Is this a scam? :(
 

Over the past four days, I've been called a scheister, a good dad, a shameless, spineless individual, an opportunist, and a bad example to my kids. While I have my 15 minutes of
fame, I will take the opportunity to tell everyone my story. We've been making emblems since the 1890's, back when Spaniards roamed the country, and up until last Saturday when a
huge fire consumed both our home and livelihood. I walked out of the blaze with nothing but the clothes on my back, and 2,000 pesos in my wallet. I lost my dog that night, my loyal
companion for 6 years.
.
.
For every 100 guys that are genuinely helpful, there will always be that one nay-sayer. "Scammer!" shouts one guy. Why help someone who collects sports cars, for crying out loud?
The truth is, I set aside some money for my kids early on. This I did before I splurged on my passion -- cars. Trust fund for my eldest, a nice condo unit along Macapagal, and some
money in the bank. I am financially informed, and I could, if I wanted to, just pack up and leave with what I have put aside for myself, and abandon the 120 guys that depend on us. But
no. I will not do that. My father will not do that. None of us will. I have a million pesos in donations, and a little more from my own stash. Proceeds from the sale of my cars will likewise go to the rebuild effort.
.
.
I am already at 1/3 of my target, and with your help, can collect the full $50,000 needed to rehabilitate some of our machines and try to operate the company on limp mode. An opportunist, you
say? This is our opportunity to shut down a business that hasn't made us any real money in years. I'm 38 years old, able-bodied despite being blind in one eye, married to a wonderful
wife who's equally qualified to work, and have very little reason to pour my life's savings back into a company that has struggled to survive since before my time. It costs far less money
to shut a business down than to restart one. To close, I only hope that should a fate such as mine befall you, good guys like Angie Mead King, Marc Soong, and the Top Gear crew will
be there to help you out. I am now poor, but have never been richer in terms of friends

My story, should you care to find out more...

https://gogetfunding.com/mick-family-help-rebuild-an-honest-businessmans-livelihood/

My FB, if you care to add me up: https://www.facebook.com/michael.santi.39


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468285641.jpg

No matter how hard you have worked over the years and how much you think you have built up and achieved, it can all be gone in a heartbeat. The speed at which the fire spread and destroyed our livelihood in front of our eyes was terrifying, but we have no time to stand still in shock and must move forward fast to get back on our feet.


Having literally lost everything and with virtually no insurance in place to help, it has become clear very quickly that we won’t be able to do this on our own. Not only did the fire have a devastating effect on the livelihood of my family, but also on the over 100 people on our payroll, most of them skilled ring makers, engravers, artisans who learned their craft from their fathers, and their father's fathers. I am determined to rebuild the business as fast as I can, but I need your kind help for this.


Your donations will be used to try and salvage some of the machines and refurbish some of the equipment from the destroyed workshop. I am planning to put up a new, smaller workshop so we can get going again and minimize the impact this terrible event has had, not only on my wife and kids, but on my parents, my sister, and perhaps more importantly, our 120 or so employees whose families depend on our business. It's not gonna be as big as the old shop, but it's a start. I know I am asking much, but I am a 38 year old, 4th generation craftsman who knows no other trade, and rebuilding our livelihood is the biggest challenge I have ever faced in my life. I hope you can help us get back on our feet.


Lots of love...

The Santis



Apologies for the catchy text. That was my way of getting you to read this far.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468286325.jpg


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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468286439.jpg



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No Insurance?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468286833.jpg

Stuff that we used to make. I hope to make these things again as I know no other trade...

I can give advice. Much better than money! Have insurance.

Masraum: Unfortunately, insurance policies in our country are not as comprehensive as the ones you have over there. We are insured, yes. But only for 1/6 of our shop's value. Thank you for comment.

Tragic story Mickey but you have a great looking family & it could have been much worse.
I really hope the dog turns up.

Wishing you the best of luck with the funding campaign. Blessings to your family.

Thank you for your words of comfort, RUF CTR.

Damn.

Why country? Any idea howl the fire started? Best of luck


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

Neighbor, Vash. I'm in the Philippines. I sure hope this is but a temporary setback. :)

So no cash savings? No small business loan available?

Are you selling anything? Any future cash flows? Any existing contracts?

Best of luck to you. Can't help financially. Spent $5k on tickets alone. But will be there the morning of the 22nd. I suppose I can buy you and your family dinner.

Pagpalain nawa ang iyong pamilya. Makakaraos din...

I have some cash savings, Wildthing, but it's not like I planned for this to happen. I'm not just saving my family, but my shop, my house. Our employees lives depend on it. Salamat!

You seem like a nice guy but I'll point out that you apparently own an '88 911 which is likely worth a good bit of money. That is one more 911 than I own and I have yet to post on this board asking for money.

I could be wrong but perhaps you could explain how me posting up ' I don't have a 911 please send me free money to buy one' would be any different from your posting here. Again, you seem a nice sort but I'm confused about how it's acceptable to ask for free money instead of looking for loans from people or offering a piece of the bsns.

This.

If you don't pay for real insurance then you are basically self-insured. I hate paying for insurance, but I do it anyway.

Sorry for your loss.

I'm not going to say this guy is a liar or a con-man. I don't know him or have any reason or evidence to say that. But, there have been lots of very convincing con-men going back hundreds of years. This whole crowd funding thing these days seems very, VERY ripe for the con-man picking. Give people the right story and they would LOVE to give you money to feel good about what they've done, and they may never ask or care what happened afterwards. I think that if you were a conman, a smart one, the dog would be a very nice touch. That's the sort of detail that would tug at someone's heart strings and have them dying to donate.

Sadly, I'm sure that there are plenty of completely worthwhile folks that deserve some help, but the cynical side of me says that for every worthwhile person, there are 9 that aren't. Since I have no magic wand to tell which is which, I'm going to keep my money to myself.

That's the same reason that I don't give money to a bum. I'm not about to give a bum money to buy crack or booze.

Starting over is a challenge, to be sure, but you appear to be young and you probably have at least a hundred people who would be highly motivated to assist you in rebuilding your enterprise in any way they can (clean up, labor, etc.). Count your blessings.

Now, it's probably just me, but when I read this statement ... This isn't what I envisioned ...

Masraum, a very valid point, and one that is much appreciated. The truth is that I've managed to save some cash that'll allow my immediate family to survive for half a year. I can very well just pack up and quit, but as I've said in my initial post, this is now much bigger than me. We also have to worry about the more than 100 employees that depend on the family business. My '88 Carrera I am reserving for my 2 boys, 2 and 9 years old. That is the least I can do for them after cashing in on their pre-need plans. The money I've set aside for my kids will now go toward rebuilding our shop, not knowing if I can hit the minimum amount I need to jumpstart the business. What's a father to do when he has to choose between security for his kids' future, and gainful employment for his loyal employees? I love our people, but I cannot wipe out what I've set aside for the 2 most important people in my life. Surely you guys can respect that. Thank you for your comments.

I don't know if this is proof enough, guys...

https://www.facebook.com/TopGearPh/posts/1134964716550595

So then let's restate your initial post:

"Dear Pelicans. My shop burned down and I don't want to sell my '88 911 to fund it nor do I want to borrow money that i'd have to pay back. Please send me money with no strings attached. Here's a pic of kids and a dog."

So, to answer your thread title...YES, this is a scam.

You've put it a bit more succintly than I. ;)

Oh by the way, my two kids do not have a 911 waiting for them when they get older. When you get your shop back up and running please forward $50,000 so I can find a suitable example for them. If it helps motivate you please note I too lost a canine friend. Died in my arms years ago.

Also, if anyone else here on Pelican doesn't have a 911 to hand over to their kids (at least one 911 per two kids) please speak up and solicit this fine example of a scheister for money to pay for one.

Lastly, if anyone should doubt that globalization is a bad thing, I give you this guy as an example of how so many in the rest of the world have zero respect for their fellow human beings.

If it's on facebook it must be true.

Seems I'm unable to provide verifiable proof due to geographical issues. I am after all on the other side of the globe. I have a long story on why our shop is unable to borrow from the bank, but that's a topic for another day. Thank you guys, but I'm only trying to balance that works for both my kids, and our employees. I wouldn't wish this on any of you.

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That's a bit harsh, guys. If you can't help me out, at least don't hurt me. Careful because I want to save some for my kids? Yes. Scheister? I don't think that's fair, guys.... come on.

I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you find your dog, but why are you asking us to send you our money when you obviously are not willing to invest your own to "save" your employees? There are plenty of micro-lending institutions you can go to to try and get a loan. I would first start there.

Rot, we borrowed heavily to invest in raw materials. Those raw materials are now gone, and no bank will lend us money. Financial institutions look at one's capacity to pay. What capacity do I have with a shop that's burned to the ground?

you have the capacity to sell your 911 jackass.


which btw brings into question what other assets you may have and don't have the heart to let go.

As Nicholson said in The Departed, "what we generally do, IN THIS COUNTRY, is one guy brings the item and the other guy pays him".

You bring no items yet asked to be paid.

It would seem as though Filipino Gen-Xers share a sense of entitlement with their US counterparts. If you'd built this business yourself, versus being born into it, you might be more inclined to do whatever it takes (within the legal and ethical realm) to rebuild the enterprise. Whether intentional or not, you're teaching your sons that stuff (like an air-cooled 911) is more valuable than demonstrating an I'm-going-to-scratch-and-claw-and-fight-to-save-the-family-business-and-support-the-people-who-helped-me-get-where-I-am-today attitude. Shame on you.

And, no, I will not remove my previous post (here's wagering you've made the same PM entreaty to others whose posts are less than completely supportive of your request for handouts). Double shame on you.

No need for namecalling. I only hope that you never go through what we're going through right now, Norm.

You act as though you're the only one on this board who's faced trials and tribulations - you're not. The difference: most of us have more pride than what you're displaying here and would never consider such public begging - particularly while at the same time flaunting an expensive and completely unnecessary asset.

You need to set your priorities...
Your kids don't need a 911 in 20 years.. they need a living now, same your employees and families..
I am in a very difficult financial situation just as you and I'm not waiting, I'm selling stuff already...

You can always buy another car in the future, better yet, your kids can pay for it themselves and appreciate the value of working and saving, a free/given/inherited 911 will never teach you that.

i've seen some grand gestures here..

we ponied up cash to help someone that wrecked his benz.. right?

either way, i cant help here..i can only wish you luck OP. i wouldnt put your hopes and dreams in a public donation..i'd like to think you have a plan B and C in the background.


on a side note..totally unrelated: i have good friends that wont go visit their families back in the Philippines because they said, "they have to bring back too many gifts and cash".

i'd love to go with some of them.

Points very well taken, guys. At least some of the posters only question my priorities, and not my story. Torn, I will accept, but scheister? You're talking about another guy. As I've said earlier, if you can't help out a guy in need, there's no need to hurt him. Good night, everyone. Been a long day for me, and it'll be another long day tomorrow.

Why not sell shares to Pelicans then?

Mickey,
I'm sorry for the harsh treatment you've received here. But, in the OP you state that, "We have literally been left with nothing but the clothes on our backs," and later it came out that you have a Porsche 911 and you have some cash. Can you see why your words are viewed with skepticism?

I have been through Cancer 3 different times over the last 30 years, with plenty of chemo/radiation on subpar health insurance. One of the chemo drugs caused heart failure in me twice now, and I battle fluid retention every day. I was in a horrible car accident (some idiot ran through a stop sign full bore into the side of my 944 three years ago). $90,000 in medical bills later, I still haven't asked for, or accepted a dime of charity from anybody, and I don't consider myself a victim.

Maybe you should consider yourself lucky that no one was hurt/killed in the fire, kick yourself for not having adequite insurance, and promise yourself never to be in this position again. If you were a next door neighbor, a friend, or family, I would go to the end of the earth to help you rebuild/relocate/restore, but we don't know you from Adam.....Sorry, and good luck.

I have been very lucky in life with a lot of things. I have never had any real health issues and never been stupid enough to get involved with illegal drugs in any way.

I have indeed been totally broke with no money in the bank with rent and utility bill due. Even in those situations I had insurance. I worked a second job to makes ends meet and floated a few checks in the bad old days.

When you have "no insurance" you are just self insured. You are betting that you don't need it. It is like having a boat and no life jacket or driving a car with no seat belt.

You gambled and lost the gamble, now you want charity. Sorry, I will save my charity for the truly needy.