One person wrote:

> After reading the few responses that you got, I agree with you and would
>  like to have my money refunded to my credit card.  If another drive comes
up
>  I evaluate the situation and decide then if I want to contribute again.  I
>  will "pledge" to be behind the original issue of getting HPs attention.

Let me make two comments: The first is that in these kinds of things the
public postings can be very deceiving. I always tend to get flooded with
private emails in response to these sorts of questions rather than a lot of
public replies.

However, in this case, the flood hasn't been much one way or the other so
far. The count is currently 12:2 in favor of keeping the money, at least for
some period of time (six months more was commonly mentioned). However, I too
favor Gavin's suggestion. Unless there is a clearly stated purpose for which
this money is to be spent -- and that purpose is reasonably close to the
original intent -- then I am in favor of returning the money immediately.

In that regard, I am planning on returning the money via AICS checks rather
than credit card refunds. It is my strong impression that refunding a large
amount of money to a fair number of people through our credit card processor
is going to raise some flags -- and possibly make us look like either an
organization that sells defective products or one somehow engaged in some
sort of fraudulent activity. I don't want either situation to be true.

Nor am I sure that a second transaction fee won't be charged for the refund
(in our entire history of operation, we've never refunded anything via credit
cards, so I simply don't know what the rules are). I do know that the charges
associated with writing a check are minimal, however.

For the ad campaign, we opened a $3000-minimum balance, no-fees-attached, no
frills corporate account for this project, under the name AICS/WSJ Ad
Campaign. Because we didn't purchase checks for this account, and because we
received only a few counter checks, as you do when you open up a new account,
we'll write one check from this account to one of our regular business
accounts, thereby closing the account. It's from this regular account that
you'll receive your refunds.

The only problem we'll have with this arrangement are those people who
contributed from outside North America. We may well refund those monies via
credit card.

Wirt Atmar