To think the Co op should not allow this?

Omg I hate this. I was in Tesco recently and there was some woman from the RSPCA shouting out continually "do you care about animals?“ I wanted to shout back" yes, hence why I don't support the RSPCA".

Its harassment. Especially when it's the poxy RSPCA. Not once have they ever helped when I've called them about a suffering animal. My old neighbours used to keep a German shepard and rottweiler locked in a garage all day every day. He'd regularly go out and kick them if they annoyed him. Poor things barked all day. RSPCA told me that "it is mild cruelty, so we can't act". Absolute bunch of cunts.

Just say no thanks or tell them you already donate to various charities…it’s hardly a big issue.

Just start giving bad google reviews to the charities who use slimy sleazy rude charity muggers. Then the CEO will actually start paying attention. Looking at you, BREAST CANCER NOW! I can assure you that as a woman in my 40s I know more about breast cancer than a 20 year old guy with too much gel in his hair and 2 GCSEs max conducting himself like a used car salesman.

Ditto for shops that allow charity muggers inside their premises. Slam a bad google review on the shop. Then the manager/franchise owner will actually see it. When a business' google star rating goes down, it causes them actual issues. No point sending a strongly worded email that no-one will see. Make your displeasure PUBLIC AS FUCK!

The important thing you have to remember is that at least the first year of donations go to pay the chugger.So it’s not a good way of your donation helping charity in the first place.
Most chuggers don’t last long anyway so really you are just aiding and abetting the private company increase their profits.

@AugustAlready thats interesting and something I would absolutely do rather than setting up a direct debit

i've had a few doorstep charities that I would give a one off donation to but not an ongoing donation but they’ve said no

think this is the way they should go

It’s terrible, I don’t really understand why charities do it unless it’s massively lucrative which I doubt. I don’t know why shops permit it in their doorway - actually discourages me from going in.

I always make a mental note never to contribute to the charities that do it.

They get my goat (absolutely preying on the vulnerable for donations = their commission/salary) and I don’t even give them the curtesy of eye contact or any interaction usually. But one particularly annoying one bounced over with his ‘aren’t I so charming you can’t resist engaging with me’ air and said how nice and friendly I looked. I replied that “I’m not, I’m a serial killer on the l look out for my next victim, but please don’t tell anyone” (maybe I took it too far! 😬)

Exactly. They don’t bother me one bit.

I don't think they got the memo!! Or find a work around! But that's interesting to know, I'll keep it in mind for any being obnoxious!!

@OnTheBoardwalk

the ones local to me tend to have the option to sign up or just make a donation. I usually make a donation on the card machine they have. I tend to assume as they're in Waitrose foyer they are legit.

@PreciousMahoney

i had that too, I thought it was SO rude, so I just shrugged & said 'well that's unfortunate isn't it' & walked off!

my local supermarket is Waitrose & there's invariably a charity set up in the doorway.

I suppose I'm not helping things as I do usually give them some kind of donation.

it pisses me off though when I say I have a regular payment to their charity & I know they don't believe me. I only say it when it's true, but I suppose they must get lots of people lying about it.

Am I the only person who thought you meant people chugging beer?
I always smile and acknowledge the charity people but say I am subscribed up to the eyeballs and can't manage any more.

One once shouted after me 'don't you care about disabled children then?' after I politely declined to hand over my bank details. I was working as a school nurse in a special school at the time!

What I dont understand is do people actually stop and set up a direct debit with them??

they must be making a lot of money out of it to pay all the chuggers but really?

there must be a lot of direct debits being set up to pay for it

There are conditions in the licence to collect in public places that collectors should remain in one place (not blocking doorways or access or endangering the public) and not approach people. They must be respectful and tell you at the start of the conversation that they are collecting for the named charity. It's up to the public to approach them. If you feel harassed you should report the incident to the charity and also the fundraising regulator.

Ugh. They were very prolific in one town I lived in. It was a very ‘naice’ SE town in the Herts commuter belt and they’d have 5/6 on the small high street.

Not quite the same but one company I worked for used to allow the people selling Victoria Jackson make up on the premises and it pissed the customers off no end. It was particularly ridiculous as I worked at a public transport interchange. Who is going there to buy make up?

People who are paid to persuade unsuspecting victims to sign up for a standing order to a charity.

I just smile at them, with eye contact, and keep on walking by.

"Do you care about the elderly?"
Smile and walk!

"Do you like animals?"
Smile and walk!

"Do you want to help beat cancer?"
Smile and walk!

What are chuggers?

I always put in a tin and say no to direct debts. I hate people accessing my bank account.
I worked for a hospice and 30% of their revenue came from direct donations.
My husband's work do a set donation each month and he ticks the charities he supports each year.

The Fundraising Regulator investigates complaints about fundraising practice. I'd highly recommend complaining about some of the behaviours mentioned here. Chuggers/face to face fundraisers get given insane targets, rarely get decent training on what they're not allowed to do, lots of charities use agencies, and rogue volunteers are a problem too, so it's a bit of a Wild West.

www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/complaints

do you love animals?

1. Yes, deep fried
2. no, can't stand them

I have only bit back once at one of these coming out from morrisons. He basically walked alongside me on my way out nattering on about the children’s charity (a very large, worldwide one) and how for a small monthly donation I could help x amount of children etc. so I snapped at him and said you are keeping me from feeding my own children right now. He seemed a bit taken aback like no-one had ever got annoyed with him before which was a bloody wonder because he might have been one of the most irritating people I’ve ever come across in person.
I didn’t and still don’t feel guilty. Ask if you absolutely must but take no for an answer!
I don’t answer the door to any that come knocking. I don’t even try to pretend I’m not in either, it’s clear I’m choosing to ignore them. And they always knock when I’ve just put the toddler to bed the bastards.

You think that's bad; outside my local Co-op there are homeless/druggies/tramps sitting/lying outside half-obstructing the doorway in.