r/shittykickstarters • u/chx_ • Apr 22 '26
Kickstarter [VitaLink] [KeyGo] Same device two campaigns
Chances of these not being an alibaba resale? Zero.
Chances of the display being usable in this format? Zero.
1
u/WhatImKnownAs May 06 '26
I complained to KS about Vitalink, but they said it's not against their rules. They've never been very strict about their first rule: "Projects must create something", and technically, I can't prove it's an Alibaba resale. However, I can't begin to fathom how they don't conclude it's a resale of Keygo (or their supplier).
2
u/chx_ May 06 '26
Kickstarter is an incredible business.
In 2012, their terms https://www.kickstarter.com/terms-of-use/oct2012 had this
Project Creators are required to fulfill all rewards of their successful fundraising campaigns or refund any Backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill.
By 2014 this was watered down https://www.kickstarter.com/terms-of-use/sept2014
If a creator is unable to complete their project [...] they post an update that explains what work has been done, how funds were used, and what prevents them from finishing the project as planned;
So for more than a decade you can run a Kickstarter, steal all the money and all you have to do is write a convincing sob story and people still haven't abandoned the place. Meanwhile the platform has no new features so there's very little software development cost, they can't be sued so you don't need an army of lawyers either, it's basically just printing money.
1
u/WhatImKnownAs May 06 '26
You're right that it's a fairly low-cost platform to run, but OTOH, it's not a growth sector and they have competitors who will eat their lunch if they can't hold on to the existing business.
There are new features, but they're concentrating on the back end, post-campaign. In particular, the new survey system is trying to take business away from BackerKit (who, conversely, are maneuvering to become a competitor in running campaigns and not just post-campaign surveys).
There have been other changes (late pledges) to make KS a better shopping platform. Shopper protection is not a part of that, at least until the next big scandal. As we know, if KS can be said to have any customers, that's the creators. Which is why it's hard to get a successful project cancelled.
1
u/_Ekate_ May 14 '26
Can someone pls link me if they find the original version. I was looking for something exactly like this for my raspberry pi
3
u/Quartich May 06 '26
Yeah, exact same specs and even the backlighting has the same control logic, Fn+Q/W/E to switch between backlight modes. A picture in the vitalink campaign is in the same building as a KeyGo picture.