BackerKit FAQ
How does BackerKit crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding is a collaborative way to bring ideas and projects to life. Project creators post their idea for a project, and backers pledge money to make the project possible. Backers get behind the scenes access and backer-only rewards, which can include exclusive products, special pricing, creative input, content, and more.
To become a backer, select a pledge level that features the reward(s) you would like to receive when the project is successfully completed and make your contribution.
All-or-nothing crowdfunding model: The creator sets a funding goal and a deadline to raise funds. If the project does not meet the goal by the deadline, backers credit cards are not charged and no money changes hands.
Crowdfunding projects can happen at various stages of the creative process. Make sure to check the estimated timeline of when rewards will be delivered. Project creators will keep you updated on the progress toward completion and delivery of your rewards.
Backing a crowdfunding campaign is not the same as purchasing an item from a store. When you back a campaign you are supporting the creation of something new. Rewards are almost always delivered, but are not guaranteed.
When will I be charged for my pledge?
Your payment method will not be charged right away. You will be charged for the amount of your pledge when the campaign ends and the project reaches its funding goal. You will not be charged if the campaign does not reach its funding goal.
What happens after the campaign is over?
The Creator will send out a survey that will ask you for more information about your pledge, your shipping information, additional items you may want to add to your pledge, and collect shipping fees if applicable.
The survey will be sent to the email address we have on file with your pledge.
Any additional payment will be charged when you complete your survey and confirm your order.
Project FAQ
When will shipping be charged?
We will charge shipping in the post-project survey after the project closes. This allows us to get the most accurate weight of your order and the most current shipping costs. Your specific shipping fee will be based on the final weight of your order and your location - we don't charge extra for handling, just the actual cost of postage. Please factor the estimated shipping costs (detailed in the project) into the total price of the reward you select.
When will my rewards ship?
After the project closes, BackerKit allows two weeks to process all the payments and transfer the funds. Once we receive the project funds, we send the backer surveys. We allow about a week for backers to complete their surveys so we can get an accurate assessment of color choices. Then we place our orders for the materials. Most of our materials arrive to us within 2-3 weeks, and then we begin production.
Will I have to pay customs fees?
That depends on the cost of the reward and the laws in your specific country. We cannot mark your reward as "gift" to avoid any fees as this is against regulations and can result in significant fines for us. Please assume that you will have customs fees to pay for your package to be delivered.
How do you ship?
We ship via USPS. For US-based backers that means your package will be delivered to you mailbox by your mail person. For international backers that means that our US Postal Service gets the package to your country and then your local post delivers to you. If USPS is not a good option for you for whatever reason, please shoot us a message at [email protected] and we can arrange alternative shipping. We can also ship via UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Additional fees may apply.
When do I make my color selections for my rewards?
You will be able to choose your leather colors and woods (if you added a Model F fountain pen) in the post-project survey.
Can I add-on items that aren't included in one of the reward packages?
Yep! You can add any of the individual items from the project as an add on to your order as well as a few of our favorites after you make your pledge. You'll also have the chance to add any of the individual items in our reward packages to your order after the project closes in the post project survey. All add-ons will be at the crowdfunding pricing. We also offer our crowdfunding backers great deals on many of our previous crowdfunding rewards as add-ons in the post-project survey. :)
How to get in touch with us.
You can message us from within BackerKit or you can send us an email at [email protected].
Where do you make your products?
ALL of our products are made by us (Chad & Jess, and our small team of craftspeople) in our Chicago-area workshop. :) Yep! You read that right we make everything ourselves!
Where do you get the materials you use to make your products?
We source our materials from all over the world, focusing on the story and quality-of-life for the animal or people involved in making or sourcing the material.
I was not able to pledge to the project in time. How can I still back the project?
If you weren’t able to pledge before the project’s deadline, it won’t be possible to pledge through BackerKit. But we continue to take orders through BackerKit's pre-orders interface after the project closes and then our website after rewards have shipped. Shoot us a message at [email protected] if you're interested!