It’s no small secret that in the last few years Kickstarter and crowdfunded watches have gone from a cool curiosity to regular occurrence. What once seemed like this miraculous way for young brands to launch their wares is now becoming an all-too-easy method for anyone to create products, good...
wornandwound.com
The Bad
But it’s not all rainbows and puppies, as the nature of Kickstarter also creates some bad situations. Specifically in regards to watches, the trend has been to aggressively pre-sell at discount prices. The tiered structure forces brands to sell watches at razor thin margins, which has multiple negative effects. The first is that the brand is under valuing their own product. This leads to people not wanting to pay full-price later on, or not believing in the product being worth full-price, as well as making similar products seem overpriced.
The second is that by not having proper margins, the brand might not earn enough to invest into future products/variations.
The result here is dipping back into the well… We’ve seen many serial Kickstarter brands spring up recently. These brands slowly but surely (and I think at an ever increasing pace) build distrust with fans and customers. The issue is, either their business model isn’t working such that they can’t actually afford to make new products without continual re-investment, or they are just banking their profits (when a brand makes a several times what they are asking for, but still go back to launch again, eyebrows should be raised). It’s Kickstarter, not Kickfeeder, and brands really should only use it to launch, IMHO. Unfortunately, there is no system of accountability in place.
NASA Kickstarter FAQ
Please read our latest update for the most up to date information
My reward hasn't shipped and I need to change my address, what do I do?
URGENT: Please email us at
[email protected] with your backer number and your new shipping address.
When will my reward ship?
[Updated: August 13, 2020] To date we've shipped over 17000 rewards. If you haven't received tracking information, please email
[email protected] so the customer support team can research why.
Why aren't you responding to Kickstarter comments?
When a campaign's funding time expires, Kickstarter locks down the campaign wall and FAQ section so we aren't able to make updates or add new information. The inability to add to the FAQ section makes communicating on a campaign of this size very difficult. Especially when it's generally the same questions being asked over and over again and our responses to those questions are constantly getting buried by more comments asking the same questions. Backers would have to click "Load More" a bunch of times to find the answers. Plus the comment section doesn't display responses/posts the same way on different devices (mobile, mobile app, desktop browser) which makes it difficult for backers to follow along with conversations. We decided it's more efficient to add a FAQ section to our site that can be updated with new questions and answers thus enabling backers to easily find answers to their questions. If for some reason you can't find an answer to your question, please email us directly at
[email protected].
How is Kickstarter different than a store? (taken from KS FAQ section)
Backers must understand that Kickstarter is not a store. When you back a project on Kickstarter, you’re helping create something new — not pre-ordering something that already exists. Kickstarter does not offer refunds. Pledges on Kickstarter must be made in good faith.
That means if you get a crappy trinket .. tough luck. Back to the drawing board. This is not a store with the usual warranty recourse.
One of Kickstarter's biggest expectations for creators is that they regularly update backers on their project’s progress and notify them of any delays or roadblocks that may impact their estimated delivery time. Kickstarter expect creators to be open and honest with their backers during all stages of their project’s life cycle.
Can I get a refund or exchange my reward?
When you back a project on Kickstarter, you’re helping create something new — not pre-ordering something that already exists. Neither Kickstarter or Xeric offers refunds. Pledges on Kickstarter must be made in good faith.
When a project is successfully funded, the creator is responsible for completing the project and fulfilling each reward to the best of their abilities. Their fundamental obligation to backers is to finish all the work that was promised, honestly address backers’ concerns, and deliver rewards.
Where can I see if my reward has shipped or what I chose in the survey?
NASA Kickstarter backers can use this link to see if a tracking number has been issued yet or recover their survey and see what was chosen. If there is no tracking number or link then your watch is still being produced and will ship as soon as it's ready.
https://xeric-nasa-trappist1.backerkit.com/
Your source for frequently asked questions on the NASA Kickstarter comments section or direct messages. This page will be updated as need
www.xeric.com