GoFundme. No point? Or still worth a try?

[ImagineYouDidnt]

Would anybody give to Just Giving nowadays?

I've given to a handful over the years, always a small amount that I wouldn't really miss iykwim, & at the back of my mind I think it might be a scam. I've also only given to ones who have been given very little so far (which is a weird kind of rule that I made up for myself)

I've seen a lot of negativity about it recently.

Title tweaked by MNHQ to make it clear she is talking about GoFundme.

I start reading sad stories about maybe people really ill abroad & then it turns out to be a Go Fund Me when everyone else has done the right thing & bought their own holiday insurance... Sorry, if you want to be a mug, don't expect the rest of us to sort you out.

Yes it seems to be quite common now too.

I've seen GoFundMe raise a lot for vet bills sometimes.

I lost my elderly cat a year ago and understand how much it costs to look after a sick pet, even with insurance.

I'm so sorry. It's very hard isn't it.
You are right of course. Caring for a pet with health problems costs a lot more than Just the vet bills.

I've donated to specific and genuine causes. Eg a relative needed a prosthetic at a young age and a specific type to keep active (which the NHS don't fund). That one raised 40k.

I wouldn't donate for a cat, sorry that's what insurance is for.

Happytaytoes The cost of those is absolutely huge isn't it.

Possibly if it was something I cared about. I have and do donate to a breed specific rescue. In the past 3 years, 4cdogs have been saved from wet/food markets in China and Vietnam.
For Darren who didnt take out holiday insurance? Not a chance

That's nice.
I have one charity that I've always donated to (when I can) as well.

Sorry op, my friend raised a gofundme for pet care and pretty much got nothing.

I don’t think many people would donate to that.

There was some grandma with multiple health issues who took her family to Disneyworld for three weeks (which must have cost at least £20k) but didn’t get travel insurance because it was “too expensive”. Lo and behold she fell ill and her family were weeping and wailing that they were doing a GoFundMe for months in a US hospital and a medical flight home. Nah. Remortgage your houses/sell your car/sell a kidney.

Also refuse to donate (although not seen one for a while) to charity bike rides up Everest etc. Pay for your own holiday!

Ah it's ok, thank you. I hope that things are looking up for your friend.

absolutely not. it’s no different to begging, and unless you actually know the beggars in question you have absolutely no idea that any money is being spent on what they claim it’s being spent on.

A family member set one up because his wife was dying and he wanted to raise money to do something special with his DC after she was gone. Bear in mind here that she was still alive at this point although deteriorating rapidly while he was holding out his online begging bowl and playing the emotional sympathy card.

He raised about 10 grand. His DW sadly passed. Within about six weeks he’d met someone else, already had her staying over with his grieving children, then he used the money to do up the house, sold it and he and the new woman, and his children all moved into another house together.

There have been plenty of these online ones raising money for people trapped in hospitals abroad which turn out that they had insurance all the time and their costs were being paid.

They’re all scams IMO.

Never2many I havn't heard about many & especially not recently. I didn't realise there was ever a holiday one where they had insurance all along. That's shocking.

Friend tried it for a boob job, wanted £20k, raised less than £50 and that was from her boyfriend

I hadn't looked at any other GFM in the animal section but I have now & there's several on there making loads of money.

I wonder if sometimes it's a lot to do with who you know & how active you are on social media etc.

People shouldn't have pets they can't afford. There's no way I'd contribute to that.

You mean "Go Fund Me" not "Just Giving"

No I don’t donate to them, i see mainly ones raising for sensory equipment but expecting other sen parents to donate to it. 🤦‍♀️

Who's fault is it if the owner doesn't have insurance?

I gave to a couple of friends of friends GFM, because they were so genuine. Not huge amounts. Just what I could afford. I've very occasionally given to others. Mainly animals to be honest.

I am willing to donate on the platform although I wouldn't for this cause. I will donate to disability-related funds for example as I know NHS and social care provision for equipment, respite and so on is really inadequate.

OP are you saying you want to set one up to raise money for your own vet bill?

The owner’s. I said it wasn’t the pet’s fault which obviously it isn’t.

I dont give money to any charity.

It's for ongoing vet bills as well as special diet etc just costs for an unwell, older pet.

I haven't decided whether to set one up or not yet.

This. I have no interest in subsidising people's choice to have a pet.