xorg foundation robbed by paypal

[MasterNetra]

http://doctormo.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/pocketing-police/#comment-5754


An odd bit of news from the xorg foundation. During some discussion on their mailing list about missing funds it became apparent that PayPal had simply taken $5k of their money because PayPal thought xorg foundation were some sort of scam. ...


Also to quote my comment I left at the article. (At this moment its pending sense it needs to be checked by a mod before its posted)

"I used their “contact us” to protest this and told them I won’t be using their service any more because of this." - (This is what it should be, made a few errors though on orig.)

Edit: Here is the message this is based off of.
(Link (http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.freedesktop.xorg/42541/focus=42548)) Should be third paragraph (ignoring the auto-disclaimer message between paragraph 2 and 3.

[FuturePilot]

because PayPal thought xorg foundation were some sort of scam.

LOLWUT!? :shock:

And they didn't bother to even look into it first?

[MasterNetra]

LOLWUT!? :shock:

And they didn't bother to even look into it first?

Nope. They do this type of thing only to Seller/Merchant accounts though.

[handy]

I refuse to use paypal, I don't trust them, & for the brief period I did use them, I found them near impossible to communicate with.

They may or may not have improved that situation by now?

[MasterNetra]

I refuse to use paypal, I don't trust them, & for the brief period I did use them, I found them near impossible to communicate with.

They may or may not have improved that situation by now?

Don't bet on it. Their not known to give back.

[Hwæt]

Could the xorg foundation press theft charges on them? Because I know that if an amount greater than $20 is stolen, then it's considered a felony in the United States.

[MasterNetra]

Could the xorg foundation press theft charges on them? As if an amount greater than $20 is stolen, then it's considered a felony in the United States.

I think there is something in the agreement that suppose to protect paypal from that. Wither or not a Judge will see it as valid idk.

[chillicampari]

Is there a place to find out more about this besides the blog entry and mailing list?

[MasterNetra]

Is there a place to find out more about this besides the blog entry and mailing list?

mailing lists suppose to be xorg's offical mailing list. Though there doesn't seem to be a donate button on Xorg's site. Guess it was where "Immutable Page" is now at.

[ubunterooster]

Shuttleworth trusted Verisign. I trust Verisign. I dis PayPal unless completely needed, anyway

[themarker0]

Paypal from the "online shopping" end is amazing. Never had an issue. From premiun account its a scam. Their aren't any real laws regulating it. They are not a bank. The USA needs to hammer them down hard, they do this too often.

[Queue29]

Let's take a look at the original source mmk?
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.freedesktop.xorg/42541/focus=42548




************************************************** *********************
* THIS IS ONLY MY RECOLLECTION FROM A TWO-MINUTE SCAN OF EMAIL. *
* DO NOT TAKE IT AS GOSPEL, DO NOT RELY UPON IT AS ABSOLUTE TRUTH. *
************************************************** *********************


************************************************** *********************
* THIS IS ONLY MY RECOLLECTION FROM A TWO-MINUTE SCAN OF EMAIL. *
* DO NOT TAKE IT AS GOSPEL, DO NOT RELY UPON IT AS ABSOLUTE TRUTH. *
* *
* SERIOUSLY. *
************************************************** *********************


As far as I can tell (and I've not looked hard, because I'd like to
escape the office early), XDS 2007 cost $US10k for the venue, around
$US24k for travel sponsorship (no joke), and something like $US5k lost
to PayPal (they decided we were scammers and took our money) as well as
around $US5k that vanished into the Brazilian banking system, which
gives us $US45k for one conference.


So the Xorg foundation is dealing with 6 digit figures of money, has no accountant to keep track of that money, and is now accusing PayPal of theft off of what some guy thinks he remembers after skimming an email. Way to fact check, guys.

[MasterNetra]

Let's take a look at the original source mmk?
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.freedesktop.xorg/42541/focus=42548










So the Xorg foundation is dealing with 6 digit figures of money, has no accountant to keep track of that money, and is now accusing PayPal of theft off of what some guy thinks he remembers after skimming an email. Way to fact check, guys.

Have heard of such things being done. However, granted I suppose accounting error can't yet be ruled out.

[ubunterooster]

accountants make dumb error, paypal says "liars", takes away to much back... yea, I see it happening

[handy]

All x.org have to do is look at their statements & receipts.

It really isn't very hard.

But if I wanted to go home I'd put it off for another day too.

[MasterNetra]

All x.org have to do is look at their statements & receipts.

It really isn't very hard.

But if I wanted to go home I'd put it off for another day too.

Good point. If the 5K isn't accounted for on the statement (transfers, etc). Then its most certainly a theft via PayPal themselves.

[swoll1980]

Could the xorg foundation press theft charges on them? Because I know that if an amount greater than $20 is stolen, then it's considered a felony in the United States.

Anything under $500 is petty theft, which is a 1st degree misdemeanor in the US. Then you have grand theft up to $1000, petty larceny up to $5000, $5000 + is grand larceny. Grand larceny is a 3rd degree felony which carries significant prison time, and fines. Wouldn't be theft anyways. Though I doubt paypal intends to keep the money. It would open them up to damage claims, and they would end up paying way more.

[chillicampari]

Good point. If the 5K isn't accounted for on the statement (transfers, etc). Then its most certainly a theft via PayPal themselves.

Maybe, it's hard to tell from what we have available to read to try to figure it out. Also a different "around" 5k might have disappeared into Brazilian bank(s)? Crazy.