Burkina Faso

Probably yes, annsixty.

I know almost nothing about Burkina Faso, apart from the fact that it is one of only three countries with a capital city beginning with the letter O. Oslo (Norway) and Ottawa (Canada) are the other two.

DH and I had a big water project in Burkina a couple of years ago, in Male province. Burkina is the third poorest country in the world, and DH came back and cried over the poverty but also the graciousness of the people he met. Several wells and latrines were built with the money we raised, which went via Rotary, not government. Yes, he has been to the Rotary club of Ougadougou! I can post some photos, if anyone is interested.

ann I am sorry to say that no I cant worry about all of these problems as I have enough on my plate with my lot and there is only so much my brain can take on at any one time. But can I say my FIL made the mistake of donating to certain charities and he has opened the flood gates to people pleading for money and I should do something about it and have words with some of the well known charities for their approach to a 79 yr old who gives what he can and has been subject to harassment asking for him to up his standing order, in fact I might just do it tomorrow.

ariadne I would be interested in seeing the photos , its good to see some of the work that is done for these Countries by Rotary. But I sometimes wonder where the money goes to through some of the well known Charities.

I agree, glass - my DH has always been generous in his donations to charity (on our joint behalf, but from his bank account), and we have noticed over the past couple of years we've been getting regular phone calls asking for the contributions to be upped. Fortunately DH is well able to fend off such requests - but I resent the fact that they actually do this.

nag my FIl is the nicest man you could imagine and it is breaking him in two to have to try to be polite on the phone and tell these charities that he cant afford any more and then they say well can you manage another 50p or £1

Exactly - it's tantamount to extortion - certainly it's harrassment.

nag is it down to the companies they use to generate funds, or do you think the charities are aware of the tactics that are used?

I don't know, glass - you'd think the charities would be aware, they must have had complaints. Perhaps we should look into this.

They are aware of these methods, at least McMillan are because I protested by email to them about a collector coming to my door with a clipboard, on a cold night when it was already dark. Their email in response was full of unconvincing self-justification. Now that they know my email address, they keep sending me requests which I'm afraid I have now consigned to my spam box. I would support McMillan if they stopped harassing me.

nag I think I will start a thread and see if we can get some info together to see if people are being harassed and by which charities.

Even charities have to refrain from contacting you if you are registered with TPS. I don't get charity calls or political canvassing either. If you are doing political canvassing by phone, you're strictly forbidden to ring anyone so registered.

anno TPS might be the answer for him, I dont know if my SIL has set it up for him, I know I haven't!

That's helpful, anno - we were registered with TPS but weren't aware that you had to renew it, and I'm afraid I've let it slide....

glass, you can set it up for him on line, if he has an email address. I had small dispute with sister and BiL who insisted that this was a paid-for service when I knew very well that it wasn't - you can't tell some people... so I went ahead and registered them! Then they had to admit I was right - a rare event!

I started my direct debit giving to my selected charities in the fond hope that they would then stop harrassing me. When I rang to remonstrate ,I was told that they do it because '' they get more from those who already give than from those who don't'' You can't win.

Even of you are on the TPS list charities can still contact you if you are already a donor or have otherwise been in contact with them. What the TPS stops is cold calling from organisations you have not had any dealings with and does not need to be renewed.

When charities I give/gave to ring me up I just reply 'I do not give money to charities that telephone me so this phone call has just lost you a donor'. It generally works a treat. If I already donate I wouldn't cancel a SO on the first call, but I would if they rang me again, there will always be another charity working in the same area I can contribute to instead.

DH gets regular calls from the 'boiler room' companies that try to get the unwary to invest in dud shares. He even had a letter from the Financial Services Authority warning him that he was on a list found in one of the offices they raided. He has been getting these calls for over 10 years and whenever we get one the call lasts as long as it takes to say 'I am not interested, Goodbye'. The TPS cannot stop them because all their calls come overseas

I don't even bother to listen to them. As soon as I realise what they want, I just hang up.

DH did that today and a minute later the guy rang back saying 'That was very rude'! DH then said No, this is very rude, GO AWAY, GO AWAY and put the phone down. He didnt ring back.

I wonder where I got the idea that you had to keep renewing TPS cover? I know I heard it somewhere - but it's good to know you don't. It doesn't stop the endless phone calls from people insisting I took out PPI several years ago, when I know I jolly well didn't!

There are rogue companies out there who ignore the TPS list and phone everybody. I too have had the phone calls about PPI and also one or two about claiming compensation for accidents, although I think who ever rang me had got confused as to which person with my name they actually wanted to speak to as DD and I share same first name and surname and she had recently been involved in a road accident.

I don't get many unwanted calls - I am ex-directory - but I do get plenty of texts telling me I am entitled to claim PPI compensation which I'm not; and texts offering to get me compensation for a car accident that I've never had. These always ask you to text No if you don't want this golden opportunity but if you do, you'll find a large sum on your mobile bill. So all that is needed is to delete them.

We get those calls at work, too! Why are they phoning a Company?