IF YOU NEEDED definitive proof that crowdfunding has officially gone too far, here it is.

Tom Packer is a self-described “hopeless sarcastic romantic” looking for love. He ascribes to the theory that it takes thirteen dates to find love and is now trying to raise money to fund these dates.

To do so, he set up an Indiegogo campaign entitled “Help Tom Fund Love”. (We see what you did there, Tom!!!)

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Operating under the assumption that a decent date would cost £100, he attempted to raise £1,300.

He even filmed this video in which he read out a particularly sappy poem. Poetry is one of his hobbies, you see.

What were some of the perks?

Well, a donation of £10 gets you a signed photo of Tom, while £100 guarantees you a date with the bearded hipster. £1,000 gets you a day trip to Paris.

Indiegogo Indiegogo

Getting to pay for a trip to Paris with a stranger on a crowdfunding platform? Ooh, how romantic.

As is to be expected, poor Tom soon found himself subject to a little bit of a backlash.

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After attracting a lot of attention and raising £227, Packer closed the campaign. And as he selected “flexible funding” on his campaign, he gets to pocket the £227 despite not being anywhere near reaching his goal.

Cheeky.

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