Getting home

[Mikkel]

I asked Paypal about paying directly with a creditcard and they answered:

Please be informed that the option to make payments without a PayPal
account depends on the recipient's account. First of all, this option is
not available in all countries which we support. Secondly, even if your
friend's location makes it possible to receive direct credit card
payments, this feature must be enabled in her PayPal account.

So, if you can enable that (and if it doesn't cost too much) you will have sold some more tickets.
I wish you luck.

[Eireann]

I think it's been enabled - I upgraded to a higher account. Can you let me know if it works?

[Mikkel]

It works. I don't hope it cost you any fees.

[Eireann]

It does. I just didn't want to mention it.

[KiaKat]

You can avoid the fees if you choose... oh I don't remember which option it is. But there's an option in the "payment" screen that avoids the fees. It might even be marked as such.

[Eireann]

Really? It didn't look like it, given the fact that it's a Premium account.

[KiaKat]

I have a premium account, and I organized a pizza party at Dragon*Con last year that necessitated people paying me. I swear there was an option for (no charged fees) somewhere. You can designate the payment as one of a number of things, and one of those is the option. It's not the default, IIRC.

[Eireann]

It seems that the only way not to pay a fee, is if the sender decides s/he pays it.

[KiaKat]

Right. Which is why I specified "on the payment screen."

But you can tell the people buying/donating/whatever to select the proper option to avoid fees.

[Eireann]

I'll let the sender decide, then.

[Eireann]

26 tickets sold. Feel free to PM me here if there's a specific photo you want, should you be one of the lucky winners. Also, as mentioned above, if I REALLY get a lot of tickets sold, I'll be adding prizes.

[Eireann]

Okay. I've been messing with this idea for far too long. The raffle is up and running, and I need to SELL TICKETS. I've been passive about this for too damned long.

Ideas? What do you think would be the best way to get those tickets sold, so I can have the raffle and get my ass home?

[Mikkel]

The video Jester promised to help make would be one way. Upload it to Youtube and if it's as witty as I know Jester can make it, all the remaining 4974 tickets will be sold soon .
I suppose there is a time limit, after which you will have to use the proceeds from the raffle to keep your flat and get food for yourself and the cats.
I would have thought that a few dollars from each of our active members would have been easy to get (1264 active members times $5=enough).
I hope you keep on applying for jobs and perhaps get your friends at home doing some fund raising too. I think Jester suggested a car wash or a bake sale.

[Eireann]

Yes, Mikkel, that's exactly it. I need to pay my rent as long as I'm still here, and I need to feed the three of us. I'm still applying for jobs, and today I sent out MANY emails to companies.

Also, today I went to talk to a journalist about the situation with unemployment benefits here (if, indeed, you can call them benefits). He was interested, and wants more information.

Yes, if all the members had $5 to give, that would be wonderful, but I know that not everybody does. People do what they can, and everything, EVERYTHING, is appreciated hugely. I just hope I'll soon be in a position to return the favor.

[Eireann]

Two more donations. Have I mentioned how much I love you all?