"Kickstarter Implements New Rules: Not a Store, It Insists"

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We have seen plenty of interesting gadget projects being funded on Kickstarter, but it seems the crowd-funding website has spotted some loopholes along the way.

Kickstarter has announced on its official blog that it will carry out new rules aimed at project creators. Judging by the title of the blog post alone, “Kickstarter Is Not a Store,” we can see the problems Kickstarter is facing.

The website may have realized that several people who have pledged money in projects thought they are actually buying a product, when in reality they are helping to fund the development of such projects, some of which may end in failure.

Kickstarter now requires all projects to have a “Risks and Challenges” page, wherein project creators inform its potential investors about the risks associated with their project. This would provide them with insight on whether that particular project will ever be produced as planned.

Additonally, Kickstarter now forbids product simulations. Instead, products “can only be shown performing actions that they’re able to perform in their current state of development.” Also, creators can no longer display renders of their products and instead show photos of the current prototype.

Finally, Kickstarter projects involving hardware and product design can no longer offer multiple quantities of a reward. This means that rewards are only offered in single quantities or a “sensible set,” thus combating the implication that the products seen on Kickstarter are “shrink-wrapped and ready to ship.”

All these new rules have been implemented already.

Source: Kickstarter Blog, via Slashgear