Kickstarter: Crystal Wash A Case of Unjust Enrichment?

Another Kickstarter Staff Pick scam?

Successfully funded on 03/13/2015, Crystal Wash paid a commission of $13,418.40 to Kickstarter.

In his response to Joanie Lemercier who called out on the deceptive marketing and misinformation on the Holus project, Kickstarter CEO, Yancey Strickland continues with his same rhetoric:

"Ultimately, it’s backers who decide what gets funding, not us"

Kickstarter places the onus on backers to vet projects; Kickstarter has a responsibility to act in good faith, ensuring they keep their end of the bargain.

What happens when Kickstarter fails to keep up their basic responsibilities?

New site under construction!

Crowdfunding Fraudsters: smARtMAKER, Dimitri Albino and Harold Timmis

Over 2 years after smARtMAKER's dramatic entrance into the open source hardware community via the trademark infringement issue with Arduino founder Massimo Banzi - Makers are still screaming "Where ?!#@#%#^^ are my kits?!!!"

Answer: Rebranded and being sold in Albino's family eBay shop - Over 2500 kits already!

Ryan Grepper's Cooler in Shark Infested Waters

For all the media attention Ryan Grepper is paying for, he may want to step back and do some research on a great IP defense attorney.

While his deceptive marketing and media manipulation tactics helped the Coolest Cooler set a Kickstarter record for raising $13 million, his 15 minutes of fame may be ending sooner than he thinks.

THE FIRST AND ONLY COOLER WITH BUILT IN LED LIGHTING Source:LiddUp.Com

Coolest Kickstarter Issues Backer Refunds!

In an unprecedented show of holiday goodwill, Ryan Grepper creator of the Coolest Cooler project is issuing refunds to backers of the top funded Kickstarter project!

Photo Credit: Ryan Grepper / Coolest Cooler

Free Money, Coolest Crowdfunding and Phil Gardner

One of my favourite quotes from Ryan Holiday's book, Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator is by Nicolas Chamfort, a French writer, who believed that popular opinion was the absolute worst kind of opinion.

"One can be certain," he said, "that every generally held idea, every received notion, will be idiocy because it has been able to appeal to the majority."

When it comes to record-shattering crowdfunded campaigns such as the Coolest Kickstarter which pulled in over $13 million in 30 days you can't help but compare it to the images of frenzied buying most common to trading room floors.

Research experts have determined that these super viral projects have little to do with the actual product and everything to do with media manipulation and the bandwagon effect.

Deceptive tactics and astroturfing reign supreme on social platforms with studies by big data giants like Google indicating approximately 30% of online comments and reviews are fake.

While Kickstarter advises backers that it is up to them to research projects before they fund them, the excitement of the moment can get to all of us.

BE Maker: smARtMAKER's Harold F. Timmis and Dimitri Albino

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Crowdfunding Grifters: Dimitri Albino and Harold F. Timmis

Almost 2 years after #smARtMAKER failed to deliver to the first group of backers on Kickstarter; why are so many of the 15,000+ backer's of Indiegogo's trusted partner and fiscal agent, smARtMAKER still in shock that they have been scammed?

Coolest Kickstarter - First thoughts

Photo credit: Coolest/Ryan Grepper

As a crowdfunding advocate, I am torn between what appears to be incredibly skillful marketing plan by a guy who seems pretty insightful in the pitfalls of supply chain management and recent experience with 2 savvy marketers who executed crowd funding campaigns with great marketing but misappropriated funds leaving thousands of backers flapping in the wind.

After reading through the comments and looking through the various websites of Ryan Grepper, creator of the Coolest Cooler project on Kickstarter the past couple of days, there is no question Ryan is a talented marketer and savvy businessman.

SchizoFishAndChimps

"I can't abide any further Smartmaker related drama so I asked for, and received within a couple of hours, a full refund from Harold's current IGG campaign "BE Maker" -11/26/2013

Here's a funny thing about backer comments on crowd-funded projects - There are blowhards who will take every opportunity to distract and confuse the masses with baseless accusations and opinions.

People like this are either shills or idiots; either way you'd be a fool to listen to them without knowing their background.

10 Things you can get from smARtMAKER support - Today!

For all those naysayers with an ax to grind who didn't believe smARtMAKER was good for anything - You're wrong.

Here are 10 things smARtMAKER support can offer you - Today!
No sniffles. No paper cuts. No delay.