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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to hate being bothered by charity people!!?

78 replies

plasticface · 25/02/2011 16:05

I'm sure this is a much discussed topic but it really pisses me off!
Charity mugger just knocked on my door and "chatted" with me for bloody ages about a charity. I had just got dd to sleep made a cup of tea and settled down with a piece if cake and mn....dd woke up and my tea is less than boiling hot!
Now I'm left with an awake baby, not hot tea and feeling a bit guilty even though I already donate to 2 charities every month, (off my own back) and annoyed!!!
I hate them even more in the street, I would like to be able to relax when I'm walking through town without having to avoid bloody drama students running over to me with an overly sincere grin on their face asking for a "chat".
AAAAAghghhhghghghghg

OP posts:
Original poster
plasticface · 25/02/2011 16:06

I'm just assuming they are off duty drama students as no other breed of 18-25 year old is as annoyingly chatty. Sorry to non-annoying drama students.

OP posts:
Diablo82 · 25/02/2011 16:08

I don't engage anybody in conversation if they are canvassing door to door for business/donations. It is unfair pressure.

MavisEnderby · 25/02/2011 16:09

I agree.I donate to a couple of charities by dd,they are my own choice and I don't need pressganging into it by some overly cheerful studently type.Was also a bit Hmm when the Red Cross rang me the other day asking if I would like to donate to them.Actually I already do i told the woman.Surely they have a computer system or something that tells them who their donaters (is that a word?)are

FunnyLittleFrog · 25/02/2011 16:09

I was accosted by three different people working for the same charity on the same stretch of highstreet yesterday. Defintely a touch of 'resting' actor about them all.

Door to door is worse though - much harder to walk away!

littlebylittle · 25/02/2011 16:11

I know what you mean, but I manage to get rid fairly quickly. I tell the truth which is that all our giving gies to a particular charity so we're not in a position to set up any further standing orders, however small. If they continue after that, my next line is a fairly firm "i'm sorry, I have things to get on with before ds wakes up/the school run/tea time." They're human, the deadline gives a sense of urgency and my first line makes it a lost cause anyway. With other cold callers I have a straight, and also true"we never buy anything, ever in response to cold callers." works with phone too. They do seem to respect the truth put politely but firmly.

PigValentine · 25/02/2011 16:11

MavisEnderby most large charities will call their regular supporters and ask them to upgrade their giving at occasional intervals.

I know that it is annoying and some people will not respond to it, but charities do door to door and street fundraising as it is a proven method of recruiting supporters. If you are not interested and have no intention of signing up, just say so and shut the door.

Vallhala · 25/02/2011 16:11

Agreed. i've just had two knocks on the door in the space of half an hour which have caused wet, muddy dogs to come dancing through the house before I'd dried them off, only to find a milkman selling his service and a double glazing salesman on the doorstep. Grrrr!

These were particularly annoying as 1. I don't drink milk and 2. I don't own the house I live in. :o

I do have muddy floors now though! :(

WRT charities I contribute to a children's cancer charity and some dog rescue ones. That's myu limit and that's what chuggers get told before they even start.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 25/02/2011 16:12

door to door is the easiest of all.

Don't open it.

look through the window / spy hole / lean down from the upstairs window with a mirror if you have to Grin

And don't open the door.

Job done.

sparkle1977 · 25/02/2011 16:13

Quite agree with you. We don't get many door to door canvassers but our local town is littered with them. I can walk from my work into town about five mins away and get caught by no less than four of these people in one trip. Pees me off no end.

I just try and cross the pavement to avoid them, failing that look at the floor and avoid all eye contact and they usually chose some other unlucky soul to harrass. If I do get caught I just smile, say "No thanks" and carry on walking.

littlebylittle · 25/02/2011 16:13

Not that it happens often, but I think after two polite responses I have very much earnt the right, if I needed to, to shut door, hang up or walk on.

nancy10 · 25/02/2011 16:16

Luckily we don't have them call at our house (we are quite remote.) But I get sick of them in the street. In our local town you can hardly move for people wanting you to answer surveys, change your electricity supplier, donate to this charity etc
I'm all for giving to Charity but not where they pester you. I actually say to them now, that I make a point of not giving to those charities that hound people. That shuts them up!

littlebylittle · 25/02/2011 16:16

Pigvalentine, strangely , when "our" charity calls for an upgrade we usually say yes. Feels different and less cheeky when we already have history with the charity. And they're clever enough just to ask for a couple of pounds a month extra and are always polite and non pushy.

CalamityKate · 25/02/2011 16:16

As soon as it becomes apparent that they're after donations/selling something, just cut them off with "No thank you" and shut the door.

You don't have to wait for them to pause in their spiel and you don't have to wait for a response to your "No thank you" before shutting the door.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 25/02/2011 16:17

I do try to not be rude to them. But one caught me at a bad time the other day. Practically chasing me Grin and asking "Do you care about wildlife" while I am trying to keep hold of my 2 children AND push the shopping trolley towards the car park (we were at the supermarket)

I said "Yes. But not enough to give you my money" and walked off, ds1 in one hand, ds2 in the other hand and pushing the trolley with my stomach and steering it with an elbow!

He really should have taken one look at that and not even tried Grin

Original poster
plasticface · 25/02/2011 16:17

I did tell him but it's hard to get a word in! They must be trained to talk really fast.

OP posts:
Original poster
plasticface · 25/02/2011 16:18

I generally am quite rude too.

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edwardcullensotherwoman · 25/02/2011 16:23

I can't stand these people - on the doorstep or on the street. Even if I did want to donate to the charity they're representing, I wouldn't be handing over my account details to a complete stranger on my doorstep, let alone in the street!

We don't have many door to doors by us (yet, it's a new development), but there were some window and conservatory salespeople up here the other day Hmm a group of 6 of them, for about 20 houses. Can't imagine they'd have had many sales really - mine is one of the oldest houses at the grand old age of 18 months Hmm They're not expensive but not that badly built!!

sungirltan · 25/02/2011 16:24

yanbu. i am totally fed up of the chuggers in plymouth. i walk the same route 2/3 timesa week and its the same people in their logo anoraks trying to corner me. recently one of them purposefully put his hand on the hood of my pram to stop me. i was bloody furious and since then all chuggers get a firm NO!!!

i have said no to so many i acutally apologised once and said 'look i'm really sorry, its nothing peronsal i just get ahrrassed by you guys all the time' chuuger girl promptly said 'oh its not harrassment its.......blah blah charity speel' - apology revoked!

edwardcullensotherwoman · 25/02/2011 16:24
  • any sales really
edwardcullensotherwoman · 25/02/2011 16:26

Hmm and Angry at "oh its not harrassment" sungirltan , well, actually it is, because you're forcing some spiel on my uninvited and won't take no for an answer/let me walk past!

edwardcullensotherwoman · 25/02/2011 16:27

that comment was directed at the chuggers, not you btw sungirltan, sorry Blush

FunnyLittleFrog · 25/02/2011 16:29

Not charity but when DD was very small and I was strugging to get her to nap in the daytime for more than 30 seconds we had a spate of visits from local Jehova's Witnesses. Waking up a sleeping baby and pissing off a frazzled mother does not exactly convey a message of peace and love.

nancy10 · 25/02/2011 16:30

I wonder how many people actually agree in the street to donate to a charity? What annoys me the most is that many ask for a specific amount and don't take any less??? The charities I donate to are happy with any donation however big or small.

Original poster
plasticface · 25/02/2011 16:34

I'm glad it's not just me! I take it that I'm not being unreasonable?

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hockeyforjockeys · 25/02/2011 16:41

I actually did this job for a short time when I was a hard up student (door to door). I can't bloody stand them either, however the reason they are so persistent is that it is all done on commission, you only get paid if you get a certain amount of donations. I did it for two weeks, and then the charity in question turned round and refused to pay me because I had almost no sign ups (they also mentioned that they had concerns about giving in my particular part of the country and admitted they really struggled there, didn't let me know that in the first place!). What really annoyed me was that it was a children's charity that I would have been eligible to of been helped by a couple of years prior, but they were still happy to exploit me.