Updated: December 21, 2020
We understand many of our entrepreneurs want to offer products to address the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, and we have created these guidelines using published guidance from the federal government and other agencies on what campaigns can offer for perks that might fall under these guidelines. Please note that we will be continually updating the guidelines as additional guidance is released. If your campaign falls under the following guidelines, we highly suggest you get in touch with our Trust & Safety team prior to launch so that we can work with you to ensure your campaign can run with as little interruptions as possible.
What can I not offer as a perk in this category?
To help us protect all users in the Indiegogo Community, we have guidelines on what is and what is not allowed as a perk. As outlined in our Community Guidelines, any perk claiming to cure, treat, or prevent an illness or serious medical condition is strictly prohibited. This also applies to perks related to sanitation in which the information is not supported by evidence or factual information. Our purpose is to ensure that potential backers can make informed decisions about the campaigns that they wish to support.
You cannot offer as a perk anything prohibited by federal, state or local laws. Below is a sample list of prohibited items provided by various Federal Agencies of the United States. Please note this is not an exhaustive list:
- This list from the Food and Drug Administration, including herbal teas, essential oils, cannabidiol related or derived products,
- This list from the Department of Justice including “immunity” pills, counterfeit protective equipment,
- This list from the Federal Trade Commission, including immune-boosting IV drops, vitamin C supplements, and facial brushes
What if I am unsure that my campaign is compliant with the guidelines above?
If you would like for our team to review your campaign prior to launch to ensure that you are compliant, please feel free to reach out to us at support@indiegogo.com with your link to a draft campaign. From there, we will provide you with the guidance you need to make sure that your campaign is successful and does not violate any of our policies above, as well as our Community Guidelines. Please note this process may take 5-7 business days and plan accordingly.
Our Trust & User Operations team is periodically reviewing our platform for campaigns that fall into these guidelines. If your campaign falls into these guidelines, we will review it to see what the purpose of those perks and your campaign is. We may take actions including, but not limited to, reaching out to you to request more information about the perk(s) offered, or suspending your campaign and refunding perks. Failure to respond will be considered a violation of our Terms of Use. Our team’s determination of whether a perk or campaign violates these guidelines is solely within Indiegogo’s discretion and is final.
We also understand that many campaigns have been impacted by global pandemic related delays and encourage you to keep updating your backers on the status of your campaign. If you are unsure whether these guidelines will apply to your campaign, please reach out to us here before launching your campaign. Thank you for helping create a safe environment for the Indiegogo Community!
Unsure Backers and Potential Backers
Our goal here is to make sure you have enough information at your fingertips to make an informed decision about supporting a campaign. We encourage you to make your own judgment about perks and campaigns.