Noké U-Lock on KS. 3+ Years Later & Never Produced/Shipped

[PowerMe]

Back in 2015 a KS campaign started for a bluetooth enabled Ulock, The Noké Ulock. I jumped in the funding pool and then, when they missed their first production date that same year and again slipped once more several weeks later, I was smart and requsted to get back my funding, which I did receive back. WHEW!

Fast forward to now. June 2018, 3 years and 4 months since their campaign started. They have failed to deliver their product. They spent 3 years lying to their backers, making excuses, claiming they were "so so close, mere weeks away."

Like all of the worst scammy Kickstarter project teams, they stopped communicating completely with their backers, with no updates in 6+ months.

These people marketed themselves on the back of having created 5 prior KS projects in the past. But, they learned nothing from their past projects. They FUBAR'd this project 10x over.

The only good thing is that backers have been able to get their funding back, upon asking. Why all their backers haven't done so is a mystery to me. People are still begging for an update despite being lied to over and over.

This was the final crowdfunding project for me. I backed a total of 4 projects over 6 years and this one was the one in which I said, "never again!"

Caveat Emptor!

 

[Barry S]

Their ads on YouTube caught my attention but I never contributed. I assumed it was already in production by now, so this post was a shock. I wonder if their padlock based on the same technology met the same fate? I was actually thinking of getting one of those for my teen daughter for her school locker.

 

[jazz]

Yup this is one of the reasons why I will never participate in crowdfunding ever again

 

[PowerMe]

They ran their campaign on both KS & IGoGo and have been using the money to build their business and marketing and advertising and create a corporate presence, rather than actually complete the product that they got $1.7MM in funding. They pulled all kinds of hinky things, had to redo the design of their ULock because it was subpar, then found out all those design changes cost $$$$ with the factory (duh), didn't tell backers any of this for many months, and slipped the schedule for another year. This product will never come out and I wouldn't use a bluetooth product to lock my bike now that I know all that I know.

The Noke team is among the worst project teams ever on KS. I would *never* purchase any product from them and I hope no one else will give these scammers their hard-earned money either.

 

[Mark Clouse]

It makes me sad to hear people talking this way as if this campaign is just a pyramid scheme. Some of your complaints are compelling. I have never had enough spare time to go to these sites, so I wonder if the KS or IGoGo organizations have any rules that have been violated and issues could be brought to their attention. Is it possible that promoters are just over-enthusiastic Bo Bo's? (I can certainly remember when I was one) If you buy stock in a public company, statements made by the Company and it's officers and directors are regulated and subject to civil and criminal prosecution is found to be false or misleading. I doubt these promoters are in that category so I wonder what laws would apply? When you send money to these individuals, are you technically investing or are you technically mostly making a gift? I certainly believe there are pathological scum bags that exploit any element of trust, but this does not seem likely to me as they did refund your money. It seems this idea, no matter how highly hyped, just didn't work out, but if you feel there is wrong doing it should be reported to the appropriate legal authority. That's about all we can do and it's not worth ruining your day beyond that.

 

[shiruba]

Granted, if they raised over $1m in funding and can't make a bluetooth lock, then it there's a good probability that it was more or less a scam - but on the other hand, bear in mind that these sites are supposed to be risky investments akin to venture capital - not internet shopping. If people think of this as shopping and are surprised when their goods don't arrive.... well they shouldn't be.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Granted, if they raised over $1m in funding and can't make a bluetooth lock, then it there's a good probability that it was more or less a scam - but on the other hand, bear in mind that these sites are supposed to be risky investments akin to venture capital - not internet shopping. If people think of this as shopping and are surprised when their goods don't arrive.... well they shouldn't be.

Agreed, but that shouldn't preclude honest communication.

TT