Moral blackmail

I was ‘ambushed’ by these charity chuggers recently. He was very persistent and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
They were lurking by the atm in the high street.
I contacted gos& they agreed that they shouldn’t be by the atm . Having got no real answer from them I spoke with our local neighbourhood police sgt who issued them with an order prohibiting them from the area I was far from they only one complaining about them. Might be worth contacting your local police department

cc

There are signs on the way into our private estate saying that calling door to door isn't allowed, so I call our security people if somebody calls.

Our neighbours had a plate on ther door saying No Cold Callers.

GrannyGravy13

I think GOS must be having a collecting purge at the moment, they were outside our small co-op all week last week.

We nicknamed them the smiling assassins very pushy and preying on the more elderly people.

I think you are right about the 'collecting purge' as they came calling here today

Yet my youngest grandson just lost his eye to cancer. Great Ormond Street have given him and the family so much by the way of care, support and real help.
He had just been awarded a Dreamflight to DisneyUSA, how wonderful and I can’t think of anything nicer for this brave and courageous young boy.

I must say I prefer people to not knock on my door, but knowing how the money is used, I’d just like to say WELL DONE to all of those selfless people who go around raising money for GOSH.

I answered the door one evening to someone collecting for charity. I was in a hurry and responded, I’m sorry, I’m not interested, as I tried to rush off. I got a very rude and aggressive response “I didn’t ask if you were interested !!” I very quickly shut the door !

I came across some chuggers collecting for the NDCS outside B&Q last week. When the man approached me I ‘spoke’ to him in sign language which seemed to confuse him somewhat as he turned and walked away. I didn’t think I was being unreasonable, after all he was trying to drum up support for deaf children so why not use their language!

I was reminded last night, watching Race Around The World, of the Hare Krishna's that used to chant along Wembley High Street - age 14, on my lunch from my Saturday job, one young man in the orange robes approached me for a donation; I said I've only got my wages, and naively held out the £5 note to show him. He snatched it up, said "that's great", and headed back to the rest of them. That was my lunch money, and fares, for the week! (back when you had to pay bus fares for over 14's, although you couldn't leave school until 16). I was so cross, and sad ....

A few years ago I was showing an American friend around London and we were approached by two 'chuggers', for a Dog charity - I said no, politely - they followed us trying to engage in conversation. I smiled, said no again and we walked on. One of them shouted "DOGS" after us. I was ashamed and embarrassed, and wish now I'd confronted the little sod. Left a very bad taste in my mouth. I'm less polite now.

AGAA4

Allira I would have given a one off donation but I don't want any more direct debits.
I wonder how much money charities are missing out on by not accepting an on the spot donation?

I agree.

Emotional blackmail, including all the adverts on TV with the display of abused animals, also in the street and many sales bill have a donate option.

No every time.

Allira

cc

There are signs on the way into our private estate saying that calling door to door isn't allowed, so I call our security people if somebody calls.

Our neighbours had a plate on ther door saying No Cold Callers.

We have a similar sign Allira I also shop mostly online, we don’t get accosted in our local village.

My sister and her husband gave to Water Aid visa direct debit.
They had a phonecall from the charity trying to bully them into increase the dd.
My bil eventually told them that they accept the original amount it he would cancel it alrogether

I find this kind of collecting annoying too. It's usually animal charities round here, but we do get others too. It seems to me its actually calculated to make people feel bad, and it's usually the more vulnerable who get caught up in it. When I open the door to these people I start around by asking are you collecting for charity and are you wanting me to sign up for DDs, if so I can save you wasting your time right now because I wont be doing it. Similar to this kind of charity collecting is shops that as you to add a donation to your bill and you have to press a yes or no button, Poundland do it.

I was stopped by a chugger, who was very good at trying to persuade me to sign up for the Dogs Trust. I have supported them a lot but couldn’t stretch to a monthly donation.

The guy was young and it was his first ‘job.’ He explained that they did get paid on commission.

I was honest and told him I wouldn’t be handing over my bank details to anyone in the street.

Then I told him we were supporting Teenage Cancer Trust after a 16 year old girl had died from cancer, and we were trying to raise money.

Must have touched his heart as he donated £5 to the TCT cause!

Allira

AGAA4

Allira I would have given a one off donation but I don't want any more direct debits.
I wonder how much money charities are missing out on by not accepting an on the spot donation?

My friend used to make a monthly donation to the Red Cross, then they rang her up and suggested she increase it to £50 pm.

The man was so persistent and quite aggressive that she cancelled her direct debit altogether.

One reason I never give them my phone number!

Ages ago now, but my worst was a ‘chugger’ in central London, wanting me to make a monthly donation to a charity for the blind. I agreed to a fiver a month, but he wanted a lot of detail I wasn’t prepared to give - my phone number, and my age!! What on earth did they need that for?
So I declined those and he didn’t push it.

However some days later I had a letter from them, saying that without that information (phone number and my age), they were ‘unable’ to process my ‘application’!
The cheek of it!

Of course I should have written back, cancelling the whole thing and telling them why, but I never did get around to it.

It was the British legion in Morrisons yesterday. I do support them but only by putting money in a ‘tin’. I would have done so on this occasion but they didn’t want my money or card, just my bank details.
I pay to 3 charities of my choice regularly already and will not take on any more.
I’m presuming the charities have done their homework and this system works better for them but they didn’t get my details and they also didn’t get a donation. Surely if they didn’t sign me up then it would be in their interest to take some money off me?

I think all doorstop canvassing should be stopped. Like many others we choose which charities we donate to. I always tell them I never donate to anyone on the doorstep. Also I am always suspicious they may not be who they say they are. I do usually give in at the tills though.

We are in a no cold calling zone and it seems to work. We only get Jehovah's witnesses.

I donate to the village poppy lady but never to any other door to door canvassers.

Lighten up Monica..be alright. Let's face it, you're alright.

Your local authority trading standards officer will give you a notice, free of charge, for your door saying no cold callers. Anyone who calls is then breaking the law. You can report them to trading standards and they will investigate. They will also contact you to update you on progress.

I know this is difficult as I am a polite/empathetic person as well

But

I do not answer the door, even if they look into the room I am sitting in and knock the window

I had a similar incident as Allira had with the Red Cross. I had a monthly donation set up for NSPCC, not an enormous amount but suited me. The calls started asking me to increase the amount. First couple of times I refused politely. The final time the caller was very persistent and passive aggressive. I advised him that the only reason I was home to answer calls was because I was having chemo which made me very ill in itself. Off work for 12 months, money was getting tighter and I had no intention of increasing the payment. I resented having to justify my decision but I told him I was cancelling my donation so he could delete me from his database. Sorted,
but somewhat counter productive on his part !

If somebody comes to the door seeking donations, I say No and close the door. If they stop me in the street, I say No and walk on.
You don't have to be polite and you don't have to justify your refusal.
Be assertive. I have never understood why so many people apparently find this difficult.

We get the Jehovah’s Witnesses sometimes too Pamela. Annoying but at least they don’t ask for money!

No one should feel obliged to say anything to these charity collectors other than a firm “no thank you”.
We don’t have to justify to them why we will not be donating.

We are in a no cold calling zone with a sticker in our window and multiple cameras around our house. Doesn't seem to put them off.