Explanation and Rules

THE SWEET SPOT - MATCHING GIFT EXCHANGE EXPLAINED

We, the staff of TSS, really wanted to provide our membership the opportunity to have fun and bless each other, but we also always want to keep true to the heart of this board - medical information and rescues. How do you do that with a gift exchange?

Welllll - for TSS the answer is A MATCHING GIFT EXCHANGE!

Here is the premise:
Participants are assigned BOTH a gift exchange buddy AND a cage of rescues looking for a forever home. You then send identical gifts to your buddy AND the rescues. Much like Nancy's thing over the holidays, it would give rescues something of their very own to take to their new home when they find one.


Here is how it will work:

* We have approached some of the rescue homes and asked them for a list of rescue families available for adoption and those that cannot be rehomed due to chronic medical or behavioral issues.

* We will compile two lists - one of adoptable rescues and one of those that cannot leave the rescue home.

* We will then open up registration for the gift exchange. Along with the registration deadline and information we need from you for registration, we will also provide a list of rescue families.

* You will choose a rescue family to be paired with your name upon registration. Rescue families will be available on a first come basis, and we will do our best to keep the list updated. If your first choice is no longer available, we will ask for an alternate choice.

* Once registration ends, you will receive the name of your exchange buddy AND information on their chosen rescue family. You will then send ONE gift to your exchange buddy and ONE gift to your buddy's chosen rescue family. Because two gifts are required, we have lowered the minimum price range for gifts to $15.


We hope that this will be FUN for all of our members and that it will also benefit some fantastic and needy rescues. I LOOOOOVE it when rescues have their own safe, wonderful stuff to take with them to their new, forever home. I then know they have safe stuff, they have toys and such and I also know that this program will show potential forever families how supportive and loving this community is. I am very excited about this gift exchange program!

I LOVEEEEEEE THIS. Great idea :)

We hate that we have to do things like this, but unfortunately the last 2 gift exchanges have forced us to create some consequences for those who do not send gifts before the deadline or do not send a gift at all. It seems unnecessary to have to compel adults to hold true to their word, but we have found that it is, indeed, necessary.


So, here are the consequences we have set up for those who choose to participate but do not fulfill their obligation:

IF THE GIFT IS NOT SENT BY THE DEADLINE (i.e. not postmarked by deadline and/or not received by one week following the shipping deadline)

1) Staff will ask for proof of shipping if gift giver states that a gift WAS shipped. In cases where there IS proof of shipping, staff will give the gift-giver ample time to track the package and orchestrate a remedy.

2) For those that do NOT send a gift by the deadline, we will do the following:
* We will post your name publicly
* You will be banned from participating in the next gift exchange
* You will receive a formal 1st offense warning. For information on warnings and consequences, please see this thread:https://thesweetspot.forumotion.net/t35-da-rulz
* You will be given 10 days to get a gift into the hands of your buddy. If your buddy reports a gift in his/her hands in that time, then there will be no further action taken. If a gift does NOT arrive, then the consequences for not sending a gift at all will apply.


IF NO GIFT IS SENT OR if gift giver does not send by the deadline in two separate gift exchanges, then the following consequences will be enforced:
* Your name will be posted publicly
* You will be banned from participating in ALL future gift exchanges AND contests of any kind for which there is a prize on TSS
* You will receive BOTH a 1st and 2nd warning and a 30 day (at least) ban from the board.
BEFORE we will reinstate your membership privileges, you MUST send a gift to your gift exchange buddy AND make a monetary donation of $15 via paypal to either Kingdom Kritters OR SouthEast Sugar Glider Rescue and Sanctuary. Once both of these requirements are met, your membership will be reinstated with the above limitations.


Signing up for a gift exchange and failing to send a gift is a very serious offense to the adminstration of this board. It will be treated as such.

IF you fall into either category for this gift exchange that just finished, we are giving you until the close of business on MONDAY, July 16 to get a gift into the hands of your buddy and/or rescue home. If you do NOT, then the above consequences will be enforced.