I saw a post about the Public Goods Kickstarter on r/frugal some time ago. I liked what I saw so I backed it to receive a lifetime membership. I was bought into the business model of selling high quality products at cost. Sadly, I'm beginning to regret my decision.
I've ordered twice from them at this point and I've noticed a couple of troubling things. First of all, they appear to be restricting negative reviews on their site. I took it for granted that there would be some stuff I didn't like and other stuff I did like, so after my second order I left reviews some for products I loved and others for products I really didn't love (I left one, two, three, and five star reviews.) Of the reviews I left only the positive reviews (three or more stars) ended up displayed on the website.
Additionally I've noticed their prices creeping up well beyond reasonable expectations for "at cost" with absolutely ridiculous prices listed at full retail. At this point the membership basically treats you to the same prices you'd enjoy at your local Trader Joes or even your local artisanal soap maker. Now you might ask "does the quality justify the cost?" to that I would say in some cases yes, in others no. That's why the review restrictions make it so hard to tell what is actually worth buying.
All told, I'm glad I found some products on Public Goods, but I'm beginning to feel like I've been duped by sleek marketing and overly grand promises. I no longer trust that they are honest in their business practices. Let this be a warning sign that a great deal should not be considered great until it is more proven.
March 23, 2019 at 01:03PM
