Some GoFundMe campaigns

[SingingInTheRainstorm]

Don't get me wrong some really are life changing, but I find myself flicking through some thinking, you're being a bit cheeky there.

I know people will come back with the guy who raised a fortune off the guise of making a potato salad, but this isn't a regular thing.

Where would you draw the line at donating? Is there anything you won't donate to?

I do have a specific example which didn't make sense, a woman who wanted to go private to find out something that her GP could do in a blood test. But there was this extra layer that would have to be private, but the whole idea from A-Z would cost a hell of a lot more than being requested.

[Crinkle77]

Some one on Facebook was campaigning funds to open a bagel shop. It set alarm bells ringing with me. Why couldn't they get a bank loan or was there something wrong with their business plan?

[Newbrummie]

Friends of ours raised the funds to open their 2nd very successful restaurant and the founders got every penny and a free meal back.

[Latenightreader]

About 18months ago I saw a crowdfunding page for someone British who was working in the States (by choice) and wanted people to pay for her airfare to the UK for Christmas. I was really quite stunned by that. She didn't raise a penny.

[Magzmarsh]

It's panhandling in most cases, I can never understand why people are daft enough to donate.

[reallyanotherone]

I won't donate to any of it.

It seems to be the default these days. I've seen hundreds of thousands raised for "cancer treatment in america".

Why i won't donate is there's no regulation over what the money is spent on. if the exotic medical treatmemt doesn't go ahead (which it rarely does, as the nhs is pretty good and would offer it if it was likely to work) then all that money goes to the fundraiser to spend how they like.

It takes all that money away from charities which help many, and give to an individual.

[BobbieDog]

I do know someone who regularly sets these up for equipment for their disabled child.

The thing is they spend their money on alot of non essential items and then claim poverty when their child needs some specialist equipment.

They get themselves in the local paper to get the campaign going and quite often a mystery donor donates the money.

[PurpleDaisies]

I don't donate either unless it's someone I personally know and trust. Maybe I'm just too suspicious.

[SheldonCRules]

Would never donate to any, they are simply about people getting strangers to pay for something they either don't want to or can't fund themselves.

Would much rather give to charity or school.

[Scoose]

Some of these do take the piss but I have recently donated to one which is someone raising funds to donate sunken trampolines into the play areas in a school for children with special needs. My daughter goes to that school and I know she would love the trampolines as will the other children. So I do think some of these are worth donating to

[CaoNiMa]

It's a socially-sanctioned form of begging.

[emmyhNL]

I donated to a friend in need but wouldn't for 99% of them on there. As others have said, it's a begging bowl.

[NarkyMcDinkyChops]

It's a socially-sanctioned form of begging

Isn't all charity that too?

[RortyCrankle]

Is there anything you won't donate to?

More like there is nothing I would donate to.

[MrsTarzan1]

I agree. It's mad what some people ask for money for! I can't believe anyone falls for it tbh

[Kitsandkids]

There seems to be a trend near me of using them to raise money for funerals. I know funerals are expensive and it's lovely if friends and family help out with costs, but begging off strangers just seems a bit wrong to me.

[TheCustomaryMethod]

No, I wouldn't donate to anything like this.

[quarkinstockcubes]

Kits I see a lot of them, but taking it further was one raising money for Lisa-Marie (not real name), because her nephew died. There was no explanation as to what the actual fund was for

There are some that are actual charity issues that have been set up by friends/local community which are a great idea, but then others that have been set up by the people themselves for "needing" to go on holiday, complete with DM sadfaces.

[TwoTicketsToTeesside]

A FB friend of DH's is currently trying to crowdfund a house deposit! They need $30,000.

You could try to understand if they'd experienced serious illness/misfortune. But they're pretty upfront in saying that it's because living costs and childcare are so high they're struggling to get a deposit together. They also say that they could save themselves - but they've found their "dream home" and are worried someone else will buy it first.

Join the club, mate!

[AlmostAJillSandwich]

The ones who are crowdfunding to pay for fake boobs annoy me. I'm not talking reconstruction after medical mastectomy, just superficial women who want bigger ones than they were born with. I hate my own breasts, they make me self conscious (one is a full C cup verging on a D, other probably not even fully a B cup) bras won't stay in place and constantly have to pull them down on the small side, and pull them back central as they pull over my booger boob, T shirts get distorted because of it too. My confidence is awful and i don't think i'd be able to let anyone see them naked, but absolutely no way would i get any kind of surgery on the NHS or make some online campaign to get strangers to pay for it. If it's that important to them, they go without other luxuries (cigarettes, nights out/bottles of wine, hair cuts, spray tans, fake nails etc) and save for it, or get a loan.

[SocksRock]

Charities are different as they are regulated, you have to submit accounts every year to the charities commission and there are ways to complain if you think the money is being misused. No such thing with gofundme.

[BestMammyEver]

I've donated to a few but have met loads of children having cancer treatment as my son was going through the same in 2015.

A few children need money to go to America because the NHS has said there's nothing else they can do and no one wants to let their child die,when there are other things that can be done in other countries.

[Mrsknackered]

I've seen one by two brothers, too help give their mum the best birthday ever that 'she deserves'. Wtf.

[BestMammyEver]

P.s the NHS does not fund all treatment. If my son were to need a second bone marrow transplant, it would no longer be funded.

Children with Neuroblastoma (cancer) once they relapse, their only option is to raise 750,000 to get treatment in America, just to have a chance of survival. It's awful.

[DianaMemorialJam]

Jill you're right, it's just scuzzy, getting people to pay for a boob job!!!!

[atheistmantis]

My youngest needed a major operation to give an acceptable quality of life; the NHS refused to do it so we paid for a (NHS) surgeon to do it privately - it cost over 15k but without it they'd have been in a wheelchair within months.
The NHS don't just refuse to do operations that they think won't work - they knew it would but it wasn't on the list of what they would pay for.