To be fed up of charity collectors

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I live in a city centre so obviously spend most of my time in town. Lately I have noticed a huge increase in people wanting to sign me up for various charities (here its Shelter). There are literally three on every street meaning walking home becomes like running the gauntlet.

Every single one jumps out all fake cheeriness and I hate it. I understand they have a job to do but is this really a good marketing strategy for a charity? Tbh it makes me never want to give them a single penny.

I'm sick of feeling hassled on my own doorstep. Plus, I can't help thinking that if these people really gave a fuck about the cause they'd fundraise for free/volunteer.

They get paid a percentage to sign you up.

The cheerful phrase "I don't do chuggers" might wipe the smile off their faces.

"Chuggers" a well-known bugbear: search for "chuggers" on this site for many threads on what to do about them.

Not this again.

Charities are the new banks in terms of attracting vitriol. There seems to be a new thread on this subject at least weekly.

If it didn't make financial sense for charities to do this, then they wouldn't do it.

In the immortal words of Grange Hill "just say no"

I was stopped by a chugger when I was 8 months pregnant who said they were selling a magazine to raise money for premature babies, obviously they spotted a mug with me, I ended up paying £5 for a magazine.

The magazine itself was very poor quality, about 5 pages long, and was just full of awful poetry. I checked out the charity number quoted on the back and it didn't exist, so I ended up reporting them to trading standards and 111.

My Nan was stopped by a chugger on the high street and intimidated into giving her details to him, he kept stepping in front of her when she tried to walk away and used extremely emotive language about people dying if she didn't help, she agreed to pay £2 a month, when she checked her bank details he'd signed her up to pay £15 a month. My Nan is 74, £15 is a large portion of her pension.

I think the elderly especially can be very intimidated by them.

In the above scenario a complaint to the charity or agency would ensure disciplinary action for the street fundraiser and youy could cancel the DD at the same time.
Charites have to log and report to the Public Fundraising Standards Board the number of complaints they have received.

We did Dido, I live in a seaside resort with a large population of elderly, the Chuggers are out every day. I do get worried about how many others this has happened to. My Nan goes to a bridge group and they always complain about them there, some don't got out to town alone anymore because of them.

I do think it's an issue that needs to be looked at, I'm not saying to ban them, but to give them better training on who they should and shouldn't approach. Giving the hard sell to the elderly is not on.

Some of their opening gambits are a bit .

I got 'are you the lovely lady who is going to do something amazing today?'.

It's a heavily regulated form of fundraising and the street fundrasiers do all receive training. Of course, they may not all take all of it on board - which is why there is a strict complaints procedure and tough regulations. You might meet rude or difficult people in all walks of life!

If you think there are too many licences being given out to charities then that is the remit of your local council - they decide who can and cannot collect in a public place.

I understand that some people find this sort of fundraising too "in your face", but it does ensure that charities have the long-term finance they need to continue doing their good works. If there was an easier alternative, trust me, they would be doing that. (And of course, no charity gets all its money from a single source - it's always abroad portfolio of fundraising methods)

'Running the gauntlet' is exactly how I decribe it too. I do it four times most days living in London - my end of my commute and on arriving in the City. (Although this is marginally less hassle than those that knock on my door, nay hammer on it, always as DD is just being put to bed).

But as others have said charities continue the practice because they do make money from it. I work in the not for profit sector and my clients include charities who are increasingly desperate for new income streams and not only does this bring in new donors it doesn't seem to have a monetary impact as the reputational risk of employing chuggers doesn't translate into existing donors/supporters breaking ranks with the charity. All charities are aware that chuggers irritate people but the practice is worth doing.

ANormalOne, I'm assuming your Nan or a relative contacted the charity in question to cancel/change the DD - were they helpful? You could also let the Chaities Commission know.

And another thing....!
They ARE given training on who to approach...not the young (usually under 25s but many charities will prefer to look for over 35s) and not anyone vulnerable, which includes vulnerable older people.

I can never believe that anyone signs up to a Dd on the street or with a stranger at their door, but I guess people must do it in sufficient numbers to make it worthwhile.

I get that charities are doing this for their good work, but if they are targeting particular groups and you have elderly people reluctant to go out ànd face it, then it's gone too far.

I haven't seen any threads on this before (?)

They drive me mad. Especially the ones who knock on your door while you're in the middle of making tea.

I had one for deaf children. I said " no thank you" ,but he said "if you knew someone who was deaf you'd want to help", I pointed out that I, in fact, have a hearing aid and am very hard of hearing without it, but no, I still don't want to give up up £15 a month when I can't afford it. He was so persistant ,in the end I just had to say "I really don't want this" and shut the door! He made me feel really guilty.

I don't know how some elderly people manage with them. (I also live in a large seaside resort with an elderly population). I think they should be banned from harassing people. Like the electricity sellers.

I think I must be the target age etc.Every single time.

At one point they had worked in a pincer movement to patrol both the front and back entrances of WH Smith. Aargh no escape.

Then there's Eon outside Morrisons, and Sky inside Morrisons, and usually a charity collector not jingling the collection box as I think that's banned.

And just for a nice ending the cubs/football/ cricket teams wanting a donation for bag packing at the checkout.

You can rattle a collecting tin as long as it is not a threatening or harrassing manner.

I have one outside my local sainsburys, plus the ones outside the (many) charity shops in my town....I end up zig zagging home

We did contact the charity and they apologized, we took my Nan to the bank to cancel the DD, but it'd been at least 6-7 months before she realized what was going on, she'd noticed a dip in her bank account but she's not very clued up on things like DDs. The charity did say they wouldn't pay her the money that they'd taken off of her, even after we pointed out what the chugger had done, which I was disappointed with.

Yes they're a charity but my Nan is an elderly lady who was basically tricked out of her money, luckily my Mum was able to help her out by putting money back in her account for her, but she was very shaken by it all - had she not had us to help she'd probably have struggled on not knowing what to do.

Can't really complain about the big issue seller (although I would love to) as its not really what he wants to be doing I suppose

I think I'm going to go on Dragons Den, with a idea for a new range of badges/ flags and t-shirts - all carrying the slogan "F* off chuggers!"

That's awful about your nan normal!

I'm very young looking for my age, I'm 23 but I routinely get ID'd, I always get stopped by chuggers, they're like homing beacons drawn o the soft-hearted.

Big Issue sales are an entirely different model - they buy the magazines and sell them on - more of a traditional business model.

Justforlaughs...not a helpful comment I think.

I have no problem with charities wanting to fundraise, but it is like running a gauntlet, emotive language and emotional blackmail mean that even though you can say no, they make you feel crap abbout doing that. Why should my day be ruined by people making me feel crap.

I just tell them I am 16 and they accept it

I like just for laughs idea. I'd buy one.

Can you name and shame the charity that wouldn't refund you're nans money?

I find it even worse that once you have signed up, you get phone calls 'asking' you to increase your contribution, which end up being

a) impossibly vile guilt trips
b) run by yet another external agency, where if you do agree, your entire contribution for the next 6 months is handed over to them, negating your increased contribution completely for a couple of years! And they only tell you this after you've signed up. It's a complete disgrace.