As for the paypal vs Innova (Disc Golf United) arguement -who is more likely to be accountable - that's an easy answer.
I'm confused about this. Are you saying that Paypal isn't going to get you your money at all? Because there's a huge difference between placing a temporary hold on a transaction and you never seeing the money. The examples I offered about DGU put those TDs in the exact situation you are in (having to front money you expected to have in hand before your event). DGU came through and the TDs got their funds in the end. The same is going to happen with Paypal. How that translates to one site being labeled as unusable and the other getting heaped with praise seems hypocritical to me.
I sympathize with your situation, but I think you're being overly emotional because of the immediacy of the situation. DGS and DGU have both been operating for years. Both sites are good but neither are immune to the occasional snafu. Neither is going to hinder (or speed up) the future growth of the sport.