Cancelling a children's charity direct debit

[Ginderella]

In May, I set up a direct debit to pay a well known children's charity £2 a month. For the last month or so I have had daily phone calls asking me to increase the amount. I have asked them not to contact me anymore but it hasn't made any difference.

AIBU to cancel this payment because I am pissed off with the amount of phone calls?

[CloudsAndTrees]

Daily phonecalls?

Two would be enough to make me want to cancel it. YANBU!

[Sparklingbrook]

I cancelled my £2 a month to a charity for the same reason. The £2 wasn't covering the cost of them writing to me and ringing me to increase the amount all the time.

[ImagineJL]

I would tell them that if the phone calls continue you will cancel your direct debit. Given them one last chance,

[ananikifo]

YANBU. I've had really bad experiences with direct debits to charities. They ask for more and more, and there is so much guilt involved in stopping the payments. DH and I had to limit our budget and we absolutely needed to stop the payments but you still feel awful doing it. From now on I would only make one-off payments.

[LittleBearPad]

I had a similar experience with a well known children's charity. They kept ringing until I told them to delete my telephone number immediately.

[NickyNackyNooNoo]

YANBU - I've had exactly the same, I got fed up off the constant calls asking to increase my donation. In the end I cancelled and I now give to 2 local hospices one for children.

I still got calls and very politely explained why I had cancelled and to remove my number from their list.

[Happymum22]

YANBU and I hope your write to the charity formally and tell them why you have withdrawn donation, it is important these people realise.

My poor DM donated to the cancer charity who had helped my DF in his last few weeks. Once they recieved her cheque they phoned her regularly asking if she wanted to set up a direct debit. DM got very upset as she simply couldn't afford this and felt she hadn't done enough to 'repay' the wonderful nurses who had helped DF. She was really cut up about it all for some time.

[Jan49]

I have a direct debit for "a well known children's charity". In the first few years, they used to phone me sometimes and ask me to increase it or send me letters with forms showing an increased amount and ask me to increase it or phone and ask to talk to me about work they were doing, which I think would lead to a request for an increase but I always said I was busy and couldn't talk. But they probably phone me about once a year. And I've just realised that I changed my number last year so they only have my address and I'll keep it that way.

I think I'd cancel it if they keep phoning. You could give them one last chance, phone and say you want to be taken off the list of people they phone and if they phone again you will cancel.

I hesitated over setting up a DD as it didn't seem a very high amount. They claim it's because it's money they can rely on rather than as and when donations which they can't rely on, but I'm not sure that makes sense as you can cancel a DD at any time. I wonder if what they really rely on is people increasing the amount of the DD when requested to.

[jellybeans]

I have the same issue with well known charity. I get emails saying by the time you read this five children will have died. It really annoys me as I do what I can for several charities. Most of them do this though to be honest. It does give you a bad feeling though.

[Iaintdunnuffink]

Yanbu to be pissed off with the amount of phone calls. If you've had frequent phone calls and have stated that you don't want any more, then cancel and explain why. Then say clearly you want no more contact from the charity, by post, email phone.

If you think you've been a little vague and want to continue giving, then tell them no more phone contact and give them one more go. Then cancel your direct debit and explain why.

[travailtotravel]

Write to the CEO and let him/her know - best practice is that your contact record should be updated as per your request.

I can tell you who to call if you want to PM me the charity.

[HooverFairy]

I've got the same problem, the woman on the phone made me feel awful and as if the money I already give is useless. I told them to stop requesting an increase and threatened to cease my donations, so far it's worked and I haven't heard from them since. If they ring and do it again I'll cancel without a second thought.