Indiegogo

We understand the Organizer’s concern, and apologize for any frustrationFunds are typically disbursed on a monthly basis, and within business days of Fundraiser closing- assuming that the bank account information is complete and accurateIt is possible
however, for delays to occur due to incomplete or invalid bank account informationSuch delays as this are outlined in our Help Center: ***
In this Fundraiser’s particular case, the funds were disbursed to the fundraiser’s bank account, using the information they added to their fundraiserHowever, the disbursements were returned with the reason "No Account Found." Usually, this means that the account number provided does not exist or is not on file at the receiving/beneficiary bankIt may be as simple as a typo upon entering that caused the issue
We are typically notified within - days after the disbursement date, at which point we will ask the Organizer to re-submit their bank account informationOnce the campaign owner has updated their bank account information, we attempt to disburse their funds again in the following week’s disbursement round
We are happy to see that this organizer has since updated their bank account informationWe have recently re-disbursed the Organizer’s funds again in the past week and are in contact with the campaign owner directly in order to confirm the receipt of their funds

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/06) */
We understand that this customer has concerns regarding a campaign on our platform
We are currently in communication with CloudSolar to determine next steps on this matter, and resolve the issue of refundsIt remains our desire to swiftly
resolve this issue with CloudSolar if possible
We will contact the contributors of this campaign as soon as we have any updates
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/10/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
According to to the company, Cloud Solar, which is the subject of the campaign, Indiegogo is not acting in good faith Here is the email from Cloud Solar:
Dear CloudSolar's friends,
We hope you are very well
It has been nearly three weeks since we proposed to dismiss the lawsuit against IndiegogoHowever, they are refusing to cooperate and continue to hold your contribution as a resultAs agreed, Indiegogo should have started processing refundsUnfortunately, we are hearing from many that Indiegogo is deciding not to do so
Please start your refund process on Indiegogo siteFor your reference, here are the instructions:
1, Login your Indiegogo account
2, Find the CloudSolar campaign
3, Place a request to claim the money you contributed
We feel so bad for the inconvenience this has caused due to Indiegogo's misconduct and lack of cooperation
Mostly, thank you for your patience and continuing supportPlease stay connected with us for future progress
I have provided a copy of this email to Indiegogo, and stated I was going back to the Revdex.com because I am not satisfiedI also went on the web site and followed the instructions to request a refund per CloudSolar's instructions
As I stated previously, this is a cut and dried claim as Indiegogo doesn't deny that a refund should be processedIt is not at all clear why they should have to resolve anything with CloudSolar since they have quit pursuing their court caseI feel like this is a case of fraud unless CloudSolar is lyingI don't see any reason for that since they stand to gain nothing from all this
*** ***
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2015/11/17) */
The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
According to to the company, Cloud Solar, which is the subject of the campaign, Indiegogo is not acting in good faith Here is the email from Cloud Solar:
Dear CloudSolar's friends,
We hope you are very well
It has been nearly three weeks since we proposed to dismiss the lawsuit against IndiegogoHowever, they are refusing to cooperate and continue to hold your contribution as a resultAs agreed, Indiegogo should have started processing refundsUnfortunately, we are hearing from many that Indiegogo is deciding not to do so
Please start your refund process on Indiegogo siteFor your reference, here are the instructions:
1, Login your Indiegogo account
2, Find the CloudSolar campaign
3, Place a request to claim the money you contributed
We feel so bad for the inconvenience this has caused due to Indiegogo's misconduct and lack of cooperation
Mostly, thank you for your patience and continuing supportPlease stay connected with us for future progress
I have provided a copy of this email to Indiegogo, and stated I was going back to the Revdex.com because I am not satisfiedI also went on the web site and followed the instructions to request a refund per CloudSolar's instructions
As I stated previously, this is a cut and dried claim as Indiegogo doesn't deny that a refund should be processedIt is not at all clear why they should have to resolve anything with CloudSolar since they have quit pursuing their court caseI feel like this is a case of fraud unless CloudSolar is lyingI don't see any reason for that since they stand to gain nothing from all this
*** ***
As Cloud Solar no longer is trying to obtain funds from Indiegogo, I see no reason why this cannot be resolved immediatelyIndiegogo still owes me $If they have some issues with Cloud Solar, my funds should not be held hostage in this matterI am in no way satisfied with this response
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2015/11/22) */
We do understand that the owner of this campaign had conveyed to their contributors that the matter had been resolvedUnfortunately, and as we outlined in our prior response, due to on-going litigation, Indiegogo was unable comment on this campaign or issue refunds
That said, we are happy to announce that the dismissal of this lawsuit has been filed with the court, which means Indiegogo can finally issue refunds for contributions to this campaign
We have notified this contributor, as well as other contributors to this campaign, of the status of this matterThis contributor was notified that their contribution was refunded, on November 19,
We are pleased that the litigation has allowed us to be able to close out this matter in a way that allows us to refund these contributors

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:Sincerely,*** ***

We understand this customer has additional concerns on this matter, as they have not received a refund from the owner of this campaign
As has previously outlined, Indiegogo is not able to issue this customer a refund for their contributionOur Terms of Use outline:
"Refunds
Contributors may request a refund from Indiegogo before the end of a Campaign hereFor Campaigns that have entered the InDemand program, Contributors may request a refund from Indiegogo within days of the contribution, hereContributions are eligible for a refund by Indiegogo unless (a) the contribution funds have already been transferred to the Campaign Owner, (b) the Perk associated with the contribution has been fulfilled, or (c) Indiegogo determines that there has been an abuse of these Terms of UseIndiegogo reserves the right to terminate User Accounts and remove Campaigns for any abuse of this refund policyFor Campaigns that have ended, or in situations where the contribution funds have been transferred to the Campaign Owner, Contributors should contact the Campaign Owner directly regarding refunds."
Campaign owners are the party solely responsible for their campaigns, including fulfilling any perks they offered thereinAs such, if this customer has questions about
the campaign, when they can expect to receive their perks, or would like to receive a refund from this campaign owner, this customer will need to make inquires of the
campaign owner, directlyWe are unable to mediate this dispute, but have previously provided this customer with the campaign owner's contact information in an effort to facilitate communication
We wish them the best of luck in arriving at a resolution to their dispute, with the campaign owner

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:
Indiegogo is correct in that it does not charge a fee to contributorsIt does, HOWEVER, take in ALL money through its (Indiegogo's) Paypal account and then disburse a portion of the fee paid to the campaign
As mentioned the campaign refunded me $- the amount they received from IndiegogoI have yet to receive $from Indiegogo which represents the portion Indiegogo kept before sending money to the campaign
Since I have received NO product or service, Indiegogo should refund me the $they kept from that campaignAgain, ALL money was sent to Indiegogo's Paypal account which they use as a holding tank to pay campaigns AFTER they (Indiegogo) have taken their cut
Sincerely,*** ***

I purchased a Furbo dog treat dispenser from this site They quickly took the money out of my paypal account though the product was not available and would not be shipped for months I tried contacting the campaign owner several times to cancel the order and request a refund I did not receive a response I opened a dispute through paypal and Indiegogo is refusing to return the money I now have to wait one more business day before I can escalate the case to paypal in hopes that paypal will step in and assist with refunding the moneyPLEASE AVOID THIS SITE AT ALL COSTS I am telling everyone I can to NOT purchase anything from this site

Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them, and in turn allows backers to help fund ideas they'd like to see come to lifeIt’s important to remember that contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a
purchase in a storePeople can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their projectContributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made projectLike anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might experience delays, changes to their original vision, or may not come to fruitionWe have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: ***
Regarding this customer's refund request, our records show that this contributor’s contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that Indiegogo can no longer issue a refundLearn more about our refund policy ***, and in our Terms of Use, ***
Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refundAlthough we are unable to refund the contributor’s contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner’s contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication
By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaignIf, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions

Backers are encouraged to contact the campaigner via the Indiegogo platform- either by posting comments or direct messaging themInstructions can be found here: ***
We do see that this campaigner has posted an update to their backers days ago, with a progress report of their shippingWe encourage this backer to review this, and other updates posted by the campaigner, here: ***
If a campaigner is not responding to a backer’s messages, our Terms of Use do allow us to share the campaigner’s email address with a backer upon request, to help facilitate communication between the two parties However, we are unable to share the contact information of a campaigner to non-backers, or in this public forum- due to our privacy policy If this backer is having trouble getting in touch with this campaigner, we encourage them to reach out to our Customer Happiness Team (***) outlining the issue, and our team will follow up as appropriate- including sharing the email address of the campaigner if applicable
We appreciate this customer’s feedback on their experience

We appreciate this customers additional concerns, and feedback on this matter
To be clear, Indiegogo offers an open platform that allows campaign owners to raise funds for their projectIn turn contributors can fund projects that they'd like to help bring to fruitionIndiegogo does not run campaigns nor do we offer or fulfill perksInstead, the owner of the campaign is the party solely responsible for their unique campaign and fulfilling any perks offered through their campaign***
Indiegogo doesn't vet campaigners ability to follow through on their claims or guarantee that perks will be delivered or deemed satisfactory by the contributorsInstead, the decision whether to contribute to a campaign is at the sole discretion of the contributorWe leave it up to the contributor to make his or her own judgment about a campaign’s merits before making a contribution
Our Terms of Use*** states:
"Indiegogo is a Venue
Indiegogo is an online crowdfunding venue for people and entities seeking to raise funds for their own Campaigns and to contribute to the Campaigns of othersCampaign Owners can offer gifts or rewards in the form of tangible items or intangible services (collectively, "Perks") to ContributorsPerks are not offered for saleIndiegogo makes no representations about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution or the truth or accuracy of User Content (as defined below) posted on the ServicesIndiegogo does not represent that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks or that Contributions will be used as described in the CampaignUsers use the Services at their own risk."
Indiegogo’s Trust and Safety team routinely reviews campaigns based on automated and manual techniques using multiple data pointsIn addition to these routine reviews, our team also investigates real-time feedback and concerns from our users and partners as new information comes to light
Indiegogo and its Trust and Safety Team strives to promote a positive experience for all users, and facilitate timely communication and trust between our campaigners and backersOur policies and guidelines are frequently reviewed and constantly evolving to improve this experience throughout
Regarding this customer’s request for additional information about the campaigner, they are correct and we’ve conveyed to them that we are unable to share further informationHowever, Indiegogo will comply with any court ordered requests for information, as required by lawPlease see our (Terms of Use) *** for a description of this and how subpoenas should be submitted

We understand this customer has additional concerns about this matter.
Indiegogo provides an open crowdfunding platform permitting funds to be raised for a wide range of projects in accordance with our Terms of Use (***)Campaigns are run by their individual campaign owner’s and not by IndiegogoIndiegogo does not manage campaigns, nor does Indiegogo offer perksInstead, all perks are offers made by Campaign Owners, and we recommend to any contributor who has questions about a campaign’s offerings that make inquires of the campaign owner
People can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their projectContributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made projectLike anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might not come to fruitionAgain, Indiegogo does not make claims or verify that a “campaign owner will deliver perks or that contributions will be used as described on the campaign.” The decision to contribute to any campaign is in the sole determination of the contributor and their evaluation of the campaign, not IndiegogoWe recommend that each contributor go through their own vetting process before they decide to contributeWe have compiled a list of how to evaluate a campaign, as a good starting point: ***
Furthermore, our Terms of Use (http://***) states,
“Indiegogo is an online crowdfunding venue for people and entities seeking to raise funds for their own Campaigns and to contribute to the Campaigns of othersCampaign Owners can offer gifts or rewards in the form of tangible items or intangible services (collectively, "Perks") to ContributorsPerks are not offered for saleIndiegogo makes no representations about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution or the truth or accuracy of your User Content (as defined below) posted on the ServiceIndiegogo does not represent that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks or that Contributions will be used as described in the CampaignUsers use the Service at their own risk
Finally, this backer has had their contributions to this campaign refunded in full, and this campaign is no longer raising funds on IndiegogoHowever, we’ll be sure to share this person’s claims with our Trust and Safety Team for consideration in their review

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/15) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform which empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to themAs the contributor states in their complaint, contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a
purchase in a storePeople can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their projectContributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made projectLike anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might not come to fruitionWe have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: http://support.indiegogo.com/entries/XXXXXXXX-how-to-evaluate-a-campaign
Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms.) Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refundAlthough we are unable to refund the contributor's contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner's contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication
By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaignIf, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/03/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
According to the answer of Indiegogo, the campaign owner does not fulfill his contract (terms and conditions) with IndiegogoTherefore in my opinion Indiegogo shall make actions with the campaign owner to have the Indiegogo terms achievedThese steps shall be communicated to the contributorsIndiegogo behavior shall be the same as if the campaign owner would not have paid Indiegogo's share of the contributor's funds
"By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaignIf, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions."
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2015/03/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have paid my contribution to Indiegogo's accountIndiegogo have taken a part of it according to their campaign rulesIf SOAP does not fulfill the product, they take my money, as well as IndiegogoI see no difference
My oopinion is still that Indiegogo shall make steps similarily as if the would not have their share
Indiegogo below states that they have contacted me, and provided me the campaign owner's contactI have not received it
Take actions against the campaign owner, as they have not fulfilled Indiegogo's terms, as you have taken my money
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2015/05/05) */
We understand this customer has a follow up
Per Indiegogo's Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms): "Indiegogo is an online crowdfunding venue for people and entities seeking to raise funds for their own Campaigns and to contribute to the Campaigns of othersCampaign Owners can offer gifts or rewards in the form of tangible items or intangible services (collectively, "Perks") to ContributorsPerks are not offered for saleIndiegogo makes no representations about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution or the truth or accuracy of User Content (as defined below) posted on the ServicesIndiegogo does not represent that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks or that Contributions will be used as described in the CampaignUsers use the Services at their own risk."
Additionally,"Indiegogo is under no obligation to become involved in disputes between Campaign Owners and Contributors, or Users and any third partyIn the event of any dispute, such as a Campaign Owner's alleged failure to comply with the Terms or alleged failure in fulfillment of a Perk, we may provide the Campaign Owner's contact information to the Contributor so that the two parties may resolve their dispute."
We refer this contributor to their Support tickets: #XXXXXX and #XXXXXX wherein they cc'd Indiegogo supportThere they demonstrate they have been in touch with the owners of this campaign via the contact information we would be able to provide to this contributorAs this contributor has the contact information of the owner of this campaign, they must work out this dispute between their two partiesIndiegogo is not able to get involved or mediate disputes between users

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/03) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them, and in turn allows contributors to help fund projects they'd like to see come to fruitionContributing to a campaign on
Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a purchase in a storePeople can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their projectContributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made projectLike anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might not come to fruitionWe have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: http://support.indiegogo.com/entries/XXXXXXXX-how-to-evaluate-a-campaign
Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of Use posted at www.indiegogo.com/about/termsTherefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refundAlthough we are unable to refund the contributor's contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner's contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication
By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaignIf, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/03/05) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
My money was paid to Indiegogo that means my transaction was with themI have no alternate route to get a refund, as Indiegogo are well aware I've stated numerous times to them that there is no response from the campaign owner despite Indiegogo collaborating with them still by allowing them to set up another campaignThe only route for communication is through Indiegogo (who were the recipients of my money directly) and they refuse to communicate to the campaign owner on my behalf, thereby cutting me off from any other resolutionProviding me with email addresses that have no response is not sufficientIndiegogo claim they are adhering to their terms of service but their TOS also state that failure of campaign owners to attempt to provide paid for perks results in closing of their account, instead Indiegogo are colluding with them to further create more campaigns to bring in more funds
Final Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2015/03/30) */
As previously outlined, contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by IndiegogoOur Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) outlines: "Contributions, including the Service Fees portion thereof, are not refundable"
Per our Terms of Use we have provided this contributor with the contact information of the owner of this campaign in an effort to facilitate communicationWe recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2015/04/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Every attempt to explain to Indiegogo that there is no successful communication with the campaign owner has been met with sending me the same non-working email addresses again and againIndiegogo may be in communication with the campaign owners but there's no response from the contact details they provided to meI do not believe the terms of use are relevant when there has been negligence on Indiegogo's part in allowing a fraudulent campaign to take place on their platformDespite being warned of the fraudulent campaign Indiegogo continued to help the same campaign owner mount another fraudulent campaign after this oneI believe this amounts to demonstrating collusion if not negligence, and hence my assertion the terms of use they quote do not applyThis isn't a campaign that failed, but a campaign that wilfully was set up to obtain money through deception, Indiegogo had the capability to prevent this happening in the first place with only reasonable checks requiredThere is nothing in the Terms of Use disavowing Indiegogo responsibility for fraudulent transactions

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/04/23) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to themAs the contributor states in their complaint, contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a
purchase in a storePeople can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their projectContributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made projectIndiegogo is not able to guarantee that perks will be delivered or deemed satisfactoryThe nature of crowdfunding is such that campaigns on Indiegogo are raising funds for work-in-progress projects, ideas, or causesContributing to a campaign and claiming a perk on Indiegogo is not the same as buying something onlineBecause projects may still be in their early stages, many things can happen between the time the project is raising funds and the expected project release dateLike anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might not come to fruitionWe have tips on how to evaluate a campaign, as a starting point, in our Help Center: http://support.indiegogo.com/entries/XXXXXXXX-how-to-evaluate-a-campaign
Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms.) Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund
By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaignIf, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/11/10) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to themAs the contributor states in their complaint, contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a purchase
in a storePeople can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their projectContributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made projectLike anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might experience delays, changes to their original vision, or may not come to fruitionWe have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: http://support.indiegogo.com/entries/XXXXXXXX-how-to-evaluate-a-campaign
Regarding this customer's refund request, our records show that this contributor's contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that a refund can no longer be issued by IndiegogoLearn more about our refund policy https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX, and in our Terms of Use, www.indiegogo.com/about/terms
Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refundAlthough we are unable to refund the contributor's contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner's contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication
By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaignIf, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/11/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The owner of the campaign filed for bankruptcy, this was a fraud
He never intended to deliver any perksThe money went to pay off debts not related to the campaignIndiegogo was complicit in this fraud simply because they let him start a second campaign even after they received complaints from other contributors on the first oneThey were very aware of this fraudA total of people were defrauded for a total of $71,Not one greenhouse was ever manufactured
I have evidence from these people of over pages of messages and lies from the owner of the campaign
I would work with the contributor if I could legally contact him, but I can'tThis is something Indiegogo needs to address
Copies of this complaint have been sent to the Attorney General of California to investigate larger fraud committed by Indiegogo
I will not quit until I get my money back
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/11/29) */
We understand this customer has additional points on this matter
As has been previously outlined, Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to themIn turn, contributors have the opportunity to browse campaigns and may contribute to ideas they care about, would like to be a part of helping to make happen, or want to see come to fruition
Campaign owners often offer perks (goods, services, activities etc.) in return for a contribution to their campaign, as a thank you to their earliest supportersIt is important to note that Indiegogo does not run or manage campaigns, offer or fulfill perks, or guarantee that the contributors will receive their perksInstead, individual campaign owners run their campaigns and any perks offered therein are offers made solely by the campaign ownerThe decision to contribute to any campaign is in the sole determination of the contributor and their evaluation of the campaign, not IndiegogoWe recommend that each contributor complete their own vetting process before they decide to contribute
Our Terms of Use (http://www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) obligates campaign owners to fulfill any promised perksPerk fulfillment is the full responsibility of the campaign ownerOur Terms of Use states,
"Indiegogo is an online crowdfunding venue for people and entities seeking to raise funds for their own Campaigns and to contribute to the Campaigns of othersCampaign Owners can offer gifts or rewards in the form of tangible items or intangible services (collectively, "Perks") to ContributorsPerks are not offered for saleIndiegogo makes no representations about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution or the truth or accuracy of your User Content (as defined below) posted on the ServiceIndiegogo does not represent that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks or that Contributions will be used as described in the CampaignUsers use the Service at their own risk."
With that said, we have been in contact with this contributor to explain our Terms of Use and clarify any other questionsWe have also shared the campaign owner's contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication between these two partiesWe wish this contributor best of luck in resolving their dispute with the appropriate party- the campaign owner
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2015/12/03) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This is another canned responseLike usual
Legally I cannot contact the campaign owner due to the fact that he declared bankruptcyThis is fraud pure and simple
I will not stop until Indiegogo takes responsibility for their fraud
They are lying when they say they contacted the campaign owner
He is unreachable

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
It is not exactly what we were hoping for but at this point we don't care. Needless to say we will never deal with indiegogo again!!!!!!Sincerely, *** ***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/20) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to themAs the contributor states in their complaint, contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a purchase
in a storePeople can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their projectContributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made projectLike anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might experience delays, changes to their original vision, or may not come to fruitionWe have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: http://support.indiegogo.com/entries/XXXXXXXX-how-to-evaluate-a-campaign
Regarding this customer's refund request, our records show that this contributor's contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that a refund can no longer be issued by IndiegogoLearn more about our refund policy https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX, and in our Terms of Use, www.indiegogo.com/about/terms
Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund, have inquiries about the status of this project, or when they can expect to receive their perk

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/22) */
We understand that this customer has some questions about a campaign on our platform
Indiegogo is an open platform that permits campaign owners to raise funds for a wide range of projects in accordance with our Terms of Use
(www.indiegogo.com/about/terms)Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of UseIndiegogo does not manage campaigns; instead, Campaign Owners run and are responsible for their own campaigns
It is important to note that contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made productIndiegogo does not make claims or verify that a campaign owner will deliver perks and instead recommends that each contributor go through their own vetting process before they decide to contributeWe have compiled a list of how to evaluate a campaign, as a good starting point: https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX-How-to-Evaluate-a-Campaig...⇄ /> That said, like anyone supporting an early-stage project, contributors accept the risk that the project might not come to fruitionMany campaign owners are able to use the funds raised from their Indiegogo campaign to help bring their ideas into realityHowever, there are times when projects do not go according to plan or the campaign owner experiences an insurmountable barrier to completing their projectIn all cases, we still require Campaign Owners to be communicative to their contributors, be transparent about the status of their project, and work with their contributors no matter the outcome of their project
For this specific campaign, and regarding this customer's concerns, the campaign owner has posted an update months ago that lists their points on how their product is different from other similar drones on the marketWe recommend this contributor review this Update (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wallet-drone/#/updates), where they begin with: "We have received a lot of questions about how Wallet Drone is different than the CX-Style Quadcopters so we wanted to send out a quick update explaining the differentiators"
If this contributor has other questions to pose about this project or the product they are manufacturing, we recommend the contributor reach out to the campaign owner, directly
Finally, our records show that this contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that Indiegogo can no longer issue a refundIf this customer still interested in receiving a refund, we recommend this contributor get in touch with the campaign owner directly
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
There is no functional or even cosmetic differences between the item that the campaign owner is reselling and the other quadcopters listed in my complaint
Even the graphics printed on their product boxes is identical
The campaign owner is doing nothing towards developing new innovationsHe is simply duping people into pre-funding his shipments of already developed, already manufactured Chinese toys
IndieGogo should look after the interests of the people who participate in these campaigns, rather than acting as a layer of isolation between an unscrupulous seller and their unwitting victims
Of course, they must find it profitable to do soWhy else would they leave me and many others out in the cold for a measly $35?
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/10/13) */
As previously outlined, Indiegogo provides an open crowdfunding platform permitting funds to be raised for a wide range of projects in accordance with our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms)Campaigns are run by their individual campaign owner's and not by IndiegogoIndiegogo does not manage campaigns, nor are does Indiegogo offer perksInstead, all perks are offers made by Campaign Owners, and we recommend to any contributor who has questions about a campaign's offerings that make inquires of the campaign owner
It is important to note that contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made productIndiegogo does not make claims or verify that a campaign owner will deliver perks and instead recommends that each contributor go through their own vetting process before they decide to contributeWe have compiled a list of how to evaluate a campaign, as a good starting point: https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX-How-to-Evaluate-a-Campaig...⇄ /> Indiegogo's Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) outline:
"Indiegogo is a Venue
Indiegogo is an online crowdfunding venue for people and entities seeking to raise funds for their own Campaigns and to contribute to the Campaigns of othersCampaign Owners can offer gifts or rewards in the form of tangible items or intangible services (collectively, "Perks") to ContributorsPerks are not offered for saleIndiegogo makes no representations about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution or the truth or accuracy of User Content (as defined below) posted on the ServicesIndiegogo does not represent that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks or that Contributions will be used as described in the CampaignUsers use the Services at their own risk."
Indiegogo offers a space for innovation and discoveryWe do not make claims as to whether a project is possible or impossible or whether a campaign can create their productsInstead we provide a platform where people who are passionate *** their ideas can connect with funders who believe in their visionIt's a core part of our ethos as a business and we vehemently stand by this beliefOur customers deserve the opportunity to fund ideas they believe inThe crowd is entitled to decide, eyes wide open, what concepts they want to have a part in trying to advance
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2015/10/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Indiegogo has, for the sake of profit, transformed from a crowdfunding venue to something unrecognizable
For a percentage of the proceeds, they now seem to act solely as an agent for unscrupulous resellers, funding their orders for many months before they may (or may not) be placed
To date, Indiegogo has:
Taken my money
Taken their percentage of my money
Gave the rest of my money to their customer
Insulated themselves and their vendor from responsibility by repeatedly spouting their attorney-written boilerplate TOS
Erased any record of my "contribution" from their website
Still have not delivered the (existing, and available elsewhere) product to me, after many months of giving me the runaround
We call this "theft" where I come fromNo doubt they call it "contribution"
I will be escalating this matter to the Federal Trade Commission

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/21) */
We understand that this campaign owner is concerned about the status of their campaign's disbursement of fundsUnfortunately, we have no record of a campaign created or run by the individual filing this complaint
That said, we see
they have been in contact with us via Ticket #XXXXXX and reference a different email address, which is the owner of the campaignFor this account listed under the other email address, our records show we have been in touch regarding their campaign
The campaign in question, our records show this campaign ended on June 12, Campaign funds raised via Direct Credit Card are disbursed within business days of a campaign's deadline, assuming that the bank account information is complete and accurateThis disbursement timeline is clearly outlined during the campaign creation processAdditionally, all disbursement information is outlined in our Help Center: https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXXXXX
This campaign owner can expect the funds to be disbursed within business days of their campaign's deadlineWe are happy to let this customer know that the funds for this campaign were disbursed last week and should have received an email notification when the funds were disbursed
We have also been in contact with the campaign owner directly in order to clarify this process

We understand this customer has a complaint regarding a pending chargeback/dispute
We’ve had our team look into this matter and we see the problemThe issue here was that this customer resolved the dispute herself in PayPal, and PayPal did not relay this status change to our systemsAs such our
team had to look into this, and as we can confirm with PayPal that the customer has dropped the dispute, we’ve also updated this manually in Indiegogo’s systemWe apologize for the delay and confusion in this matter
Regarding their resolution request of a refund, now that the dispute has been dropped and this customer has outlined they’d like a refund, we’ve gone ahead and processed a refund back to the issued credit card, as a one-time courtesyPlease note, it may take up to 3-business days to see this amount reflected as a credit to the credit card statement.
We appreciate this customer’s patience and understanding in this matter

We appreciate this customer's reply. As has previously outlined, Indiegogo is not able to issue this customer a refund for their contributionOur *** ** *** outline:
"Refunds
Contributors may request a refund from Indiegogo before the end of a Campaign hereFor Campaigns that have entered the InDemand program, Contributors may request a refund from Indiegogo within days of the contribution, hereContributions are eligible for a refund by Indiegogo unless (a) the contribution funds have already been transferred to the Campaign Owner, (b) the Perk associated with the contribution has been fulfilled, or (c) Indiegogo determines that there has been an abuse of these Terms of UseIndiegogo reserves the right to terminate User Accounts and remove Campaigns for any abuse of this refund policyFor Campaigns that have ended, or in situations where the contribution funds have been transferred to the Campaign Owner, Contributors should contact the Campaign Owner directly regarding refunds."
As such, if this customer would like to receive a refund from this campaign owner, this customer will need to make inquires of the campaign owner, directlyWe are unable to mediate this dispute, but have previously provided this customer with the campaign owner's contact information in an effort to facilitate communication
We wish them the best of luck in arriving at a resolution to their request, with the campaign owner