AIBU?
Phone calls from charities after you've donated by text message
CruCru · 08/05/2013 21:52
I have recently donated to some charities by text message (super convenient and I don't have to talk to a person). However, the salespeople charity donation people keep ringing me to try to get me to donate more. It puts me off donating. AIBU? Today I had four missed calls on my mobile and when I called them back, it was a recorded message from a charity.
xigris · 08/05/2013 21:55
YNBU. I've had the same problem recently; made a donation then a really hard sale, guilt trip phone call. I'm on mat leave at the moment and on a really right budget so unfortunately I can't give more at the mo. I think they're shooting themselves in the foot tbh as I'll think twice about text donation again.
thefirstmrsrochester · 08/05/2013 22:00
There is new legislation regarding charitable donations. I donate a certain amount each month 'by text' to the children's hospital in my city. Each month I get a text thanking me for donating, followed by a text telling me I can opt out by replying 'stop'.
I don't know what the implications of the legislation will be with regard to the charity phoning you.
I suppose in times if recession, the charities have not had the income they relied on hence the hard sell.
thefirstmrsrochester · 08/05/2013 22:16
I actually don't think they are allowed to do this now. DH work straddles both charity work and marketing so when he gets in, I will ask him more about it.
When you donate by text, that should be it. Wee text to say thanks and maybe linking the website. You most certainly are not giving your permission to be contacted by phone to be harassed into a regular payment.
fudgeit · 08/05/2013 22:28
yep this has happened to me recently too. i save all cold callers under one contact on my phone, under the name Spam. that way i can ignore their repeated calls, though they have stopped calling now. you can always answer them and ask them not to contact you again? has put me off donating via text though, will stick to web and justgiving from now on...
WafflyVersatile · 08/05/2013 22:47
Well part of what a charity does, has to do, is raise funds to continue to exist to carry out the work they do. So, you know, that's what they are doing. The most useful sort of donation is regular monthly direct debits. It helps them plan and budget for their work. This is why they contact people who have given one-off donations. They do not expect more than a small percentage of people to respond to this or to other appeals they send so you mustn't feel pressured or guilted into giving if you can't or don't want to, but they don't know who is or is not willing unless they do contact you all.
You can ask them not to contact you again. It's not in their interests to spend money contacting people who do not want to give regularly or perhaps ever again. You can tell them when you phone or if you email or phone or write to the charity they will update their records to say not to contact you again. They will not be offended and should be polite to you.
Many charities outsource their face to face (chugging) and phone marketing. Although these companies have rules and guidelines on how to engage they are often paid on commission, have targets etc and they are companies run for profit. If you are unhappy with how they talk to you or pressure you etc. please do contact the charity and let them know. Again it is not in their interests to get people's backs up and they will act on your complaint. But if you don't answer they will keep trying.
eccentrica · 08/05/2013 22:58
Had this happen to me recently too. The charity was Friends of the Earth. However, it seems to be the same number no matter which charity it is. They called me about 5 times in a couple of days (all at very inconvenient times) and never left a voicemail. I rang FoE directly and they said they didn't know anything about it. (Bollocks)
Eventually I answered and the bloke was pushy and even when I said I didn't want to be called again, he said "ok, you won't be called again tiny voice on this campaign". I said "no, I don't want to be called again by you about anything."
I won't give to Friends of the Earth again and I won't give to any big charity by text again. I didn't give that money for them to spend on employing gap year students, overpaid executives, and running up huge phone bills calling mobiles. I'll go back to collection tins in the street, online donations by credit card and random homeless/beggars.
MaryMotherOfCheeses · 08/05/2013 23:05
"employing gap year students, overpaid executives, and running up huge phone bills calling mobiles."
So gap year students shouldn't be employed? 
Overpaid executives? Where are these jobs and why can't I get one? I would be so pleased if someone could show me an overpaid charity job.
Huge phone bills calling mobiles? Afaik, most of the agencies who do this work charge per contact so it's irrelevant to the charity whether it's a landline or mobile number.
susiedaisy · 08/05/2013 23:10
Yes this happened me after I donated by text to UNICEF the phone calls started a few days later they were really persistent phoning my mobile eventually curiosity got the better of me and I answered but I was a bit peed off to be honest the reason I texted was so I didn't have speak to anyone or fill out any forms!
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