Hardware SFANS has changed their backers design into a dock without asking!

[linuxares]

"WAAAH WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE GETTING IN TO!" What people don't seem to get with crowdfunding is that you're not buying a product. You're funding something. I really don't know the Indiegogo ToS, but design change is something that happens in the real world. Delays, while upsetting, are something that happen as well. You're not buying something from a store, you're giving someone money so that they can make something. Ultimately how they design their product is up to them.

If it was a kickstarter project, this would be the difference. If they use kickstarter they have to deliver the product. This is why the scammers and nobodies go to Indiegogo.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

If it was a kickstarter project, this would be the difference. If they use kickstarter they have to deliver the product. This is why the scammers and nobodies go to Indiegogo.

Couldn't they still delay it and change the design though? So long as they actually do finish the product?

 

[BvanBart]

Long live chinese producers and their copies! Already found a copy of the SFANS dongle for $18!
Am I allowed to post the link here?

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Long live chinese producers and their copies! Already found a copy of the SFANS dongle for $18!
Am I allowed to post the link here?

The dongle itself was literally just a rebranded smartphone dock.

 

[Dimensional]

Ah. The classic and most obvious example of a Bait and Switch.

 

[Deleted-355425]

Long live chinese producers and their copies! Already found a copy of the SFANS dongle for $18!
Am I allowed to post the link here?

Yes.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Ah. The classic and most obvious example of a Bait and Switch.

This isn't a bait and switch. All they did was change the design. It still functions the same way. And if anything people should be happy it's not just a rebranded smartphone dock.

 

[KingVamp]

I see this is going nowhere, but

It still functions the same way.

You keep saying this, but you already acknowledged that the functionally changed in at least one way.

So it is the same functionally. You just can't lay the Switch flat anymore.

So you are just constantly contradicting yourself.

 

[Futurdreamz]

Still, i think it might be better to ask WHY they did so. I'm 90% sure they had a scare where they killed or thought they killed a Switch, realized that people are lazy and won't use the dock contraption all the time, and chose to redesign the dock to prevent from being sued. Nobody's going to say "guys our product is fundamentally flawed and will destroy your stuff, please don't demand refunds" so they probably hoped this quiet redesign would be enough.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

I see this is going nowhere, but

You keep saying this, but you already acknowledged that the functionally changed in at least one way.

So you are just constantly contradicting yourself.

It still does exactly what it's designed to do. It's a portable third party dock. It still allows you to hook up the Switch to a TV in dock mode. Whether or not the Switch can be laid flat while using it doesn't affect that. So the actual functionality isn't affected.

 

[Deleted-355425]

It still does exactly what it's designed to do. It's a portable third party dock. It still allows you to hook up the Switch to a TV in dock mode. Whether or not the Switch can be laid flat while using it doesn't affect that. So the actual functionality isn't affected.

It was sold to let you sit your switch down flat, people who can’t fit a cradle dock under their tv purchase this for that very reason. I don’t understand why you can’t see that.

 

[BvanBart]

Yes.

OK Here it is . May not look that fancy but it does exactly that wat the SFANS does.
Click

 

[RedBlueGreen]

It was sold to let you sit your switch down flat, people who can’t fit a cradle dock under their tv purchase this for that very reason. I don’t understand why you can’t see that.

Just put it behind or beside the TV then. I have a hard time believing someone has literally zero space around or behind the TV if they have to plug in an HDMI cable. You could still lay down the Swith with a USB C cable anyway.

 

[KingVamp]

Still, i think it might be better to ask WHY they did so. I'm 90% sure they had a scare where they killed or thought they killed a Switch, realized that people are lazy and won't use the dock contraption all the time, and chose to redesign the dock to prevent from being sued. Nobody's going to say "guys our product is fundamentally flawed and will destroy your stuff, please don't demand refunds" so they probably hoped this quiet redesign would be enough.

If they think people are too lazy to use the "dock contraption", what does that mean for their redesign? Not that a dock kept problems from happening.

They provided a stand, that's on the people who chosen not to get it. The stand should be enough to avoid the possibility of being sued, but now they are looking to be sued because they are trying to change the design.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

see: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20...ndiegogo_backers_with_delay_and_design_change


SFANS have changed their dongle into a dock design without asking any backers even though the console came with a dock in the 1st place LOL.

I'm a backer and I honestly like the change, it makes their product unique rather than a direct clone of C-Force CF001, and it might be the smallest Switch dock yet.
And I did need a new dock or at least a new shell for my dock for home use anyway as the official dock is shit.

That’s not the issue at hand, the issue is they have changed the product so much it’s nothing like what everyone paid for. They even sold plastics stands which people backed to go with their sfans adaptor and now because this new thing that nobody asked for is a stand what are those people going to get to make up for it? The whole things a real mess.

They'll probably still ship the stands. They're useful for charging while playing in tabletop mode.

 

[Deleted-355425]

I'm a backer and I honestly like the change, it makes their product unique rather than a direct clone of C-Force CF001, and it might be the smallest Switch dock yet.
And I did need a new dock or at least a new shell for my dock for home use anyway as the official dock is shit.

They'll probably still ship the stands. They're useful for charging while playing in tabletop mode.

You can have mine then.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

You can have mine then.

Wait, are you serious?

 

[Deleted-355425]

Wait, are you serious?

Lol none of us are going to get anything...

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Lol none of us are going to get anything...

It wouldn't be the first time I backed something and never received it, but they seem to be making good progress so I have no reason to believe they won't deliver yet.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

If it was a kickstarter project, this would be the difference. If they use kickstarter they have to deliver the product. This is why the scammers and nobodies go to Indiegogo.

That's not entirely true.
The terms do say

When a project is successfully funded, the creator must complete the project and fulfill each reward. Once a creator has done so, they’ve satisfied their obligation to their backers.

...But then goes on to say

... backers must understand that when they back a project, they’re helping to create something new — not ordering something that already exists. There may be changes or delays, and there’s a chance something could happen that prevents the creator from being able to finish the project as promised.

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.

Looking over it, it looks pretty similar to Indiegogo's terms:

Campaign Owners are permitted to offer Perks to Contributors. Campaign Owners are legally bound to perform on any promise and/or commitment to Contributors (including delivering any Perks). This commitment includes shipping Perks to Indiegogo Contributors before fulfilling any orders received after the Campaign has ended.

...

Campaign Owners will respond promptly and truthfully to all questions posed to them by Indiegogo or any Contributor. Campaign Owners will provide substantive and quality updates at least once a month to their Contributors. Failure to do so may result in punitive actions taken on the Campaign. If any Campaign Owner is unable to fulfill any of its commitments to Contributors (including delivering any Perks), the Campaign Owner will work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions.

Basically what it boils down to is this: They're required to make every effort possible to fulfill the rewards, and in the event that's not possible, make every effort possible to reach a satisfactory agreement with the backers. But shit happens, and in some cases it's just not possible to do either of those things. In the event that the project has to be cancelled because there's no way to continue, for example if they run out of money, not Kickstarter nor Indiegogo are going to do anything about it, and you've basically lost your money.
That's the risk you're taking when backing any fundraiser, be it Kickstarter or Indiegogo.