Being a kickstarter, I'd imagine US Federal jurisdiction might apply, at the very least for Wire Fraud?
So, Did the Spinward Traveller Debut Happen at Gencon?
- Thread starter Mako
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Being a kickstarter, I'd imagine US Federal jurisdiction might apply, at the very least for Wire Fraud?
True. Also, filing Small Claims Court is pain-in-the-cloaca.
Another week without any word from Mr. Whitman.
I filed a complaint with the KY AG, and I have to give them a chunk of time to process and wait for Mr. Whitman's presumed non-reply.
After than, I'll take a day to drive over to Brandenburg, KY (it's a daytrip from here, and I used to live at Fort Knox, and it's a good excuse to visit the Armor Museum) and file Small Claims on him. I can spare a couple of days, a tank of gas, and some effort for this.
Time to get my suit back from the cleaners.
Never try to bilk a Vargr, for they have pointy teeth and know the number of a good lawyer.
I've always said that Ken Whitman had a talent for starting new projects.
I accepted his reason/excuse why I didn't get paid for Imperium Games work, and - foolishly perhaps - did some more work for him under Archangel Entertainment. Never got paid. Later he contacted me and asked me to work on some new thing of his. I queried the first two failures to pay and never heard anything further.
I still have the emails on file.
Nothing further to add really; twice burned, forever shy and all that.
I accepted his reason/excuse why I didn't get paid for Imperium Games work, and - foolishly perhaps - did some more work for him under Archangel Entertainment. Never got paid. Later he contacted me and asked me to work on some new thing of his. I queried the first two failures to pay and never heard anything further.
I still have the emails on file.
Nothing further to add really; twice burned, forever shy and all that.
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Ken is not fulfilling his obligations.
Where is the model I paid $120 for back in February?
rich4421972
SOC-12
I think Ken Whitman wrote (or contributed to) "Chapter 11: Psionics" in the Traveller4 core rulebook. He is also pictured as one member of the "Dream Team" on page 191. I used to think that each contributor to Traveller4 had their own specialty area (i.e. Aliens, starships, psionics, worlds, encounters or combat equipment and etc.)
A few have said that it is the best psionic representation in Traveller. However, Film production requires an extremely tight handle on project management. I'd say that many people have stumbled in the producer director role. I think it's best that we let Marc work things out and see what is happening. It's probably just running slower than planned.
rich4421972
SOC-12
I did enjoy his "Brothers Barbarian" series. It was a lot of fun. At some point, everything is positive and fun and hopeful.
Best to stay positive and hopeful. B)
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It's not a question of when he fulfils the kickstarter campaign that has people angry at him. It's the fact that he has sold extra goods using channels opened by the kickstarter via junk mail, and then failed to deliver these goods.
Without labelling himself in any direct, personal way, these practices are clearly disingenuous to the fact that he is abusing the mechanisms of Kickstarter rules. You raise money through the Kickstarter campaign and set your goals accordingly to fulfil the project. With these goals met, it is not acceptable to then keep peppering the backers with junk mail, to attempt to raise additional funds after the kickstarter has ended.
It is also not acceptable to sell goods outside the campaign, which aren't then delivered, while conflating these additional transactions as being somehow part of the campaign and using that as an excuse for non delivery.
rich4421972
SOC-12
Citing "personal problems," Ken has informed his KS backers (across the six projects) that he has moved out of Kentucky and into Atlanta, GA.
Ken moves to Georgia
Let's hope that a "fresh place" will bring good tidings.
Ken moves to Georgia
Let's hope that a "fresh place" will bring good tidings.
Citing "personal problems," Ken has informed his KS backers (across the six projects) that he has moved out of Kentucky and into Atlanta, GA.
Ken moves to Georgia
Let's hope that a "fresh place" will bring good tidings.
I think he's looking for a fresh legal venue.
rich4421972
SOC-12
I know, from his own statements, he has lived in Kentucky for quite some time. It does sound kind of curious to just pick up and move to a different state.
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I get it Echo.
I too funded the kickstarter. My point was that film kickstarters have a pie in the sky approach when film length and deliverables should be based on the project finances. This is failed project management at a classic level. I see it in corporations when engineers develop relationships without structured deliverables and sign with their clients and i see it in the Atlanta Film industry with startups.
So, i don't particularly like getting "extra" product emails or anything of that sort either which is why i didn't buy anything extra.
rich4421972
SOC-12
To date, I have not seen kickstarter check into a single complaint reported against the "Spinward Traveller" campaign (or any of the other kickstarters started by KW and d20).
I think a few Attorneys General are looking into the situation.
Just because I am ignorant of the details of how Kickstarter works (beyond the basics of you pledge money, they keep part, somebody makes something), so please indulge me ...
... have you seen "kickstarter check into a single complaint reported against" anything else?
[I am just wondering if that is something that kickstarter even does, ever.]
They killed Ken's Solbound Traveller KS...
Yes, they do screen. Somewhat. They do at times block individuals from new KS projects because of complaints. In at least one case, they provided state's evidence.
rich4421972
SOC-12
Kickstarter itself does not monitor the campaigns closely unless there is obvious, egregious misconduct.
Mr. Whitman's fraudulent campaign for the Dice-o-matic game accessory was suspended by kickstarter when it became obvious that he had stolen another company's product and sold it as his own (at a higher price).
Ken/d20 Entertainment has also been banned from starting any new Kickstarter projects through Kickstarter. He is now operating another crowd-funded project through his d20 website.
Kickstarter's lack of action with the most recent of Whitman's projects has been noteworthy because there have been so many direct complaints sent to the Kickstarter accountability reporting service by backers of Whitman's various campaigns.
My point is that Kickstarter has done very little to protect the interests of the "Spinward Traveller" backers.
A few enterprising individuals have contacted their state attorneys general about the problem and have gotten positive action (in both Kentucky and New York) towards getting a refund on their kickstarter donations.
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That's what I was wondering about.
Was Ken getting some special treatment from Kickstarter, or was kickstarter not really equipped to 'do' anything?
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