Go fund me? - Go fund yourself.

[Scouse123]

I am getting a bit cheesed off, well I have been for a long time , with accidents occurring in Thailand by expatriates and the first order of the day, before the stitches are in the wound; is the obligatory ' Facebook photo on a hospital bed '  closely followed by the ' Go fund me for 10,000 GBP '.

 

These are set up by the victims themselves with no insurance, or by their children, who I can picture are sat in front of their TV all day in the UK, claiming benefits and watching daytime TV, but thinking they have found a new way to collect funds from the generosity of the working public. These people have no conscience, it's a gravy train and not their money. All it is to them to set up a page is a few clicks on a keyboard.

 

Firstly, it is the duty of every individual who is traveling to obtain insurance and read the small print and cover as well as exclusions to cover. If you can afford a flight half way around the world, you find the money to cover your insurance needs alongside the trip.

 

Next are the scammers. Going on holiday and thinking the Thai police are so stupid that they won't catch them trying to claim from everything from a make believe canon camera to a i phone X which were all inadvertently left in the room, and when they returned the room had been ransacked, and when the police can find no video footage, the excuse is, the burglars must have escaped out of the sealed windows down 48 storeys!!

 

These clowns are then charged by the police for making false claims, and lo and behold, they cannot afford the legal fees for a defense or pay to clear the case, so let's set up a Go fund me page! because, the excuse being, they are normally good people but this was a lapse in judgment. No, it wasn't. It was an effort to cheat the insurance company which results in the rest of us paying much higher premiums on our future trips to get insured because of scum like you.

 

Lastly, these Crowdfunding and Go fund me pages are operated as businesses. The company behind them takes a percentage of every fund or appeal.They do not check whether or not the request for funds or appeal is genuine or not. Obviously, the organizers do not care about this nor handing over a percentage to the site owner, because ' it's not their money ' so any money is a bonus to them.

 

These practices are getting this type of funding a very bad name and anybody and everybody needs to thoroughly check them out before accepting them on face value. On many occasions they are not genuine at all. The facts have not been checked as they were in days of old.

 

These are then picked up and turned into trashy sensationalist headlines by UK red label newspaper or some obscure rag from the outer Hebrides with a circulation of  around probably 200, who later when caught out, refuse to answer calls or respond to e mails. The newspapers do not care about the damage done to the tourism of a country or the fact it was downright lies, which could have easily been checked by due diligence.

 

I am going on mid fifties, this type of ' begging ' because that is what it is, is alien to the way I was brought up and my mother would have ' walked on the other side of the road ' to avoid me if she thought I was behaving like a parasite in this way to obtain funds from hard working people by means of deceit. We would have re-mortgaged the house, taken a loan against it, we would have sold the car, we would have pawned the family silver, anything before asking others to bail us out.

 

It was something not done to ask others for money. We wouldn't even borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbours until Friday when we were skint.Have people no dignity nor shame these days?

 

There needs to be legislation or controls brought in to stop these scams or at the very least checks before allowing funds to be collected in such ways online.

 

They are ruining the chances of people giving to genuine causes and also at the same time diverting money from them.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by Scouse123

[Berkshire]

I've never given money to a Go Fund page and never will.  I wonder who the heck would do that....especially to complete strangers. 

[allane]

It is not surprising that people make these kinds of appeals, but it is very surprising that anyone would respond to them.

[mamypoko]

Respectfully disagree OP. Helping, volunteering, donating, especially to total strangers and strays has been nothing but good for me. To be fair, my philanthropic behaviors often upset my friends - and that is just another bonus.

 

[Juan B Tong]

Yeah !  

 

Internet begging it is.

 

 

[Blackheart1916]

19 hours ago, Berkshire said:

I've never given money to a Go Fund page and never will.  I wonder who the heck would do that....especially to complete strangers. 

As I said in the story about the Brit and his missus, I have given to a couple only because I know them personally. Others, however, well a fool and his money are soon parted.

[treehouse_ monkey]

we tried gofundme to help construction costs for a sports center for indigent children.  we did not get a single donation from it but we did get help and the facility is in operation. used by 12 schools free of charge. my friends provided the money.  still helping thousands of children here in buriram.

[Altalake]

Scouse 123 is spot on.

[ThaiWai]

19 hours ago, Berkshire said:

I've never given money to a Go Fund page and never will.  I wonder who the heck would do that....especially to complete strangers. 

I bet the last people to "Go Fund" are the people who have been "Funded" themselves before.  Screw them all.  Especially when GoFundMe takes out a 5 percent fee from each donation and a 3 percent processing fee. In total, about 8 percent of fees are taken out of each donation through the fundraising site.  I'll just pay my own way thank you.  I recommend others do the same.  I give to people in need, just not some ganja puffing hippie backpacker who thought bungie jumping in a third world nation would be awesome.  Ran outta money did ya? Jump with no rope next time.

[steven100]

I'm thinking about setting up a ' Go fund me '  for a round the world cruise ....     reckon I need about $15k ....

[alfalfa19]

1 hour ago, mamypoko said:

Respectfully disagree OP. Helping, volunteering, donating, especially to total strangers and strays has been nothing but good for me. To be fair, my philanthropic behaviors often upset my friends - and that is just another bonus.

 

But it's so much easier to be a hate-filled , cynical curmudgeon!!

 

[Kadilo]

They have their uses and I have and will occasionally contribute. Sadly, as we have seen recently the few ruin it for the many and understandably many will be sceptical.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Tapster]

4 minutes ago, alfalfa19 said:

a hate-filled , cynical curmudgeon

I don't think I'm a a hate-filled , cynical curmudgeon but the decision to come on a quite expensive holiday and not to spend 50-60 quid on travel insurance, strikes me as irresponsible. Then to rely on internet begging to get them out of trouble shows lack of pride in being able to sort things out for oneself/lack of dignity, shame, or just not giving a ****.

 

As scouse123 said, many of us slightly older people were taught to have more self respect than to use such methods that would leave us mortified to be known as "the one who used Go Fund Me".

 

That said, such fund-raising sites certainly have their place in seeking to pay for circumstances that have arisen despite the best efforts of the fundee, such as poor little Timmy who needs a radical treatment only available through private healthcare.

 

This particular problem could largely be made to go away by the introduction of compulsory travel insurance for travelers to Thailand, or anywhere else. If people forgot, I'm sure Thai immigration would love to sell them a policy before they were allowed into the country. They would definitely have the money at the start of their holiday.

[tonray]

20 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

hese are set up by the victims themselves with no insurance, or by their children, who I can picture are sat in front of their TV all day in the UK, claiming benefits and watching daytime TV, but thinking they have found a new way to collect funds from the generosity of the working public.

It's not a new way...it's called being a member of the House of Lords

[PerkinsCuthbert]

I'm in some agreement with the OP, but like all good ideas that start out by being philanthropic and public-spirited, these donation websites have now been infested with freeloaders, to the detriment of deserving cases. The only surprise is that it took so long.

[Kadilo]

I'm in some agreement with the OP, but like all good ideas that start out by being philanthropic and public-spirited, these donation websites have now been infested with freeloaders, to the detriment of deserving cases. The only surprise is that it took so long.

There are still some good causes you just have to pick and choose and dig a little more.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Enoon]

 

Possibly the longest "Outraged of Cheltenham" letter that I have seen.

 

 

[shackleton]

On the Go Fund me donations 

personally its up to the individual if he or she wants to give their money

With quite a few scams on the go 

I would be very reluctant if the cause was for people who did not take the time to have 

travel or medical insurance considering what they spent on a air ticket or package holiday 

[Tapster]

I used to be "outraged of Stroud", that's near Cheltenham!

 

[thaiguzzi]

1 hour ago, Tapster said:

I don't think I'm a a hate-filled , cynical curmudgeon but the decision to come on a quite expensive holiday and not to spend 50-60 quid on travel insurance, strikes me as irresponsible. Then to rely on internet begging to get them out of trouble shows lack of pride in being able to sort things out for oneself/lack of dignity, shame, or just not giving a ****.

 

As scouse123 said, many of us slightly older people were taught to have more self respect than to use such methods that would leave us mortified to be known as "the one who used Go Fund Me".

 

That said, such fund-raising sites certainly have their place in seeking to pay for circumstances that have arisen despite the best efforts of the fundee, such as poor little Timmy who needs a radical treatment only available through private healthcare.

 

This particular problem could largely be made to go away by the introduction of compulsory travel insurance for travelers to Thailand, or anywhere else. If people forgot, I'm sure Thai immigration would love to sell them a policy before they were allowed into the country. They would definitely have the money at the start of their holiday.

50-60 quid gets you nothing these days. My 79 y/o Dad is coming out here in Feb, little 3 week SE Asian tour inc here and Vietnam. Travel insurance = 600 GBP....

[Tapster]

Whaaaat!!

 

I think it must be because of his age. That's waay over the top for a healthy middle-aged person.

[champers]

There are too many people around nowadays with a strong "sense" of entitlement, coupled with a complete lack of responsibility.

I see that Thailand is going to insist on all tourists arriving have travel insurance. Enforcement could well be a nightmare but the principle is worthy.

[Just1Voice]

I have lived in Thailand for over 9 years.  I am 68, soon to be 69, and have always had insurance.  But last January I developed a condition that required an almost immediate heart bypass operation, or I was going to lose my right foot, and possibly my left.  When I checked with my insurance company on this, they flat out told me they would not pay for it, then cancelled my policy.  It was going to cost me 600,000 baht.  I live on a VA Disability pension, and that figure was totally beyond what I could pay, and the hospital demanded I pay for it BEFORE they would do the operation.  

 

Faced with a desperate situation, a friend of mine back in the States suggested a "GoFundMe" page.  I had never heard of it before, and they had to explain to me what it was.  I told them to go ahead, if they thought it would help.  They not only set it up, but put it on their Faceboook for all their friends and contacts to see.  Within a week I had $12,000, approximately 400,000 Thai Baht, and told them to shut it down, as that, combined with what I had in the bank, would cover the operation and hospital stay.  

 

The surgery was done a week later.  The doctor told me if I had waited another week, I would have lost my right foot.  

 

So, while I don't deny that there are people who abuse it, for me, and some others I now know of, it was a definite game changer. 

[KKr]

52 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

50-60 quid gets you nothing these days. My 79 y/o Dad is coming out here in Feb, little 3 week SE Asian tour inc here and Vietnam. Travel insurance = 600 GBP....

for up-to 70 years of age, I just got an internet quote from rebupatable insurer 4140 Baht for about six weeks. 
from 70th birthday, no cover it seems
Nevertheless, the mark-up to about 25000 Baht equivalent that you mention seems shameless ... 
Surely there is a retired actuary on TV who can explain ?

 

[KKr]

3 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

I have lived in Thailand for over 9 years.  I am 68, soon to be 69, and have always had insurance.  But last January I developed a condition that required an almost immediate heart bypass operation, or I was going to lose my right foot, and possibly my left.  When I checked with my insurance company on this, they flat out told me they would not pay for it, then cancelled my policy.  It was going to cost me 600,000 baht.  I live on a VA Disability pension, and that figure was totally beyond what I could pay, and the hospital demanded I pay for it BEFORE they would do the operation.  

 

Faced with a desperate situation, a friend of mine back in the States suggested a "GoFundMe" page.  I had never heard of it before, and they had to explain to me what it was.  I told them to go ahead, if they thought it would help.  They not only set it up, but put it on their Faceboook for all their friends and contacts to see.  Within a week I had $12,000, approximately 400,000 Thai Baht, and told them to shut it down, as that, combined with what I had in the bank, would cover the operation and hospital stay.  

 

The surgery was done a week later.  The doctor told me if I had waited another week, I would have lost my right foot.  

 

So, while I don't deny that there are people who abuse it, for me, and some others I now know of, it was a definite game changer. 

for others to be aware, could you name the insurance company ?
(Of course with the rider that they were probably right and have thought about their decision before taking it)

[Just1Voice]

3 minutes ago, KKr said:

for others to be aware, could you name the insurance company ?
(Of course with the rider that they were probably right and have thought about their decision before taking it)

Muang Thai

 

[Tapster]

@Just1Voice

 

That's an incredible story. I'm glad you're OK now.

 

If you just plain can't afford something like that life-enhancing operation, it's amazing how people will support you!  Did you know any of these people personally, or were they strangers?

 

 

[F4UCorsair]

5 hours ago, mamypoko said:

Resfriendfully disagree OP. Helping, volunteering, donating, especially to total strangers and strays has been nothing but good for me. To be fair, my philanthropic behaviors often upset my friends - and that is just another bonus.

 

You have a strange relationship with your friends If you enjoy upsetting them.

 

The concept of crowdfunding was a good one, but ALWAYS open to perversion by losers, those who refuse to accept responsibility for their own conduct.

Edited November 9, 2017 by F4UCorsair

[Just1Voice]

6 minutes ago, Tapster said:

@Just1Voice

 

That's an incredible story. I'm glad you're OK now.

 

If you just plain can't afford something like that life-enhancing operation, it's amazing how people will support you!  Did you know any of these people personally, or were they strangers?

 

 

I knew about 3 of the donors.  The rest were friends of them, and total strangers to me. 

 

[F4UCorsair]

1 hour ago, thaiguzzi said:

5itis60 quid gets you nothing these days. My 79 y/o Dad is coming out here in Feb, little 3 week SE Asian tour inc here and Vietnam. Travel insurance = 600 GBP....

 

1 hour ago, Tapster said:

Whaaaat!!

 

I think it must be because of his age. That's waay over the top for a healthy middle-aged person.

Of course It's his age...79 Is not a 'middle aged person', It's an  old person, and possibly one with health Issues, known or otherwise.