Frequently Asked Questions - help_japan
[Updated on 30 March with full corrected timezones for the end of Round One of the auction.]
IMPORTANT LINKS
News and Links
This post is being continuously updated with links for making donations, links to helpful apps and information, etc. Donations can be coursed through the vetted charities already listed, through SMS, and directly through LJ.
Auction Timetable
This is for the March round; we might be able to host a second round if necessary, but we will see what happens in the future and decide on that later.
Graphics for spreading the signal
Please feel free to use the banners, icons, and other graphics here in order to promote the comm, and the auctions!
[ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ]
GENERAL INFO
> When will the auction start & end?
> What currency will be used for these auctions?
> Is there a Delicious account that is tracking all the offers?
> Can offers and/or bids be made anonymously?
> Can I retract my offer and/or bid?
OFFERING
> I am offering / donating [something], how do I go about it?
> Can I offer store-bought items? Or are only self-made works allowed?
> Can I offer completed works? Or are only commissioned works allowed?
> If I am making visual or tangible works, should I include previews/samples of similar or previous work that I've done?
> Can I specify which fandoms I'm willing to offer for? Can I specify what I'm not willing to do?
> Should I make one post for multiple offers? Or a separate post for each offer?
> Can I specify which charities I prefer the winning bidder make the donation to?
> How do I determine who has won my offer?
> After a bidder has won a buy-it-now auction, how do I let the mods know that the donation has been confirmed?
> Is there a deadline by which I should submit my work to the winning bidder?
> Do I retain copyright of my works? Are there any legal concerns I should be aware of?
> If I am shipping edible items overseas, are there regulations I should be aware of?
BIDDING & DONATING
> I will be bidding for [something], how do I go about it?
> If I win an auction, what are the arrangements for making the donation and receiving the item that I bid for?
> Can I make a donation online? What about via mail or in-person?
> Can I make a general donation (instead of a Japan-earthquake/tsunami-specific donation) to a charity organization?
> Can I make a non-buy-it-now donation prior to the end of auction, in order to send money more quickly to charities?
IMPORTANT LINKS
News and Links
This post is being continuously updated with links for making donations, links to helpful apps and information, etc. Donations can be coursed through the vetted charities already listed, through SMS, and directly through LJ.
Auction Timetable
This is for the March round; we might be able to host a second round if necessary, but we will see what happens in the future and decide on that later.
Graphics for spreading the signal
Please feel free to use the banners, icons, and other graphics here in order to promote the comm, and the auctions!
[ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ]
GENERAL INFO
> When will the auction start & end?
- If your time zone is not listed below, please convert accordingly here.
- Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): GMT-7
Sunday, March 13, 3 PM: auction opens
Friday, March 25, 3 PM: auction closed to new offers
Sunday, March 27: mods will post reminder that end of auction is coming up
Thursday, March 31, 3 AM: bidding ends - Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): GMT-4
Sunday, March 13, 6 PM: auction opens
Friday, March 25, 6 PM: auction closed to new offers
Sunday, March 27: mods will post reminder that end of auction is coming up
Thursday, March 31, 6 AM: bidding ends - Western Europe Time (WET): GMT+0 [Note: Western European Summer Time (WEST: GMT+1) will begin March 27, 1 AM, GMT.]
Sunday, March 13, 10 PM: auction opens
Friday, March 25, 10 PM: auction closed to new offers
Sunday, March 27: mods will post reminder that end of auction is coming up.
Thursday, March 31, 11 AM [WEST]: bidding ends - Central Europe Time (CET): GMT+1 [Note: Central European Summer Time (CEST: GMT+2) will begin March 27, 1 AM, GMT.]
Sunday, March 13, 11 PM: auction opens
Friday, March 25, 11 PM: auction closed to new offers
Sunday, March 27: mods will post reminder that end of auction is coming up
Thursday, March 31, 12 PM [CEST]: bidding ends - China Time (CST): GMT+8
Monday, March 14, 6 AM: auction opens
Saturday, March 26, 6 AM: auction closed to new offers
Monday, March 28: mods will post reminder that end of auction is coming up
Thursday, March 31, 6 PM: bidding ends - Japan Time (JST): GMT+9
Monday, March 14, 7 AM: auction opens
Saturday, March 26, 7 AM: auction closed to new offers
Monday, March 28: mods will post reminder that end of auction is coming up
Thursday, March 31, 7 PM: bidding ends
> What currency will be used for these auctions?
- Please specify ALL amounts in USD. This will make it easier both on the people making the bids and on the organizations who will be accepting the donations.
If you need a currency converter, please use this:http://money.cnn.com/data/currencies/
> Is there a Delicious account that is tracking all the offers?
- Indeed there is! You can find it here and it is being moderated by mementis. Please PM her if you have any Delicious-related questions or concerns. Please be patient as we are logging offers as fast as we can.
> Can offers and/or bids be made anonymously?
- No, this auction does not allow anonymous offers or bids, as neither can be properly vetted. If you wish to participate, please use a Livejournal account.
> Can I retract my offer and/or bid?
- As a general rule, no. Please do not offer or bid if you are unsure about being able to fully commit. However, if there are extraordinary circumstances that absolutely require that you retract an offer and/or bid, please PM the mods right away. Do not delete a bid or offer without first engaging in clear communication with the mods, as well as any offerers/bidders involved.
OFFERING
> I am offering / donating [something], how do I go about it?
- All auction posts will open on Monday, March 14, 6:00 AM GMT+8. The categories will include:
Words [fanfic or origfic]
Art offerings [fanart or original art; everything except web graphics]
Graphics offerings [icons, site layouts, mood themes]
Audio [fan-related or original music]
Food
Everything else [catch-all category: jewelry, crafts, clothing, etc.]
The offerer sets the minimum bid for the item/s up for auction, and has the option to include a "buy it now" price as well.
> Can I offer store-bought items? Or are only self-made works allowed?
- Yes, you can absolutely offer store-bought items.
> Can I offer completed works? Or are only commissioned works allowed?
- Yes, you may offer completed works, as well. However, please keep in mind that bidders are less likely to bid on already-completed fics and artworks. Popular completed works include such items as knitted scarves and plushies.
> If I am making visual or tangible works, should I include previews/samples of similar or previous work that I've done?
- It is not required to do so, but it would be the best way to let bidders get a better idea of what they would be bidding on.
> Can I specify which fandoms I'm willing to offer for? Can I specify what I'm not willing to do?
- Please do specify which fandoms you're willing to offer for. If you are offering original work, please state as such. Also, you are welcome to specify what you are not willing to do (e.g. for fanfic, "I'm not willing to write breathplay or mpreg"). As a general rule, please do be as specific as possible in your offer, so that bidders are informed beforehand.
> Should I make one post for multiple offers? Or a separate post for each offer?
- For one-medium works, please combine all your offers into one post. List all fandoms (including pairings/genres/etc., if applicable) that you are willing to offer for. If you are offering more than one item within the same medium, please be specific regarding quantity and what constitutes 'winning' (e.g. "One drawing for each of the top three bidders" or "$5 will automatically win you a 300-word drabble, with five drabbles total being my limit.")
For offers containing multiple mediums, please separate them into individual offer posts. (E.g. If you are offering both a watercolor painting and digital drawing, you should make two separate offer posts.)
> Can I specify which charities I prefer the winning bidder make the donation to?
- Yes, you can specify as such in your offer post. Please do ensure that you and the winning bidder(s) agree on which charity will be receiving the donation.
> How do I determine who has won my offer?
- If your offer is not a buy-it-now offer, then the person who has placed the highest bid will be considered the winning bidder. If your offer is buy-it-now, then the first person to bid the dictated amount (and follow up with proof of donation) will be considered the winning bidder. As a general rule, winning is determined on a first-come-first-served basis.
> After a bidder has won a buy-it-now auction, how do I let the mods know that the donation has been confirmed?
- Please make your donation confirmation post here. The offerer must confirm having received proof of documentation (email receipt, screencaps, and/or e-copy of physical receipt), and let us know which organization the donation was sent to. This is so we can ensure accurate recording of all transactions. If you have more than one buy-it-now winner, please wait until receiving confirmation from all winners to make a consolidated donation confirmation post.
> Is there a deadline by which I should submit my work to the winning bidder?
- No, there is no set deadline. However, you should communicate with the winning bidder either via PM or email to ensure that you both settle on an agreeable timeline. If you anticipate not being able to deliver your work for some time, please do state as such in your offer post (or in a comment within the same thread). It is your responsibility to ensure that bidders are aware of any potential delays.
> Do I retain copyright of my works? Are there any legal concerns I should be aware of?
- Yes, the creator's right still belongs to you. (Though if you are utilizing other sources to create your work, please credit appropriately.) However, please keep in mind that you are gifting your work to the winning bidder, not selling. The winning bidder will be making the donation directly to charity, so it is not considered payment for your work. This holds true, as long as the offerer is not profiting monetarily in any way from the auction. For such offers as fanfics and artwork, please come to a consensus with the winning bidder as to whether or not the work can be made public.
> If I am shipping edible items overseas, are there regulations I should be aware of?
- Yes. Please ensure that you read the customs regulations and follow the proper procedures of the country to which you are shipping food. It is your responsibility to make sure that your package will not be seized by customs due to the nature of its contents.
* US regulations
* UK regulations
* Canadian regulations
* Australian regulations
BIDDING & DONATING
> I will be bidding for [something], how do I go about it?
- When the auctions open up, people can already start making bids on offerings. The minimum amount for each item is up to the offerer; after that, it will be up to the bidders.
Near the end of the auctions we will be going through the offerings posts to determine the winners, and we will inform both the offerer and the winning bidder so that they can get in touch and coordinate on the item and on the donation.
If you wish to bid for something immediately, go right ahead - but remember that a lot of people will be putting up offers and you might want to look around to see if your favorite author or artist will be putting something up.
> If I win an auction, what are the arrangements for making the donation and receiving the item that I bid for?
- Winning bidders MUST contact the offerers and show them proof of donation, such as confirmation numbers, Bank Identification Numbers, receipts, or screencaps. Once that's settled, the offerer and the winning bidder can discuss the arrangements for delivering the item that was bid for and won.
Please discuss these arrangements in private, off the auction posts, as much as is possible.
> Can I make a donation online? What about via mail or in-person?
- Yes, we encourage making donations online to vetted charity organizations, as this will be the fastest and most secure way to transfer your funds and obtain donation confirmation. You can also write a check to vetted charities that accept checks, but please ensure that you'll be receiving an official receipt in return, so that you may make an e-copy to send to the offerer. You can also donate in-person, but again, please ensure you'll be receiving an official receipt in return.
> Can I make a general donation (instead of a Japan-earthquake/tsunami-specific donation) to a charity organization?
- Yes, you can, though we do encourage donating to funds specifically dedicated to the Japan earthquake/tsunami disaster relief, as that is the primary driving force behind this community. Before you make your donation, please ensure that you and the offerer have come to a consensus about which organization will be receiving the donation.
> Can I make a non-buy-it-now donation prior to the end of auction, in order to send money more quickly to charities?
- Absolutely. Please ensure that the amount on your receipt will either match or exceed the winning bid amount. If you are making a lump-sum donation with the intention to bid on multiple offers, please ensure that the amount on your receipt will either match or exceed the winning bid amount(s). All offerers should be notified of this by the end of the auction and you must provide to them a breakdown of the lump-sum donation.