GoFundMe- Is it me?

I remember that case Chocolatelovinggran as people like that make you question whether or not 'Go Fund Me's' are genuine or not, and those that are may well miss out.

Regarding travel insurance - obviously always, always get it. For everyone in your party. Also:
Declare absolutely everything - write it down first so you don't forget. That appointment you had a year ago to remove a non-cancerous skin tag? HRT even though you stopped a few months ago? Treatment for UTI? Yes, all of it. Break your ankle on holiday and flights are delayed, your partner needs to stay longer in the hotel, medical assistance on the flight - the insurance company can and will refuse payment even if the condition is completely unrelated. Your GHI card will cover you for emergency treatment in EU countries but not all the extra costs involved.
People say "my credit card covers me" but does it? Check with them first.
If you are waiting for results of tests, you are not likely to be covered for a new travel insurance policy.
As one gets older it's so frustrating and expensive but has to be done when you think of the alternative.

I've seen GoFundMes for funerals, daughter's weddings, private hospital treatments, leaving collections, new baby requirements Ans all sorts. What's wrong with people?

I have difficulty feeling sympathy with people who travel without insurance.

The only time I have contributed to a gofundme was for someone on GN for an operation not possible on the NHS.

I had a sweets business and we did parties/weddings etc. There was a very sad story on our local news about a young lady dying from cancer and she had a wish list. The list was huge and I offered to do sweets for the wedding party she wanted. I never heard anything but saw the pictures of her day and it was really extravagant. Three years later her mum contacted me to do catering and sweets for her birthday party for 140 people. I am going to sound awful because the offer was because she had months to live and then to find out she was cancer clear and well but still wanted freebies was very cheeky.

No sympathy for the people who do not take out holiday insurance. A few companies will not allow you to travel until you give them proof of holiday insurance. I will never give to GoFundMe. I have enough family to "fund".

In general I don’t like these money raising sites unless people I know are doing something for charity and the funds go direct to the charity.
But recently a local man was walking his little bichon frisé when a bull mastiff flew out of a house and attacked the dog. The man was badly injured trying to protect his dog and had to be rushed to hospital to have emergency surgery. The little dog was taken to the vet where they said they would try and save her. Sadly she died and the vets bill was £11,500. Unfortunately the mans insurance will only cover £4500. The local postman set up a just giving page, shared it on social media and it raised £4000 towards the vets bill. I thought this was very kind and generous of local people.
Since this has happened the bull mastiff and his owner seemed to have disappeared!,

Nine times out of Ten the people who haven't taken out insurance for holidays, have usually had way to much to drink and I honestly have little if any sympathy , I do think holiday insurance should be compulsory. There was one recently where they find raising to do a garden makeover for someone who was terminally ill. While he's it was a good cause, my initial thought was what if they don't get to see it, would it be worthwhile?
I rarely only donate unless it's someone I know very well doing something for a very very worthwhile cause.

I appreciate that somebody has to pay for the running of GoFundMe but I believe 3.50 is actually given to the charity and the other £1.50 for the running of the organisation running the page on social media
I also don't get the number of people who place flowers at the site of a death when that money could be donated to an actual charity that helps somebody . The only person that benefits from the flowers is the florist that sells them.
Nobody can plan for an early death of a child and may need help with the funeral but surely everybody knows that travel insurance is needed when you book a holiday

Just giving is very different to Go Fund Me! They allow individuals to raise money for a recognised registered charity. Sponser money goes directly to the nominated charity so there is no risk of donations being inappropriately used if given in cash.

My daughter raised money this way for the Lochaber Mountain Rescue in the highlands of Scotland as a thankyou because they rescued her when she slipped and broke her ankle badly on the top of a Scottish mountain! She was airlifted to a local hospital and was put in a temporary cast. The friend who were with her got her and her car back to civilisation then I had to go to Scotland and drive her back and then drive her to and fro for all her treatment including an operation to repair the damage. She asked how much the rescue cost them and they estimated about £4000! Obviously she didn't have to pay that as they are a charity, but some of her friends and family were happy to sponser her to run a half marathon to raise money when she recovered enough to do it.

She did have travel insurance through her bank and was able to claim for some of the costs associated with her repatriation, including my train fare to go to Edinburgh to get her, but many of her out of pocket expenses she had to find herself. We wouldn't have dreamed of asking anyone else to pick up the tab.

The charity benefitted enabling them to help others in a similar unfortunate circumstance in the future.

Same here

Me too

I agree

It is difficult, isn’t it? I often feel quite conflicted and I do give sometimes but very carefully.
I’ve been lucky enough to have a family with the intellectual and economic resources to support me when it’s been necessary. And I’ve been able to do that for my own children and other family members.
But I’m well aware that life is just not like that for everybody, and it does feel that I ought to be able to help people out when I can. I like the idea that a lot of people can give a little and it makes a big difference.
But I do also think that people should try to put some money by for rainy days. We’re encouraged these days to have insurance for absolutely everything, every appliance we buy comes with that option and we’re encouraged to add insurance on to almost every transaction even buying a concert ticket! So we’ve developed a culture where people expect that every eventuality will somehow be covered - and it comes as an awful shock when it’s not.

I see these appeals regularly in the newspaper for funeral expenses and a pub 'bash'. Most recently a young man who died abroad and his friends/family were 'wanting to give them a good send off'. The man had a surviving child with his girlfriend -all I could think was surely the money was better raised for the child's future!

I'd never contribute to these appeals but do give to charities directly.

I know of one lady who was appealing for funds as she lost her property in her rented house fire. The fire was started as a result of her careless behaviour (fire investigators concluded that) and she had not payed her rent for many months - a pattern she adopted at previous addresses it seemed. She had no renters insurance. People donated to her nevertheless - she then went on to 'rent' another property and defaulted on the rent to the next landlord - even boasting about it on line.

If you can afford to go abroad on holiday you can afford insurance. A bit like if you can afford to drink to excess you can afford a taxi home.

I hope I'm not identifiable, but many years ago my lovely cousin lost a 6 month-old to cot death. Not having much money, & us being a family of 30+, the couple asked if anyone would like to contribute to a nice gravestone.
One of my aunties said ' I'd be so ashamed it's shameful begging to bury your own child' which was just so Victorian I couldn't believe it.( only asked close relatives & only for the stone)
40 years later & people are asking strangers to contribute in much less unforeseeable circumstances.

Totally agree Chocolatelovinggran. Like you, I believe EVERYONE should buy travel insurance rather than rely on the generosity of strangers. It seems we are now bring asked to contribute to bring people home from abroad, pay for a funeral, donate funds because someone has lost a loved one, serious diagnosis?? don't worry, the public will donate!! The list is endless and if you're Hard Hearted Hannah, so am I.

Only ever donate if its something very specific, not weddings or holidays. Too many have jumped on the band wagon and expecting others to fund them travelling etc.

I don't give to many charities anymore as I collected once for the PDSA at a supermarket and I'm sure over the 2 days they ended up with far more that they declared.
I do a lottery at £1 a week to benefit the RNLI and donate to my grandchildren's school money, books etc which has a tight budget. This way I know the children benefit from the reading books. I needed medication for my dog's arthritis years ago and was out of work. So I went to the RSPCA and they let me have it for a very low price. When I found a job I sent a cheque to them for the proper price the vet wanted.
Rarely do go fund me only once in the last few years. It was a canal boat that caught fire making the owner homeless and was in the press so I know it was genuine.
Too many scammers on there and cash collection tins are sometimes pilfered imo

It is unregulated, so no proof, so recipients can spend as they wish.
GoFundMe take their cut; 2.9% plus 25p per donation. For charity fundraisers, the fee is 1.9% plus 20p per donation
If you follow a single link in FB, then you will get many more of these

I have to agree with others on lack of sympathy for them having no holiday insurance. It is something that has always been a concern of mine and I probably buy too much but I need to know that if the worst were to happen we could have medical care and be repatriated.
I have given to go fund me so that a young person who is on limited time can go places and enjoy whatever time they have left.
I will not give to things you should save for.

I have come across a few. Yes, if not telling the truth, may be convicted of fraud. The one I will mention was a single mum asking for money to fund a holiday for herself and child, as she hadn't had one in a long time. She received a lot of money for her holiday. Not fraud, as the truth. I cannot to-date fathom why people do these gofundme pages? I understand, however when it is there last resort. This would be considered begging back decades ago.

Lovetopaint037

I have first hand knowledge of how Go Fund Me has saved the life of the young boy who lives next door to us. He was diagnosed with an incurable and aggressive brain tumour. There was no hope for him until the family learned there was a drug approved and paid for but only for adults. There had been insufficient use of it to prove its use for children. However, it was available if paid for privately. Go Fund Me was set up and its contributors allowed this to happen. The family lived on a knife edge as there was no way they could pay for it without the Fund. The result is that the treatment worked and we now have a healthy, happy child next door but above all his success has led to the drug now being available to other children. He will have to continue the medication for the foreseeable future but the family no longer has to hand over thousands of pounds on a regular basis. Their relief is beyond describing.
However, this belief that somehow it is okay to use this kind of funding for almost anything has grown. Coronation Street hasn’t helped when the characters seem to suggesting they set up GoFundMe for all sorts of things. It’s a shame if this kind of attitude leads people to doubt its use.

This case worked out well but there is something wrong with a system that denies treatment to anyone who can't pay. This example led to others being treated by the NHS. Why couldn't the NHS have trialled treatment in the first case?