Kickstarter has banned a laser-powered razor’s funding campaign for not having a working prototype.
The Skarp Laser Razor crowdfunding effort had gained more than $4m in funding, far exceeding its target of $160,000, before it was taken down.
Described on its original Kickstarter page as offering “an incredibly close shave without irritating or damaging the skin,” the razor has thus far been demonstrated in the below video where it struggles to cut through a few hairs.
(YouTube)aOLwNJ7TXWA(/YouTube)
Without evidence of a working prototype that lives up to the claims made in its marketing material, Kickstarter suspended funding for the campaign, putting a temporary halt to Skarp’s “shaving revolution”.
An email from Kickstarter obtained by The Register explains that the funding effort violates the company’s “rule requiring working prototypes of physical products that are offered as rewards.”
Undeterred, Skarp set up an Indiegogo page within hours of the suspension, which has already gained more than $30,000 in funding.
Skarp said on its Facebook page that Indiegogo “have been incredibly helpful & they believe in the Skarp Razor as much as we do.”
The intervention from Kickstarter is unusual, especially for a product that had racked up such impressive funding, which shows just how unconvinced they were by the product.
Still, with the obvious demand demonstrated by the Kickstarter campaign, the product will no doubt manage to exceed its target in similarly spectacular style on Indiegogo.
What are your thoughts on the coming “shaving revolution”? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
