Reddit roundup: a project went silent after years — is the money gone?
Delivery Delay · PledgeRadar Editorial ·
u/AlcatrazReformed backed a project in 2022 that posted regular updates until May 2025 and then went silent, with the comments filling up with refund requests. They asked whether to write the money off.
Replies ranged from "that's the risk of backing" to practical advice on timing and on alternatives to pledging.
What Reddit users said
Explains that backing pays for something to be created, not a guaranteed purchase. Money already paid to a vendor may be gone; if there's litigation, backers can follow it, but it may not be worth the effort.
Original commentPoints out that backers accept this risk when they pledge.
Original commentProbably gone, but not always: they recently received a reward after three years without updates.
Original commentOnce the chargeback window passes, the money is effectively gone. Their approach now is to follow campaigns without pledging and buy at retail once the product actually ships, treating the higher price as insurance.
Original commentAccepts that pledges aren't guaranteed, but sees a red-flag pattern: a project that massively overfunds, charges unusually high shipping before production, then goes silent. Thinks Kickstarter should step in at that point.
Original commentOffers perspective: of 12 projects they've backed since 2015, all but one delivered.
Original commentSource: Should I assume my money is gone? (r/kickstarter)
Replies in this roundup summarize public comments posted on Reddit and are credited to their original authors, with links to the source. They are third-party opinions, not statements by PledgeRadar or its members. PledgeRadar does not verify these claims and accepts no legal responsibility for the content of community discussions.