Five years later, it's time to put a pin in the saga of "Coolest," the all-in-one entertainment system/cooler that broke crowdfunding records on Kickstarter in 2014. The Oregonian reports that in 2017 the Portland-based company and its founder Ryan Grepper reached a settlement with the Oregon DOJ that included a provision to send just $20 to backers outside the state who never received their promised hardware.
In a message that blames the Trump administration's tariffs on products made in China, Coolest has finally admitted the remaining 20,000 or so backers (out of 60,000) will never receive their coolers -- a statement that comes after it was selling off coolers in a "cyber week" sale at prices of just $100 a few days ago.
On the product's Kickstarter page and across social media, backers who shelled out hundreds or even thousands of dollars and never received a single unit expressed their justified anger.
I was super patient.. i was believeing after 5 years they'd actually get this right. Thanks, @CoolestCooler. Now I only get back $20 and not the $185 I gave you guys? Weak.
— Mega Ran is ON TOUR (@MegaRan) December 7, 2019
According to the email, Coolest needed the funds from its fire sale to pay creditors, and even, incredibly, suggested backers might be able to find a unit available secondhand. Now they're left to register via a "Tipalti" service with their banking information to hopefully receive $20 back from the people who never fulfilled the initial promise.
Coolest Cooler final steps from r/shittykickstarters
Source: Kickstarter (Coolest), r/ShittyKickstarters, The Oregonian
Techvia https://AiUpNow.com December 10, 2019 at 05:21AM by , Khareem Sudlow,
