Donation requests

Is anyone else being plagued by requests for donations? I’ve had 2 today, different users, different ‘causes’ but suspiciously similar usernames.

I haven’t had any for a while, occasionally get spates of them either via email or fb, I don’t answer them I just delete them.

Yes, I usually delete them too, was just a bit surprised to get 2 in a matter of hours. The first one had contacted me via Etsy the other week too, so either forgetful or persistent or just very keen to get a free flower loom kit!

I had two just yesterday and today - both by people with the surname ‘Vann’ and both for different causes. I have turned both down politely, but I was a little concerned - how do you know what is really a good cause and how do you know when someone is being a chancer…?

Ah yes, those are the ones, doing the rounds both here and on Etsy. Maybe they are genuine but there are plenty of good causes closer to home to give to.

I think it’s against the TOC’s to use the folky contact the designer to ask for freebie’s of any kind it’s for customers to ask questions about an item or to ask if a seller can do a 'special custom item.

If it came via folksy report it to admin they will delete their user id if they’ve signed up to folksy as it’s spamming.

A lot of new shops get these requests for ‘freebies’ with some kind of sob story or offering to do a write up on their blog/instegram etc. I would report them then ignore them. I’ve had them on facebook and to my business email before now. I add them to junk mail and don’t engage with them.

If they are real charities they’d have their charity details ie address and charity reference in the message so you could look them up and check with the charity if it was real. Some of these chancers use real charity details but have nothing to do with the charities they say they are working for.

There are website’s and blogs on the internet saying how to get these’s freebie’s from small new buisnesses and they boost about how much they can get for writing a few emails. :frowning:

Yes, I’ve had them too. From someone called Claire Vann saying it was for a school raffle. I work in a school and if we need donations for raffle prizes, we ask the parents who very kindly donate loads of good stuff. We certainly don’t e mail strangers asking for freebies around the country - or world for that matter.

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Yes, I’m now up to my fifth email for the school raffle lol I’m in N.Ireland no where near their school in England! Cant seem to find a report user button for folksy so I’ve marked it as junk mail. I imagine for every 500 emails they send they get at least one bite from someone silly enough to think they’re helping a school/charity as is the case with most scams.

If you go to the bottom of the main folksy page you can hit the contact folksy and follow the menu and report there.

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I also recieved this email, but what concerned me is that she said the school was in my own town! I’m sure I don’t put where I’m from on my work, there is no need to know unless you buy from me, is she getting too clever? It was deleted straight away, I am not giving my work away or 100’s of costly business cards either, what planet does she live on?

Yes I’ve had this one several times over the past year or so. Think I’ve had it on my FB page too. Binned and ignored!