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

[lmpjr007]

So I want to hear you opinion on this concept of Money Back Guarantee with your Kickstarter projects. Would you support a Pathfinder RPG kickstarter with a Money Back Guarantee. Watch my YouTube video on this question.

 

[delericho]

Doesn't that defeat the point of Kickstarter? I thought the idea was that the money would be used to develop the thing, so if the project fails then the money has been spent and so can't really be refunded.

The only way this would really work is if the team actually had the money already and was really just using KS as a means to decide if there's a market or not.

 

[Nagol]

Or alternatively, the project has to purchase non-complete insurance to pay back the backers -- but that would further reduce the monies available to the project and require more money from the backers to get started. The insurance would likely be pretty hefty since most kickstarter campaigns are from relative unknowns with no track record.

 

[lmpjr007]

Doesn't that defeat the point of Kickstarter? I thought the idea was that the money would be used to develop the thing, so if the project fails then the money has been spent and so can't really be refunded.

The only way this would really work is if the team actually had the money already and was really just using KS as a means to decide if there's a market or not.

What if you bought a project that just wasn't as well made as you would have liked it? Wouldn't it be nice to know that you could get your money back? No harm, no foul.

 

[Fasckira]

What if you bought a project that just wasn't as well made as you would have liked it? Wouldn't it be nice to know that you could get your money back? No harm, no foul.

Thats still not the point of Kickstarter. You're funding the project, not outright buying a completed item (it just happens to be thats the most logical return a creator can offer) - if you're not happy with it or it wasn't how you imagined, its not fair to then expect the developer to generate money to pay you. The only time I would think you have a case would be if someone said "Fund me to make a chair!", you paid up, and then they produced a table.

I think putting in a refund policy like that would scare away potential creators, and would also be open to exploit.

 

[lmpjr007]

Thats still not the point of Kickstarter. You're funding the project, not outright buying a completed item (it just happens to be thats the most logical return a creator can offer) - if you're not happy with it or it wasn't how you imagined, its not fair to then expect the developer to generate money to pay you. The only time I would think you have a case would be if someone said "Fund me to make a chair!", you paid up, and then they produced a table.

Interesting! See I see it as funding the project AND outright buying the completed item. In a retail store if you get the wrong item you can return it for you money back. Why wouldn't you want the same thing.

I think putting in a refund policy like that would scare away potential creators, and would also be open to exploit.

If you make a good product and people have to return it to get their money back, what can they exploit?

 

[Umbran]

If you make a good product and people have to return it to get their money back, what can they exploit?

That would depend upon the details - they get easy access to the ability to *copy* the material, for example. Buy, copy, and then give it back, at no cost to you! This risk already exists in retail, of course, but these days, many kickstarted products never get to retail channels.

I don't see how this return policy could work at all for digital content, for example: Sure, I'll "return" the pdf I downloaded!

 

[Morrus]

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.

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?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Here is my issue,

pretend I have this great idea for a new RPG (this is an rpg page after all) and I want to hire an artist to do some drawings, and so I put up that I need $3,000 and the reward is a full color PDF... but if it does real good I can totally send it to printers and get you a book, and so my 2nd or 3rd stretch goal is 'you can add +$35 and get it as a paper back book...

So I hit all my stretch goals, and I send out to the printers. Then I end up making very little profit, not even enough to cover the many many hours I have put into this. Now though I have a few extra books to take to cons, and I have my name out there...

5% of my books come back asking for a refund... now what? I don't have the money to give them back, I spend it on an artist and a printer and on shipping. Do I have to pay back out of my own pocket?

even worse what if 20% want there money back? Do I drive myself into debt to pay them back?

 

[lmpjr007]

That would depend upon the details - they get easy access to the ability to *copy* the material, for example. Buy, copy, and then give it back, at no cost to you! This risk already exists in retail, of course, but these days, many kickstarted products never get to retail channels.

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.

I don't see how this return policy could work at all for digital content, for example: Sure, I'll "return" the pdf I downloaded!

The return policy would be printed material only.