Geoff Woolley was excited about a new start-up company that promised to deliver the perfect cup of brew. He paid US$400 U.S. for his new Orenda coffee maker but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.

The coffee maker was supposed to grind beans, operate with an app to select your unique brew and be zero waste – but now it appears to have been a big waste of money.

“It used to make coffee but it stopped working now,” Woolley said.

He had waited nearly two years to get the product. He ordered the coffee maker in August of 2016 but it wasn’t shipped until March of 2018 and in June he says it quit working.

Now it only buzzes when he pushes the button. He’s had problems with the app too and Woolley has been frustrated by the company’s poor communication.

“When you reach out and you get no response that’s an even bigger problem,” he said.

The makers of the product started out on Kickstarter as the Auroma Brewing Company. The product was initially called the Auroma One and it had no problem more than doubling its US$100,000 goal.

The founders then launched a website, changing the name to Orenda and started taking orders online.

Orenda boasts about design awards. However, the complaints about the product have been piling up. More than 300 comments have been posted on the Kickstarter page and most are negative.

One backer says, “This is one pile of poop.” Another writes, “Please send a refund.”

Many folks complain about not receiving the product. One person writes, “I still have not received mine…please give some sort of update or I will pursue legal action.”

The Better Business Bureau has received 91 complaints about the company and attempts to reach it have failed. Mail sent to the company’s Delaware address has been returned as undeliverable.

“They’re amassing a large amount of complaints from consumers who have not received their products and they’re continuing to sell. That’s the concern that we have right now,” said Evan Kelly with the BBB of Mainland B.C.

Orenda now has an F rating with the BBB.

The three founders of the company are from Vancouver. CTV News made five attempts to reach someone from the company for comment but got no response.

“They could just be very much well be overwhelmed and just trying to distance themselves from it, but it’s an opportunity for them to do better,” Kelly speculated.

“It’s your first go at this. People will understand that. But you’ve got to get back to them. You’ve got to communicate with them,” explained Woolley.

He bought the product because it was touted as zero waste but now it could just end up in the garbage.

As far as a Kickstarter campaign – pass or fail?

“A big fail,” he said.

Early adopters who support crowdfunding campaigns and start-ups tend to be forgiving and the BBB says it’s possible to turn things around if the company addresses the problems.

Despite the problems with Orenda, most Kickstarter campaigns are successful. Independent research done on Kickstarter campaigns shows only 9 per cent of projects failed to deliver promised rewards.

Surprisingly, 73 per cent who backed a failed project would invest again but only 19 per cent of those would back someone who had previously failed.