Gransnet forums

Charities

AIBU

(68 Posts)
annsixty Wed 23-Nov-16 15:56:52

Last week I was shopping and paying by card. The total was £43;30. when I handed my card over the assistant asked if I would like to round it up to £44 for charity. I declined as I thought it was very inappropriate to be asked at the till,I felt sorry for the girl who I assume has been told to ask everyone. If asked at every shop I use and it could be anything up to a £ each time it could be expensive. Has this happened to anyone else?

Grannyknot Wed 23-Nov-16 16:01:37

That sounds a bit like "chugging" (charity mugging) and I would find it immensely annoying. I give to my charities, chosen by me, without being prompted.

So I think YANBU.

merlotgran Wed 23-Nov-16 16:03:16

Good Lord! I haven't come across this before. I think I'd be tempted to ask if the charity was the staff Christmas knees-up.

ninathenana Wed 23-Nov-16 16:08:27

That's out of order.

harrigran Wed 23-Nov-16 16:31:08

YANBU, cheeky in my view. Charity is big business now.

Christinefrance Wed 23-Nov-16 16:38:50

I agree with Grannyknot, I will choose my charity and don't want to be harassed at the checkout.

Luckygirl Wed 23-Nov-16 16:40:24

This happens online sometimes too.

grannypiper Wed 23-Nov-16 16:48:38

what a cheek.I too would have declined.

Jalima Wed 23-Nov-16 17:16:47

YANBU
Which supermarket was doing that? Cheeky.
Generally supermarkets won't allow charity collectors into the store, they are only allowed to stand outside in the cold and wet.

I was asked in TK Maxx a while ago if I wanted to pay an extra £1 for a charity.
I said no.

The only time I donate in the supermarket is if the Scouts are packing my shopping for me!

Or those plastic tokens you can drop into the slot of your chosen charity (how does that work?).

Jalima Wed 23-Nov-16 17:17:56

How would we know that the extra money was going to charity anyway?

annsixty Wed 23-Nov-16 17:38:58

It was Notcutts Garden centre which some on here will know.
I don't know how national they are.
I also can't remember if a charity was named.

Jalima Wed 23-Nov-16 17:39:45

hmm
I can't remember what TK Maxx were collecting for

janeainsworth Wed 23-Nov-16 17:43:47

Both the Co-op and Waitrose 'donate' to charities.
I doubt whether that's coming out of the Chief Executives' salaries.
It's coming out of our pockets through higher prices, or out of workers' pay packets. If the stores weren't busy trying to make us think better of them by donating to charity, they could pay their staff higher wages.
Yes Ann I have been asked at till-point to donate to charity and I said no. Can't remember which shop.

Jalima Wed 23-Nov-16 17:50:14

Tesco have started the token scheme now, their tokens are blue.

Pippa000 Thu 24-Nov-16 06:29:32

When I buy on line I go through 'Easy Fund Raising' which many many shops are signed up to and I chose my GC school to get the money. Other than that like many have said I choose who to donate to and will not be tempted by others especially at this time of the year when there seems to be so many around asking.

glammanana Thu 24-Nov-16 07:57:37

We where asked to round up to the next $ when we where in Las Vegas this year they where holding their Red Nose day and all shops participated we gave just once I think about $4s after that we declined

Nana3 Thu 24-Nov-16 08:11:33

I was asked for a pound for the Prince's Trust in Home Sense which is TK Maxx. I'm afraid I gave it, sorry everyone, I'm such a pushover.

FarNorth Thu 24-Nov-16 08:33:21

The tokens are votes for how the store will use the money raised by charging for carrier bags.

NanaandGrampy Thu 24-Nov-16 09:08:34

If you order from Pizza Hut online , prior to paying it asks if you would like to round up your total for their selected charity. I think EBay does it also .

Luckygirl Thu 24-Nov-16 09:12:28

I admire what the Prince's Trust does, but think he has enough dosh to keep it going himself, so it would not be top of my list for a donation!

yggdrasil Thu 24-Nov-16 09:30:33

If I pay cash in a shop, and get a few pence change, I usually put it in the charity pot they have by the till. This seems to me the same thing now so many payments are made by card. You just say no if you don't want to.

Thingmajig Thu 24-Nov-16 10:06:03

I've never come across this before either but I wonder if it was for Children in Need??? Still, if so ... or whatever charity they were collecting for ... they should have had big notices up in the shop and certainly around the tills to warn people.

Cheeky articles!

radicalnan Thu 24-Nov-16 10:14:04

I am very against official charities now, you don't know how much actually gets through to the front line of the cause.......

I am despairing of charity shops and what they pay their retail directors etc.........also all the ot her high paid people at the top of everything.

I will donate to Lifeboats as I know the people at the sharp end do so as volunteers and need the best equipment but, the rest of them leave me rather cold now I know what the executives get paid.

moobox Thu 24-Nov-16 10:15:01

I never quite understood why gift aid admission to charitable places meant increased cost at the till, when I felt I was contributing just by paying the already large admission fee. I am happy to agree to the tax break, but not if it costs more on the door. I am not sure if this is still the case, but I have certainly come across it in recent years.

vampirequeen Thu 24-Nov-16 10:18:44

I've come across this. It happens in garages that have Tesco Express attached. I hate it because you have to make a public declaration that you're not giving your 'spare' change to charity. The card machine does it and won't let you continue until you press the right button to cancel it (t isn't clear which one). At least when it's online no one sees you say no.

I feel horrible every time it happens.