@GLiNet, I’m disappointed with the way the Comet Q Kickstarter campaign has handled the additional $80 payment.
It was not made clear in advance that backers would be required to pay this extra amount separately. This is important information that should have been communicated before people made their pledges.
Had I known about the additional charge, I would not have backed the project. Please explain why this was not disclosed.
I’m also disappointed. I hope it’s a mistake and they’ll correct it.
The only additional payment I’ve seen was for shipping, which was requested today. That was on the Kickstarter VIP route.
So the $80 is shipping plus VAT on the total order, which includes the Comet X as well as the Comet Q. Shipping cost seems fair and VAT is surely dependent on where the sale is. I’m not really seeing the issue.
“Shipping cost seems fair” is beside the point. My Kickstarter pledge summary explicitly showed $0.00 for shipping when the $281 was collected. If GL.iNet intended to charge shipping later, that should have been shown clearly in the pledge total before payment, not introduced afterwards through the pledge manager.
Whether $15 or $20 is a “fair” shipping price is subjective. What is not fair is displaying zero shipping, collecting the pledge, and then demanding additional payment after the campaign has ended.
The same applies to VAT. Previous GL.iNet campaigns handled taxes differently, and many returning customers reasonably relied on that experience. GL.iNet also stated that orders would be fulfilled from local warehouses, while its own online store offers transparent tax-inclusive pricing and free shipping.
After shipping and VAT are added, many backers are paying almost the same as or more than the normal retail price, despite taking the risks and delays of crowdfunding. Had the real total price been shown upfront, many of us would never have pledged. That is the issue.
But those who buy it later will also have to pay shipping, and presumably VAT. Leaving aside the shipping, it’s cost me £70 (UK). The website lists it at £99.70, so I’ve saved £30 (30%). Still not seeing the issue.
Hmm it is strange though.
Yes, for VAT make sense and there might be small text about this.
However I wonder if something on kickstarter itself has been changed?, wouldn't they normally already calculate this VAT?
I'm residing in the Netherlands maybe what I have readed is based on the VAT calculations not being 100% accurate with certain countries.
If they charged you double with sending that is weird, from reading your post I don't think this is the case, but I wonder if they used kickstarters way... it should be noted when funding based on your country.
Basically in both situations when submitting the form before even any charge happen this info should be listed most should be from kickstarter itself.
I did not do this kickstarter so I dunno, I only have past experience.
Kickstarter can’t charge VAT at first as it’s a pledge, not a purchase at that stage. If the project doesn’t go ahead the pledge isn’t taken up. So VAT only kicks in (pardon the pun) once the sale is capable of being fulfilled.
Yes but I believe they did prior a rogue calculation did they stopped with that?, I know that before I was able to get a summary and it had texts that things can change with VAT's.
Why GL.iNET market their products on this dodgy thing is beyond me. An act of deliberate self-harm maybe?
Never had any issues with Kickstarter. I’ve seen several clients use it successfully for launches with no problems. In my experience, the projects that fail were, for want of a better term, non-starters.
Please see the reply in the link.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/glinet/comet-q/posts/4752166
The reply in that link makes perfect sense.
You have your own global and regional shopping sites and also sell your products via some of the world’s largest online outlets and retailers like Amazon and yet still opt to create this awful mess?!
I think calling a marginal issue with shipping “an awful mess” is a significant exaggeration. Kickstarter is an established and accepted route to market for new and innovative products.
Tell that to the poor buggers that will go chasing refunds from blooming Kickstarter.
Except that they won’t have to chase them. It’s already been confirmed that refunds will be processed. Seriously, cut the hyperbole.
