To pledge for a project, just click the green “Back This Project” button on any project page. You will be asked to enter your pledge amount and select a reward. From there, you will go through the Paypal checkout process. Note that you must finish the Paypal checkout process for your pledge to be recorded.
Your Paypal account is immediately debited once you pledge for a project.
During funding, you can update or cancel your pledge, although canceling is not recommended as it often strongly impacts the motivation of project creators.
After funding is over, if the funding goal of the project is not reached, your Paypal account is credited back of the amount of your pledge.
Nothing.
If funding is unsuccessful, all pledges are canceled and your Paypal account is recredited of the amount of your pledge.
We don't currently have an anonymous pledge feature. You are free to choose any username you wish, though, so you could anonymize that way if you would like. Otherwise, we hope you're okay with showing your name and support. A word on your privacy: Boostbloom never discloses the amount that you pledge. This information will remain unknown to other backers. However, that’s an information project creators need to know, if only to send you your reward!
Project creators see your Boostbloom name, the amount you’ve pledged, and the reward you've selected. If funding is successful, project creators will receive your email address; they’ll use it to send you questions related to the delivery of your rewards
On top of your homepage, click “Manage Your Pledge” and enter a new amount in the pledge amount box. Doing so will not add to your existing pledge; the amount you enter will be the total amount you are pledging to the project.
On top of your homepage, click “Manage Your Pledge”. To change your reward, make a new selection. Note that changing your reward selection does not automatically change your pledge amount.
By deciding to pledge, you commit to supporting a creator’s project; canceling that commitment is very demotivating. However, if you feel you must cancel, click “Manage Your Pledge” on top of your homepage. You’ll see the “Cancel Pledge” button.
Yes! Anyone, anywhere (with a PayPal account), anytime (before the project’s funding deadline) can back a Boostbloom project.
No, Boostbloom only supports payments via PayPal.
Yes, we’ll send you an email when funding ends, no matter the outcome.
The number of backers is updated on a project page in real time, you can click on “load more” to see more backers.
Project creators are solely responsible for fulfilling the promises of their projects. See the Accountability section below for more.
If the project has been successfully funded, project creators will send you a survey email to request the info needed to deliver your rewards (mailing address…). Some creators send surveys immediately, others wait until they’re ready to deliver rewards. You will receive this message directly in the email you provided.
You can check the reward estimated delivery date to know when you can expect to receive your reward. The estimated delivery date is decided by project creators when they create their project on Boostbloom. You can read the project's updates or comments to check whether creators have mentioned delivery taking longer than expected. We encourage transparency; so if a creator is not communicating and you want to know what’s happening, you may contact the creator by posting a public comment on his Project update page, or by sending him a private message.
The first step is checking the Estimated Delivery Date on the project page. Backing a project is a lot different than simply ordering a product online, and sometimes projects are in very early stages when they are funded. If the Estimated Delivery Date has passed, check for Project Updates that may explain what happened. Sometimes creators hit unexpected roadblocks, or simply underestimate how much work it takes to complete a project. Creators are expected to communicate these setbacks should they happen. If the creator hasn’t posted an update, send a direct message to request more information about their progress, or post a public comment on their project asking for a status update.
It is the responsibility of the project creator to fulfill the promises of their project. BoostBloom reviews projects to ensure they do not violate the Project Guidelines, however BoostBloom does not investigate a creator's ability to complete their project. Creators are encouraged to share links to any websites that show work related to the project, or past projects. It's up to them to prove their ability to complete it. Because projects are usually funded by friends, fans, and communities around its creator, they are powerful social forces that keep creators accountable. The web is an excellent resource for learning about someone’s prior experience. If someone has no demonstrable prior history of doing something like their project, or is unwilling to share information, backers should consider that when weighing a pledge. If something sounds too good to be true, it very well may be.
Perhaps you know the project creator, or you have heard about the project from a trusted source. Maybe they have a first-person video. That would be hard to fake. "Is it really U2?!" Well, it is if Bono's talking about the project. Still not sure? Look for the creator bio section on the project page. Can you find them on Facebook? Do they provide links for further verification? The web is an invaluable resource for learning more about a person. At the end of the day, use your internet street smarts.
Ask the creator! At the bottom of each project page there’s an “Ask a Question” button. This will send your question directly to the creator. If you are already a backer and you would like to make your question public, you can post a comment on the project. The creator will be notified by email when you do.
Yes. Boostbloom’s Terms of Use demand creators either fulfill all rewards of their project or refund any backer whose reward they do not or are unable to fulfill. Before creators launch a project, they see a notice explaining what they should do.
Creators are the ones who have the ability to and obligation to refund backers, as payments are made between backers and creators.
There are several ways of finding interesting projects: -Browse: Just click “Discover Great Projects” and you’ll be able to browse through categories or locations. -The Boostbloom Newsletter: once a week we select some projects that we believe are worth checking out. -Staff Picks: This section displays a selection of projects by the Boostbloom team -Popular: This section shows the projects with the highest number of backers. -The Internet: Boostbloom projects are often mentioned on social media and we are active on Twitter, Google + and Facebook. Check us out, we often feature some cool projects!
Nothing at all. If funding is unsuccessful, you automatically get your money back.
Clicking on the Remind Me button will allow you to keep tabs on projects you’re interested in. When you star a project, you can check it at any time in your starred projects section. 48 hours before the project ends, you’ll receive a reminder email giving you a chance to become a backer before the deadline if you’re not already one.