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On the omni website it says, "Order on Kickstarter", but isn't kickstarter trying to remind people that it isn't necessarily a store? And so if you order one on

On the omni website it says, "Order on Kickstarter", but isn't kickstarter trying to remind people that it isn't necessarily a store? And so if you order one on kickstarter is it a guarantee that you will get one or is there a chance that it won't happen?

georgemcbay 13y ago
Yes Kickstarter is constantly trying to explain to people they aren't a store, but most hardware projects use it as one anyway. And yes, if you buy on Kickstarter there is no guarantee you will ever receive anything. There have been fairly high profile Kickstarter hardware projects that never delivered. Having said that, this one looks like a pretty good bet to ship, the makers are very engaged and obviously have working models that are pretty far along. Granted, mass production is harder than most people assume, but I'd bet on this one shipping.
bcoates 13y ago
Another red flag is that the "Risks and Challenges" Kickstarter mandated doesn't actually disclose any risks or challenges, just generic statement that could apply to literally any manufactured product and a bunch of puffery about how great they are.
- joosters 13y ago
  Too true... I've yet to see a decent and honest 'risks and challenges' section for a project, they all end up talking about how great everything is. They are far removed from the 'risks' section of a financial prospectus (which still get ignored!) and yet kickstarter backers have fewer rights and safeguards than a real financial investor.
  - tinco 13y ago
    They also invest much less. I'm not sure why you would need a safeguard for investing $429. Clearly you can miss the money since the starter clearly states you won't get the project until its done, and that's a minimum of 6 months away. If the project never gets done and no one receives their reward, what's the harm done?
joosters 13y ago
And on the kickstarter updates they state 'We have now sold close to 2,000 Omnis'. Kickstarter pledges aren't sales. They should not be describing them as such.

georgemcbay 13y ago

Yes Kickstarter is constantly trying to explain to people they aren't a store, but most hardware projects use it as one anyway. And yes, if you buy on Kickstarter there is no guarantee you will ever receive anything. There have been fairly high profile Kickstarter hardware projects that never delivered. Having said that, this one looks like a pretty good bet to ship, the makers are very engaged and obviously have working models that are pretty far along. Granted, mass production is harder than most people assume, but I'd bet on this one shipping.

bcoates 13y ago

Another red flag is that the "Risks and Challenges" Kickstarter mandated doesn't actually disclose any risks or challenges, just generic statement that could apply to literally any manufactured product and a bunch of puffery about how great they are.

joosters 13y ago
Too true... I've yet to see a decent and honest 'risks and challenges' section for a project, they all end up talking about how great everything is. They are far removed from the 'risks' section of a financial prospectus (which still get ignored!) and yet kickstarter backers have fewer rights and safeguards than a real financial investor.
- tinco 13y ago
  They also invest much less. I'm not sure why you would need a safeguard for investing $429. Clearly you can miss the money since the starter clearly states you won't get the project until its done, and that's a minimum of 6 months away. If the project never gets done and no one receives their reward, what's the harm done?

joosters 13y ago

And on the kickstarter updates they state 'We have now sold close to 2,000 Omnis'. Kickstarter pledges aren't sales. They should not be describing them as such.