Did anyone else NOT receive their Ethereal Visions deck?

[katrinka]

Mine is late. I saw this on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/646020285536137/permalink/1062724530532375/ and posted this on the Kickstarter comments page:

 

Backer #471 here.

I am not accusing anyone of anything at this point, but I have not received my deck yet, either.

 

The messages here could be a simple misunderstanding, the fact that Matt unfriended me on facebook could be part of a normal friends list cleanup, and the fact that my PM there asking for tracking info was seen but not responded to, while unprofessional, could simply be an oversight. But taken together, all of this does raise concerns.

 

I have shared images of the deck on facebook and at a cartomancy forum I frequent and netted you some sales among my friends. (I certainly hope they got their decks.)

While I understand that mail can be delayed, the USPS site lists 1-3 business days transit time for First Class Mail. https://www.usps.com/ship/first-class-mail.htm

 

I am located in the US. I have not moved since backing this project (in 2016!). My deck is definitely late.

 

The link has comments from a lot of people who didn't get anything. I think this person nailed what happened:

 

" I'm wondering if he actually used the backers' money to produce enough decks to fulfill his orders. I wonder if he took the money and used it for other things, perhaps knowing that he was getting the US Games deal, and now is scrambling to acquire enough of his 'indie' decks."

 

And the following commenter:

 

Yeah there were similar suspicions when he was churning out Kickstarter campaigns one after another. A few of us thought it was a way to back fund previous campaigns cos he had spent it on other things and that was one of the things that contributed to the overall delays.

 

That's most likely what happened, (except that I don't think he fully funded the first project, or I'd have the deck). First there was the Tarot deck and related swag, then there was an oracle deck he cancelled because it didn't reach the funding goal. Then there was an Edgar Allen Poe book of some kind, then a Viking playing card deck. Maybe some other stuff.

 

No more kickstarters for me. And apologies to anyone who paid for this thing because of anything I posted and ended up getting burned.

[RavenOfSummer]

Ugh, so sorry this happened to you. If you haven’t gotten a deck and the creator isn’t responsive, is it time to raise the problem with Kickstarter?

 

 

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[katrinka]

He posted an update on Kickstarter saying that he was having issues with the post office. He says they returned 72 decks.

Maybe everything happened just like he says. It's farfetched, but not impossible.

Or he's been blowing the money and now he's scrambling to get more decks printed up.

Or I could be dealing with a narcissist trying to buy time in perpetuity. Time will tell.

 

In any case, I'll give him a little more time to resend (or whatever he's doing) the deck and send me a tracking number.

 

If I don't see it soon, I'll contact Kickstarter, though I don't think they'll be any help. It's too late to dispute the charge with my bank (I backed the project on August 2, 2016,) But they AG's office does have a Consumer Protection Division, I've had good results with them in the past.

 

I'll get my deck, refund, or pound of flesh eventually.

 

 

 

[Freyja's Daughter]

I received my deck last week and I am in Canada. I also purchased the deck only a month ago, when he sent out an email offering his remaining decks for sale.  So there definitely were enough decks printed otherwise he wouldn't have offered them for sale.  My deck number is also 789/1100 so there were plenty of indie decks available.

 

There is no reason to not believe what he says about the postoffice because being in Canada, I am ALWAYS the last to get my decks when the rest of the world even NZ will get theirs.  I think Americans think we Canadians are so amenable we won't complain being last all the time.... it's annoying.  So since I recieved mine.... I am sure he had sent yours prior.  Hopefully you get it resent soon. 

 

Speaking of deceptive Kickstarter behaviour, The Crystal Unicorn deck had 300 decks available to send immediately which I funded... but because she doesn't have enough money to pay for postage, is not sending out immediately.  She says she thought Kickstarter would send them out for her.... not sure why.  Or maybe she meant release the funds, I don't know, but she is only shipping out 10 decks a week when the implication from her Kickstarter page was that they would be sent immediately.  That really annoyed me.  There are other decks on Kickstarter I have backed which are even more messed up and wish I hadn't backed but that is for another post.

[katrinka]

I received my deck last week and I am in Canada. I also purchased the deck only a month ago, when he sent out an email offering his remaining decks for sale.  So there definitely were enough decks printed otherwise he wouldn't have offered them for sale.  My deck number is also 789/1100 so there were plenty of indie decks available.

 

If I recall correctly, the "remaining" decks that were sold all shipped out. It's a lot of the backers who are getting stiffed. So who knows. */rhetorical*

 

Speaking of deceptive Kickstarter behaviour, The Crystal Unicorn deck had 300 decks available to send immediately which I funded... but because she doesn't have enough money to pay for postage, is not sending out immediately.  She says she thought Kickstarter would send them out for her.... not sure why.  Or maybe she meant release the funds, I don't know, but she is only shipping out 10 decks a week when the implication from her Kickstarter page was that they would be sent immediately.  That really annoyed me.  There are other decks on Kickstarter I have backed which are even more messed up and wish I hadn't backed but that is for another post.

 

Oy vey.

 

There's a few I've seen there that I wouldn't mind having. But I'll wait until I can just order them, or pass them up. I'm all done with Kickstarter.

 

Someone elsewhere told me that they got an email from him saying he just sent their deck Priority. I didn't get an email, or a response to my comment at KS.

 

Like Canada and the post office, I might be on his list of people he thinks he can push around. If so, he's sadly mistaken.

[Essjay]

I’m still waiting too and I had a feeling once he announced he had spare decks they would arrive first. I must admit I don’t believe the story about the mail company. I don’t feel angry, just a bit duped. I looked back at his posts in a couple of Face Book groups and he was relentless in the way he targeted the members. And now he’s blocking people and threatening lawsuits. It is a sad end to a Kickstarter. I don’t really want the deck now.

[RavenOfSummer]

I’m still waiting too and I had a feeling once he announced he had spare decks they would arrive first. I must admit I don’t believe the story about the mail company. I don’t feel angry, just a bit duped. I looked back at his posts in a couple of Face Book groups and he was relentless in the way he targeted the members. And now he’s blocking people and threatening lawsuits. It is a sad end to a Kickstarter. I don’t really want the deck now.

 

Threatening lawsuits?! Goodness, it really does sound like he is not a nice person to be dealing with. He was targeting people on Facebook for asking about their decks?

 

 

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[Lantana]

First the Mystic Mondays kickstarter and now this, huh?  :-\ Really hope this isn’t becoming a trend.

[Essjay]

I’m still waiting too and I had a feeling once he announced he had spare decks they would arrive first. I must admit I don’t believe the story about the mail company. I don’t feel angry, just a bit duped. I looked back at his posts in a couple of Face Book groups and he was relentless in the way he targeted the members. And now he’s blocking people and threatening lawsuits. It is a sad end to a Kickstarter. I don’t really want the deck now.

 

Threatening lawsuits?! Goodness, it really does sound like he is not a nice person to be dealing with. He was targeting people on Facebook for asking about their decks?

 

 

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Yes, he blocked people over there and someone who asked him for a refund was threatened with solicitors if they didn’t stop contacting him.

 

I do think my deck will eventually arrive but I wouldn’t be surprised if the mass market came out first!

 

I should add that he’s also received a death threat over this which is beyond awful. It is a very sad way for all of this to end.

[gregory]

I know nothing of Mystic Mondays, but when people start to scream and shout in kickstarter, things escalate horribly fast.

 

I suspect simple rank inefficiency, as well as the fact that Kickstarter themselves cock stuff up - like the way they keep changing my address - I have two, and I KNOW which one I enter for each deck - I choose with care, depending on where I will be and the customs issues. But I have to watch like a hawk, as they switch them after I send my survey in, even.

 

This muddle isn't a PATCH on the Symbolist mess. Now THAT looks like fraud. This one doesn't to me.

[VGimlet]

I hope everyone's decks have arrived, mine arrived just a few days after the majority of these posts.   

[Essjay]

I’ve just seen another update from him to say more decks have been returned from the fulfilment centre including 4 international ones. Hopefully mine is one of those.

[gregory]

The last thing I had that went through a "fulfilment centre" - a cheap book bought from amazon marketplace or abe - I forget which - - took weeks over the allotted time AND the tracking simply didn't work at all - the seller was really upset.

[Essjay]

The last thing I had that went through a "fulfilment centre" - a cheap book bought from amazon marketplace or abe - I forget which - - took weeks over the allotted time AND the tracking simply didn't work at all - the seller was really upset.

 

I honestly don’t think the creator knew what would happen at the fulfilment centre. There’s no urgency to get things sent and no tracking.

[gregory]

I rather agree. A lot of people who show up on Kickstarter seem to think that because Kickstarter exists, everything will be easy. I had email recently from another frustrated artist:

 

I will never deal with Kickstarter again.

 

It isn't as easy as people think, I fear - and fulfilment centres are the living end. They DO offer tracking - and when we tried to follow this up (the seller and I) we found that the tracking shows that the postal service has the package - and the next update happens - at delivery. So there is actually no way to know where it vanished, if it did.

 

A lot of budding creators think that Kickstarter is THE way to get out there - and in many ways it is - but you need to know your stuff a lot more than might appear.

[katrinka]

I’ve just seen another update from him to say more decks have been returned from the fulfilment centre including 4 international ones. Hopefully mine is one of those.

 

Yeah, here's the whole thing:

 

"Returned packages...

 

Just a quick update - we have received an additional 38 returned packages and 4 international returns. We will sort through them this week and verify address with you and resend them.

 

Please give us this week to resend these packages. If the error was on the side of shipping center then we will correct it and send out immediately. If the address is incorrect we will contact you directly to correct it.

 

Thank you for your continued patience.

Matt"

 

He can't well disappear, since he'd have to stop promoting his art to the public and take a job at WalMart or something. But I hope this doesn't drib & drab out forever: "Another 40 decks came back." "Twelve decks were returned today." "We received twenty three decks." &c., &c., etc., ad nauseum.

 

"We will sort through them this week" is strange. Normally, someone in that position would say things like "Please double check that your address on kickstarter is up to date, as we will be resending these ASAP."

 

I may yet get a deck. I may not. This whole thing is just bizarre.

[Essjay]

I may yet get a deck. I may not. This whole thing is just bizarre.

 

I honestly think we’ll get them but it looks like it’s going to be drawn out. Since I first posted I’ve looked into fulfilment centres and they can be hit and miss it seems. I believe he handed them over fully trusting them to send them out in a timely fashion and the full extent of the palaver has come to light with returned packages and unhappy backers.

 

I’ll just wait and see I suppose!

[gregory]

I refer again to the other KS artist, where KS changed my delivery address, who is fed up with the fulfilment centre too and will never deal with KS again. Not to mention the Astral, where the fulfilment centre sent everyone the wrong tracking, leading to terror all over Europe (I got the tracking for someone in the Netherlands.)

 

The guy may be inefficient, but these fulfilment centres are hell not even on wheels.

[Essjay]

My deck arrived this morning. The deck and box are in perfect condition but the postcards are badly bent. The address was mine but so badly misspelt that it’s a miracle it got here. They’re obviously not printing them from a mail merge. Sadly I think he went to the fulfilment centre with good intentions but they have really stitched him up.

[ayuryogini]

I received mine 2 weeks ago, but I had to contact him 3 times. Not the best CS but I like the deck.

 

[gregory]

I HATE those places.