Everyone likes to get things they buy online on-time. When you buy something on Amazon or Ebay, you are given a delivery date that you expect will be met. If you pay extra to get the package delivered the next day, then that’s when you expect to get it. The backers of your crowdfunding campaign expect the same level of service – with the understanding that it will take longer because you have to build something first. However at some point you will have to set an expected delivery date, and once you let your backers know what that date is, then they expect you will meet it.
One of the most successful Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns was for a product called Sprayable Sleep. This topical melatonin spray raised $409,798 and was 2,106% funded on March 2, 2015. While the presentation of the concept, including the video and narrative were very compelling, some of Sprayable Sleep’s backers did not receive their order as expected. If you read through some of the last comments on the Indiegogo website, you’ll see the following:
- “Refund my money”
- “I have still not got anything…i had made a donation of USD 85 in your intial campaign but got nothing so far…no replies to my mails either”
- “hi there! hmm, when will i finally get my perk(s)..? christmas? next year? never?! it’s quite annoying to be honest…”
- “I still haven’t received anything. Trust in this campaign is going down fast…”
Many of the comments appear well after the company said that most of the products had been shipped. The company also provided another update that some International backers hadn’t paid for the correct shipping and wouldn’t receive their product until they did so. Still others were asked to complete a change of address form if they moved before the scheduled delivery date. All of these scenarios led to frustration on the part of some backers and they expressed their dissatisfaction through the comments tab of the crowdfunding campaign.
What’s more surprising is that this wasn’t the first product that this group had launched. Nearly 2 years earlier they launched a similar type of product called Sprayable Energy. It appears from the comments that backers had the very same complaints about not receiving their shipments. Although there are always justifiable reasons why someone didn’t receive a product when promised, it’s the company’s responsibility to make sure expectations are met.
Likewise you should anticipate potential delivery problems when you run your crowdfunding campaign and do everything in your power to avoid them. Establish a realistic delivery date that you can meet. Set-up a reward category for International orders that includes free shipping overseas. Tell people that they need to notify you in advance if they move. Doing these things will help ensure that your backers are satisfied with on-time delivery.
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