Refunded! Artificial ‘Gills’ Scam Comes Clean

[leadin]On March 25, GearJunkie reported on the Triton, the “world’s first artificial gills rebreather.” Our first post about the Triton “Gills” goes into great detail to explain why the company’s claims were simply impossible.[/leadin]

Today, Triton came clean and refunded nearly $900,000 to Indiegogo supporters. The company then explained in an update that the Triton will use expendable “liquid oxygen” cylinders to supply air to breathe.

GearJunkie had contacted both Triton and Indieogogo about the impossible claims made by the fund-raising campaign. There was no response from Triton, but Indiegogo did respond with brief messages.

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After a canned response, we forwarded our published story to a customer service team. On March 31, we received word that “at this time, the campaign is under review to ensure that it adheres to our Terms of Use.”

Today, Triton refunded its entire campaign proceeds (nearly $900,000), and re-launched with more honest information. It’s worth checking out the entire update, as the brand claims to have in some way created a tiny compressed air container and delivery system.

Here’s a bit of what the brand had to say.

“Since launching we have been protecting our proprietary technology because it’s so important to our success, but after careful consideration we think it’s important to share these details and clarify how the device works. Inside of each Triton, the artificial gills utilize ‘liquid oxygen’, which combined with the other components allow users to breathe underwater, which you can see in the video above. We will release more information about the ‘liquid oxygen’ cylinders and safety strap.”

“Note that the ‘liquid oxygen’ cylinders won’t last forever so we plan to make it possible for backers to purchase and exchange cylinders through our website. They will come in packs of 1, 3, and 5, and we’ll list prices as soon as they are finalized. We’re also working on a solution to make them refillable.”

You can read the full update here.

Honestly, the product might be pretty cool, but after the misleading beginning of the fundraiser, we’d be hesitant to support it now. In just a couple hours, the re-launched campaign has already reached $47,000, so apparently many folks aren’t concerned.

Regardless, we’re glad to see the brand step up and share some details about its product, whether it took media and platform scrutiny or not.