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Charitable contribution

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charitycase

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

On March 13, 2011 I attended a charity auction. I bid and won a Napa Wine Tour package for $2900. Before I left, I put the $2900 on my credit card was given an envelope that I understood contained the package.

When got home, I looked at the package and there was no Tour Package in it. I contacted the organization and was told "it is coming soon".

On April 17, I received an email from a woman (Diane) in the organization and told that she had my package and all I had to do was call her and then come pick it up. I returned an email that said "very busy right now, can you mail it to me?". She returned an email that said "no, you have to sign for it".

Since then, I've called her several times. She is never home or does not pick up her phone. She won't bring it to me, she won't mail it and apparently I can't get it until I know she is home (which I can't tell because she won't answer her phone).

I have friends in this organization and would prefer not to make it too messy if possible. However, I had no idea this would become so hard. My most recent phone message was starting to get edgy. "Very upset, called several times, left messages a couple of times, no call back. Need to get this done and put it behind us".

I know she got the phone messages because she called a mutual friend and mentioned it, but so far no call or voice mail at my house.

By the way, my husband and I both work, she and her husband are retired. My schedule is harder than hers, but somehow the onus seems to be on me to find a convenient time for HER so I can pick up the package.

Thoughts?
 


Hot Topic

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

On March 13, 2011 I attended a charity auction. I bid and won a Napa Wine Tour package for $2900. Before I left, I put the $2900 on my credit card was given an envelope that I understood contained the package.

When got home, I looked at the package and there was no Tour Package in it. I contacted the organization and was told "it is coming soon".

On April 17, I received an email from a woman (Diane) in the organization and told that she had my package and all I had to do was call her and then come pick it up. I returned an email that said "very busy right now, can you mail it to me?". She returned an email that said "no, you have to sign for it".

Since then, I've called her several times. She is never home or does not pick up her phone. She won't bring it to me, she won't mail it and apparently I can't get it until I know she is home (which I can't tell because she won't answer her phone).

I have friends in this organization and would prefer not to make it too messy if possible. However, I had no idea this would become so hard. My most recent phone message was starting to get edgy. "Very upset, called several times, left messages a couple of times, no call back. Need to get this done and put it behind us".

I know she got the phone messages because she called a mutual friend and mentioned it, but so far no call or voice mail at my house.

By the way, my husband and I both work, she and her husband are retired. My schedule is harder than hers, but somehow the onus seems to be on me to find a convenient time for HER so I can pick up the package.

Thoughts?

You should have checked to see if the prize was enclosed before you left the event.

There is nothing more insulting than telling someone that you're very busy and making the assumption that because they're retired, they must not be.

She's already told you that you have to sign for it.

Since the package is such an inconvenience, why don't you send a letter to her via registered mail, return receipt requested telling her to that it has turned out to be too much trouble to collect it, offer the package to the runner-up and immediately refund your money.
 
Last edited:

Antigone*

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

On March 13, 2011 I attended a charity auction. I bid and won a Napa Wine Tour package for $2900. Before I left, I put the $2900 on my credit card was given an envelope that I understood contained the package.

When got home, I looked at the package and there was no Tour Package in it. I contacted the organization and was told "it is coming soon".

On April 17, I received an email from a woman (Diane) in the organization and told that she had my package and all I had to do was call her and then come pick it up. I returned an email that said "very busy right now, can you mail it to me?". She returned an email that said "no, you have to sign for it".

Since then, I've called her several times. She is never home or does not pick up her phone. She won't bring it to me, she won't mail it and apparently I can't get it until I know she is home (which I can't tell because she won't answer her phone).

I have friends in this organization and would prefer not to make it too messy if possible. However, I had no idea this would become so hard. My most recent phone message was starting to get edgy. "Very upset, called several times, left messages a couple of times, no call back. Need to get this done and put it behind us".

I know she got the phone messages because she called a mutual friend and mentioned it, but so far no call or voice mail at my house.

By the way, my husband and I both work, she and her husband are retired. My schedule is harder than hers, but somehow the onus seems to be on me to find a convenient time for HER so I can pick up the package.

Thoughts?
Dispute the charge on your credit card ~ services not received.;)
 

charitycase

Junior Member
Thank you all for your thoughts.

Yes I should have checked to see what was enclosed in the envelope. I did look inside and there were lots of papers and pamphlets, but I did not investigate closely as I should have.

Antigone*of*Greece
Good idea about the credit card company. This could be a last resort. Public shame will come first and will probably work. Like I said, we have mutual friends, which is how I ended up at the charity event anyway.

Hot Topic
Please note that I did not ever tell her that I thought that she and her retired husband could lift a finger to help me out. She emailed me and told me to come over and get it. I asked her to mail it to me as I was busy through the end of April and wouldn't be regularly available to get it. She told me I had to sign for it, and that I should call her before I came over to pick it up. Then she became unavailable by phone. Was she also incredibly rude for assuming that I would have time to go to her house? Perhaps I was unclear or perhaps you just want to make crappy, unpleasant comments.

Also, there was no other bidder for this package. It was a small community affair, and times are tough for most.
 

swalsh411

Senior Member
You have a limited time frame for filing a dispute with your credit card. If you let this drag on too long you will lose that option.
 

tranquility

Senior Member
Also, you know all of this is not a charitable contribution, right?

You must reduce the amount given by the fair market value of the item.
 

Hot Topic

Senior Member
Thank you all for your thoughts.

Yes I should have checked to see what was enclosed in the envelope. I did look inside and there were lots of papers and pamphlets, but I did not investigate closely as I should have.

Antigone*of*Greece
Good idea about the credit card company. This could be a last resort. Public shame will come first and will probably work. Like I said, we have mutual friends, which is how I ended up at the charity event anyway.

Hot Topic
Please note that I did not ever tell her that I thought that she and her retired husband could lift a finger to help me out. She emailed me and told me to come over and get it. I asked her to mail it to me as I was busy through the end of April and wouldn't be regularly available to get it. She told me I had to sign for it, and that I should call her before I came over to pick it up. Then she became unavailable by phone. Was she also incredibly rude for assuming that I would have time to go to her house? Perhaps I was unclear or perhaps you just want to make crappy, unpleasant comments.

Also, there was no other bidder for this package. It was a small community affair, and times are tough for most.

It was obvious from your post that you put the responsibility on her to get you the prize because you were too busy, i.e., too important, to pick it up. Being retired, she and her husband had nothing to do but make that their priority.

I hope you can find time in your busy schedule to contact the credit card company to cancel.
 
Also, you know all of this is not a charitable contribution, right?

You must reduce the amount given by the fair market value of the item.
Good issue to bring up....Is this a contribution or a prize. From what I see on the net, the cost of such tours are lower than $2900.

So if he paid/pays $2900 for a package only worth , say, $1000 then is the $1900 difference a contribution? It may be depending on where the money has gone??
 

Hot Topic

Senior Member
Good issue to bring up....Is this a contribution or a prize. From what I see on the net, the cost of such tours are lower than $2900.

So if he paid/pays $2900 for a package only worth , say, $1000 then is the $1900 difference a contribution? It may be depending on where the money has gone??

If the prize was worth $2,000 and the OP paid $2,900 for it, the OP should definitely contact a tax expert to determine the actual worth the IRS is going to assign to it.
 

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