You could meet Pescado in a dark alley with a suitcase full of cash, or...

[Hecubus]

I've been helping Pescado set up the Cheezeserver fundraising mechanism for this year; as many of you know, we had a horrible experience with PayPal in 2006, and it took a year to recoup the money. Hence, Pescado (and many of us) are loathe to go with them again to raise the $2500 needed this year.

We've been searching for alternatives to PayPal, but for various reasons, either the alternatives are dead, not open to US customers, or completely dodgy. One option we explored was so awful it makes meeting in dark alleys and exchanging suitcases of money sound HONEST.

Thus, I've been asked to pose the question to you: should we accept that PayPal is the behemoth of online money transactions and hope for the best? Should we open a post office box somewhere, have you mail money in and we'll manually process the checks and money orders? Should we offer both options? Or do you know of something we might not have found that doesn't have exorbitant fees and doesn't make us feel dirty (and allows for US customers)?

[KellyQ]

While I've never had any cause to use it, have you checked into using Western Union?

[J. M. Pescado]

I think the fees on that are positively murderous when transferring small sums.

[Lorelei]

One kooky idea would be offering merch with a high mark-up via Cafe Press or some such.

The poor can afford a sticker. The better-off can afford a t-shirt or other stuff.

Checks go out after payment is processed and return deadline has passed. You get every penny of the price you set over the base price of the objects.

There are enough artsy types here to make designs and donate them to the cause.

[HomeschooledByTards]

One kooky idea would be offering merch with a high mark-up via Cafe Press or some such.

The poor can afford a sticker. The better-off can afford a t-shirt or other stuff.

An anti comic sans store that doesn't use comic sans for their font?

I'd love a MATY t-shirt or a bumper sticker.

[Milhouse Trixibelle Saltfucker III]

I'd so buy a MATY T-shirt, if I had any money. I'd also buy them as gifts, too. Who wouldn't want one?

If I were to design it, it would have a giant Malaysian flag on the front, with the words "More Awesome" above it and "Than You!" below, and on the back there would be a hammer-and-sickle, in red, between the shoulder-blades, with the text "In Soviet Russian, T-Shirt wears YOU!!". Because that's just what MATY is.

Then again, I would also totally buy "Bathroom Uses YOU!!" styled toilet paper, so maybe I'm just gullible.
(For the record, I would definitely buy a real-life Lot Debugger. It would be an awesome decoration if people knew what it was. If they didn't, though, they'd assume I was obsessed with Batman or something.)

[Millie]

I think the fees on that are positively murderous when transferring small sums.

Hmmm. The fees on Paypal aren't much better.

I'm thinking you guys are mainly in the US. This could cause a problem for UK contributors.
How about a PO box for US, and Paypal for overseas?

[Katze]

I never had any problem with Paypal.

[jsalemi]

We as contributors didn't have problems with Paypal the last time, but Pesc and company had enormous trouble getting the money we sent to Paypal paid out to them. The payments ended up in some Paypal limbo for quite some time, and many of us had to request our money back from Paypal for 'non-delivery of service' (or something like that) because it would otherwise have hung in limbo for a long time.

ETA: Found the thread from last year on the Paypal mess: http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,7107.0.html

[Zazazu]

I'd so buy a MATY T-shirt, if I had any money. I'd also buy them as gifts, too. Who wouldn't want one?

If I were to design it, it would have a giant Malaysian flag on the front, with the words "More Awesome" above it and "Than You!" below, and on the back there would be a hammer-and-sickle, in red, between the shoulder-blades, with the text "In Soviet Russian, T-Shirt wears YOU!!". Because that's just what MATY is.

In tiny print, I'd want "Every time you download the Inteeninater, God kills a kitten." I would pay cash money for this.

[BastDawn]

Well, the Cafe Press idea sounds like a winner so far.  Does anyone know how good they are about coughing up the cash?

[msalwaysright]

I'd so buy a MATY T-shirt, if I had any money. I'd also buy them as gifts, too. Who wouldn't want one?

If I were to design it, it would have a giant Malaysian flag on the front, with the words "More Awesome" above it and "Than You!" below, and on the back there would be a hammer-and-sickle, in red, between the shoulder-blades, with the text "In Soviet Russian, T-Shirt wears YOU!!". Because that's just what MATY is.

I want a MOAR FIGHT!! coffee cup.

[KellyQ]

Ohhhhhh! Tshirts, coffee cups and fridge magnets, oh my! I would totally buy something like that.

[BastDawn]

Poking around the internet for reviews, I'm finding quality and customer service issues with Cafe Press.  Zazzle allegedly gives higher profits; both stores pay out the profits at the end of the month.  There is a general review of T-shirt printing shops based on their Better Business Bureau reports that may be of interest, although some of the stores mentioned only sell T-shirts.

I think we need a new poll with the overpriced T-shirts/stickers/magnets/etc. option.

Edit to add reviews from Epinions:
CafePress reviews
Zazzle reviews

[Hecubus]

I like the idea - and we can add some piratey options to the mix (because PMBD is part of Cheezeserver) if it's a go. If BastDawn can't help me edit this poll, I'l make a new one.

[Zazazu]

After this, I seriously have to buy a whole bunch of t-shirts that say "Enthusiastic, but socially inept" for my friends. We have a running joke that random people who come up to you in public places and want to talk about godknowswhat should wear identifying clothing.

[KellyQ]

After this, I seriously have to buy a whole bunch of t-shirts that say "Enthusiastic, but socially inept" for my friends. We have a running joke that random people who come up to you in public places and want to talk about godknowswhat should wear identifying clothing.

I'd buy one that just said "socially inept" on it.

[Assmitten]

How about Meyers-Briggs type?

"I lied about being a T and all I got was this lousy tee-shirt."

[Jelenedra]

Hur! I like it.

But yeah, I'd totally dig a t-shirt or coffee mug whatevers.

[jolrei]

I like the MOAR FIGHT mug idea.  T-shirts also good.  A "Kitten Killer" shirt would be fun, complete with the picture.

[Jelenedra]

Or mouse pads. Since we're all nerds.

[cwieberdink]

Or mouse pads. Since we're all nerds.

I was gonna say that!

I would love a coffee mug or tshirt.  We should have a running list of MATYisms and choose which ones to use

[J. M. Pescado]

The problem isn't GETTING the money, the problem is that if we try to send money to Malaysia by Paypal, they tend to decide that we're terrorists and freeze things.

[Milhouse Trixibelle Saltfucker III]

So prove them right! There are very few problems that cannot be solved by liberal application of Molotov's party drinks.

[eccentricgnat]

Okay, chancing a good tell me off zinger, here I go anyway.

I would like the mailbox idea. Money orders are nice.  That is how I used to do Ebay...way back in the old days. No one gets your check info...no once can steal much other then the money order. Not meaning you would steal the info...but since the vet admin, in the US, lost all of my husband's and daughters, and my info...to computer theft, because they are stupid...I really love the idea of a mailbox.  My post office fails to deliver or send my mail at least three times a year. Who knows where things end up, probably in dryer sock hell.

I'd go for a few T shirts as well, huge ones, to fit over my fat comfy body.

Yes I do donate to sites that I use. I'm an old linux folk, and know the importance of donations to keep the servers up...PPS I can't spell worth a crap.