Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Some GoFundMe campaigns

30 replies

SingingInTheRainstorm · 03/02/2017 14:08

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.

OP posts:
Crinkle77 · 03/02/2017 15:00

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 · 03/02/2017 15:02

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 · 03/02/2017 16:37

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 · 03/02/2017 16:41

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

reallyanotherone · 03/02/2017 16:44

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 · 03/02/2017 16:49

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 · 03/02/2017 16:50

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

SheldonCRules · 03/02/2017 17:04

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 · 03/02/2017 17:11

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 · 03/02/2017 17:51

It's a socially-sanctioned form of begging.

emmyhNL · 03/02/2017 18:50

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 · 03/02/2017 19:04

It's a socially-sanctioned form of begging

Isn't all charity that too?

RortyCrankle · 03/02/2017 19:08

Is there anything you won't donate to?

More like there is nothing I would donate to.

MrsTarzan1 · 03/02/2017 19:14

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

Kitsandkids · 03/02/2017 19:15

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 · 03/02/2017 19:18

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

quarkinstockcubes · 03/02/2017 19:22

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 Hmm

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 · 03/02/2017 19:22

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 · 03/02/2017 19:23

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 · 03/02/2017 19:26

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 · 03/02/2017 19:26

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Mrsknackered · 03/02/2017 19:27

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

BestMammyEver · 03/02/2017 19:29

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

DianaMemorialJam · 03/02/2017 19:34

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

atheistmantis · 03/02/2017 19:36

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.

Swipe left for the next trending thread