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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

in thinking that, if you donate to a charity, they should not send you letters asking for more money?

97 replies

LadySybilDeChocolate · 30/01/2012 15:55

I'm quite irritated to be honest. I have a monthly DD set up to a 'wildlife' charity. I'm being bombarded with emails and, today, I've received a letter asking me to increase my donation! AIBU to cancel the DD altogether?

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 30/01/2012 15:57

It's the reason I cancelled mine.

They know you're a softie so they start preying on that and sending awful sob stories and images...well they did in my case anyway.

Now I just give whenever I see fit but not by DD.

LaurieFairyCake · 30/01/2012 15:57

Unfortunately yabu. It's standard because usually 20% of the people contributing donate 80% of the money.

So its cheaper for them to chase you rather than start new revenue streams.

Original poster

LadySybilDeChocolate · 30/01/2012 15:58

That's ing! I'm going to cancel it.

OP posts:

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 30/01/2012 15:59

I agree....I used to have a DD for the RSPCA - it started off at £3/month and gradually crept up. They phoned me asking me to up it to £20....I cancelled the DD!!

I also had a phone call from cancer research a few weeks ago too. I did the Race for Life last year and raised about £700 for them. The guy asked me to set up a DD for them, I refused saying I didnt want to committ monthly but would fund raise as and when I could...he was quite insistent with me to the point it really annoyed me...I mean, I can either pay a fiver dd or fund raise and get them £700 or thereabout...not rocket science is it!

So no YANBU and when the RSPCA did this to me repeatedly, sadly I cancelled!

flowery · 30/01/2012 16:00

YANBU of course to cancel it if you want to. But the most lucrative source of funds for a charity is usually those who donate/have donated previously, which is why they are targeting their marketing this way. Same as any business really, easier to get more out of an existing customer than gain a new one.

You should be able to opt out of direct mailings if they bother you.

peeriebear · 30/01/2012 16:00

Greenpeace kept calling me to increase my DD... I cancelled in the end.

pinkappleby · 30/01/2012 16:01

I had a direct debit several years ago, when I had children I cancelled it as we were skint. They have wasted all the money I did give them chasing me up with raffkle tickets, stickers, christmas cards, sob stories and various other tat to convince me to support them again, and actually it means that I won't ever support them again.

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 30/01/2012 16:02

and whats going on with the coins and pens they send.....that must waste/cost a fortune too!

mosschops30 · 30/01/2012 16:03

I dont mind the letters asking me because i just shred them, but they did ring me a ouple of weeks ago, listened to her go on for about 10 minutes, despite me saying i was doing tea for the dcs, she then asked if i could donate £50 .
she then whittled it dwn and down before asking if i could up it to £4 a month, when i said no (again) she said 'you cant even afford to go up to £4' with a tone of horror in her voice.
I said no again and hung up

SecretMinceRinser · 30/01/2012 16:03

YABU imo. People who have already donated are more likely to donate more than people who have never donated are to start donating. They are just trying to get as much money for the cause as possible.
I just say that I'm not in a position to donate any more than I already do.

Original poster

LadySybilDeChocolate · 30/01/2012 16:04

It puts me off to be honest. I only set the DD up because ds asked his granny to adopt a penguin for him as a Christmas present and she didn't do it.

OP posts:

bruffin · 30/01/2012 16:04

There should be somewhere to tick on their software to say no correspondence.
Just ring them to say that you don't want contacting and it should stop.

NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes · 30/01/2012 16:05

We cancelled ours to the NSPPC because they were forever asking us for more and more money. It wasn't just letters it was phone calls as well, and it was very, very frequent and got quite upsetting.

We told them why we were cancelling, and we started to donate to BLISS instead. They occasionally write and say "if you could spare this, we can do that" but they have never once asked us for more than we give and they always thank us for the donation we are making.

A friend was giving £25 a month to Friends of the Earth and they wrote to ask him for more. He cancelled his payment.

If you cancel, make sure you tell them why you are doing it. YANBU.

annh · 30/01/2012 16:07

I am with you on this one. I donated to Crisis at Christmas and only a few weeks later got a call at home from them asking me to donate by DD each month. I really got a hard sell from the woman on the phone and was very irritated although I remained polite to her. it was only after I hung up that I remembered that I would never have given my home phone number on any correspondence and our number is ex-directory so f*&k knows how they got hold of it. Suffice to say that any money I do have next Christmas will be going elsewhere.

Forrestgump · 30/01/2012 16:08

We cancelled our payment to a cancer charity, after about 5 letters with a free pen to help us fill in the form came through the door! Ive set up with a different charity in its place, and the minute they ask for more, I will cancel that one too.

Original poster

LadySybilDeChocolate · 30/01/2012 16:08

I get sick of it. I can't walk through the city centre without being pounced on, I get begging emails and begging letters. I'm pleased I didn't give them my real phone number. Do you think there's someone who has the number 0123456789?

OP posts:

Onesunnymorningin2012 · 30/01/2012 16:08

YABU. If you don't want them to contact you then let them know; all reputable charities will listen to your wishes.

It is much, much cheaper for charities to ask existing supporters for funds than to find new supporters. It's a good use of limited funds.

redredruby · 30/01/2012 16:12

I can understand why it would irritate you but I think you would be unreasonable to cancel the DD as I assume you still support the aims of the charity.

The charities are simply trying to raise as much money as possible for their cause and you can always ask to be removed from their marketing list - unfortunately if the charities didn't ask, they wouldn't get as much money!

Gooshka · 30/01/2012 16:12

I ran Race for Life 3 times to raise money for Cancer Research UK and was fuming when I discovered they had canvassed every single one of my online sponsors to ask them for further donations (they had picked up their contact information from the Just Giving website). It actually put me off running it a 4th time as I think what they did was downright wrong - people donated in good faith, not to be hounded for even more money by cold callers. I do still give to charity as I do care about lots of different causes but on my terms. So, no, in my opinion YANBU.

NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes · 30/01/2012 16:13

"People who have already donated are more likely to donate more than people who have never donated are to start donating. They are just trying to get as much money for the cause as possible."

Even if this is the case, the OP is not being unreasonable to think they should stop 'bombarding' her or to cancel as they won't take no for an answer.

There is a big difference between being contacted every so often to be told your donation is appreciated while saying more is still needed if she can stretch to it and her feeling 'bombarded' by emails and telephone calls because they won't take no for an answer.

HexagonalQueenOfTheSummer · 30/01/2012 16:15

YANBU.

I did Race for Life last year and got a call towards the end of the year thanking me for taking part. And to pester me to set up a regular donation. I said no, but that I would be doing the Race for Life again this year and the caller got very arsey and said that that wasn't enough and that if I'd known anyone that needed that charity's help then I would be more generous. I ended up hanging up in disgust and needless to say will not be doing Race for Life this year if it pays the wages of twats like that!!

Original poster

LadySybilDeChocolate · 30/01/2012 16:16

Is there a way of donating anonymously? Ds wanted to support the penguins but my donation doesn't do this, it goes into the kitty doesn't it? They must use some of it for marketing.

OP posts:

DorothyGherkins · 30/01/2012 16:22

I wont donate to RSPCA now for this reason. Have had similar pestering from other charities in the past, and it is no longer a pleasure to give. I am very selective now in my donations, and much prefer giving to smaller more local charities that dont shout loudly with lots of advertising/employ chuggers/or make pester phone calls. But I have donated anonymously in the post before now, I just dont fill in the name address and contact details part. (Because I know what they will use them for!)

Rollersara · 30/01/2012 16:32

Am glad I'm not alone! I got really fed up with emails asking me to sponsor a snow leopard (I already sponsor a polar bear!) every day for over a week and letters in the post as well. It felt to me that they were using the sponsorship money I already gave them to bombard me with crap. Have not cancelled the DD yet but was very tempted!

exoticfruits · 30/01/2012 16:39

YANBU I hate it. It is also upsetting for elderly people-I keep having to tell my mother not to feel guilty that she can't save the world single-handedly!

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