BackerKit FAQ
How does BackerKit crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding is a collaborative way to bring ideas and projects to life. Project creators post their idea for a project, and backers pledge money to make the project possible. Backers get behind the scenes access and backer-only rewards, which can include exclusive products, special pricing, creative input, content, and more.
To become a backer, select a pledge level that features the reward(s) you would like to receive when the project is successfully completed and make your contribution.
All-or-nothing crowdfunding model: The creator sets a funding goal and a deadline to raise funds. If the project does not meet the goal by the deadline, backers credit cards are not charged and no money changes hands.
Crowdfunding projects can happen at various stages of the creative process. Make sure to check the estimated timeline of when rewards will be delivered. Project creators will keep you updated on the progress toward completion and delivery of your rewards.
Backing a crowdfunding campaign is not the same as purchasing an item from a store. When you back a campaign you are supporting the creation of something new. Rewards are almost always delivered, but are not guaranteed.
When will I be charged for my pledge?
Your payment method will not be charged right away. You will be charged for the amount of your pledge when the campaign ends and the project reaches its funding goal. You will not be charged if the campaign does not reach its funding goal.
What happens after the campaign is over?
The Creator will send out a survey that will ask you for more information about your pledge, your shipping information, additional items you may want to add to your pledge, and collect shipping fees if applicable.
The survey will be sent to the email address we have on file with your pledge.
Any additional payment will be charged when you complete your survey and confirm your order.
Project FAQ
Why is this campaign so short?
The professional reason is that the book is nearly complete, and I'm expecting all the artwork to be finalized a few days before the campaign is scheduled to end. The funding goal is relatively low, so (knock on wood) we should fund. There's no reason to draw this out.
Hidden Emails and Surveys (Where's my survey/Why don't I get updates)
There's a nifty feature of some email/user accounts for things like AppleID and probably a few others that let a user hide/suppress their email. Cuts down on spam, identity harvesting, and all sorts of useful things. However, for some reason, these do not interface well with the Backerkit crowdfunding and pledge manager systems. Surveys get lost, never arrive, or otherwise bounce into the Phantom Zone. I expect to send out Backer Surveys starting between July 11 and July 15. If you don't see your survey by (say) July 17, please contact me and I'll DM you a link you can follow to get your survey done. Remember surveys are required to close out any pending charges and confirm that what you say you want is actually in your virtual shopping cart. It's required even for digital orders.
When will shipping be assessed? Is it free?
No, shipping isn't free. Shipping and taxes are assessed in the post-campaign Pledge Manager, as part of the "Backerkit Survey" process.
How Important are Surveys?
Short answer: Very. Longer answer... For digital-only pledges, the survey checks to see if you want any add-ons, and then finalizes charges. That's it. After that, you will be able to download your items once the pledge manager goes live. For physical items, the survey *gets me your address* and also assesses and settles shipping charges. International customers also are assessed VAT and any duties that come into play from the shipping hubs. I do my best to deliver DDP (Delivery Duties Prepaid) so that there's little to do other than collect your rewards. If the survey isn't done for physical rewards, I can't ship. Eventually, I'll have to call the project over. When that happens, I manually reduce your pledge to the nearest digital equivalent, and refund 80% of the balance between that new digital pledge and any money collected. Please ensure your survey is completed promptly! It not only helps finalize fulfillment, but the sooner I can get the surveys done, the sooner I can have confidence on how many books, card sets, and SJGames products I have to order.