Question (no Michaelm please)

[jetjockey]

I'm in.

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: n01487477

ORIGINAL: Bliztk

I do not how the banks work in Australia, but normally the commision here is 0,1% or 5€, whatever is greater. So with a cheque of 10€, 5 would go for the bank

If they can, they'll screw you! (More than anywhere else.) Banks in my country have had no problem fleecing the Ozzie public.

It's at least $20 for an International Money Draft (cheque).
http://www.suncorpbank.com.au/personal/ ... nge/drafts
$30 for telgraphic
http://www.suncorpbank.com.au/personal/ ... -transfers

I'll vouch for this. Last time I bought an International Money Order in UK pounds from an (nameless) Australian Bank it cost me the equivalent of a third of the amount I was sending (and that was just the commission, the exchange rate wasn't too flash either!! [X(]). Never did that again.

Makes Pay Pals 3% look positively attractive.....

ORIGINAL: aoffen

Isn't it funny how good intentions can go astray.

I'm with aoffen on this one. I expected much better from this forum. [:(]


EDIT: I'm in too - Will be in touch jrcar....

[wdolson]

Coming in late on this today...

It appears the consensus is for me to be the money guy.  I have done donations like this both to keep an e-mail list going and to collect funds for someone who was seriously ill from that e-mail list.  Initially I just wanted to collect via check or cash, but that was way too difficult for people outside the US.  Most of the stories expressed here were expressed by other non-Americans on the mailing list.

So I started accepting Paypal donations and that has worked well.

I set aside a portion of my Paypal account for this fund.  I set the account to accept Australian dollars, but that didn't show up when I created the donate link

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FYZLYZX6ZFTRN

For those who are more comfortable and able to donate by check, please PM me for the snail mail address. 

As for the time frame, we are getting close to Christmas and we don't have much time.  If there is any hope at all of getting something to him by Christmas, we should have the cutoff no later than Dec 20.  Possibly a little earlier.  If people are OK with it being after Christmas, we could set the cutoff a little later to give people more time.

I will post totals donated, but I won't post names for privacy.  I will try to respond to each donation so you know I got it.  I will send Michael the list of donors when I contact him with the gift.

Considering the number of people who have already said they were in, even if everyone donated only a small amount, we might end up with a sizable pool.  For the sake of flexibility, we might want to consider a gift certificate, or a couple of gift certificates at a couple of places.  I would suggest we set a limit of like $100-$150 Aus for a gift certificate to a place that sells good single malts online and anything else goes to an Amazon.au gift certificate or something else if somebody comes up with something.  Or buy him a bottle of single malt and then send the rest as a gift certificate somewhere else.

It would probably be best if it was someplace online and accepts Paypal.  I thought Amazon accepted Paypal, but I just checked and it looks like they don't.  I'll do some further investigation.

Bill

[jrcar]

I have recieved 6 (updated) donations already, and a couple of pledges, in addition to myself. We have one bottle of something already.

Bill I agree ref the gift voucher.

I'm happy to continue seperately, transfer the totals to you, or receive totals from you.

Cheers

Rob

[CaptBeefheart]

Wow, I hate to see the acrimony for a well-intended and well-deserved Christmas gift. Coming to this I see jrcar and wdolson are good to collect. I'd be happy to send AU$5 by Paypal to either of them as they both are highly upstanding gents. What I'd suggest is rader post the final solution with terms as an edit to his first post--that way we won't have to read the whole thread to figure it out. Worst case I suppose wdolson and jrcar could pool what they collect.

And regarding Paypal, it's the only way I know to send small amounts of money around the world other than by snail mail cash. There's no such animal as personal checks in Korea and wire transfers cost $25 off the top. Paypal is a godsend to expats.

Cheers,
CC

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

Coming in late on this today...

It appears the consensus is for me to be the money guy.  I have done donations like this both to keep an e-mail list going and to collect funds for someone who was seriously ill from that e-mail list.  Initially I just wanted to collect via check or cash, but that was way too difficult for people outside the US.  Most of the stories expressed here were expressed by other non-Americans on the mailing list.

So I started accepting Paypal donations and that has worked well.

I set aside a portion of my Paypal account for this fund.  I set the account to accept Australian dollars, but that didn't show up when I created the donate link

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FYZLYZX6ZFTRN

For those who are more comfortable and able to donate by check, please PM me for the snail mail address. 

As for the time frame, we are getting close to Christmas and we don't have much time.  If there is any hope at all of getting something to him by Christmas, we should have the cutoff no later than Dec 20.  Possibly a little earlier.  If people are OK with it being after Christmas, we could set the cutoff a little later to give people more time.

I will post totals donated, but I won't post names for privacy.  I will try to respond to each donation so you know I got it.  I will send Michael the list of donors when I contact him with the gift.

Considering the number of people who have already said they were in, even if everyone donated only a small amount, we might end up with a sizable pool.  For the sake of flexibility, we might want to consider a gift certificate, or a couple of gift certificates at a couple of places.  I would suggest we set a limit of like $100-$150 Aus for a gift certificate to a place that sells good single malts online and anything else goes to an Amazon.au gift certificate or something else if somebody comes up with something.  Or buy him a bottle of single malt and then send the rest as a gift certificate somewhere else.

It would probably be best if it was someplace online and accepts Paypal.  I thought Amazon accepted Paypal, but I just checked and it looks like they don't.  I'll do some further investigation.

Bill

I am in, sent via paypal.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: jrcar

I have recieved 5 (updated) donations already, and a couple of pledges, in addition to myself. We have one bottle of something already.

Bill I agree ref the gift voucher.

I'm happy to continue seperately, transfer the totals to you, or receive totals from you.

Cheers

Rob

Sorry, I only scanned this thread today and missed that you were collecting.

You're "in country" so it will probably be easier for you to arrange delivery and what not. It makes a lot more sense for you to be the point man on this. How about all Paypal to you and if Americans want to send a check, they can send it to me and I will Paypal whatever I get to you?

Bill

[JeffroK]

As a late suggestion, rather than assume Michael drinks at all let alone Scotch (A good Irish Whiskey is my choice), a gift voucher for the full amount from Myer/David Jones/Amazon or similar.
Myer/David Jones (Large Department stores) have liquor Departments if thats the way he want to spend it.
 
At one pont I had about 10 bottles of various Scotch's from Christmas presents and drank them at about 1 per year.
 
Also, IMHO, Michael also doesnt need to know who donated.
 
Excellent idea rader, makes up for being a JFB.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: stuman

I am in, sent via paypal.

I'll bundle and send your donation as well as any others (I've had at least one snail mail request thus far) to jcar by the 12th. For those of us in the GMT minus time zones (mostly the western hemisphere), that will be the 11th in our part of the world.

Bill

[jrcar]

Ok Bill sounds fine to me.

Cheers

Rob

ORIGINAL: wdolson

ORIGINAL: jrcar

I have recieved 5 (updated) donations already, and a couple of pledges, in addition to myself. We have one bottle of something already.

Bill I agree ref the gift voucher.

I'm happy to continue seperately, transfer the totals to you, or receive totals from you.

Cheers

Rob

Sorry, I only scanned this thread today and missed that you were collecting.

You're "in country" so it will probably be easier for you to arrange delivery and what not. It makes a lot more sense for you to be the point man on this. How about all Paypal to you and if Americans want to send a check, they can send it to me and I will Paypal whatever I get to you?

Bill

[rader]

Many thanks to both Bill and Rob! [8D]

I updated the consensus into the first post.

[CaptBeefheart]

You guys worked it out perfectly. I just Paypal'd Rob.

Cheers,
CC

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

ORIGINAL: stuman

I am in, sent via paypal.

I'll bundle and send your donation as well as any others (I've had at least one snail mail request thus far) to jcar by the 12th. For those of us in the GMT minus time zones (mostly the western hemisphere), that will be the 11th in our part of the world.

Bill

Donation sent (via PayPal).

[Banzan]

Ok, i sent before finished reading, so its going to wdolson (paypal/t.oestmann) instead of jrcar. Your link was too tempting [:D]

Edit: I think you can deny payments and it get returned. If you do this, i'll send it again to jrcar. Whatever works for you best.

[Sardaukar]

Will send tonight...I just hope it won't get so popular that michaelm is rendered "disabled" by gift products for months...after all, we crave for new patches! [:D]

[chesmart]

Money sent

[hkbhsi]

Money sent to Jrcar by paypal account.

[SuluSea]

Hi guys, since Rob is the point man I just paypal'd the funds to him. It feels great to make someone happy who works hard to make us happy. Thanks everyone especially Bill and Rob for pulling this together and Rader for bringing the great idea up... [:)] [:)] [:)]

[Iron Duke]

Money sent to Jrcar by paypal account.

[MateDow]

ORIGINAL: jrcar

So send money to my PayPal jrcar @ iinet dot net dot au as a "Gift" in Australian Dollars please. Money received by 12 December will be used. After the cut off I will return the funds.

Cheers

Rob

Thank you for serving as the point man for this.