Charities grabbing you at exits in stores!

[MonroeM]

I hope this is in the correct place to ask this, if not then apologies.

For the last 15 years at least I have made regular donations to 3 charities of my choice and very happy to continue. I also donate unwanted goods and clothes etc. to charity shops and buy all kinds of everything from those shops too.

Lately I have noticed the fund raisers have started to set up their stalls inside stores but at the exits so customers can not avoid them. If they stood there and not tried to grab me that would be one thing but I do resent it when I know they are watching and waiting for me to pack my shopping. I can feel their eyes on me.

What are your thoughts on this? Maybe there are some charity fund raisers here but does it annoy anyone else as it does me?

I had one come to my door not long ago. Even though I have a sign up that says no door knocking for sales etc.

Anyway he was raising money for a charity for an illness that one of my dc has. I told him this and that with the cost of their medical expenses I didn't have spare money. He continued on that whatever I could manage would help and I could sign the form for this month and then decide next month what I could afford, in very vague terms. He avoided saying monthly direct debit and tried to make it sound like he was asking for a one off donation.

I lost my shit with him and asked him what didn't he understand about my medical costs given he was raising money for children LIKE MY DS and that he was a dirty con man trying to dupe me into an ongoing dd. Slammed the door in his face. I made a complaint to the charity too.

I don't know why anyone is polite to these people. I either ignore them completely or bark "not interested" at them whilst continuing to walk. I don't even give them the time of day.

For the vast majority of the DD Ones you have to be 25+ it seems. Every time I get stopped I’m queried on age before they start the pitch and have found 24 is always not quite enough.
I’ve been 24 for years now. One day it’s going to catch up with me and not work any more.
It is frustrating though-I can get stopped on our local high street on the way to and from collecting/taking my son to nursery four times in a day. Wears thin when they are there for weeks.

try, "I don't have a bank account as I am Moomin Papa"

I swear one day I am going to stride up to a chugger and loudly say
"My sort code is 25 60 30, my account number is 12365734885856, please take 100 a month"
How the hell can they make you prove that those are your bank details or not. If they ask to see a bank card, say "no, sorry don't carry it round as it's a security risk"

I had a phone call once from save the children asking me to donate via dd, i tried to be polite by explaining that as it was only a couple of days before xmas & i was a single mum of 2 on benefits (was true at that time) that I wasn't in a position to help, he said "oh its ok you can start with as little as £5 per month and increase it when your situation improves"

I tried politely explaining that i really couldn't afford to sign up to anything, but i lost it when his tone changed to being rather abrupt & saying "well how would you feel if it was one of your children who needed saving?" I told him to go fuck himself and slammed the phone down not my finest moment, but as i said it was a couple of days before xmas and I really was a single mum to 2 kids and on benefits at the time so was already worrying about money

Yes it is very annoying, especially when you tell them that you are in a hurry and do not have time and they still waffle on saying it won't take a minute.
I do give to charity and I don't want hassling about it.

I got fed up telling them that I couldn’t set up a monthly direct debit as some months I just can’t afford any extra outgoings, as they just wouldn’t listen to me and would keep on saying “if you go without a coffee a week you could afford it” etc etc.

Now I have resorted to making myself sound like a complete arse holes by reading their aprons/banners before they approach me and as soon as they start talking I say I don’t like whatever charitable thing they are supporting.
NSPCC- sorry I don’t like children.
Guide dogs for the blind- sorry I don’t like dogs.
Vision aid- sorry I don’t like the blind.
Shelter- sorry I don’t like the homeless.

It makes me sound like an absolute prick, but it always stops them in their tracks, and rather than trying to persuade me to support their charity regardless, they just move on to the next person.

I either do a comedy veer round them, or just say No quite loudly. The other thing I find is a whiny toddler is a good deterrent

Recently our local Aldi had charity collectors actually in store next to the shelf behind the checkouts where you pack your shopping and they would harras you whilst packing and if you declined their chit chat then you would have to do so in front of all the other shoppers standing at the tills.

As soon as they say an opening line, I put my hand up and say no thanks and carry on! They don't ever get the chance to say more than 'excus...' 'hello' 'do you have a minute'
One stopped my young brother once, who was like a dear in head lights...I marched over and grabbed him, hand in the face to the tosser trying to manipulate a young teen and not politely said 'not today love'
My poor brother was horrified at this stranger hustling him in the street 😡
I don't give the time of day to the charity stalls or the RAC/SKY/we can save you money on bills type 🙄🙄🙄
I was cornered years ago as a young 18 year old by a gypsy with lucky heather, she had me cornered good and proper against a shop window with no where to turn and a promise of a life curse if I didn't buy the heather for £2....that taught me a hard lesson thy day 🤣🤣🤣

Two days after DH died from lung cancer I had to go to Tesco and the chap from Cancer Research was flogging their lottery draw thing (I think, want really paying much attention). He stopped me and said something like "did you know that we are winning the fight against cancer" and I snapped. I was in floods of tears, DS told him that they obviously went because his dad had just died from it, and the bloke still tried to get me to sign up to a direct debit saying it would be in DH's memory

I walked off upset, but didn't report it because I wasn't in any fit state to rehash it to anyone else at the time.

If I was running a business and obviously if I legally had a say.
I wouldn't allow them to stand outside my shop. It's bloody off putting to customers.
They shouldn't be stopping people.
it's not only harassment but an invasion of privacy when people have to say "they can't afford it."
It also annoys the fuck out of me. Annoys to the political of steam coming out my ears and veins coming out of my neck when millionaire celebrities ask "ordinary" people to donate to charities...That's another thread, though.
I don't often explain myself but I think it's needed in this instance. It sounds like I've got a swinging brick for a bloody heart here.
I do donate to charities. I'll donate items to charity shops. Buy from charity shops.

My local hospital often has a local cancer hospice charity at the door. I'd been for an appointment at the hospital and was in a lot of pain and I got pounced on whilst leaving. I managed to fend the man off, although he was very loud and I felt like he was putting on a show for other people.

In my hurry to get by I forgot to pay for my parking and I had to back past him to pay and then again past him to get out. And he accosted me every single time despite the hospital being busy and there were plenty of other people about.

I

I just stare at them and ignore them when they try to accost me. Works for me.

@AndNoneForGretchenWieners that's awful. So sorry that happened. And so angry on your behalf.

Just had a catch up on this thread and yes as I said, they have an answer for almost anything!

One day I was running a few mins late for my dentist appointment and had to take a short cut past these chuggers. Yes I was stopped and when I said I was on the way to a dental appt. and was late I know they didn't believe me.

Yet another one was about to stop me so I faced her and picked up her lanyard to have a closer look. It flummoxed her for a second then she said with a laugh "oh do you want my job then?"

I said not likely and moved away.

What about fundraising at work where you have to join in or be ostracised? Just as bad. I can choose my own charities, thank you.

I just ask them what percentage of my direct debit goes to helping the actual dogs/cats/cancer research/whatever and what percentage goes to paying the wages of the employees like them trying to sign people up

Re. Street ones, I did once say I'd sign up to his if he'd sign up to mine...he called my bluff sadly.

I hate them! I've complained before when one of them loudly shouted that he would help me with the door (I was weighed down with heavy bags) before physically blocking it and continuing to talk at me after I had said no. These days I tell them I am only 16 - I'm very obviously not, their confusion usually gives me enough time to get away

In our local coop they don't approach or talk to customers unsolicited. I'm happy to put the odd £1 in the tin and pass a polite comment.

Doesn't bother me, but they don't harass people. I would complain if they did.

That is one of the reasons I wear my ear buds when I go shopping, I don't have music on, but they don't know that. I shop in morrisons & the charity grabbers always position themselves at the end of the aisle where you have no choice to walk after the checkouts, that is after you have dodged the AA & RAC in the entrance.

Just a quick "I don't give to charities who hassle me" should do for most occasions.

And I agree about those damned car washing people who approach you EVERY time you pull up on a supermarket carpark. Thankfully I only have to encounter them when I visit the larger stores and not my local ones.

“I give directly through work - it’s more tax efficient.”

Stops them in their tracks (and used to be true...moved work and now it’s my own DDs but still a good line).