What the FAQ?
Click headers to see questions
Generalities
... uh ... what?
So ... this is what, now?
This is a charity auction, selling the (wicked mad) fannish skillz of Charity Hos for cold hard donations. You can buy, okay rent, the talents of vidders, writers, artists, costumer, jewelers, baker and wow so much more and they will create goodies just for you, to your specs.
The auction runs twice a year, first in March and then in September. The March auction is for RAINN, which is the favoured charity of Maria "Danzy" Delgado, in whose memory I started this whole shebang.
The September auction is chosen by poll but if a charity can't be worked out, we default back to RAINN.
Where are the donations going?
Each auction has a different charity donations are being raised for, if you look to the right you'll see the current one. Every other auction raises money for RAINN, the favoured charity of Maria "Danzy" Delgado, in whose memory Sweet Charity was started. Charities are suggested over here and chosen by me. Some are international, some are a specific country, location doesn't matter - it's all helping someone somewhere.
When are goodies to be finished by?
Goodies are finished 2 to 4 months after bidding ends, dependent on the choice of the Charity Ho. You will be able to see the Ho's personal deadline on the For Sale page.
Will the finished goodies be on show?
Some finished goodies can be found in Goodies for all to marvel at. Or upon. Whatever it is you do with marvels.
I don't want to bid, is there somewhere I can just donate?
You can donate via Paypal using the button to the right or at the charity website itself (there's a link to the right). If you do, let me know and you shall join the list of honorary consumers.
Can I still donate even when the bidding's over?
You can donate up to the point the donations have all been sent to the charity, after that the facility won't be available. As a rule of thumb, you have about 5-10 days after the auction ends before the form goes away.
Where did you get that wonderful toy script?
I wrote it because I love the wonderful toys. In theory, it's available for free but it's in a near constant state of tweakage. Still, if you want it, let me know
How often do the auctions happen?
Auctions are bi-annual, running March and September. The first auction of the year will always be for RAINN, the second will be for whatever charity is chosen.
We have had one Extra Special Sweet Charity in January 2008 in aid of the Writer's Strike, but the Extra Specials are only when there's a timing issue involved.
Can I suggest a charity?
You certainly can, and you can do it at the perhaps not overly intuitively named The Art of Selling Out.
The only criteria are it must not be one of the big international charities (Oxfam / Red Cross / etc etc) and it must have an online donation form, preferably one that allows Paypal.
It's found my account but I can't log in!
If you're having problems logging in, it might be because your brower thinks the site is a devil child and you need to educate it otherwise.
Firefox
Tools > Options > Privacy tab
Press the 'Exceptions' button.
Put "sweet-charity.net" in the 'Address of web site' field and press the 'Allow' button.
IE7
Tools (little cog-like icon) > Internet Options... > Privacy tab
Press the 'Sites' button.
Put "sweet-charity.net" in the 'Address of website' field and press the 'Allow' button.
If this doesn't work let me know and I'll try and see if there's anything I can do to help.
Why don't you raise money for international charities, we're not all from the US!
And neither am I, solidarity Reg!
RAINN is the charity we raise for every March and is the favoured charity of Maria "Danzy" Delgado, in whose memory I started this.
The second auction of the year, though, is open to any charities and they come from all over the world.
My philosophy is that the Internet is the great equalizer - without borders - and that helping people? That shouldn't have borders either.
That said, I do hope to be covering different nationalities, and different causes - the next one may be an animal shelter, even. It's - quite literally - all good :)
I want to fundraise, tell me how!
[1] Contact the charity you want to raise for and ask them how to proceed. Some, like RAINN, are require forms filling out and have a set process while others are more fluid. Just double check with them first.
[2] Determine how you're going to get the donations to the charity. There are really two options - people donate via yourself to the charity or they donate directly. Both have their pros and cons, just make sure you keep tight records either way. Also, if you're using something like Paypal which takes a cut, make sure those donating know that their donation will be less the cut or cover it with volunteers.
And, really, that's it. It's wow so very important to get part two completely pinned down, particularly if you're planning to use Paypal.
I have a problem with the charity being raised for
Sorry about that. Aside from RAINN all charities are decided by polling on the sweetcharityho LJ community, it's largely out of my hands. As it should be, really.
You are, of course not expected to participate in any fashion nor is that decision looked on with anything other than respect. The world is made of wondrous variety.
I have a problem with some of the goodies being offered
Sweet Charity doesn't take responsibility for what people choose to offer, and I'll only remove things that are clear-cut illegal (Soviet tanks, WMD or kidneys? No).
But I do very much understand that it's a matter of taste (or perceived lack of taste) or .. yes, okay, I'm talking about the Wincesters with the RAINN auction.
Enough beating around the bush - the irony is not lost nor is the controversy of it.
There are two very valid sides of the argument, for and against, which I'm not about to lay out here. Several people have asked my opinion on it but my opinion, frankly, is neither here nor there. I facilitate the existence of auction, I don't presume to act as nanny or put my opinions above those of the Hos.
If you are uncomfortable taking part in an auction - for whatever reason - that is entirely respected and understood, and I hope another auction comes along you do feel you can take part in.
It's all a thinly veiled popularity contest, right?
No, it's an auction - with all that entails, including people bidding the most for what they want.
My perspective? A $1 donation is $1 more than the charity would have had and it's all so very good. Anyone signing up is doing an amazing thing: it takes a lot to go out there and put yourself on sale, especially when you're not sure whether you'll be bought. $1 or $100 Hos are all made of the same kind of awesome.
But at the end of the day, if you're not confident / happy / comfortable with signing up - if going for less than you wanted will bring you unhappiness - don't sign up. This is meant to be a fun way to raise donations and that's all, we're not about the emotional scarring.
Does everyone get bid on?
So far? Yes. Every auction, every Ho has been bid on. But it isn't guaranteed, especially as the auctions get larger. If you're not bid on, it so very much doesn't reflect on the awesome that is signing up and offering your you for good things.
Who's even running this thing?
That would be LithiumDoll. Which is me. Hi!
I code this, I do admin and I get things worked out with Paypal and the charities and I wave pom-poms with squee and dedication.
It's a pretty big job and I am very small so sometimes things (particularly things on site) might take a little while to get done, it's also why the LJ Comm gets frequent polls asking those taking part which direction they want to go.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, making polls and not being a crazed dictator.
I tend to go the 'behind the curtain' route with running the auction because the Hos and the Bidders are the ones doing the hard work and, originally, I wasn't planning to put anything in the FAQ. But there's been an increasing number of 'they's in relation to the organisation of SC - "they have done x", "they say..." - and I don't want to be misrepresenting how this place works or that there's a committee or anything like that.
If you have a question or need something or ... just randomly feel like sending an email, whatever, you can contact me at lithiumdoll@sweet-charity.net.
I have a complaint!
Email me at lithiumdoll@sweet-charity.net and I'll try and help as best I can, but please read the below first!
To be very clear right from the start: I won't act on something told to me anonymously or heard second hand. That way, for me, lies a Big Brother kind of situation and I am so very aware that being just one person running this, rather than a committee, could get very power abusey very fast. I'm not sure how, but I have the utmost faith in decaying entropy and don't want to find out. Which means I err on the side of laissez-faire and doubtless cause other problems that way but I hope we can reach some kind of equilibrium. It's kind of tricky trying to run something without over-running it, but I think we're okay. You'd tell me if we weren't okay, right?
As everyone knows, the legaleez states that SC isn't responsible for ... well, pretty much anything, honestly. People take part at their own risk, etc etc etc. But, that said, I really do my utmost to make sure that people have a good time and part of that is attempting to make things right when they go wrong. I can't promise that I can? But I really, really do try.
So, what happens when a bidder or Ho does come to me with an issue? Well, it depends because if the last auctions have taught me anything, they've taught me that the world is made of wondrous variety and so are complaints. But here are some of the more obvious ones.
A Bidder tells me a Ho has defaulted
I try and arrange a pinch-hitter (OMG THANK YOU PINCH HITTERS), and I contact the Ho and determine what happened. If it was an unfortunate incident wherein the universe conspired against the Ho, at my discretion they may be okay to sign up to be For Sale again - especially if their bidder got their goodie from a pinch hitter. If not, they're asked not to participate. It absolutely depends on the individual case. And, while we're here, Hos who have re-negotiated a deadline with a bidder or were never contacted by their bidder are not considered to have defaulted.
A Bidder tells me a Ho didn't deliver what their For Sale blurb said they would
I try and arrange a pinch-hitter (OMG THANK YOU AGAIN PINCH HITTERS), and I contact the Ho to determine what happened. Yes, there's a theme here. If it was a case where the Ho was ambiguous in some way, they're asked to be clearer in future auctions and I'm happy to help someone write up their blurb to be as explicit as possible with what they will or won't do. If it's a case of the Ho clearly stating they would do something specific and then refusing to do so, they are asked not to participate again.
A Ho tells me a Bidder asked for something their For Sale didn't offer
HAVE I SAID HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU PINCH HITTERS? The Bidder gets a pinch hitter if a suitable one can be found. The Ho may then be sold on to the next highest bidder if that's feasible, choose to leave it there or perhaps sign themselves up as a pinch hitter. Really, it's up to them.
Yo' Mama
If someone, Bidder or Ho, tells me that their opposite was impolite or otherwise didn't conduct themselves in a civil fashion, I ask for email exchanges and go from there. I realise that this hits a snag when not sharing email / IM exchanges with others is a matter of ethics and I 100% respect that - but it does mean I can't take it further. If I only get one perspective of a dispute and act on it, we're back in a power abusey GOD EMPEROR place and I'm not willing to go there. Ultimately, this is another one that depends on the circumstance but it may end with anything from hand shakes all 'round to no further participation by one or both parties.
Selling My (Wicked Mad) Skillz
... buy me, baby!
I want to be a Charity Ho!
Fabulous! Go look on the front page and you'll see the dates between which you can sign up to be a Ho in a pleasing purple shade.
If you don't have an account, you need to go create one.
On account creation, you should receive an email which will allow you to validate that account. If you don't, you can log in and change the email, or set up your email to allow sweet-charity.net through and then re-request the validation email again.
All that done (sorry for the hassle) once the selling period rolls around, a link will appear in the navigation above called "Sell out". In there you'll be able to put yourself up for auction.
Go to the category(ies) you want to sell in, put the number of how many things you want to sell in the "Quantity" field (1 vid, 2 fics, etc etc), put any notes that you need to qualify the offer in the textarea and then add tags so you can be easily found - "Supernatural" or "Icons" and so on.
Example: to offer three graphics goodies - two wallpapers and one icon set - you would sell yourself twice. The first would be for wallpapers and have a quantity of 2. The second would be for an icon pack and have a quantity of 1.
Once bidding has started you can no longer sell yourself, but there's always the next one!
Until bidding starts, you'll be able to change any of the details and quantities of the goodies you're offering in the Alter My Offers area.
Can I offer more than one goodie?
You can offer up to and including 6 goodies, up to 3 in any one category, spread over however many types you like. ie, 2 fics and 1 vid or 1 vid, 1 fic and 1 pic. Or even 3 vids, but you may be insane. The minimum is 1 goodie. Buyers will be able to bid on each of your offers separately so you could, for instance, end up writing for one person whilst vidding for another.
Can I only offer vids, pics or fics?
You can offer whatever you're legally capable of, there is a 'Miscellaneous' category, but remember to put full details in the notes section.
Can I add notes about my goodies?
Absolutely - in fact it's required. Anything from "I can vid in these fandoms" to "I won't/only write slash", word or song limits or art formats available is great. Being as clear as possible about what you will and won't do is really important - for instance, please don't say you will write and pairing or vid any song and then veto bidder choices.
The notes are also a good place to say how you work. Suggesting you will love any buyer long time may or may not be a good idea. Either way, take the opportunity to flaunt your you.
Excerpts of your notes may be taken for pimpacious purposes during the Grande Pimp.
I sold myself but I need to change my details...
Until bidding starts, you'll be able to alter the details on any of your goodie offers in Alter My Offers.
After bidding has started, email me at lithiumdoll@sweet-charity.net if you need something changing.
How do I remove myself from the auction if I have to?
Before the bidding starts, you can delete any of the goodie offers you've made, if you delete them all it effectively removes you from the auction.
If you have to leave after the bidding has begun, email me at lithiumdoll@sweet-charity.net from the email you used to sign up and I'll remove you.
What happens when I've been bought?
Once the auction's over, your winning bidder will be sent an email with information on how they can make their donation. They'll have five days to do that in, so if you don't hear anything immediately, don't fret.
When the donation's been successfully made, you'll be sent an email with their contact info and they'll be sent one with yours. There'll also be some other bits and bobs in there like deadline reminders and flaunting code and information.
If you don't get an email, check your messages on here - sometimes we get flagged as spam, or they just go astray.
If you don't get an email and there's no message a week after auction closing, grab me and I'll try and find out what's gone pear shaped :)
Is there a minimum to what I can offer?
Absolutely not - offer what you want! The only thing we want to avoid is if, say, someone thinks they're buying a 10,000 word fic and they get a drabble. As long as you're clear in the notes what it is you're willing to do, it's all good.
Buying Their (Wicked Mad) Skillz
... wants it precioussssss
I must have a Charity Ho!
Fabulous! Go look on the front page and in a pleasing purple shade you'll see the dates between which you can bid on a Ho.
If the dates are with you, you'll find all the bidding going down in BuyBuyBuy!.
If you don't have an account, go create one, then log in.
All that done, you'll be able to bid on the Ho(s) that take your fancy.
Donations, if you win, can be made via Paypal or directly to the charity.
What if the Charity Ho is offering multiples of a goodie (like 2 fics, or 3 pictures)?
The top two (or three as appropriate) bidders will win. Yes, that does mean you don't have to bid highest, just higher than the bidder in third (or fourth) place.
What if the Charity Ho is offering multiples of a goodie and 2 (or 3) people have offered the same amount, then a fourth person bids - which of the 2 (or 3) gets knocked out?
Longest question ever o_0. The bids are ordered by date, with the person who bid last being knocked out first.
Ho X is offering 3 fics
Bidder 1 - $5.00 - 13th March
Bidder 2 - $5.00 - 14th March
Bidder 3 - $5.00 - 15th March
Bidder 4 - $6.00 - 16th March will knock out bidder 3.
What's the currency being used?
You can view and bid in the currency of your choice (just select your country, top right).
All bids are 'frozen' at the exchange rate they're made in. For instance, a $10 USD donation will remain $10 USD even if the following day, it's actually worth $9.98 USD against the £. As most will realise, this will lead to some disparity between totals, sometimes they'll be higher and sometimes lower.
How do I make my donation if I win a Ho?
This auction will be using Paypal: donate@sweet-charity.net, or accepting receipts from direct donations to the charity from those who don't have Paypal accounts.
Whichever option you prefer to go with, if you win you'll be emailed instructions on how to donate. Pleasepleaseplease (pleaseplease) don't just make the donation, wait for that email. It will keep the auction accounting on track and put all the pennies in their right place.
You're using Paypal, this concerns me.
The account being used is a fully verified Premiere account and will be fine to transfer the money. In the case of the charity being unable to accept Paypal donations, I make the full (pre-Paypal cut) donation in the manner they can process (credit card or bank to bank transfer).
Details of all these transactions will be made available on request to anyone who may be worried I'm just feeding my Bahamas Fund. (I won't be offended at all if you ask to see the records - it's absolutely okay if you want to).
Paypal takes a fee on all transactions (20p + 3.4% in GBP, something similar in USD). This has become known as the Paypal Cut of Despair - in the most recent auctions, it was over $600. To make sure that donations aren't lost to the PCoD, stunningly awesome volunteers cover this cut to wipe it out and make sure everything reaches the charity.
But, yeh, it's good to be Paypal. Alternative methods are being investigated, but it's always going to be preferable for the donations to be made directly to the charity where feasible.
I'm from the UK: Does GiftAid Apply?
Unless the charity is based in the UK, GiftAid doesn't apply - sorry! If it is, you need to make your donation to the charity directly rather than through Paypal via Sweet Charity.
I'm from the USA: Is my donation tax deductable?
If you're absolutely set on getting a receipt, your best bet will be to donate the amount of your winning bid directly to the charity and receive the receipt directly from them in return.
I'm from somewhere else: Can I make a tax deduction?
Sorry, I have no idea! I think, basically, because the method of collection is to give to an intermediary (Sweet Charity) then the charity, it's not going to apply or at least be difficult to push through - but I could be so very, very wrong. As above, if in doubt donate directly to the charity itself.
Can I bid for more than one goodie / Charity Ho?
You can bid for as many goodies / charity hos as you can afford
Is group bidding allowed?
Yes, but should have one person doing the bidding / talking to the Charity Ho if the gestalt wins.
If I win, when do I have to make my donation by?
Once bidding is over, if you're the winning bidder, you have 120 hours to make your donation in. More here.
How do I withdraw my bid if I have to?
Make sure you're logged in, and then go to MeMeMe.
In there, you'll find My Bidding History, which is where you'll be able to remove any of your bids for as long as the auction is open.
Augh! I won the auction but lost all my money in a freak tornado!
Everyone has sudden emergencies, don't worry just let me know as soon as possible and the bid will be won by whomever was next highest.
Anonymous bidding works how, now?
Anon bidding means that someone can bid and no one, including the Ho, will know who they are. Except me. I know all. But I'm very hard to bribe.
Anonymity lasts right up until the auction is over, at which point the Ho will be informed who their bidder is but no one else will know still.
If you want to bid anonymously, you'll get the option on the form you fill in when bidding, ticky box stylee.
Ah-HAHAaaa, I win!
... is that my voice?
Can I have my donation refunded if my Ho defaults?
Sorry, we tried that for the first couple of auctions but it proved pretty unmanageable to work with.
If your Ho defaults or the goodie isn't as was on the box (e.g., Ho offered a fandom they then could not provide or similar), you are welcome to choose a pinch-hitter.
They're very shiny.
How do I make my bidder donation and claim my Ho?
All winners will be sent an email and/or Message with all the information they need on how to donate but, basically, you get your Bidder Code (from the email/Message) and go to Pony Up, which will be active after the bidding ends. You have 5 days (120 hours) from receipt of the email/Message with your Bidding Code to make your donation and, after that, the opportunity passes along to the next highest bidder.
If you don't receive your Bidding Code within 24 hours of the auction ending, email me and it will be sent along directly. Upon successful payment, you'll get another email/Message, with your Hos contact details.
How can I share my goodie?
After the bidding ends you will be able to find a link called Flaunt It. On that page, if you indicated you wanted the goodie flaunted when donating, your Charity Ho can go upload the pretty, pretty things.
As long as the bidder gets their goodie, you're welcome to spread the joy around wherever takes your fancy.
I don't want to share my goodie! Filthy Hobbitses
Because of the size of the auction, the no-share option has had to go as organised by the site. If you would like a goodie of your very own, a willing Ho may very well be willing to accommodate, so ask before you bid and see what happens.
Can I have a donation deadline extension?
If you email me before your deadline hits (well before, for my sanity *g*), you can have an extension of 5 days beyond the initial 5 days if you've had a sudden freak whirlwind and funds are tied up, but after that it may have to go on to the next highest bidder. Please do not bank on getting an extension beyond 5 days, if you get one it will be luck smiling benignly upon you.
Flaunting My (Wicked Mad) Skillz
... exhibitionism for the win!
How can I upload my goodie?
Go to Flaunt It and enter the bidder code you got via email, a form will come up that will enable your flauntage.
If you no longer have your bidder code, email me and I'll get it to you.
Okay, so now I want to edit my goodie!
Now you need to go to My Goodies, all your flauntings are in there and 100% editable. Also, deletable if you've a yen to.
Pinch hitters
beyond the land of awesome
What is a pinch-hitter?
A pinch-hitter is someone who volunteers to take the place of a Ho who's had to default. Volunteering doesn't mean you'll be grabbed, and it doesn't mean the goodie has to be in by the original Ho's deadline - it's a "as soon as you can" kinda deal.
