To think that stories with a GoFundMe attached should have to be more honest?

I’d be more inclined to donate to a personal story if it was fully truthful though

But how would you know?

I understand that 25% of people go on holiday without travel insuance or say they dont have existing conditions. Sometimes it works in their favour. Other times they just caught out.

No,there was a chap a few months ago all over the media. Massively overweight, diabates etc and said he no existing conditions because he couldnt be bothered to pay the excess. His family wanted tens of thousands to get him home.

I have a friend whose late Father brought insurance claiming he had no illnessness when in fact I am surprised they didnt stop him getting the plane as he could barely walk. Eventually he gave up travelling but not before he told his daughter that if anything had happened he would have expected her to pay because she was 'loaded'.

I think this sort of attitude and the 'British Counsel' will sort me out is rife.

I will donate from time to time. I'm more sympathetic with insurance issues than some, it's often young people and I too took stupid risks when I was young. I'm drawn to those for disabled people as they get such a shit deal with social care and social attitudes.

Yes there's a risk it won't be spent properly but I'd argue that risk is there with charities too, it's not as if charities are known for using every penny wisely.

The only time I’ve donated to holiday related go fund me was because she went into premature labour and gave birth at 27 weeks, the insurance covered the birth but not the baby in nicu in the USA! Baby was released on the ward at 32 weeks and home at 34 (7 weeks of us medical bills) but not fit to fly for a further 6 weeks … 3 months total, insurance did cover her and her husband’s flights and as a good will gesture £50k towards the baby’s bill but not even close. This was genuinely unforeseen and they were only in the USA due to a funeral.

I’m in two minds about this because some people do all the right things and insurance still doesn’t pay out on some technicality like forgetting to declare HRT or having a random misdiagnosis on your records from 20 years ago that you couldn’t declare because it was wrong and the GP never corrected it, while others are uninsurable. And it’s not loved ones’ fault if someone dies suddenly with no plan for what to do with the body, but the UK makes your nearest relative pay for it if they possibly can and hospitals have tracing departments to try to make sure someone claims the body so if you’re flat broke and don’t qualify for any help you’re stuffed. But on the other hand, I do think Gofundme is riven with chancers.

I'd hate to add up how much we've spent over the years on various types of insurance, which thankfully we never had to claim on. Could we easily afford it - no. But neither could we afford not to have it. So i do not ever donate to GoFundMe appeals for people who thought they'd take a chance.

I agree. I have donated to loads of GFms for similar situations for people I don’t know. I have enough critical thinking ability to read between the lines and work out whether something seems genuine. I wouldn’t donate to someone who didn’t buy travel insurance tbh.

The gofundme campaign to raise money for the RLNI in farages name has me tempted though.

would love to see a lifeboat named “The Flying Farage” patrolling the south coast…

I dont really see much go fund me to be honest. This year its been quite a few, poor lad was run over and ended up in hospital in Thailand (from the town i live) he sadly passed away,family had to bring him home to scotland 😢.someone else suddenly passed away (same local area). I have donated to at least 5 including the 2 mentioned, only because I know its going to help the families. If I didn't know them,then I would be quite sceptical 🕵️‍♀️.

There are always GFM appeals popping up on social media by relatives of someone who has gone abroad with no medical insurance or who have omitted to declare pre-existing conditions.

"Shirley didnt realise she had declare her lung condition and is now in a coma in Egypt. Please help us to get her home"

Marie Curie nurses were wonderful when my dad was end of life. I have heard some unpleasant things about MacMillan.

I don’t donate to GFM. Not for anyone.

I know a family who has a GoFundMe page. Young kids, Dad has terminal brain cancer. Awful. All checks out. It’s to fund treatment not on the NHS that has extended his life. I was happy to donate and will continue to donate. When it’s someone you know it’s a really rewarding way of seeing how that small donation and many others can really make a difference to a family. Is more practical than ‘thoughts and prayers’ and I’m not close enough to lend that real ‘hands on’ practical support. I think GoFundMe definitely has its place. I would have donated if asked by any other means, but this is an effective way of doing it.

Can anyone set up a Go Fund Me? I could do with raising some ££££ for my heating oil 😂

Not true. Yes everything is checked out but definitely cases where funding of a suitable drug has been refused due to exorbitant costs that the NHS just can't maintain.

They are known for tactics such as funding a “macmillan nurse” for a short time, with the condition they retain their branding when their funding ends.

so many people think they are being treated by a “MacMillan nurse” when it’s an nhs funded nurse in MacMillan uniform.

that and we had to throw them out of our home. They were more than useless, did nothing practical, just wanted to talk about death and dying, upsetting our relative.

Marie curie, who actually came and did the end of life nursing, also do what many perceive as MacMillan.

so no. I will not donate to them when they are using nhs money to further their “brand”. And I do believe it is a “brand” and not so much a true charity these days.

oh yes and also their hijack of the ALS ice bucket challenge to promote their own fundraising.

Or both didn’t qualify for affordable insurance?

either way the outcome is the same. You’re just saying you think some of them deserve to go through hell and some deserve you throwing £10 at their £350,000 (or similar) repatriation bill.

Go Fund Me is a form of altruistic crowdfunding and it’s not regulated. People donating should be made aware to be vigilant of scams by the platform but I doubt GFM are doing much about misuse of funds etc

That’s the same thing though?

why discriminate against someone who doesn’t have travel insurance, but not against someone who doesn’t have life insurance?

both cases of not having adequate insurance.

interesting to see what people donate to.

i don’t donate to MacMillan. Some of their practices I don’t agree with.

i never donate to “raise money for treatment the nhs won’t fund” as generally it’s because the treatment is not effective. If it were, the nhs would fund it. Especially “treatment in America”. Generally it’s not better or worthwhile, it’s simply a matter of if you can pay well do the treatment you want, regardless of whether it will help.

the nhs reviews every medication and if it genuinely improves outcome it’s funded. I knew a kid with a brain tumour who was given paid for treatment abroad as the nhs deemed it would help and it wasn’t available here.

You’ll happily give 70p of each £1 you donate to smokers who got lung cancer?

I don’t really like go fund me in general. Unfortunately the purpose of it overall I feel has been lost by most people and now everyone and their mother is on the beg.

There was a local one for a man who had been injured. The go fund me was set up to raise funds so they could renovate their house, put a downstairs bathroom, bedroom etc. they raised a massive amount of money (not enough to do what they needed, but it would have been a big chunk). They spent the money on 2 new range rovers, designer handbags for the wife and some other frivolous purchases - this was confirmed by them after a whistleblower posted on a local Facebook site. The local community was up in arms about it as obviously that’s not why people donated.

I saw another one where a headstone had been damaged and they wanted £300 to replace it, raised the £300, then increased it to £500, then it was £700, then £1000. In the end their goal was £2000 - just on the beg after that because people kept donating.

i do think there needs to be strict rules about it such as you can’t increase the goal without proof it’s needed, what you can and can’t raise funds for.

All charity is begging. The only difference is whether you are also paying for the media machine to get your money and a CEO to run it, or not.