Kickstarter started off small and has worked its way into being some kind of money making beast. Thousands of people have utilized the service to create the game/item/business of their dreams and thousands have used it to back ideas with moral support, I mean money.
While so many people have used Kickstarter successfully, there are plenty of people that have had less than pleasant encounters. There have been times when a game has been backed, it reaches its goal and never comes fruition.
What does a backer do in this situation? Well, Kickstarter is out to clarify a few things. From here on out we won't be guessing when we are met with silence from the developer. In short, Kickstarter has updated their Terms of Use – for the better.
There is a detailed description of what they expect from a creator and the backers, whether or not the creator is successful in their endeavor. Here's an excerpt of what Kickstarter expects from the creator if their project isn't completed:
If a creator is unable to complete their project and fulfill rewards, they’ve failed to live up to the basic obligations of this agreement. To right this, they must make every reasonable effort to find another way of bringing the project to the best possible conclusion for backers. A creator in this position has only remedied the situation and met their obligations to backers if:
- 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;
- They work diligently and in good faith to bring the project to the best possible conclusion in a timeframe that’s communicated to backers;
- They’re able to demonstrate that they’ve used funds appropriately and made every reasonable effort to complete the project as promised;
- They’ve been honest, and have made no material misrepresentations in their communication to backers; and
- They offer to return any remaining funds to backers who have not received their reward (in proportion to the amounts pledged), or else explain how those funds will be used to complete the project in some alternate form.
Check out the Terms of Use page for a complete look at the Terms & Conditions of Kickstarter.
Have you backed a game on Kickstarter that wasn't completed? What did you do? What did the dev do? Let me know!
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