If you don’t know the background, back in 2016 a product called LVL appeared on Kickstarter. It promised to actively measure hydration levels and give alerts when you needed to drink, amongst other things. I’m a big believer in the benefits of proper hydration, and I think a big part of my quite reasonable result in IPWR was because I drank more than most as we raced our way across the dry plains of Australia. For the sort of non-stop unsupported races that I like to do (as well as a whole host of other uses in health and well-being) this little device offered significant benefits. There was just one problem…
It didn’t actually exist. Kickstarter is a system where you can back development projects, with the promise of a reward down the line. Now there are a whole lot of interpretations of what exactly is promised, what stage of development it needs to be at before you can promise it, what must be delivered, and how much chance backers have of getting your money back if the whole thing goes pear shaped, and I’m not going into that. The fact is that I backed it, and then there was silence, and then I thought my money was simply gone. After four months of silence there was an update posted on November 29, 2018, and then nothing. Until this week. On November 12, 2019, we got another update. This one talked of the troubles they had faced, but it also had a whole lot of bright things in it.
It talked of acquisition by an “incredible, stealth-mode healthcare company”, resources to build and deliver 10x what they ever thought was possible, great opportunity, and a device that they are now building. But no specifics. It didn’t even say what the device they are now building does. It could be a wearable hydration monitor, a personal submarine, or a set of steak knives. Or anything else really. But then they offered us a choice – wait (an unspecified time) for the new mystery product, or get a full refund. Anyone who doesn’t say what they want by next week gets put down for the mystery product. No details of how any refunds would be handled (a lot of the credit cards used to pay for something three years ago are now expired), but they did mention that all choices were final and that this would be their last communication to the Kickstarter community.
Now I think I’ve made up my mind what I will choose, but I really want to know how the other option works out, so I decided to start this thread just in case the Kickstarter page suddenly disappears and we no longer have any way to hear anything about it. My plan is that everyone who is interested can subscribe to comments on this thread, and hopefully at some point we will hear from people who elected for the refund and find out if they got it and how, and will also hear from people who elected for the mystery device.
To be clear, I have absolutely nothing to do with the organisers. My only communication with them has been via Kickstarter asking about my (so far non-existant) device, just like the rest of you.
To subscribe to just this thread you will need to leave a comment of some sort down below, and enter your email address. I’ll never send you anything or use your email address in any other way. You’ll get a flurry of emails when everyone signs up (I can’t think of a way around this sorry) but then you should only hear when there is an update.
Alternatively, if you want to hear about all of my amazing cycling adventures you can just subscribe to the whole blog, I think that option should be somewhere to the right or below, depending which browser you are using.
Yep, I want to know what happens!
Well I’m glad someone else does! I don’t get it, lots of people have looked at the page but you’re the only one who has commented! It won’t really work for everyone unless we get at least two people, one from each choice!
I’d like to hear if people actually received a way into the survey. I tried repeatedly to hit the survey option and it took me to the original campaign page for the LVL Hydration Band but there was no survey. I tried to contact Kickstarter about the failure along with my most recent string of emails to Kickstarter App support explaining the situation and didn’t get any response then today I got the form letter canned response saying ridiculous that didn’t even address my exhaustive list of emails detailing the fact that I wasn’t able to fill out any new survey, that by the way, expired at 5 pm today in some time zone. Guess what everyone, the LVL campaign no longer showed up in my list of previously backed. Or saved projects, POOF, GONE!! As a side note, for at least the last month or so, it no longer showed I was a Backer on the campaign page, did this happen to anyone else? Because I was no longer shown as a backer, I couldn’t contact BSX/LVL directly asking for a survey be sent to me directly, so it looks like I’m in the no refund group, but I also don’t know if they have me on a list as a backer in the 1 in a Million chance they ever produce and ship a reward. There is a chance as slim as it may be, that if and when a reward is shipped, I won’t get one anyway. I have that going for me!!! Which is “Not” Nice!! For you Caddy Shack Fans!!
Phil J Doyle
Hi Phil, I can still see the page, so I guess you did somehow get removed from the backers list. Do you think there’s any possibility that they tried to give you a refund? Have you still got the same credit card?
Hi Rowan,
Thanks for your input. I don’t think that’s it. It’s been a while since it no longer said I was a backer but the campaign listed on my Kickstarter App page literally just dropped off today. I don’t know how they would have known I wanted a refund because I never was able to fill out a survey requesting a refund to initiate a refund.
Did you actually fill out a survey?
Ah fair enough. I did fill out a survey, there was a link to it at the very top of the project page. Now when I look at the project page I can still see a Survey link in the bar just bellow the header image. I’m looking via a web browser though, not the app.
I requested a refund, will follow the page and let you know if I hear something 🙂 Curious to learn more about the product they intent to deliver!
Thanks for setting this up, Rowan.
I’ve filled in the survery to get a refund but not heard anything since. Main reason being that we’ve now got smartwatches which we didn’t have before subscribing originally. Had given up on receiving LVL watches and if we do get a refund, it’ll be a bonus.
Also intrigued to hear how it progresses.
Lvl gambler here xD hope I dont regret it but I am thinking I may xD
I got an email saying they refunded the original card which I don’t have any more and no way to even know which bank it was from. It was years ago.
Hmm, that sounds really annoying. Hopefully
Hmm, that sounds really annoying. Hopefully the transaction will get rejected and they will contact you to confirm the correct payment details. I’m guessing they hadn’t contacted you at all between the survey and this email?
That sucks! I have a comment in my e-mail; “Refunds can only be issued to the original payment method used for the pledge. If the original card is no longer valid, your bank will route the credit to the appropriate account. Please reach out to your bank for more details.”
I’d like to learn more about what happened as well.
So it is now 2020 – I think the suggestion was that refunds would take time to process but should arrive within 2019. Seems like Michelle is the only one who has heard anything about an actual refund though, unless anyone else has?
I got the email today from kickstarter!
Great initiative. I went for the refund – highly doubt I will see the money.
I just received an email that my pledge has been refunded to my original payment method – should take max 10 business days.. let’s see..
Anddd I actually have the money back guys!
Wow, awesome! It may sound cynical but I really didn’t expect that!
Annemarie – great news! Which company formally made the payment to you? Was it Kickstarter, BSX, a new entity related just to “LVL”, or a separate third party?
It says “kickstarter lvl” 🙂 I got the confirmation about the payment from kickstarter
Wow, awesome! It may sound cynical but I really didn’t expect that!
Haha I didn’t expect it either, I’m really surprised 🙂 Maybe they will actually also present a product soon 😉
I just got an email from LVL with the following and a link to a new survey to complete, so here’s hoping something happens:
Dear Backer,
Happy New Years! LVL spent the holidays issuing as many refunds as possible. Unfortunately, your original payment source was no longer active for us to process your requested refund through that platform. We are now reaching out to you to provide a valid Paypal account so we can issue your refund that way.
What do we need from you:
Kickstarter Order Number
Kickstarter Email Address
Paypal Email for the account to which you would like the refund sent
Hi Kenny, was that from the same support@bsxathletics.com address that Rick got his email from?
Yes, same email address. And when I went to get my backer number, I noticed the payment was on a card from a since closed account, so it did make sense that the refund would not go through.
It also had this at the bottom:
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL
Note, refunds cannot be issued in any other way. No exceptions. Please complete the survey by January 17, 2020.
We look forward to processing your refund in a timely manner once we have your Paypal details. Have a great 2020!
Just had an email, not via Kickstarter, purporting to be from support@bsxathletics.com
Asking for my KS order details and a PayPal address as my original payment method has expired (which will be true for many, many backers I assume)
•Short date to act
•No personal details (“Dear Backer…”)
•Survey on a non-Kickstarter URL
Genuine refund or elaborate scam?
Anybody else have one?
Seems like there’s a bit of random action in who hears what when, and over which channel! That sounds a lot like the email Kenny got though. Kenny, was that the email address yours was sent from?
Unbelievably, I actually got a refund to my PayPal account from LVL just now! Didn’t think that’s as actually gonna happen.
I got an email that Kenny had commented to say they’d got a refund, but I can’t see it here on page…
I don’t yet have a PayPal refund, despite filling in their second survey.
Has anybody else?
Sorry, I think WordPress sometimes forgets that I’ve approved a comment, especially if I do it from the mobile app. I’ve re-approved Kenny’s comment now, hopefully you can see it. I’m in the same boat as you, filled in the second survey but got nothing back yet…
Hi everyone just i would let you all know i just received my refund very happy and amazed. Just wanted to let everyone know the refunds are real. Good luck all
I love hearing this. I’m amazed too, but hopeful about getting one myself! Of course, if they’re now really delivering on refunds, it makes you wonder what else they might deliver on…
Happily we’ve got a few people here who went with the mystery box option, so I’m optimistic that at some point we’ll hear about them getting something wonderful!
Hi Everyone,
This is Phil Doyle I’m hoping someone can provide me with an email address to contact the new company that is processing the refunds. I sent an email to the
BSX account listed above but I didn’t receive any response and I never heard back from the Indiegogo support team the last two times I attempted to contact them about filling out the new survey to process the refund. Out of curiosity, has anyone who decided to forgo the refund in hopes of still receiving the reward actually heard any updates on any progress or delivery information about the Hydration Band?? I really appreciate any help anyone may be able to provide so I can contact someone and actually get a response!!
Thank you,
Phil
I’m sorry, I meant Kickstarter!!!!!
I too requested a refund and had to set up a PayPal-account. Yet, no refund has yet showed up.. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Got an email to say refund is now pending and I can see it in my PayPal account 🙂
(Still wish I had a device to monitor my hydration though 😦 )
Hi guys!
Also got my refund through Paypal. Can’t believe I actually see the colour of that money again! If it helps anyone, the email address linked for communications related to my refund is : info@bsxinsight.com
Hope everybody finally receives what they want (product or refund)
I just saw the survey yesterday (like 7 months late), so I filled it out hoping that something will come of it, and I’ll get a fun surprise in a few more years. I don’t have lots of hope that it will ever show up, but I had already written it off as something I would never see. The company looks pretty fake after checking out its website and Linked In, but we’ll see.
That is pretty late, but it took me seven and a half months to see this comment, so I can’t throw stones… I asked for my money back and got nothing, so I don’t know if you’ve gained anything by asking for the random surprise product, but I doubt you’ve lost anything either!