Frequently Asked Questions

Your satisfaction is important to us at CrunchLabs. Give us a call at (650) 267-2473. We’re available Monday through Friday, 7am-5pm PT. Or email us at help@crunchlabs.com

General

Every month a Build Box arrives with the most awesome build-it-yourself STEM toy kits and an exclusive video from Mark Rober! When shown the toys and videos, 9 out of 10 of our kid testers freaked out – the 10th was too busy playing with the toy to answer our survey!

Each Build Box is centered on a different engineering concept (or superpower), and features a toy that uses that superpower for kids to build, learn, and play with. Each box includes project components for the build-it-yourself toy, a booklet with picture-based instructions, STEM concept explanations, and activities and challenges that take the toy to the next level, and a gear badge that celebrates the engineering superpower they just learned about.

Each of our subscription options delivers one box per month, no more no less. So purchasing an annual subscription includes 12 boxes, arriving 1 per month. 

Not right now. We put a lot of thought into the sequencing of Build Boxes to optimize learning and fun. We carefully consider the types of projects and underlying mechanisms that help kids gain engineering superpowers through the Gear Badges. 

No, each monthly Build Box is different, and we won’t send the same box twice to a subscription. You are able to view the Build Boxes received on your account dashboard. If you have questions or concerns please contact us at help@crunchlabs.com.

For now, we only have one line of Build Box subscriptions designed for children ages 8-12+. We hope to offer more subscriptions and products in the future, so please visit our website and watch Mark Rober’s monthly videos for updates. Or you can join our mailing list at community@crunchlabs.com

We aim to fulfill your first Build Box order in 1 to 3 business days after the order is placed. You can expect shipping to take 4 to 7 business days within the United States. 

You can click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of emails from CrunchLabs. Contact help@crunchlabs.com if you need further assistance.

It is our policy not to accept unsolicited submissions of creative material.
We hope you understand that it is the intent of this policy to avoid the possibility of future misunderstandings when projects developed by our professional staff might seem to others to be similar to their own creative work.

Fun Faq

Actually yeah! It’s a big warehouse in California that we converted into the ultimate design and engineering space. We love our secret lab so much that we want to share it – that’s why we have a platinum ticket to let lucky winners come and visit!

Well, we are kind of children at heart. Actually, we come up with ideas for a LOT of toys, and then prototype the ones that are the most exciting. And then we keep prototyping, and then prototype some more, and then cut the ones that aren’t as cool, and then get kids and adults to play with the ones that are, and then do more prototypes, and then something stops working, so we make more prototypes, and then we think it’s finished, and then we find something that could make it cooler, so we prototype again… basically we keep building and testing until it’s as awesome as it can be. Think Like an Engineer is our internal motto too, so only the best of the best ideas make into your Build Box subscription.

Product

Hopefully assembly is a little bit challenging, in the same way a good puzzle is challenging (if puzzles came with a step-by-step illustrated instruction booklet… and if Mark Rober walked you through each step). Seriously though, we test with 8-12 year old kids extensively and prototype for months to make sure each toy is a smooth and enjoyable build. Our goal is that with the help of the monthly video episode, the booklet, and a dash of tenacity, an 8 year old can be successful independently. 

Ages 8-12+ (or kids at heart) will have the best time with these projects. We test every product with third-party testing agencies to ensure the products comply with US and EU safety standards for kids ages 8 years and older. Parents and guardians can use their own discretion for whom they purchase, of course, but we have worked hard to ensure a consistently enjoyable experience for the intended age range. 

We test every product with third-party testing agencies to ensure the products comply with US and EU safety standards for kids ages 8-years and older. The safety standards check for whether the toy is safe and sturdy for its intended play, and that unsafe chemicals don’t make their way into the toy during production.

Nope! Everything you need to make the thing is in the build box. Even batteries. You will need an Internet connection and a kid-safe device to watch the build box video, but you don’t need the video to complete the build!

If something IS missing from your box, we’ll send you a replacement at no extra charge. You can check for missing parts by looking at the first page of the instructions, which shows every item you should already have in the box to complete the project. If any parts are missing, go to your account dashboard and visit the webpage for the build box in question, where you will find a form to request missing parts. If you have further questions contact help@crunchlabs.com.  

It depends! We try to make each build 30 to 60 minutes on average for an 8-12 year old. If you like to take a lot of breaks for snacks or to run around in circles, you can always come back later. 

Currently there is no option to purchase individual build boxes; however, we may introduce this in the future.

To get our Build Box subscription boxes, you’ll need to subscribe. We may offer other subscriptions or stand alone products in the future, but not currently.

Build Boxes are designed for one user, so we recommend a subscription for each person. 

Kinda. Potentially. Please contact our customer support (help@crunchlabs.com) and we can figure out something together. In the meantime we’re working on some interesting ideas for schools, teachers, and homeschoolers.

Not necessarily, but the refill packs are designed to be extras for specific build boxes in the CrunchLabs Build Box subscription. 

Billing

Yes! You can pause your subscription at any time for up to 3 months by accessing your account dashboard. You can also reverse a paused subscription at any time. If you're having trouble pausing your subscription you can always contact customer service to pause or unpause for you.

We want to do everything within our power to make sure you have a great experience with CrunchLabs. Please call or email us at help@crunchlabs.com to share your concerns. But if you must cancel your upcoming Build Boxes:

• For “Monthly, Cancel Anytime” subscriptions, you can cancel after the first Build Box ships. Visit your account dashboard and follow the steps to cancel your subscription. If you cancel after you are billed for the next Build Box, a product will still ship but you will not be billed again thereafter.

• 12 month subscriptions are not eligible for early cancellation. If you’re not satisfied, call or email us at help@crunchlabs.com.

For any subscription, if you do not wish to receive the next month's Build Box, please turn off auto-renewal three days prior to your next billing date (as shown through your account dashboard). And if your subscription is currently processing an order or shipment, you may not see the option to turn off auto-renewal until after the order is shipped.

Yes. At the end of each billing cycle (whether that’s monthly or annually), your subscription will renew. However, you can change this at any time from your Account Dashboard once logged in.

For Month-to-month subscriptions, you can pause or cancel your subscription. For annual subscriptions, you can turn off “auto renew”. Contact us at help@crunchlabs.com if you need assistance.

Contact customer service at help@crunchlabs.com to resolve unique situations such as requesting reactivation of a canceled build box subscription. 

No. We don’t store any credit card (or other payment method) information at CrunchLabs because we rely on a third-party payment processor. All credit card (or other payment method) information submitted on our website is secure and submitted directly to our processor. We take security seriously and we do not even temporarily store your credit card (or other payment method) information on our servers.

We currently accept payment through our website through Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Facebook Pay.

All states, territories, and countries in which CrunchLabs has a physical presence (such as an office or warehouse) or in which CrunchLabs reaches a sales threshold, will collect applicable sales tax from our customers. Your on-screen order totals may reflect an estimated tax amount and the true sales tax will be calculated and charged at the time your order is invoiced.

For “Month-to-month” subscriptions and “Annual, paid Monthly” subscriptions, your card will be charged when a recurring order gets placed in our system. For “Annual, paid upfront” subscriptions, you will be charged annually, when you purchase the subscription and when it renews.

You can update your billing information anytime by accessing your account dashboard. If you need assistance, contact us at help@crunchlabs.com

Gifting

If you live at a different address than the recipient, we’d suggest buying them a gift credit! Since there’s a lot of exclusive content tied to your account, the experience will work best if the account holder for the subscription lives in the same household as the recipient of the subscription.

This is to purchase a virtual gift credit. This is a great option if you’d like to help someone outside of your household to experience CrunchLabs. If you’re in the same household as the subscription recipient, and you want to manage the subscription for them, it’s probably best to subscribe directly for them.

The whole experience works best if the person who manages the subscription lives in the same household as the subscription recipient. For the subscription recipient, there’s a lot of exclusive content that’s accessible through the subscription account (including the build videos!). For the account holder, the subscription account is also where they can update or change shipping addresses, pause the subscription, request replacement parts, and give feedback on each box.

Shipping & Returns

We offer free shipping for Build Box subscriptions and Build Box extras to anywhere in the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, and Military (APO, FPO, DPO) addresses.

Yes! Shipping within the United States is included in the price of your subscription, shipping internationally costs us a lot more, so we charge a little extra. We apply the value of free shipping within the US to your international shipping cost! Various extra taxes (including VAT) and duties may be collected upon checkout. Duties and taxes, along with other rates, vary based on your location; please see further details at checkout. 

We ship to the following countries, which are supported by our shipping partners and where our toy testing certifications are applicable:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States.

We’re sorry to hear that! Please call or email us at help@crunchlabs.com so we can arrange a replacement. 

If something is missing from your box, we’ll send you a replacement at no extra charge. You can check for missing parts by looking at the first page of the instructions, which shows every item you should already have in the box to complete the project. If any parts are missing, go to your account dashboard and visit the webpage for your Build Box. Fill out the form to request missing parts. If you have further questions contact help@crunchlabs.com.  

Have you moved or relocated? You can update your shipping address through your account dashboard.

You will receive email notification once your Build Box is shipped every month. You can get tracking details through your account dashboard.

Subscription Build Boxes (and purchases made with a bulk discount) are not eligible for returns or refunds.

However, other store items can be returned for a full refund if the items are unused, undamaged, and purchased within 60 days. To initiate a return, email help@crunchlabs.com. CrunchLabs will inspect returned products upon receipt and issue refunds within 30 days to the original form of payment. Please note that all return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer, and return packages must be in the original packaging and include the following information: customer name, order number, and reason for return.

Return address:

CrunchLabs

ATTN: RETURNS

5425 Exploration Drive

Indianapolis, IN 46241

United States

CAMP CRUNCHLABS (SUMMER CAMP)

Camp CrunchLabs is a brand new summer camp program for budding engineers aged 8-12. Fight summer brain drain with weekly engineering boxes (that’s 12 in total), exclusive videos from Mark Rober featuring huge experiments, and weekly challenges to win real life patches and a chance to visit the Lab itself!

Please note, subscribing to Camp CrunchLabs is currently just for new subscribers. If you are an existing Build Box subscriber, don’t worry! YOU ARE ALREADY ENROLLED. You will still receive your Build Box every month, and you are also automatically able to view the videos and participate in the challenges portion of Camp CrunchLabs.

All Camp CrunchLabs videos and challenges will be listed on a secret page on our site (stay tuned)

At the end of Camp CrunchLabs, once you have received all 12 weekly boxes, you will be auto enrolled in month to month subscription and continue receiving new Build Boxes every month at $24.95/month. You can always manage your subscription settings in your account page.

If you need to pause your Camp CrunchLabs subscription for a week or more, please email us at help@crunchlabs.com.

Of course! You don’t need to do anything. You will still receive your Build Box every month, and you are also automatically able to watch the weekly camp videos and participate in the challenges portion of Camp CrunchLabs.

Unfortunately we are not able to support the change from monthly to weekly deliveries during the summer camp period.

No, Campers will receive all 12 existing Build Boxes over the summer. These are the same Build Boxes as our regular monthly program.

Every week, Mark will task you with a challenge based on his experiments. You can upload videos and photos of your builds to Instagram or Twitter with #campcrunchlabscontest. Every week, Mark will choose 4 winners who will receive a limited edition Camp CrunchLabs patch.At the end of the summer, Mark will then select one lucky winner from all challenge participants and bring them to the Lab itself here in Silicon Valley!

For now, Camp is open just for the summer. Please subscribe ASAP if you want to enroll this year!

EDUCATORS

Yes! We offer a 10% discount on orders of 20-200 build boxes, and a 15% discount on orders larger than 200 build boxes. Whether you want to order for your classroom, after school club, or homeschool cooperative, we can help.

We also offer tax exempt orders if qualified. Please submit proof of your tax exempt status when requesting a quote.

We accept advance payment by credit card, ACH, and check.

We also accept purchase orders for verified organizations. Please email us at educators@crunchlabs.com for more details.

You can email us at educators@crunchlabs.comand a member of our Customer Service team will follow-up with you shortly.

Yes, CrunchLabs purchases are classified as Educational Services (MCC 8299) and are reimbursable through Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs).

You can find us as a qualified vendor in the following state ESAs - Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Ohio, and Texas. For help with placing ESA orders or to recommend us as a vendor for your ESA, charter school or homeschool network please email us at educators@crunchlabs.com.

Yes, we honor tax exempt orders from qualified organizations. Please provide proof of your organization’s tax exempt status when requesting a quote or placing your order.

Please allow 4-7 days for delivery of bulk orders once shipped.

Yes, you can order spare parts directly from our website. Go to the product page URL found in your build box, login to your account, and place an order for any spare parts needed.