Yeah, my impression as well. Kickstarter for the rich.

Don't go handing over money without some recourse if things fail to materialize.

"Kickstarter rage" seems to be a pejorative, but perhaps you're not intending it in such a way? The funds should've been held in escrow, and while not investors, evidence of fraud would allow customers to take legal action piercing the corporate veil and pursuing company officers directly to be made whole.

Don't sell something you can't deliver, most especially to bypass accredited investor laws (by selling tickets versus securities). Don't misappropriate your customers' escrow accounts (the article specifically mentions these funds were to be held in escrow). This applies whether it's a $100k ticket to space or a $200 piece of electronic kit on Kickstarter.