Kickstarter, the popular online crowdfunding platform, has just banned a project for its failure to provide evidence of a working prototype. The project was for a laser-powered razor called Skarp which has raised over $4 million in crowdfunding since it was first announced.
Kickstarter shared with Business Insider that the campaign was "in violation of our rule requiring working prototypes of physical products that are offered as rewards."
According to KickStarter, the ban cannot be undone.
Skarp was able to prove that a prototype was in existence, but it was not effective enough to be considered a "working prototype" since the device has difficulty cutting through even just a few strands of hair, which is shown in their video.
Ever since the ban, the company has now transferred to IndieGogo, another crowdfunding site.
The laser-powered shave project still continues to receive money and has even smashed their US$160,000 funding target within the first 15 hours on IndieGogo.
Opinions are mixed about the project, with some believing that it was nothing more than a scam. But the support and funding Skarp has managed to accumulate suggests that the campaign has a large number of people who believe in their project and are willing to contribute to see it become a success.
There have been times in the past when Kickstarter has been used for money scams, such as in the campaign for a Kobe beef-based jerky called Kobe Red operated by a group called Magnus Fun, Inc.
The beef was said to have been with 100% organic feed- and beer-fed Japanese cows, with plenty of reviews from happy customers who have already tasted their product.
Further investigation into the campaign eventually proved that the product reviews were made-up and the entire company was a scam, according to Mashable.
Although the team behind Kickstarter are doing their best keep the crowdfunding platform free from scams, it doesn't seem impossible for users to take advantage of the site to raise money for bogus campaigns.
Join the Conversation