Indiegogo will refund backers when some campaigns don’t ship as promised

Indiegogo is taking a renewed swing at holding crowdfunding campaigns accountable for shipping products with a new program. The company’s “Shipping Guarantee” initiative promises that anytime you support an eligible campaign, you’ll get your order on time or your money back. 

The guarantee will apply to campaigns that meet eligibility requirements, which include launching with a product that’s in the “final manufacturing stages” and having “a proven track record of successful crowdfunding on the site.” Covered campaigns will have a Shipping Guarantee badge above the Pick Your Perk button on the site. If you back one of these campaigns and don’t receive shipping confirmation by the date a campaign promised, you can immediately request a refund, chief revenue officer Julie dePontbriand tells The Verge.

Those refunds will come straight from Indiegogo, which will hold backers’ funds until a campaign has successfully shipped — under the guarantee, campaign operators won’t get any money until they’ve confirmed shipping. And campaigners that don’t fulfill their obligation “may forfeit their Trust Badge in the future,” dePontbriand said, referring to the company’s Trust Proven Program. It’s not a feasible system for campaigns that need backers’ cash to finish their product, but one that makes sense for established companies using Indiegogo to gauge interest and take preorders.

Indiegogo has experimented with shipping guarantees as far back as 2018, offering very similar terms. It’s also tried other methods to keep campaigns honest, including closer screening and threats to refer campaigners to collections agencies. “Indiegogo is building on the promising results of our initial test programs with an expanded Shipping Guarantee initiative,” dePontbriand tells The Verge.