Go Fund Me!!! WTH?

[palmettomoon]

Am I the only one that is fed up with all of the digital pan-handling? When did it become normal for people to ask for money for: My car broke down and I need money to get it fixed!, I can't make my rent payment and I'm getting kicked out!, My dog needs surgery and I can't pay for it!, I ran out of my Viagra and I have an orgy scheduled!

I tend to be pretty cynical about people in general, but this ridiculous trend has made me more jaded than ever. You can't trust anyone anymore, everybody is out for something and everyone has an angle. Why is it a strangers responsibility to help you pay your car repairs or get your dog a surgery? I get that in some cases it may be warranted but I thought those issues are what friends and family are for? Maybe some people don't have any type of support network but for me, the only time I kick in on a GFM is if I have a vested interest in the person, e.g., I know them personally or they are an acquaintance of a friend/family member. Maybe I'm just a dick, well...probably.

What say you?

In for orgies.

 

[lesgobrandon]

Am I the only one that is fed up with all of the digital pan-handling? When did it become normal for people to ask for money for: My car broke down and I need money to get it fixed!, I can't make my rent payment and I'm getting kicked out!, My dog needs surgery and I can't pay for it!, I ran out of my Viagra and I have an orgy scheduled!

I tend to be pretty cynical about people in general, but this ridiculous trend has made me more jaded than ever. You can't trust anyone anymore, everybody is out for something and everyone has an angle. Why is it a strangers responsibility to help you pay your car repairs or get your dog a surgery? I get that in some cases it may be warranted but I thought those issues are what friends and family are for? Maybe some people don't have any type of support network but for me, the only time I kick in on a GFM is if I have a vested interest in the person, e.g., I know them personally or they are an acquaintance of a friend/family member. Maybe I'm just a dick, well...probably.

What say you?

I have a go fund me. Cause I tell you I what I'd do if I had a million dollars.

 

[palmettomoon]

The local thread on FB is loaded with this recently. Im new to town, I cant find a place, my kids are hungry, my car is broke down and cant get to work, Blah blah. I ignore them

Reads like every thread on Nextdoor.

 

[roydamnmercer]

A coworker set up one for my kid after suffering a traumatic brain injury. It was a Godsend. Sure, we had insurance that covered most of the $480k in surgical and hospital bills and we could have managed the $13k in deductibles, but GFM covered most of the physical, occupational and speech therapies that insurance stopped covering after just 10 hours. It also covered some of the experimental therapies we had to try that insurance doesn’t cover. More importantly, it allowed my wife who is self employed and doesn’t have paid leave to take off work for several months.

I never would have set it up, and I was pretty embarrassed to accept it at the time but man it saved us from selling off our stuff. I’m still grateful to the kindness and generosity of friends and many, many strangers. So yes, I try to donate to some whenever I can if it’s for a good cause (Botox and vacations don’t count) Lord knows it saved us some serious hardship. People don’t realize how bad medical bills can pile up even with insurance. It’s just a shame that people use it for frivolous stuff that turns folks off from helping out their fellow man.

 

[BIKER13]

This site use to pitch in and help those that needed it but along comes the scammers and ****ed it up for those in real need.

 

[BDR1]

This site use to pitch in and help those that needed it but along comes the scammers and ****ed it up for those in real need.

Like the guy who wanted a certain gun SO BAD.. then when he got it he sold it to pawn shop?

 

[palmettomoon]

Hope there haven't been too many scammers here but I remember a few who've taken help but then posted later about guns they bought or put on layaway (at the time of the requests) etc., that has turned me off contributing as much as I have in years past. If you have money for firearms, you have money for things you need.

 

[cskiles]

A coworker set up one for my kid after suffering a traumatic brain injury. It was a Godsend. Sure, we had insurance that covered most of the $480k in surgical and hospital bills and we could have managed the $13k in deductibles, but GFM covered most of the physical, occupational and speech therapies that insurance stopped covering after just 10 hours. It also covered some of the experimental therapies we had to try that insurance doesn’t cover. More importantly, it allowed my wife who is self employed and doesn’t have paid leave to take off work for several months.

I never would have set it up, and I was pretty embarrassed to accept it at the time but man it saved us from selling off our stuff. I’m still grateful to the kindness and generosity of friends and many, many strangers. So yes, I try to donate to some whenever I can if it’s for a good cause (Botox and vacations don’t count) Lord knows it saved us some serious hardship. People don’t realize how bad medical bills can pile up even with insurance. It’s just a shame that people use it for frivolous stuff that turns folks off from helping out their fellow man.

That's what I was talking about, he had a vested interest in you, I'm sure others that didn't know you contributed but the question always circling in the back of my mind is "Do they really need the help, or is this a ploy to maintain a job free existence?". No hate for you at all, I'm glad that it got you through a tough time. Hell, the fact that you were uncomfortable with it speaks volumes, there's a big difference between your situation and 'my car broke down and I need help getting it fixed'.

 

[cskiles]

One of my wife's past co-workers set up a GFM so she could go have an out of country honeymoon - not that the GFM said anything about that though, and she consistently reminded everyone in the office to contribute! WTF!?! It's that kind of crap that has made me skeptical.

 

[geezer]

Well, as for me…..I sure could have used that from 2017 to 2022…I didn’t, but good lord, it sure would have helped. I spent more on copays and deductibles than I paid for this house. Right or wrong, it has its merits.