Now Veronica Mars Backers Want Refunds, and They're Getting Them

Last Friday, many backers of the Kickstarter campaign to fund the new Veronica Mars movie made an unexpected, and unwelcome, discovery. In order to access the digital version of the movie promised as a reward, they learned, they’d have to sign up for an account at Flixster—and even then, they’d only be able to stream the movie, not download it.

On the one hand, this wasn’t new information—the original Kickstarter campaign FAQs clearly identified Flixster as the source of the digital version—but it was enough to enrage many who hadn’t realized this was going to be the case, with the thwarted fans taking to social media to complain about their problems trying to watch the movie.

Spent half an hour trying to get my legitimate copy of Veronica Mars to play on the TV with Flixster. Only takes 7 minutes to “steal” it.

— Bob Ippolito (@etrepum) March 15, 2014

Veronica Mars film “digital copy” only available via Flixster’s proprietary service. Resent the bait-and-switch and regret that pledge tier.

— Michael (@nightvespers) March 14, 2014

I feel for the people that backed VERONICA MARS and have to use Flixster/Ultra Violet. Leave it to the studios to screw this up.

— Chris Horton (@hortonla) March 14, 2014

In response, Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas updated the campaign page on Friday, writing, “If you paid for a copy of the movie a year ago, we don’t want you to have less choice and freedom than people who decide to buy it today” and adding that all those behind the production “definitely don’t want you to end up paying twice just to see the movie on your preferred service.”

To that end, Warner Bros is reportedly offering a $10 refund to those who backed the campaign but are unhappy with the digital option, with that amount increasing if backers provide proof of purchase of an alternate version of the movie.

In statement released to the L.A. Times about the refund, a Warner Bros. representative described the move as part of the studio’s diligent work “to ensure that all the Veronica Mars backers have a great experience.”

It’s a savvy PR move, and one that blunts the few criticisms the movie has met. With a 96 percent approval from its audience on Rotten Tomatoes and an almost $2 million take at the box office this weekend despite playing in only 291 theaters, it’s tough to argue that the movie wasn’t a substantial success, refund or no refund. (For context, it made roughly $6,832 for each theater it played in, higher than the $5,728-per-theater average for the much-hyped Need for Speed)

So, when do we get to hear about the almost-inevitable sequel…?