NLvoorElkaar is a volunteer platform in the Netherlands that brings people that want to volunteer together with people that seek volunteers. The idea is really good, but the execution, and I'm specifically referring to the application of rules, is devilishly bad.
I admit I rely a lot on volunteers. This is for a number of reasons, and I assume you will be able to figure out which reasons if you have looked at other parts of my website.
Anyway, NLvoorElkaar offers a fantastic long list of topics that you can select from and filter suitable people based upon that. I was looking for somebody that would be able to find a lawyer on my behalf as well as do the initial explanation.
I couldn't do this anymore because I was so over-encumbered by my handicaps, and therefore I had to seek help to offload the pressure. Normally this is what independent client support would be for, but they said I was not eligible, so I had to find an alternative.
As I was reaching out to people that fit the criteria on NLvoorElkaar, suddenly their customer service reached out to me and demanded a cease-and-desist of my help request. I disagreed and pointed out to them that it is actually part of their list I can select from, to which they replied that this is only meant for organizations.
That might be understandable, but it is not clearly stated. In fact, it's in an entire list full of topics that would apply to helping an individual, so it's really weird that finding somebody to help me find a legal expert is suddenly reserved for organizations only.
As in true Robert fashion, I pointed out where they were wrong and politely asked that they back down. The exact opposite happened; they banned my account for breaking the rules. And this really infuriated me because now I was blocked off from pretty much the only way I had to find people that were willing to help me out. It was a crushing blow that almost wiped me out.
Because it's such a complicated situation, I've created a real-time diagram where you can follow all the steps that I've taken to get things solved. In reality, nothing is solved. I am truly stuck. I'm not being heard, I'm not being taken seriously, and this unjust situation has already haunted me for 4-5 years.
To me the desired solution is:
NLvoorElkaar
My account gets unbanned
Formal apology letter with 500 euros as monetary relief
Platforms like NLvoorElkaar are so incredibly valuable for some people that they should be stripped of their right to ban accounts. Just like how having a weapon makes you use it quicker, the same is true for the ban-hammer.