Don't want to wait any longer..

[Synchron]

Crowdfunding is not meant to be "selling" things. Kickstarter and Indigogo are not shops! And they dont call the things you can get "Products" or something like that. They call it Reward and Perk that you will maybe get if the campain is successful and the goals of the campain are reached. So Rylan had two choices. After getting over August 2014 he could say. "Oh sorry, the plan was bad. Sorry for not shipping anything. Bye", keep the money and sit under a tree drinking Whiskey and Wine. But he decided to bring this project to a good ending. And that ist wonderful.

TL;DR: If you give money to someone on a crowdfunding plattform your money is gone. With a little bit of luck, you get something...some day...

[altmann]

Thanks to everyone for their kind answers. It's really interesting to see other peoples opinion on this topic.

I think the biggest problem (at least for me) was that every now and then a "release date" has been sent that couldn't be met.
I have spent some money the last couple of years on crowd-funding campaigns, with the experience, that many projects can't be done in the estimated time. I am totally fine with that. Most of the people gathering money this way have never dealt with "customer relations" in the past, so they make mistakes.

If a date can't be met, it's okay to say so. Even having the guts to say "fine, many problems we didn't think of occured over time, we can't give you an estimated date when it's done" would be welcome.
But what annoys me a little about the peachy printer is that there have been a dozen of times where it was posted that "it is sooooo close on shipping and we ship in xxx weeks/until xxx months/ in the beginning/in the end of year xxx". I read every update and understand that there are problems that no one could think of in the beginning. But after giving three, four release-dates that couldn't be met, they did the mistake of setting communicating a new time period again and again.

So, this time it's said: "people will receive (..) over the coming months". This would be totally okay with me if it can be met. But it would be a pity if we will be once again disappointed..

To make things short: I am just asking for a realistic release date. After more than two years waiting, I don't care about one or two more months. But don't say 1-2 months if you can't met it. If it's realistic, just say: "by the end of 2016 every funder will have their kit". At least for me that would sound more honest.

[ServiceXp]

Haha, yes that is one way of looking at it. But another is "When who-you-know doesn't determine your success" and I like that part of it. Corporations and the wealthy are keeping us down, man!

Perhaps that's partly the case, however there are many large companies not willing to put their own money on the line. Sony's First Flight, Kickstarter Like Platform, for some of the Sony possible offerings is one small example. Some say that having big companies getting involved in Kickstarter like platforms will 'poison the well'.. Not sure about that, but I do know they see the benefit of using the public's money (not company or investor) to fund their new idea's, succeed or fail.. It's a win-win for the company and investors IMO.

I like Anuvin's version !!!! The plain truth these days is that investors (like the Dragons) will not take on any venture with an element of technical risk. They simply want to pick the fully grown and ripened apple off the tree.

On the refund issue, I think it is actually 'naughty' to ask for one at this stage. After all, your contribution is to cover development as well as the final hardware and Rylan has already spent the development proportion of your money. If everyone demanded a refund it would be a bit like collapsing a bank and then no-one would get a printer.

You are 100% correct on the refund, there are no refund when investing.

The more complex (larger) the project, the longer the delivery date delay of finished goods will typically be. After you get outside of 8 months of delay (75% of finished goods typically get delivered), the wait only gets longer from there. The longer the delay the less likely the finished goods (as advertised) will ever be delivered. This will of course end with the company being weaker and less likely to stabilize, so the whole thing collapses on it's self.

Crowdfunding is not meant to be "selling" things. Kickstarter and Indigogo are not shops! And they dont call the things you can get "Products" or something like that. They call it Reward and Perk that you will maybe get if the campain is successful and the goals of the campain are reached. So Rylan had two choices. After getting over August 2014 he could say. "Oh sorry, the plan was bad. Sorry for not shipping anything. Bye", keep the money and sit under a tree drinking Whiskey and Wine. But he decided to bring this project to a good ending. And that ist wonderful.

TL;DR: If you give money to someone on a crowdfunding plattform your money is gone. With a little bit of luck, you get something...some day...

Synchron is exactly right. The problem is that most people don't understand this concept, the concept of investment. This is no difference than investing in the stock market. Here is the rub..... Unlike the market, people see these campaigns for products (you can call them rewards or perks, but in there eyes they are still finished products) and relate it to a purchase rather than an investment.

I'm not saying Crowdfunding is a bad thing, I do however stand by my statement "Crowdfunding Manufacturing... "When professional investors (sometimes established companies) wont put their own money on-line", because it's 100% true, especially now that larger companies are making use of these platforms. I've backed 2 campaigns, they were both very small <15K, and both delivered. Of those 2, only 1 delivered on time and was as 'advertised'. In both cases the companies are stronger and poised to create better products and services.

Just remember guys and gals, there are very few companies pitching products/idea's that gain national traction, and end up a stronger, more stable company. If you want to invest, you must be willing to loose, and IMO you must want the company to succeed (not just get a reward or perk). It's vitally important for the company to be stronger, more stable after they have completed the campaigns fulfillment or otherwise what's the point?

[Anuvin]

To make things short: I am just asking for a realistic release date. After more than two years waiting, I don't care about one or two more months. But don't say 1-2 months if you can't met it. If it's realistic, just say: "by the end of 2016 every funder will have their kit". At least for me that would sound more honest.

I suspect that there are a lot of backers out there who are not pleased with the way things have turned out, and that folks here are going to be the most supportive, being perhaps the most excited about the project. Crowdfunding is all about excitement and hope, but the terrible thing is that the other side of the coin has equal parts disappointment and anxiety.

I understand how you feel. It wasn't fun getting excited time and again just to have nothing show up in the mailbox. But, as they say, good things come to those that wait.

As for a realistic date, the last update says shipping is to begin this month. I presume that the shipping would then follow along with the original Kickstarter plan. I would guess that everyone will have a printer by summer! 2016 will be the year of the Peachy, I think. My hopes are up again and I really do believe that this time, there will be no disappointment.

[curious aardvark]

well I'll never do crowdfunding again :-)
Once bitten twice sensible :-)

If a product is that good then someone will make one and sell it without needing money upfront.

[Anuvin]

A library could be filled with books on great ideas that never came to be due to lack of funding. Since I think you are trolling, I am just wasting my breath here, but go take a look at the work of a gentleman named Nikola Tesla and tell me that all good ideas will eventually come onto the market just because they are "good" ideas.

[Compro01]

As for a realistic date, the last update says shipping is to begin this month.

I can give you a tripwire on that. I'm one of the 10 V1 beta testers mentioned in the last update, so I can inform you guys when mine ships.

Barring one of us funding something major wrong with the hardware or instructions, mass shipping should be fairly imminent when we get our kits.

[3dspider]

I've also been selected as one of the 10 v1 beta tester kits, so we can compare notes, Compro01

[harpo99999]

I also have been given a tracking number for one of the 10 v1's, but as I am on te other side of the world, and approx 16 hours into the future, probably will not get it before ou other guys have documented the issues

[LambdaFF]

I After all, your contribution is to cover development as well as the final hardware and Rylan has already spent the development proportion of your money.

While many people don't get that KS is an "investment", many project leaders also seem to miss that no R&D is allowed : the funds cover only manufacture.