Okay so I was trying to put this across last night whilst uber-tired, and I couldn't make it sound right, so it seems I just went right ahead and missed out the part where I said I wouldn't personally require something back.

When we did UO emulators, you could circumnavigate selling rules by listing rewards with a 'recommended' donation. If a player donated, they could then request an item. It was down to GM discretion whether to allow it. That's provided on the understanding that it's a 'thank you' for the donation, and not the reason for the sale.

I'm not saying NC should do this, as it would be problematic for an already over-worked team.