my backing one way or the other. Do I want the product? Do I want to support the creator?

But there is a "fear factor" of what it isn't what I wanted. You never know.

 

[Morrus]

They would pay for shipping it back to us most likely.

For a customer in a different country, that cost is prohibitive and thus removes the refund option. So you can probably safely discount anybody not in the same country as you from your research.

But there is a "fear factor" of what it isn't what I wanted. You never know.

No there isn't. You asked whether I would support such a Kickstarter; I told you that the refund aspect would not affect my decision in any way. I'm sorry if that was the wrong answer, but it is my answer. It just doesn't fall into why I support Kickstarters.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

For a customer in a different country, that cost is prohibitive and thus removes the refund option. So you can probably safely discount anybody not in the same country as you from your research.

I backed for a $50 book, and payed $25 shipping... I assume then that I would pay $25 or more to send it back, and break even... I get my $50 back, and I paid $100, but I don't have the product... hardly seems worth it

 

[The Crimson Binome]

People who are going to do that would just steal the PDF and get it printed and bound. I just have to have faith that people who actually support the KS want to support us. Because let be honest I as the creator could flake and take all the money and NOT release the product also. There has to be trust. And I agreed, retail is the "hard nut" to crack with KS. Personally I think the smart retailers under stand what KS is and they act accordingly.

You couldn't do that, because it would be illegal. You would be held accountable for your actions, and it would ruin your (fairly significant) reputation in any case.

Kickstarter exists for people who would never be able to get the product created, otherwise. Backers know that it's a gamble, because they might not enjoy the end product, but they think it's worth helping someone realize a dream. If a backer only cared about buying the product, they could just wait until it was released normally, and buy it at full price (and return it if they didn't like it).

It wouldn't make sense to offer a refund on the Kickstarter, because after the product has been created, that money is gone - there's no money left with which to provide a refund. A well-managed campaign will make exactly enough money to offset the costs required to produce the game and all of the backer rewards. Even then, it's not uncommon for a project to run out of money before everything is done. If someone expected to have money left over after the project, and could afford to give a refund to anyone who asked, then that would be a huge red flag that they're asking for too much money.

 

[lmpjr007]

No there isn't. You asked whether I would support such a Kickstarter; I told you that the refund aspect would not affect my decision in any way. I'm sorry if that was the wrong answer, but it is my answer. It just doesn't fall into why I support Kickstarters.

Well, we have disagreed in the past, so I am OK with that.

 

[lmpjr007]

You couldn't do that, because it would be illegal. You would be held accountable for your actions, and it would ruin your (fairly significant) reputation in any case.

Kickstarter exists for people who would never be able to get the product created, otherwise. Backers know that it's a gamble, because they might not enjoy the end product, but they think it's worth helping someone realize a dream. If a backer only cared about buying the product, they could just wait until it was released normally, and buy it at full price (and return it if they didn't like it).

It wouldn't make sense to offer a refund on the Kickstarter, because after the product has been created, that money is gone - there's no money left with which to provide a refund. A well-managed campaign will make exactly enough money to offset the costs required to produce the game and all of the backer rewards. Even then, it's not uncommon for a project to run out of money before everything is done. If someone expected to have money left over after the project, and could afford to give a refund to anyone who asked, then that would be a huge red flag that they're asking for too much money.

Based on the information you stated, you might want to check out and read Jamey Stegmaier's A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide book. It might be a bit eye opening to some ideas you believe.

 

[Morrus]

Well, we have disagreed in the past, so I am OK with that.

We disagree about whether I would support such a Kickstarter?

This thread confuses me. Was there a correct answer to the question? I feel like I shouldn't have answered.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Based on the information you stated, you might want to check out and read Jamey Stegmaier's A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide book. It might be a bit eye opening to some ideas you believe.

I'm not going to buy a book to tell me how to get people to give me money. That's an obvious scam.

Just present yourself to your potential backers as though they are real people, with real concerns, and be honest with them. If your idea has merit, and you are in a position to deliver on it, then they will see that and support you.

The real world isn't like Haven (City of Violence), especially within the fellowship of the RPG community. A lot of us really are out to help each other realize our dreams, and don't look kindly upon anyone trying to game the system by lying about their production costs or gouging backers for personal profit. I'm sure that it's a different environment from what you must have dealt with, getting things published in the days before crowdfunding.

As of yet, I can only speak from the perspective of a potential backer, and this is how I decide whether to back something: if it looks like the project doesn't need my help in order to get funding, or if they're just using Kickstarter as a hype machine because they're going to print anyway, then I won't back it and I'll wait for the finished product before I make my decision. If I saw a Kickstarter offering insurance, in case I didn't like the product, then I would instantly decide to not back that project.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I'm not going to buy a book to tell me how to get people to give me money. That's an obvious scam.

I really have to place adds around the country offering to tell everyone who sends me $2 and a self addressed envelope how I made a ton of money... then print out a bunch of pages saying "I got suckers to send me $2 for this very cheap piece of paper"

 

[Umbran]

Well, we have disagreed in the past, so I am OK with that.

You ask a question, to gather opinions, and then argue with people over their answers? If you are not going to accept their answers, why do you ask?

When you try to disabuse folks of their own opinions, they do *not* walk away thinking the point was to get value from their thoughts on the matter. You might want to consider what the goal of asking actually was, and whether you represented that goal accurately at the start of the thread.