To detest charity muggers...

[pecanpie]

You know, the ones who accost you on the street for £2/month where over half goes into administration costs. I feel like I am running the gauntlet every time I walk from the tube station to work. There was even an attempt to accost me between the Royal Free Hospital and the tube station - it's not even in Central London! Even worse, I now get similar house calls. I can't escape these 'chuggers' and above all, think it's so intrusive that they come after me at home - literally like being mugged on your doorstep! Whatever happened to good old junk mail?

Should be illegal in my opinion...Anyone willing to help me mount a campaign?!

[Shoesytwoesy]

yanbu I hate them , bloody parasites

[TakeMeDrunkImHome]

Me Me Me! Hate them. I am more than happy to make a donation but they are not allowed to accept these. I am not standing in the street giving my bank details to an on commission chugger. Nor explaining the reasons why I can't afford a monthly outgoing. It does the charity no favours IMO.

[Onemorning]

I work for a charity. 'Chuggers' sign up around 600k new people every year and raise millions for a huge variety of charities.

Not everyone responds to direct mail (not junk mail), or telephones, or door to door or people shaking tins. So charities tend to do a mix of fundraising activity to get the best return.

YANBU for not liking chuggers, it's really horses for courses. Personally I can't stand tin shaking (and it's hugely administratively costly / can't claim Gift Aid)

YABU for wanting to start a campaign to stop them, because they do a lot of good work.

[theyoungvisiter]

Presumably the charities find it's worthwhile or they wouldn't employ them so no - I don't think it should be illegal.

But I just politely say I don't sign up to street/doorstep chuggers on principle but will happily do so via the charity website. They are usually fine about this.

[meditrina]

I can't quite believe that anyone would give bank details to a group f strangers on the street just because they're wearing tabards.

If it's a cause I might support, I ask for a leaflet to take away to think about at a convenient time. That often just puts tilt lights on though.

[belledechocchipcookie]

There's one different charity in the city centre every day here. I'm not joking, it's rediculous. I'd just like a day where I can walk without having someone jump at me to take the very little of my cash that I have to spare. Is this too much to ask?

[Onemorning]

SugarPasteFrog, have you thought about complaining to the charity? That is an appalling way to treat someone.

[bubblecoral]

YANBU.

However I find the people who respond to chuggers far more annoying, because without them, the rest of us wouldn't be targeted. Thet should get off their arses and donate to their chosen charity without the need for people in the street to make it easy for them.

[fedupofnamechanging]

I always tell them now, that if they feel that strongly about it, to donate their salary!

I had a cold caller today offering to buy old gold. He left a flyer in my letter box, then called back a couple of hours later like the junk mail wasn't irritating enough. Fucker got me out the bath and everything.

[Onemorning]

LOL at bubblecoral. If only people would give without asking, that'd be fabulous.

karma, people gotta eat, even if they're charity fundraisers!

[Onemorning]

I meant without being asked, obviously.

[amberleaf]

I prefer to donate to smaller charities that dont pay people to recruit new sponsers.

who was too busy being all wacky and zany to take any notice of where she was galumphing

Thats what irritates me most about them, all that fake 'woohoo im mad me' crap desperately trying to get your attention when they know you are trying hard to avoid them.

[amberleaf]

• What i mean is smaller charities that cant afford to pay people to recruit new sponsers.

[LRDTheFeministDragon]

Can you not just say no while you walk past? And avoid eye contact?

I find them annoying too - and some of them really make their charities look bad because they cat-call if you don't engage with them - but, sorry, I am not going to give them my bank details so I am wasting their time as well as time if I stop.

[Lunabelly]

I think we should be allowed to boil chuggers and doorsteppers in oil and eat them for our tea.

[Fifis25StottieCakes]

all you need to say after they have talked for 5 minutes is 'sorry i dont have a bank account' and watch them try to get away from you

[Riveninside]

Its a job. Dd did it for a bit and said it was awful. But a job is a job

[YankNCock]

LRD, the ones around Holborn won't let you walk past whilst avoiding eye contact. They jump in front of you being all 'zany' and jog backwards until you are forced to dodge around them. I used to dread going out at lunchtime, walking only 20 metres and being accosted by 3 different chuggers when just trying to nip out for a sandwich!

[2cats2many]

I hate them and I hate people who come to the door. I live in London and they are so bloody aggressive. I support a lot of different charities in my own small way and just don't need a 'wacky' student to accost me on the street or on my own doorstep.

It gives charities a really bad name, IMO.

[TakeMeDrunkImHome]

Ah yes Riveninside but the point is that they don't treat it like a job. I mean I sell beds. I don't jump out from behind lampposts trying to sell you a bed. I don't bounce around the street, tugging on your arm when you are on the 'phone or being "wacky" trying to sell beds. That's my job, it feeds me and my kid, end of. Chuggers behave as if they really really REALLY dig the cause of the charity and feel so strongly about it..yet the next day they are wearing a different tabard for a different charity...and still bouncing and being soooo check me out im wacky.

(Wanna buy a bed )?

[2cats2many]

Did anyone see Sean Lock on channel 4 the other day? He came up with a new word for them : 'Chunts'

[pecanpie]

Yank - absolutely right. There's a street I walk down every lunchtime and there are a good 3 or 4 chuggers along it - that's in addition to my route to the tube station am and pm. Why should I have to make huge efforts to avoid these people every day? So frustrating!