Hi tgauchat,
I guess there is almost an expectation that these crowdfunding campaigns have issues, would be naieve not to I suppose! I get that.
However in the absence of any regulatory intervention (or that of the middlemen, Indiegogo, Kickstarter etc), it’s important for consumers to help inform others to make educated decisions, particularly based on first hand experience, and that they are a real company selling products on their website.
With regards to their Indiegogo campaign, there is certainly an expectation that the consumer receives their ‘perk’ within the timescales indicated. Indeed Indiegogo encourages backers to get refunds where the indicated perk has not been satisfactorily delivered.
In the case of Teptron, they have failed at times to provide even the most basic updates at the required intervals (in violation of Indiegogo TOS), promised launch dates that have come and gone without explanation, and crucially committed to refunds that have repeatedly failed to materialise.
In my dealings with them, support has been poor, misleading or incompetent at best.
Crowdfunded or not, they are still a real company with a reputation to uphold and expectant customers who demand a minimum level of service.
Thankfully there is one party in the mix that will fight the consumer’s corner: the transacting card issuer. Hopefully via the Chargeback scheme, there is some protection when it comes to companies taking money and failing to deliver anything (or at least providing refunds in a timely manner).
If we don’t uphold some standards as consumers, we’ll inevitably be taken advantage of by companies who simply wish to scam people!
Cheers,
Dan.