I agree it is unfortunate that Hip Monkey is making it difficult for people to order from them since it is such a great cause. But I also completely understand the reasons people are having to take their business elsewhere.
(1) Just because someone does not qualify for their free seat, does not mean that it isn't a financial strain to pay for these seats and it is not standard to charge before shipping, especially when it could be another month until it ships.
(2) It is reasonable to need an estimated shipping date and other info and a prompt response.
(3) They are impossible to get in touch with. As far as I can tell, they NEVER answer the phone or return phone messages and it can take up to a couple weeks to hear back by email. By then many of us have given up and bought from someone else.
Unfortunately, It makes it difficult to support the cause, even when we want to. It is wonderful that some people have the ability to still do it, but I understand why others do not. Maybe if the people at Hip Monkey hear about the reasons that some people had to take their business elsewhere (even though they wanted to support the cause), it may help them make some minor changes (like not charging until shipping and responding to inquiries sooner) to do more business in the future because it is a great cause.