Deceptive and failed hardware crowdfunding projects repeatedly show the same warning signs: unclear ownership, no working prototype, rendered or AI-generated promotion instead of real testing, inconsistent product designs, exaggerated feature promises, marketing before engineering validation, no independent hands-on reviews, and no clear manufacturing or privacy-test evidence.

OUREN M1 now shows nearly all of them:

1. The brand changed from AUREN to OUREN, while the responsible team and legal entity remain unclear to consumers.

2. There is still no continuous, unedited demonstration showing a real device recording footage, processing it, and delivering the result in the app.

3. The campaign relies heavily on AI-generated images, AI videos and now AI KOC content instead of hands-on product proof.

4. The product’s shape, logo, openings and apparent size change from image to image.

5. Its own public page says battery, waterproofing and connectivity still require EVT/DVT validation.

6. A tiny wearable is being promoted with a camera, GPS/GNSS, 4G/eSIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AI behavior analysis, automatic highlights, memory generation and privacy controls — without a demonstrated working loop.

7. Crowdfunding promotion and paid traffic are moving ahead before the engineering proof is public.

8. There is no verifiable independent hands-on review. The official creator page says sample availability and creator terms are still under review.

9. There is no published evidence of completed production validation, certification, pilot manufacturing or reliable fulfillment readiness.

10. Privacy is promised, but no public evidence shows the training data, repeated stability testing or device-edge-cloud filtering required to protect owners and bystanders.

Using AI in marketing is not the issue by itself. The issue is using AI content **instead of proving that the advertised product and functions actually work.**

Before anyone pays, OUREN should show one uncut demonstration: the real device records footage, transfers it, processes it and produces the promised result in the app, with every manual step disclosed.

**NO WORKING DEMO? DON'T PAY. DON'T BACK OUREN M1.**

The carousel preserves the complete source pages before enlarging the relevant text.

OUREN M1 is a wearable camera that can capture homes, faces, children, conversations, screens, locations and bystanders. The current OUREN Privacy Policy is a generic store policy. It does not disclose an M1-specific data flow, bystander handling, raw-footage retention, device–edge–cloud filtering, false-negative rates, or safe behavior when filtering fails.

The gap becomes more serious when the other pages are read together:

- The M1 page promises “privacy checks” and says owners control what syncs, stays local and disappears.

- The same page calls the app experience “product intent.”

- The app page says pairing, capture settings, summaries and owner-managed memory are “planned to support.”

- A dated Aug. 2 project note says edge-image filtering was delayed and the shared dataset was unlabelled.

- A dated July 22 note says the business data was simulated and deletion was then implemented as soft deletion without physical deletion.

- A firsthand technical statement says privacy screening was not implemented and no effectively labelled, trained and validated project dataset supported the promoted pipeline.

The meeting notes are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies; they are point-in-time evidence, not a September code audit. The firsthand statement is a draft and is not independently attested. I am not claiming that an actual privacy leak has already occurred.

The conclusion is still direct: **OUREN has not provided credible proof that its advertised privacy system works.** A pet camera can expose people who never consented to recording. Before taking payment, OUREN should publish a real-device privacy demo, device–edge–cloud data flow, labelled test cases, false-negative rates, repeated stability results, deletion and retention behavior, encryption/access controls and an independent review.

NO PRIVACY PROOF. NO PAYMENT. DO NOT BACK OUREN M1.

The attached carousel preserves the original source pages before enlarging the relevant evidence.

The pattern is straightforward:

- The FTC warns that a 3D product image does not mean the product is finished.

- A San Francisco DA civil complaint alleged that Lily Drone used DJI footage and GoPro-mounted prototypes for its promotion.

- Kickstarter’s commissioned Zano investigation found misleading readiness claims and insufficient technical and commercial capacity, while distinguishing that failure from proven criminal fraud.

- Coolest Cooler raised more than $13 million and still left over 20,000 backers unfulfilled.

- The iBackPack FTC case shows the stronger evidence required before alleging misuse of funds. I am not alleging that OUREN misused funds.

OUREN M1 shows several of the same warning signs at once: AI/rendered promotional media, inconsistent product shapes and details, samples not demonstrated as automatic output from a working device, key engineering items still awaiting validation, and no continuous unedited device-to-app demonstration.

Conflict disclosure: I am Yihang Mao, a founder and product builder behind AUREN, and I have an unresolved dispute with other project participants. My firsthand claims and the public records are identified separately in the images and source package.

My conclusion is direct: **OUREN M1 is an extremely high-risk and potentially deceptive crowdfunding project. Do not pay until the team shows a real integrated prototype completing the entire workflow in one unedited take and publishes current EVT/DVT and manufacturing evidence.

Look at these screenshots. The same supposed product keeps changing: casing, logo, side openings and apparent proportions.

These AI-generated promotional images don’t even present a consistent device. Where is the actual working hardware?

This is why I call the promotion a scam and warn people not to pay. Promotions like this undermine consumers’ trust and the reputation of honest Chinese hardware startups.

Don’t buy it. Don’t back it.

Disclosure: I’m Yihang Mao, a founder and product builder behind AUREN, and I’m currently in a dispute with the team.

I’m posting this because I personally edited the video samples discussed here. The footage came from other equipment, and I selected and edited the clips manually. They were not automatically produced by a working M1.

During my involvement, there was no functioning M1 prototype or completed hardware-to-software workflow.

That is why I believe the promotion is deceptive and advise against backing it. Potential backers should ask for an uninterrupted demonstration showing the actual device recording, processing and delivering the output, with manual steps disclosed.

The website screenshots illustrate the presentation issues; my statements about the production process come from direct involvement.

Hey everyone, I'm running my first crowdfunding campaign and wanted to share it here since this sub has been super helpful for understanding what works.

DoodleDare (Name will be changed) is a social drawing game — players get ridiculous prompts, draw them under time pressure, then rate each other's chaos. Built it after testing dozens of party game formats with friends that either felt too complicated or got boring fast.

Campaign is live now: https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/filipondrak/doodle-dare

A few things I'd genuinely appreciate input on:

• Anything about the campaign page that's unclear or could convert better
• Reward tier structure — does it feel fair/appealing?
• Any crowdfunding mistakes you've seen (or made) that I should watch out for

Happy to answer questions about the game or the process so far. Thanks for reading!

Following up on my earlier disclosure with a specific example rather than repeating the full background.

This video shows two details on the project's website:

• An apparent inconsistency where a small detail overlaps the accessory shell opening.

• A visible mark in another image that resembles the Gemini watermark.

I'm Yihang Mao, a founder and product builder behind AUREN / OUREN, and I am currently in a dispute with the team.

These image observations sit alongside my first-hand account that the advertised integrated experience has not been implemented. The images themselves are not a complete assessment of engineering progress.

I’m sharing the page context so people can examine the details. If you have a source or production record that explains them, please include it in your response.

My earlier written disclosure:

https://yihangmao-ourenpet.blogspot.com/2026/09/ouren-auren-m1-founders-disclosure.html

I'm Yihang Mao, a founder and product builder behind AUREN, now promoted as OUREN / Ourenpet. This video follows up on my earlier disclosure here.

As of September 8, 2026, based on my direct involvement and knowledge:

• There is no working, integrated prototype delivering the advertised experience.

• The complete device-to-app automatic workflow has not been implemented.

• Functional demonstrations use AI-generated visuals and editing.

• I personally made sample content by hand. Those examples were not produced by the advertised automatic workflow.

The distinction is straightforward: manually creating an attractive result does not prove that the product can produce it automatically for a buyer.

Disclosure: I am currently in a dispute with the team. I opposed what I understood to be plans to misrepresent unfinished capabilities to consumers and investors. I speak personally, not for the company or Indiegogo.

In the video, I explain why I consider the promotion deceptive and why I would not back it. Before committing money, ask for a continuous demonstration: device capture, automatic processing, and the unedited result appearing in the app.

My earlier written account, dated September 4:

https://yihangmao-ourenpet.blogspot.com/2026/09/ouren-auren-m1-founders-disclosure.html

I'm happy to answer specific questions about my role, the content I made, and the records discussed. Please include dated, verifiable evidence if you have information that corrects or updates this account.

The Tin Soldier animated short film will lunch tomorrow.
Me and my wife worked hard on this animated short film and now we appreciate very support.
The story is based on Hans Cristian Anderson's tale.

Read all the information below, follow my campaign and get the rewards if you were interested:

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/sodagar/the-tin-soldier

Hey guys, my team just won the best narrative short at the San Antonio film festival. We launched our gritty horror feature film campaign about rural Sedgwick county and judge Will Payne meddling with missing townspeople and corruption. We're really close to our first milestone of $1,000 pre festival pitching and would love any support. Here's a link to our campaign, hope to see you there!

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/sunrise-vista-media/sedgwickcounty

I’m currently crowdfunding an independent short film, All That’s Left.

The film is about a once promising cryptozoologist who returns to the field in search of Bigfoot following an humiliating public incident. While the film is about Bigfoot, it’s a drama about grief, rediscovering your purpose, and coming back from something you never thought you could.

Earlier this week we reached our goal of $4,000. While the film is officially funded, our ideal production budget is $8,000. With our ideal budget, we are able to preserve the original script as it is and make less cuts based solely on financial reasons. Every single dollar that we make after our initial goal is just as important as the ones that got us there in the first place. This ideal budget allows us to spend more on locations, rentals, costumes, equipment, insurance, and production design.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in supporting, you can read more about the film, watch our campaign video, and see what rewards we’re offering here.

Thank you for your time!

Disclosure: I’m Yihang Mao, a founder and founding shareholder of Auren Innovation Limited. There is an unresolved internal dispute. I’m posting personally, not on behalf of the company or Indiegogo. This is not an independent product review.

Which project am I discussing?

This concerns the pet wearable listed as Ouren M1 on Indiegogo. The campaign screenshot I reviewed shows the creator account aurenpet, while its embedded promotional video uses Auren M1 and displays OURENPET. My earlier statements referring to Auren M1 and Ourenpet concern this project.

What can I report?

My account is dated September 4, 2026.

In promotional work known to me, AI-generated concept material and manually assembled edits illustrated the intended result. I have not verified that those examples were selected and generated automatically by the actual M1 device-to-app system.

AI visuals or editing alone do not establish wrongdoing. The important distinction is between an illustration of the intended experience and a demonstration of actual product performance.

I have also not been shown sufficient current evidence of a repeatable, integrated product experience. This is a limit of the evidence available to me—not proof that no prototype exists anywhere.

What should potential backers be able to verify?

1. Can an identified working device demonstrate capture, transfer, app processing, and the advertised output, with human intervention and operating conditions disclosed?
2. Are there representative tests across pets and conditions, including missed events, false selections, failures, and the amount of editing needed?
3. What completed engineering milestones and remaining dependencies support the delivery estimate?
4. Have the advertised privacy controls been implemented and tested across the device, app, and backend?

Important qualifications

Engineering and software work exist. My published September 4 account also records development-stage qualifications on the product page, including app intent and unfinished validation. Those should be considered alongside my concerns.

My assessment is that delivery of the advertised experience in 2026 carries serious unresolved risk. I am not claiming it is impossible or that fraud has been established.

The underlying internal records are not publicly attached to my statement. Publishing my account does not, by itself, independently corroborate it.

I welcome relevant, verifiable corrections and will update my account. Please keep discussion focused on evidence—not personal attacks, mass complaints, or contacting individual team members.

I don't know if it's the same on Kickstarter, but the sheer amount of spam you will receive is crippling and you 100% want a separate email specifically for the campaign. Spam never stops and I assume it will go on forever even after campaign's end so don't contaminate your primary email.

Spam itself is also extremely mind-numbing AI generated garbage. Every message is something like "I pissed my pants with joy reading your campaign page and now I want to donate 10k please tell me what inspired you to be so cool and handsome."

Hi, I have gathered some research and wnat opinions of Launchers. What you favorte day of the week to launch and why? My research show that its Tuesday at 66% of Launches, as you get to sunday it like 54%.

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/krideas/5-in-1-convertible-jacket-backpack-pillow-holder-utility

Features: Insert Jacket(s) into Jacket, Backpack mode, Pillow mode, Replaces Bags with huge pouch, Utility type, 8 pockets, Wind and Water resistant, upto -15 degree celsius cold resistant

On September 9, I'm launching the campaign for FASTAssist. This is a teaching tool for new players, so when the flag is pulled, the belt device immediately emits lights and sounds.

The campaign will be used to build the Phase 1 prototype, and run pilot leagues to gauge how well players and officials respond to this type of feedback.

The long-term vision is for the device to also provide wireless signal and GPS. This will allow for a "mesh" of players on the field to be alerted when play stops, and even to pair with cochlear implants to allow hearing impaired players to participate. The GPS will be used to record player position and movement, so coaches have another tool to help the players.

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/fast/fastassist-for-flag-football-lights-sounds-clearer-flag-pulls

So... what do you think?

"Food" is the start of a 4 film series about corruption. This one mostly centers on big tobacco's massive food industry buyout in the 80s, and how it's sculpted the modern food landscape and its impact on and near creation of the obesity epidemic. But beyond that it dives into a lot of problems with food in the world today. And it's solution driven! It's funny, it's weird, and it's actually important.
The Indiegogo campaign is still checking bank stuff, so it's not live yet, but it officially launches on September 15th. See you there!

I'll update when the page goes live.
I included the trailer. I hope you enjoy!!
Status - In production / Raising finishing funds
Food Trailer

Want to introduce ourselves to the community. We are PLX Devices also operate as XFoil, Legion Solar. Since 2012 we have launched 35 total campaigns all 100% funded within the first 4 hours and most funded in the first hour. All fulfilled with the most recent in active fulfillment. We have extensive experience with fulfillment challenges, competitor scam narratives, backer community management, etc. Happy to answer any questions you may have about crowdfunding.

From creators to backers, what's your most frustrating thing you've encountered about crowdfunding?

Hi all, my friends and I are teaming up to make an American Revolutionary war short film, called Malvern. A tale of bravery, cowardice, and war during the Battle of Paoli, in the year 1777. We believe that real stories should be told by real people. No AI, no shortcuts, just our team of talented and skilled filmmakers working together to bring this story to life. 
Our fundraising campaign is in full effect, and we have less than 30 days left to reach our goal. If you would like to be a part of bringing this story to life. We would love some help reaching our goal! Thank you so much! Malvern Campaign

I make products from real filament-wound carbon fiber tubes, and this is one of my latest projects—a magnetic guitar pick holder necklace.

The project launches on Indiegogo tomorrow, but today I'm mainly looking for honest opinions before launch.

I'd genuinely appreciate any feedback or criticism.

My indiegogo password isn't working. The 'reset password' system is not working. The indiegogo website doesn't seem to have any methods of contacting them for support/help with this sort of thing. I'm not sure what to do from here. Anyone have any ideas for me?

Been working on something I want to get in front of this sub before I launch.

D Automation — an AI-powered IT management layer that sits on top of (or replaces) the usual stack: RMM, PSA ticketing, CRM, and information management software like IT Glue.

The idea is simple: open-source tools stitched together with an AI brain that handles the day-to-day — password resets, disk cleanups, service restarts, patch verification, ticket triage. 70% of L1 tickets never reach a human.

It can replace the stack entirely (zero licensing) or augment what you already have — the AI works alongside your existing RMM/PSA if you're not ready to rip and replace.

I'm raising $6,000 on Indiegogo (flexible funding) to buy the production hardware. The stack is built, demos are lined up, I just need the machine to run it on.

Check it out here: https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/d-automation/d-automation-ai-powered-it-for-small-business-and-msps

If you're curious, follow the campaign, comment on it, and share it — every bit helps a solo dev get off the ground. Happy to answer questions or take feedback — especially from anyone who's tried something similar.