Go fund me...

R

rgp

Well-known Member
Location
Milford,OH
Locally there have been three recent accidents ....I notice that lately damn near every time ... a go fund me page is established for the victims / surviving family members, etc. Doesn't anyone provide for themselves any longer? Or provide for their own family any longer ? Has nationwide / global begging become new norm ?
 

I have mixed feelings too, especially on Facebook when it's some old schoolmate I don't really remember. I think I would feel funny having a go fund me campaign for myself.
 

There has been a couple of disgusting scams on this subject in Australia where the person/s claimed to have cancer
IMO it’s the modern way of scamming / begging
 
Taking advantage of the goodness of ones heart is disgusting and the saddest part is that there really are people that actually need help and this type of scamming wrecks it for everyone.
And then there are those catfish who prey on vulnerable naive loners. It’s seriously pathetic and yet happens all the time.
Very sad.
 
I, too, have mixed feelings.

For example, someone set up a GoFundMe for Lana Wood (sister of actress Natalie Wood). She's had some problems and needs an affordable place to live.
Goal was $10,000 and I just looked and they've collected almost $39,000.
Google lanawood GoFundMe to see.

Well, a lot of people need an affordable place to live, help with their bills, and a lot of other things. Not being flippant, just sayin'....
 
A couple of years ago, a small boy wandered off and drowned in a park fountain that was partly frozen in ice, by the time they found him, it was too late. Someone started a go fund me page for the family, but they said on the news that several fakes went up within hours of the death and to beware and not give money to any of them except the one linked to the news article. I thought that was disgusting, those people who prey off the grieving should be punished in some way, maybe fined.
 
I can easily think of replacing one of those three words. I once saw a very well dressed young guy on the I10 feeder with a cardboard sign that read, "I WANT MONEY FOR BEER". At least he was telling the truth.
 
rgp said:
Locally there have been three recent accidents ....I notice that lately damn near every time ... a go fund me page is established for the victims / surviving family members, etc. Doesn't anyone provide for themselves any longer? Or provide for their own family any longer ? Has nationwide / global begging become new norm ?
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One fact is always missing in auto accidents and that is whether or not they are here legally. Whenever we have 18 wheeler wrecks in Houston I pay special attention to the truck and very often it is an old junker most likely from Mexico.
 
I once read about a woman who spent ALL her money on lottery tickets and was in bad shape financially. Then she or someone else started a GoFund to replenish her bank account. I forget the specifics of it, but I was aghast at the people who helped her out by donating. And how did they know that she would not use the donations to start the mess all over again?
 
I know of one active GFM account right now where the woman is asking for donations to "save our house from foreclosure" while at the same time bragging on Facebook about her lavish and frequent trips to a popular destination, one of which is coming up shortly.

The ones that get me are the ones asking for help with "the trip of my dreams" and "the honeymoon of our dreams." Pay for your own trips and honeymoons or don't go on them!
 
GoFundMe is similar to parents who coddle and enable their financially irresponsible kids. I bet only a few of the recipients REALLY need the help and got in that situation through no fault of their own. I have little money to spare and believe in the adage "Charity begins at home''.
 
A few years ago & many sodas later (which I've give up on) I gave my g-daughter 5 bags of cans, redemption was 5-cents ea. I loaded them in my truck, hauled them to her house, drove to the redemption location (WinCo) stood with her on the sticky floor, deposited $35 worth of cans. Went inside found out (WinCo) would only redeem $10 a day. I was treated like a homeless vagrant, the clerk with a sneer informed me I would have to come back. Got my $10 took my g-daughter home gave her the $35 out-of-pocket. Next time I loaded them in my truck drove to the same Winco found the most downtrodden looking roadside beggar, gave him the cans. I decided to let him confront the clerk as many times as needed. It's a 2-way street.

Gofundme is not something I would ever donate to without solid proof of need.
 
"Raising Money" has been turned into "begging for money". I prefer to donate to fundraisers .... people who are actually putting in a physical effort .
 
PVC said:
I once read about a woman who spent ALL her money on lottery tickets and was in bad shape financially. Then she or someone else started a GoFund to replenish her bank account. I forget the specifics of it, but I was aghast at the people who helped her out by donating. And how did they know that she would not use the donations to start the mess all over again?
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Ridiculous! :rolleyes: People who donate to her are fools.
 
This is not really about GFM it's more about human behavior.

I recently got a notice on FB for a GFM page that was raising money to send a small group of geeks from my high school to a national geekathon of some sort. The request was made by the group's advisor and was completely above board. I made a donation and eventually about 25 other people made enough donations to reach the goal. The kids went and filed a report of their trip, etc... The thing that I don't understand is that approx. 250 people on FB shared the information with their FB friends but did not make a donation to the GFM appeal. Why on earth would you notify/burden your friends with this information if you did not feel it was a good enough cause to donate $10.00 or $20.00.
 
GFM is full of scammers! You can do your own research, online. The site, itself, lets you know that safeguards are in place to prevent unfair usage. Bah! I know of two definite examples of fraudulent claims, on two different GFM sites, made for two people I knew, very well.
 
AZ Jim said:
I don't mean to suggest that all these accounts are not worthy but you have to ask yourselves, "how many times have I had a situation where I could have used help but bailed yourself out without begging others to do it for you?"
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I agree Jim, people have always borrowed from a friend, relative or neighbor and paid back the money if they were in a fix. People have either pawned or sold some of their possessions to get the money they needed to make ends meet or deal with a bad situation, or took on a second part-time job to earn the money. I couldn't see myself asking strangers online to send me money anyway, but some find it very comfortable for the most petty things, like they need a vacation to the Bahamas, but can afford the expenses. :rolleyes:
 
As far as needing money for sick kids, St. Jude's Children's Hospital & Research Center provides care for FREE. No child or their family ever pays for anything - including hospital, surgery, medication, even lodging and food for family members. (This is the facility started by Danny Thomas; Marlo does commercials).

So someone asking for money on GFM for a child with cancer is most likely scamming.
 
I may be hardhearted; but I would never donate to any GFM or anyone else begging. I am not surprised by the beggars; what surprises me are the number and amount of donations they receive. I only donate to reputable nonprofit organizations. Organizations that actually pass the donated money to people who need it and not to pay the salary of the organization's CEO.
 
I know someone who is financially well off and has what I feel is a great policy re: donations. No donations to charities (too much overhead, administrative costs, and who knows where the money really goes).

Instead, every few months he helps to replenish food pantries. Then he hangs out at places like dollar store and chooses several shoppers and pays for their purchases.

He also somehow finds out names and addresses of a few people who are in danger of utility shutoff and takes care of their bill.

"Reputable" charities/non-profits? Pffft. Local chapter of American Cancer Society had two ex-employees embezzle over $7M few yrs ago.
 

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