Disappointing amount raised in the fundraiser

[swanbourne]

I't generally held that a successful sale in Sales corner will result in a contribution to the fundraiser. Whilst Sales Corner is as active as ever, the fundraiser is less so.

Eddie

[FazerBoy]

I always drop a contribution into the fundraiser if I sell something on SC, and I assume everybody did.

Perhaps it’s all those dealers that keep getting outed!

Would you consider banning ‘offenders’ or would that be too much admin hassle?

Anyway, let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and thank you for this forum, which has really enhanced my understanding of watches and I really enjoy browsing.

You should be very proud of the massive amount you have raised for various good causes over the years!

Cheers

Jack

[spuds]

Deleted, sorry….
(Thought the donate banner had disappeared but can now see it clear as day!!!)

[kevkojak]

I currently owe (as a dealer) 8 quid.

As it stands, I find the current set up a bit confusing. Eddie has asked us to try and spread out donations... I bace to admit as a dealer that provides issues.

Mind you , "dealer" sales are down to bugger all. I'm not sure if its anything to to with the rules buy I'm a mega longstanding member and a verified member (I hope ) but my Tzuk sales are almost nowt

[Skier]

I went onto the JustGiving site this afternoon to make a donation and found that I can't simply make a donation that is spread among the 6 charities; I am supposed to either select one or click on each one, determine which is the lowest, and contribute to that one. It takes time, admittedly not a lot but it isn't user friendly in the way it's setup and that resulted in me leaving and deciding I'll come back to it. After 4 hours I haven't come back to it - I've just finished work for the day and don't wish to spend 10 minutes working out where to make a contribution. The previous setup was far easier and quicker but I understand that Virgin shut up shop.

I appreciate that Eddie needs to make it easy for him to manage but if you make it more convoluted for those donating the cash then the amount donated will fall; that's human nature and no amount of cajoling will alter that fact.

[AlphaOmega]

To Eddie's first point, I'm not sure if everyone knows that they're supposed to make a donation following a successful sale.

What about putting some wording into the TZ onboarding email, the banner messages and setting up a sticky? I think many assume it's just dealers who should do it.

Maybe when an item is marked 'sold', perhaps it should also state 'donation made'.

Re:donating, in order to have multiple charities with this provider, it had to be set up this way. Just pick the lowest amount and go through the process as usual. If everyone does this then each charity should receive a similar amount.

[Mr Curta]

I went onto the JustGiving site this afternoon to make a donation and found that I can't simply make a donation that is spread among the 6 charities; I am supposed to either select one or click on each one, determine which is the lowest, and contribute to that one.

Just pick whichever one takes your fancy, it will even out over time. The only important thing is to chip in.

[yumma]

I have plugged this on SC and in the BP recently, as well as chipping in. Please chip in people, it is all for good causes on a platform charging no fees on potentially selling five figure watches etc.

[threescoops]

I think it’d be worth getting this in the main Watch Talk forum and/or SC itself as a reminder. Particularly in my earlier days, I didn’t visit G&D at all.

Edited: Mr Curta is on it with a bump in SC

[Skier]

Just pick whichever one takes your fancy, it will even out over time. The only important thing is to chip in.

I get that. My point is that it's not as straightforward as it was and human nature being what it is, there will be a, de facto, hit to the Fundraiser.

[enndriz]

Took me a while to find it in Tapatalk, had to dig out a link by searching through posts (I’ve got it bookmarked now, but certainly wasn’t obvious). Would be ideal if it was a sticky or something similar sitting at the top of sales corner?.

[UMBROSUS]

You can Google Eddie platts just giving fundraiser and find it quite easily but this does not help it’s lack of exposure which could do with a bit of promoting.

Still it will come down to a favourite saying of mine

Those who want to will find a way
Those who don’t will find a excuse

I know I know not in all cases


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jukeboxs]

I'm not surprised in the slightest.

[ASW1]

https://www.justgiving.com/team/tz-uk

[TaketheCannoli]

I’ve just chucked a tenner in to test the process and it all seems very simple. Banner is at the top of every page all the time so very visible.

[valleywatch]

I’ve just chucked a tenner in to test the process and it all seems very simple. Banner is at the top of every page all the time so very visible.

Ive just done the same.

All works easy peasey...Simple process.

[paw3001]

I had no issue dropping in a donation post a sale and then a bit more for making a mess of the delivery. It was all very simple and took 5 mins if that!

[pugster]

the fact that people selling on here need to make a fundraiser donation has been around long enough , moaning about its poor performance once in a blue moon wont change anything as too many are now taking the piss and using it as a free ebay - if you want a change you need to enforce the 'unsaid' rules regarding sales.

[AlphaOmega]

the fact that people selling on here need to make a fundraiser donation has been around long enough...

Where does it say it explicitly though? And does it say for everyone rather than just dealers? And does it say an amount or percentage?

It may state all this already but it's been a while since I read all the messages you see when joining.

[murkeywaters]

the fact that people selling on here need to make a fundraiser donation has been around long enough , moaning about its poor performance once in a blue moon wont change anything as too many are now taking the piss and using it as a free ebay - if you want a change you need to enforce the 'unsaid' rules regarding sales.

I agree but also understand EP is probably very busy and doesn’t have time picking through posts to see who the offenders are.

That said, there is so many ways to raise money for the FR via SC sales but nothing is being implemented.

OT sales could have a minimum donation with bigger sales of say £10k/£20k cars having a minimum £100 fee, the ideas go on but if it’s going to be left as is then people will take advantage of the free platform.

Personally I think SC needs an overhaul, it feels like more people are using it especially for OT items like shoes, clothing etc and it’s an easy skip from the eBay fees..

[swanbourne]

I went onto the JustGiving site this afternoon to make a donation and found that I can't simply make a donation that is spread among the 6 charities; I am supposed to either select one or click on each one, determine which is the lowest, and contribute to that one. It takes time, admittedly not a lot but it isn't user friendly in the way it's setup and that resulted in me leaving and deciding I'll come back to it. After 4 hours I haven't come back to it - I've just finished work for the day and don't wish to spend 10 minutes working out where to make a contribution. The previous setup was far easier and quicker but I understand that Virgin shut up shop.

I appreciate that Eddie needs to make it easy for him to manage but if you make it more convoluted for those donating the cash then the amount donated will fall; that's human nature and no amount of cajoling will alter that fact.

JustGiving can't spread individual donations amongst all the charities we support. The site is set up for individuals to support a single charity per page and after many failed attempts so set up a page with multiple charities, I had to ask Just Giving for a workaround to permit multiple charities on a single page. It's not ideal but it's better than having 6 separate pages.

Eddie

[TaketheCannoli]

It is the best solution given the limitations of their IT.

JustGiving can't spread individual donations amongst all the charities we support. The site is set up for individuals to support a single charity per page and after many failed attempts so set up a page with multiple charities, I had to ask Just Giving for a workaround to permit multiple charities on a single page. It's not ideal but it's better than having 6 separate pages.

Eddie

[robert75]

I'm not surprised in the slightest.

Not when we have “How much is my watch, send me a PM” threads on watch talk

[Steve B]

It would be interesting to see how many for sale items there would be if there was a small fee (that went to the charity) for posting in the sales corner

I't generally held that a successful sale in Sales corner will result in a contribution to the fundraiser. Whilst Sales Corner is as active as ever, the fundraiser is less so.

Eddie

[Skier]

JustGiving can't spread individual donations amongst all the charities we support. The site is set up for individuals to support a single charity per page and after many failed attempts so set up a page with multiple charities, I had to ask Just Giving for a workaround to permit multiple charities on a single page. It's not ideal but it's better than having 6 separate pages.

Eddie

I understand that and have just made a donation to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

[Raffe]

Periodic reminders like this one are usually a nice booster for the fundraiser, but we are missing out on a lot of contributions due to unclear rules and lack of enforcement of the rules that do exist.

There are a handful of very regular sales corner sellers who have never donated a penny, despite fulfilling multiple dealer definitions that Eddie has provided over the years. I fully understand that Eddie doesn't want to spend all of his time chasing fundraiser donations, but a single post summarising what is expected would go a long way in providing clarity. Who is expected to donate (dealers versus hobbyists) and how much? There are a number of members who are very actively selling hundreds of items per month via TZ, other fora and their eBay accounts - are they dealers or not? Most of them have never contributed a penny, and when someone reminds them about it they get flack from the large population of customers.

Please, one post to clarify it all. Who, what, how much?

[bobc]

Agree with Raffe here on some clarity regarding donations on the use of sc. Understand that Eddie is not a fan of rules per se on his forum and would prefer people to be honest and donate freely according to the situation. There are unfortunately some spivvy chancers on here who take the proverbial pi55 and will not donate any of their 'profits' unless made to.

[Neil.C]

Thanks for the timely reminder Eddie.

I've not sold anything for ages but have sent a few quid to the ABC animal champions.

Happy Christmas mate.

[JonRA]

I just chose the charity I preferred at the time. If ever one falls behind, maybe a steer here would see it catch up?

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[sundial]

It would be interesting to see how many for sale items there would be if there was a small fee (that went to the charity) for posting in the sales corner

That would be a forum 'service' and given the number of SC transactions could incur a VAT output tax liability ...

dunk

[Raffe]

That would be a forum 'service' and given the number of SC transactions could incur a VAT input tax liability ...

dunk

Not if the fee was paid directly to the charity, not going through the books of Timefactors? Just as a condition of using SC.

[sundial]

Not if the fee was paid directly to the charity, not going through the books of Timefactors? Just as a condition of using SC.

I can foresee a 'grey area' ref potential VAT liability on 'chargeable services' provided for the purpose of charity fundraising ... thus would be prudent to obtain a VAT ruling ref same from HMRC ... that 'grey area' could open a 'big can of worms' so not elaborating on same.

[Raffe]

I can foresee a 'grey area' ref potential VAT liability on 'chargeable services' provided for the purpose of charity fundraising ... thus would be prudent to obtain a VAT ruling ref same from HMRC ... that 'grey area' could open a 'big can of worms' so not elaborating on same.

Understood.

[RustyBin5]

I can’t see anywhere where it says that all sales should result in a FR contribution. It states dealers only as far as I can see. Personally if the rules are changing to all sales requiring a FR payment then I think that’s a good thing, but Eddie’s post I think is confusing and clarification is needed.

If there is a rule saying all sales should result in a FR payment then perhaps someone could share the link

[Mr Curta]

It has to be voluntary but everybody that enjoys the use of the forum for any reason should chip in occasionally. It's the decent thing to do. Dealers as defined by our host should do the 10% or be banned from SC.

[macdaddymac]

The moral compass doesn't work for a few

[RustyBin5]

It has to be voluntary but everybody that enjoys the use of the forum for any reason should chip in occasionally. It's the decent thing to do. Dealers as defined by our host should do the 10% or be banned from SC.

Does it though? If every listing on sc cost say £10 as a listing fee to the FR would that really be a bad thing?

[yumma]

As I have raised in the BP before, there are some proper scrooges on here willing to exploit and take but give nothing in return. It’s a free platform for us, plenty have contributed in gratitude for that, some of us put items on SC for the fundraiser expecting nothing in return but something towards a good cause, I asked a question in the G&D a while back with a pledge to chip in a few quid to the fundraiser as appreciation for an answer. I cannot understand anyone expecting something for nothing. If you don’t want to pay a fee for selling go on Facebook Marketplace and embrace the myriad wrong-uns and rip-off merchants. Rant over. Please tell me if you think I have got this wrong.

[Mr Curta]

Does it though? If every listing on sc cost say £10 as a listing fee to the FR would that really be a bad thing?

I don't know all the ins and outs but I suspect that if it is not voluntary then you are receiving a service in return for the donation and Gift Aid becomes an issue. Charity shops have a legal workaround for this by selling items 'on behalf of' the donor on the understanding that the proceeds will be donated to the charity as a Gift Aid donation.

[Ruggertech]

Does it though? If every listing on sc cost say £10 as a listing fee to the FR would that really be a bad thing?

I've no argument with a listing fee being implemented, but it would have to be percentage based surely. How could it be £10 for a £20 Casio and still £10 for a £15k Rolex?

Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk

[joe narvey]

As I have raised in the BP before, there are some proper scrooges on here willing to exploit and take but give nothing in return. It’s a free platform for us, plenty have contributed in gratitude for that, some of us put items on SC for the fundraiser expecting nothing in return but something towards a good cause, I asked a question in the G&D a while back with a pledge to chip in a few quid to the fundraiser as appreciation for an answer. I cannot understand anyone expecting something for nothing. If you don’t want to pay a fee for selling go on Facebook Marketplace and embrace the myriad wrong-uns and rip-off merchants. Rant over. Please tell me if you think I have got this wrong.

If I was to sell a watch to dealer such as Watchfinder I would be paid the trade price and there would be no come back.

If it was sold on SC I think there’s a bit of an expectation it would be offered at the Watchfinder ( or equivalent price). This route a donation would mean I get ball park 10% less.

Somewhere between these two selling options is there a sweet spot of best money, fair price, a piece staying on the forum, the Fund Raiser growing, etc.

I’’m aware of the dealer being required to make a 10% donation, but as above, I’d welcome guidance on the personal collector selling a watch*.


* not so interested in selling old shoes, brand new unworn clothes that I’ve not worn yet as I’ve lost weight or a zombie knife.


Joe

[boring_sandwich]

If it was sold on SC I think there’s a bit of an expectation it would be offered at the Watchfinder ( or equivalent price). This route a donation would mean I get ball park 10% less.

Agreed that might be the expectation but an awful lot of watches advertised on SC generally are way above a dealer buy in price and closer to dealer selling prices after a bit of negotiation!

[joe narvey]

Agreed that might be the expectation but an awful lot of watches advertised on SC generally are way above a dealer buy in price and closer to dealer selling prices after a bit of negotiation!

I guess then there’s a dynamic which is how quickly do you want the money and how cheeky are negotiating.

[yumma]

Hi Joe.

That is a very valid point which I fully understand. My last Omega SC post got torn to shreds, despite my acknowledgment of my error and price readjustment in 5 minutes. Thus I withdrew and sold elsewhere at a better price and out of spite placed up a WTB, so yes, some very few members are royal s**ts for screwing over legit sales posts and I do not advocate rock bottom prices but true market value with the provenance and trust afforded by this mostly excellent forum. I think the good old days of people passing stuff on for purchase prices on high end goods in the spirit of the forum are understandably long gone, but that again represents true market prices and not people taking the Mickey. Yes, people should be able to sell at a reasonable price which should allow enough over for a few quid in the fundraiser. You have a very valid point sir, I appreciate it and see both sides completely. I have been called out but still maintain it was a blip and I am all for keeping the trust and generosity of the forum going. All the best buddy.

Darren

[RustyBin5]

I don't know all the ins and outs but I suspect that if it is not voluntary then you are receiving a service in return for the donation and Gift Aid becomes an issue. Charity shops have a legal workaround for this by selling items 'on behalf of' the donor on the understanding that the proceeds will be donated to the charity as a Gift Aid donation.

By that token would dealers paying 10% not be able to get gift aid either? Confusing

[joe narvey]

Hi Joe.

That is a very valid point which I fully understand. My last Omega SC post got torn to shreds, despite my acknowledgment of my error and price readjustment in 5 minutes. Thus I withdrew and sold elsewhere at a better price and out of spite placed up a WTB, so yes, some very few members are royal s**ts for screwing over legit sales posts and I do not advocate rock bottom prices but true market value with the provenance and trust afforded by this mostly excellent forum. I think the good old days of people passing stuff on for purchase prices on high end goods in the spirit of the forum are understandably long gone, but that again represents true market prices and not people taking the Mickey. Yes, people should be able to sell at a reasonable price which should allow enough over for a few quid in the fundraiser. You have a very valid point sir, I appreciate it and see both sides completely. I have been called out but still maintain it was a blip and I am all for keeping the trust and generosity of the forum going. All the best buddy.

Darren

For the avoidance of doubt, I’m not aware of your recent SC activity or any subsequent WTBs.

Whereas forum members may not offer at cost ( I wouldn’t expect them to and or want to myself), I would be happy to buy again from a number of sellers I’ve met and the experience was good and fair.

[sundial]

I've no argument with a listing fee being implemented, but it would have to be percentage based surely. How could it be £10 for a £20 Casio and still £10 for a £15k Rolex?

Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk

... and who's going to contribute the time and effort to document and reconcile all the selling fees? Not practical.

Maybe you'd like to volunteer?

[Ruggertech]

... and who's going to contribute the time and effort to document and reconcile all the selling fees? Not practical.

I was replying to a comment advocating a £10 charge to list an item and saying why I don't believe that would be fair unless percentage based. If its not practical it's not practical, we'll have to carry on working on trust alone.

Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk

[Mr Curta]

By that token would dealers paying 10% not be able to get gift aid either? Confusing

That's why it is voluntary, even for dealers. They know Eddies wishes, and him allowing them to use SC is also voluntary.

[MartynJC (UK)]

That's why it is voluntary, even for dealers. They know Eddies wishes, and him allowing them to use SC is also voluntary.

As is SC voluntary. I remember a time when SC was removed for a while. Perhaps that should happen again to teach us a lesson. As is Eddies wishes.