Unsolicited charity Christmas cards

I collect them together and take them to our 'Pay what you can' Christmas Shop so that someone can use them at minimal cost. Couldn't just bin them or use to light the fire.

I usually get a few of these each year, sometimes with drinks mats, bookmarks etc. It makes me feel bad, especially the lovely ones that are painted by mouth. I can't give to everything.

I think the charities have done their maths, in the sense that they calculate they get a financial profit from this. What they have not done is to examine the psychology - they understand the guilt aspect that makes people pay for them, but not the irritation on receiving them that makes people put their charity on the list of those that they will not support.

I support the North West Air Ambulance and receive raffle tickets at this time of the year. Instead of them offering money as prizes why don't they plough this back into the charity and do away with the raffle tickets ? It doesn't make sense to me as they need all the funds they can get.
It's about £10,000 in prize money altogether-------unless they're confident that they can recoup it through the sale of tickets ?

This would be a ' Room 101' choice for me kitty.
Charities wasting money.

I can't stand the position some charity shops take to blast out heat but have to keep the door open.
Charities wasting more money. Grrrrr

This is not the first time I have mentioned the Charities Aid Foundation cafonline.org - hope the link works as I am wearing my technically-incompetent hat as usual. If you set up an account with anything from £10 per month upwards, they claim back the Gift Aid (if you are eligible) and add it to your account, and take a small contribution from it each month. Then you can send regular or one-off payments to your chosen charities and if you choose to do it anonymously, they don't know who you are and can't get at you with Christmas cards or anything else.

As for these 'free gifts', which still come from charities you may never want to support, I too just either use them (pens and notebooks) or send them back (cards). It has put me off supporting the Red Cross, although we haven't had anything from them for a while, so maybe they have rethought. The Cats' Protection League, on the other hand...

I don't use them as I don't send Christmas cards.
They get recycled without a second thought.

I presume the charity has worked out their costs and decided that blackmailing people into paying for something they didn't ask for leaves them with a profit. But it certainly doesn't make me feel sympathetic towards them. I rather think anyone who does send money is likely to be in the "older" age group.

I don't even attempt to send them back, never use the sticky labels or cards etc. I honestly can't remember when I ever received one of these cards from a friend or family member either. It doesn't do much to save the planet does it?

I have been known to carefully bundle up a couple of years' worth of free cards (the ones I'd never use anyway) and take them at the right time of year to a charity shop with a label saying '12 new Christmas cards' or whatever.
The shops have never said they don't want them.

I am afraid I use any unsolicited cards that come, (if I like them); if it advertises the charity, why not? The waste of the charity's money shocks me, but I suppose they rely on people feeling guilty and buying them. They must have an awful lot of money to lose.

Charities sending these cards play on the feelings of guilt of decent people. You don't want to send them back but you don't want to use them either but send a donation anyway. Like others I have certain charities I support - I wish I could support more but my finances don't allow it. I used to feel guilty about throwing away these cards but after investigating the salaries of some of those running the charities I no longer do

Slightly off topic but earlier this year I cancelled all my DD to the charities I have supported over the years, as my finances are going to take a huge hit when my H goes into care ,which will be very soon.
I will do one offs when I feel I can afford it and hope to still donate the winter fuel allowance.
The cards go in the paper bin.

To be honest, I'm cheesed off that I even have to think about it.

My dad receives lots of packs of cards every year . It annoys me something rotten . They’re usually rubbish quality and very expensive and guess what? He pays for them and doesn’t use them . I wouldn’t dare intervene . I’ve tried .

I use the note cards, not the Christmas ones but I don’t send any money. I also use the tea bags they send and the drinks mats.

We give to the YMCA each Christmas for youngsters who are homeless. There is a place where you can send a ONE OFF contribution and not be bombarded with appeals all year.

Another idea is just to wrap it in a piece of printer paper and stick the adress from the back onto the front only takes two secs to do

My envelope was torn badly too Kitty I bunged lots of sellotape over it and back it goes if it doesn’t arrive safely Ive tried They are not cards I would ever use and I don’t like throwing usuable things away

My envelop is not reusable and I don't have one they'd fit or I would orobably do that.

We usually get one or two each year. The first time I put back in the post box and contact the organisation requesting no more. If it happens the next year into the recycling they go. This practice must waste so much money, it certainly tries my patience.

I just write 'Return to sender, unsolicited goods' on the cards and put them back in the post box. Any surplus postage has to be paid by the charity.

If more people did that, it would discourage charities from sending them.

Totally agree, we've had two lots already this year. Such a waste of the charities funds. I can't bring myself to chuck them, I've put them away with the ones I bought in the January sales but won't be using them.

I dislike being sent them out of the blue too Kitty I also received apacket yesterday and will probably just put them back in the post box but I bet a lot of people just throw them away
What a waste all round