“Veg Metal Says:
February 23, 2012 at 3:07 PM

Thank you! I find this service no different than hippies panhandling. You have to take their word for it that they a) need assistance (although in the facts section of the website it says you are encouraged to ask for money even though you don’t need it) b) are going to send rewards and c) are actually going to follow through with the project! This site can be used to fund creative and useful things for people who are really in need of an upstart but I’m not comfortable with the lack of accountability. It’s like telemarketing. If an artist wants to promote, go on twitter, facebook and play gigs or submit art to galleries. If an artist needs funding to start a project then….get a job! or a loan or a credit card. If there are people who don’t mind giving money to people who are asking for it for non philanthropic reasons, hey more power to them. Not for me.”

“Ken D. Webber Says:
February 8, 2011 at 10:14 AM

I have seen a flaw in Kickstarter. The site is supposed to be for people in need of cash. The flaw is that the rich are going to kickstarter already having the money they are asking for. Example, they ask for $20,000.00 but they already have it, interest free from their rich parents. They then use Rich Dad’s cash to buy their own offerings. Why? Because successful projects are promoted on multiple pages, design blogs, musician blogs, and kickstarter’s own Popular Page. In doing this, they create the FAKE impression that they are supported and popular and a feeding frenzy develops that snares the gullible marks. It costs the rich kid NOTHING and they get free advertising worth thousands more that the poor kid who really needs cash won’t see. The poor kid is seen as unpopular and not picked up on. The rich kid pays the fee to kickstarter and pockets the rewards. So Kickstarter caters to the rich, who as we all know, are weak in ideas and talent in Art and Music and Design.”

[...] earlier this week asking whether Kickstarter backers get refunds when a project fails. The answer, of course, is “no”. There’s no oversight on the part of Kickstarter, and the kind of person [...]

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This does not inspire confidence in any Kickstarter project even though some might be worth funding. This is not a good precedent.

http://www.neowin.net/news/kickstarter-control-your-power-outlets-via-wi-fi

If you’re having issues with the payments, that’s an Amazon problem, not Kickstarter. I’m surprised to hear that you have so many non-payers that it affects you starting your project at all. That seems like a very high ratio.

Has anyone dealing with non paying backers? Amazon Payments keep on charging me 4% of the pledge and Kickstarter is not helping at all.

I’m really against Kickstarter charging me their cut when the full project funding has not been collected! Shouldn’t the all or nothing funding model apply to Kickstarter too? That is, if funds of a project is not 100% received by the project creator, why should Kickstarter get its cut?

Right now, I’m left with partial funding which is not enough for me to start my project (minus an additional 3 or 4% by Kickstarter), continued failed transaction fee charges from Amazon Payments, a bunch of backers who is waiting for the project to start.

Can anyone advice on how to proceed? Your advice will be much appreciated.

[...] months ago, I warned people of the dangers of Kickstarter before moderating my concerns. Since then I’ve donated to my first Kickstarter effort — [...]