GTAA - What The Hell Is Going On & Why Don't They Want My Money?

GTKlaus said:
Damn Good - I tend to agree with you, but the consensus appears to be that I am at fault for attempting to donate with a check (as Frank Zappa would say - "the unmitigated audacity!"). So I have learned my lesson and will "cease and desist" as they say. No more checks to GTAA.

Meantime, there's always the Rain Drop CJP thread (quite entertaining) and, of course, the Duke game tonight. Thx
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'Damn Good Rat's name is 'B'.
 
BigGTMike said:
What the hell is going on here.
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I already donate to the GTAA on a monthly basis, but in order to help the recruiting pledge thing, I added a 2nd recurring donation in a very small amount ($20 a month). (Yeah yeah, look at me. I'm a baller)

Every month I make a donation, they send me a printed thank you letter. So $20 donated, and $1 off the top is gone for the postage and printing. I complained about this to them a few years back and it seems to make no difference. It is a recurring donation. Just send me an email or a one time 'Thanks' letter. S*** like this gives me little confidence they know what they are doing and that they are capable of being good stewards of donations.

Bigcry and all that
 
05GTCorndog said:
Just send me an email or a one time 'Thanks' letter. S*** like this gives me little confidence they know what they are doing and that they are capable of being good stewards of donations.
that
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you are making the same mistake that the OP did. Apparently it is unacceptable to the zealots to question the great and powerful Oz (i.e. GTAA). I will be monitoring this to find out how YOU, in your obvious ignorance, made the error in this situation. The keepers of the faith (it never fails) shall appear momentarily to lecture you on the error of your sinful ways and to guide on the true path of enlightenment.
 
B said:
you are making the same mistake that the OP did. Apparently it is unacceptable to the zealots to question the great and powerful Oz (i.e. GTAA). I will be monitoring this to find out how YOU, in your obvious ignorance, made the error in this situation. The keepers of the faith (it never fails) shall appear momentarily to lecture you on the error of your sinful ways and to guide on the true path of enlightenment.
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Well, checks are dumb.
 
Everyone has GTAA bitch stories, myself included. However, it seems like the man at the top is ready and willing to make the changes to make things better.

Consider looking at it this way - in addition to donating your money, donate a little of your time and expertise to them as well. Consider it a 2-hour pro-bono consulting exercise to write up what you think is wrong and explain how it can be done better in the future. Find the right contact on the GTAA site and let them know what you think. Oh, and try not to get too frustrated with the kids you talk to on the phone, they're just dumb college kids for the most part.

Also - please don't take this as an asshole comment because on this rare occasion I'm not trying to be one - consider that someone may have already thought of whatever situation you're going to complain about, and have decided that it is still indeed better/cheaper to run things the way they are rather than fit your specific need, and consider the effort that you're going to take to get up to speed with the way the GTAA does things as just a small additional donation to the program.
 
EffinDane said:
Also - please don't take this as an asshole comment because on this rare occasion I'm not trying to be one - consider that someone may have already thought of whatever situation you're going to complain about, and have decided that it is still indeed better/cheaper to run things the way they are rather than fit your specific need, and consider the effort that you're going to take to get up to speed with the way the GTAA does things as just a small additional donation to the program.
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Good point. If the GTAA could rationalize their decisions, it would make me feel a whole lot better about their processes.

GTAA: "We have considered your request or input. The reason why we chose to do X instead of what you suggest is because of Y."

me: "Oh, OK. That makes sense and I can now see why you chose to do it that way. I may not agree with the decision but at least you have considered the pros/cons and made a rational choice. Have great day."

Instead, we get nothing and are left with the ongoing suspicions that they are incompetent or worse. Look at this thread. I have asked several posters why GTAA should not accept a check. reasons given thus far - "they are out of style", "they cost money to process (although credit cards do too but apparently this point is lost on some)" or the extraordinary lucid and revealing comment that "checks are dumb". It's this level of competency, clarity and decision making that many of us believe exists not only just on Stingtalk but in the GTAA as well. And we will continue to believe this way until TS and company prove us wrong.
 
B said:
Good point. If the GTAA could rationalize their decisions, it would make me feel a whole lot better about their processes.

GTAA: "We have considered your request or input. The reason why we chose to do X instead of what you suggest is because of Y."

me: "Oh, OK. That makes sense and I can now see why you chose to do it that way. I may not agree with the decision but at least you have considered the pros/cons and made a rational choice. Have great day."

Instead, we get nothing and are left with the ongoing suspicions that they are incompetent or worse. Look at this thread. I have asked several posters why GTAA should not accept a check. reasons given thus far - "they are out of style", "they cost money to process (although credit cards do too but apparently this point is lost on some)" or the extraordinary lucid and revealing comment that "checks are dumb". It's this level of competency, clarity and decision making that many of us believe exists not only just on Stingtalk but in the GTAA as well. And we will continue to believe this way until TS and company prove us wrong.
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  • Checks are slow and easily lost
  • Checks are easily altered
  • Bounced checks are a pain to deal with
  • Checking accounts are mostly unmonitored for fraudulent activity
  • Checks require physical processing and a trip to the bank

Would you also like for me to explain why people don't use voicemail anymore? Or why a starter motor works better than a hand crank for getting your car started?
 
EffinDane said:
  • Checks are slow and easily lost
  • Checks are easily altered
  • Bounced checks are a pain to deal with
  • Checking accounts are mostly unmonitored for fraudulent activity
  • Checks require physical processing and a trip to the bank
Would you also like for me to explain why people don't use voicemail anymore? Or why a starter motor works better than a hand crank for getting your car started?
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Excellent points EfinDane! With that being said, if I volunteered to send you a check for $100 either out of the goodness of my heart or because I thought you or your family would appreciate the extra help, would you tell me not to bother because of the time and trouble to take it to the bank? Or would you tell me, a random stranger wanting to help, to send $1,000 to make it worth your time? or would you demand that I pay you on Paypal or with AMEX?

I don't disagree with the fact that checks are cumbersome. I have written maybe 2 0r 3 in the last year (to a roofer and also to a GC who did some remodelling on my house - neither accepted cc's btw). What I think is irrational and a poor business decision is to refuse them. I believe the GTAA has an image problem and that if a child walked in and wanted to donate $35 in unrolled coins, they would do well to accept the gift with gratitude and figure out a way to deposit the money. There is an intangible cost of alienating customers or potential customers that over the years the bureaucracy that is the GTAA has failed to account for in their calculus. We all hope the TS is the guy who finally rights the ship.
 
B said:
Excellent points EfinDane! With that being said, if I volunteered to send you a check for $100 either out of the goodness of my heart or because I thought you or your family would appreciate the extra help, would you tell me not to bother because of the time and trouble to take it to the bank? Or would you tell me, a random stranger wanting to help, to send $1,000 to make it worth your time? or would you demand that I pay you on Paypal or with AMEX?
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Can you just ACH it to me?
 
B said:
Excellent points EfinDane! With that being said, if I volunteered to send you a check for $100 either out of the goodness of my heart or because I thought you or your family would appreciate the extra help, would you tell me not to bother because of the time and trouble to take it to the bank? Or would you tell me, a random stranger wanting to help, to send $1,000 to make it worth your time? or would you demand that I pay you on Paypal or with AMEX?

I don't disagree with the fact that checks are cumbersome. I have written maybe 2 0r 3 in the last year (to a roofer and also to a GC who did some remodelling on my house - neither accepted cc's btw). What I think is irrational and a poor business decision is to refuse them. I believe the GTAA has an image problem and that if a child walked in and wanted to donate $35 in unrolled coins, they would do well to accept the gift with gratitude and figure out a way to deposit the money. There is an intangible cost of alienating customers or potential customers that over the years the bureaucracy that is the GTAA has failed to account for in their calculus. We all hope the TS is the guy who finally rights the ship.
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You wanted good reasons, those are all extremely good reasons not to bend over backwards to accept checks. There's obviously not a "no check" policy at the GTAA. However, most people that donate aren't autistic engineers that insist on their preferred, outdated method of payment get the same level of support as the most common, secure method of payment available.

There are plenty of things wrong with the GTAA. Bitching about a check not getting processed quickly enough isn't one of them. Just use a credit card, stop being that guy.
 
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I keep hearing about all that TS is doing, but in so many ways it seems like business as usual for the GTAA. What has really changed in the last 18 months? Moving to Adidas and some secretive back-room 'official gold' development? We had a very small football recruiting fundraiser. Yawn.
 
My parents sent a two significant donations at the end of the year. One to Roll Call and one to GTAA. Both in the form of a check. Both were accepted and cleared the bank. Whoever is giving the OP the run around about checks is incorrect.
 
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