2013/08/05

Something else to consider when funding kickstarter projects.

Third party pledge managers......

So, a kickstarter I chipped in for completed last week, and was successfully funded.

Today, I get a note saying that they have decided to use a third party pledge manager.  This is like the 3rd or 4th time this has happened to me, and it's starting to piss me off.

I understand doing this sort of thing frees up the people working on the actual product to do what they do best, but why should I be expected to cough up more info to a third party, especially when there was no expectation of such a thing when I pledged in the first place?

I mean, at a minimum, I'll have to surrender my kickstarter username and associated e-mail address.  If I was getting a physical product, this heretofore unknown to me entity would be getting my home address.  If I wanted to add anything to my pledge, post-funding, I'm presuming I'd have to cough up some credit card info.

It's one thing to pledge for a funding drive by some guy I've never met, but who is creating something I am interested in, and let amazon.com handle the monetary transaction.  Amazon.com is a company I already have a relationship with, who I have chosen to share personal information with.

But now, if I want to actually get what I pledged for, I'm basically forced into sharing some or all of this information with a new, unknown to me entity.  Who the hell is this guy?  Why the hell should I even have to worry about it?

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