Indiegogo sends debt collectors after Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega Plus campaign to try to refund backers

The saga of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega Plus Indiegogo campaign is getting even messier. Indiegogo is now sending in debt collectors to try to get back some of the money that backers put into the project, via Eurogamer.

In an update posted by Indiegogo’s Trust & Safety team to the Vega Plus’ crowdfunding page, the company notes that it had contacted the Vega Plus team about providing “contact information of Sky representatives, […] refunding backers immediately upon request, as well as providing Indiegogo with a review console,” conditions which Indiegogo says that the team was unable to meet. (Sky owns intellectual property rights to the original Spectrum computers.)

As such, Indiegogo — per changes made last year — is working with a collections agency to try to refund backers, although the company notes that it will likely take some time and that it still is hoping that the Vega Plus will ship, in which case this all would be moot.

A Twitter account for the project claims that it did offer to demo a unit to Indiegogo, which may be a good sign, although it still hasn’t addressed the other issues Indiegogo raised, including refunding disillusioned backers.

The retro gaming console was first announced back in 2016, with a promised release date of later that year. It raised over 500,000 pounds (roughly $688,308), which is over triple its funding goal. But years later, the company has yet to ship any devices to backers. Ultimately, though, it’s yet another disappointing turn for backers of the Vega Plus, albeit one that’s a useful reminder of the potential risks of crowdfunded gadgets.