To be fed up of charity collectors

[chrome100]

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.

I got cornered by a chugger with an umbrella against a wall so that I felt very intimidated. He was refusing to let me move forward so I had to move backwards to escape. I have never spoken to a chugger since.

It was Oxfam, they no longer use chuggers now though, iirc.

Somebody (in fact many people) are giving in this way. Yet in the many threads on this subject I've never seen anyone talk about willingly giving but people must do so all the time!

Two phrases I use a lot

Sorry I don't do chuggers

Sorry we don't do door to door (this one as the door is closing on their protestations)

I saw an attractive female chugger flirting outrageously with an 18/19yr old male with very obvious special needs. She was pushing him to contribute and he was obviously so flattered by her attention.

I tracked down their supervisor on the street and reported her whilst watching to check he wasn't giving financial details to her. I was so cross.

I have one of those anti social 'No salesman/canvassers/cold callers' signs on the front door. It works very well.

Most Chuggers are employed by sales and marketing companies. The chuggers will be S/E and only earn monies by signing people up. They do have some pretty intensive training and are under enourmous pressure to perform 'in the field'.

Those that don't won't get paid usually. This applies to lost of people who sell everything either door to door or on the streets.

A good % of the premium is taken by the sales office as commission. The sales person will get a little bit and the charity will only get something when the sales office have taken enough premiums to cover their costs.

Its an appaling scam and should be banned IMO. And I used to work in an office that went from business to business sales to 'chugging'. Left because I didn't want to be chugging folk.

I always say 'Don't bother, I've just been declared bankrupt and my bank accounts are frozen' to them. Those knocking on my door get referred to the 'No Sales People' notice and the door shut in their face (just in case they couldn't see it on the angle) and telesales people get asked 'Is this a sales call, cos I'm not interested in anything if it is'. If they say no and then try and sell me something I tell them that I charge £70 per half hour + VAT for my time over the phone and if they want to continue I'd have to take down their companies details so I can send an invoice.

It may be a tad aggressive but I work from home and get really, really, really pissed off with people disturbing my work to flog me something.

And chuggers really are on a fine line I think. If they genuienly wanted to raise money for the charity they would be doing so without chugging.

When I leave work in London, I get my phone out, put it to my ear, and don't out it away until I get unto my tube station down the street, so they don't bother me.

They really annoy me, they're everywhere, like a swarm, and their tactics are appalling.

I was walking down to the Post Office last week, and on a stretch of the High Street only about 5-10 metres long there were three chuggers. All three tried to stop me, despite seeing that the others had already tried to speak to me. The first got a polite, "no, sorry", the second a curt "no", the third I just walked past smartly without acknowledgement.

For a long time I used the "under 18" line, but I can't get away with that anymore even if I was IDed buying a lottery ticket last week.

Usually I just don't make eye contact, and if they still approach just give a short "no, sorry" whilst not breaking step, but sometimes they do the whole jumping in front of you thing and you have to stop.

I was once stopped by one, and I politely informed them that I was unemployed and could not afford a direct debit ever month. They still tried to guilt trip me into it.

I was once stopped by one, and I politely informed them that I already regularly donated to various charities that had special significance to me. The girl then rather aggressively demanded to know what charities, and then proceeded to very aggressively berate me on my choices.

Since, I have variously used the lines.

"I'm a heartless, money-grabbing lawyer, and I don't believe in charity." (Shocked the guy so much it gave me the chance to get away whilst he worked out how to respond.) or;

"My work has involved anti-money laundering verification, I know how easy it is to obtain even a fake passport, so if you seriously think I'm going to hand out my bank details to a randomer on the street because they're wearing a bib and carrying an ID card that could have been knocked up on photoshop in 10 seconds flat, you're deluded."

Another time, I used my neighbour's tactic - I actually spoke to them. I wasn't in any hurry, so I stood and just chatted very friendlily, on and on, must have been for 45 minutes, by which time the guy concerned was getting fidgety and was absolutely desperate to get away.

Something I've found to work with charity collectors is, when approached (whatever they say), just to smile and say "I already have done" even though I won't have. There is often more than one of them around so they can't check out if I have and are not going to waste time guilt tripping me into anything trying to sign me up when a colleague may already have done.

I say "if I sign up with you today, how much of the £X per month is going to go to you, and how much will go to the charity?" They then usually reply with something along the lines of it's a cost effective way to raise money. I then say "ok, if I go on the charity website and start a DD for £X per month, how much will go to the charity then?"

Usually works.

oh they drive me mad, but honestly the ONLY way is not to engage. I hate it, as I feel so ignorant but even just a smile and a polite "no thank you" means they chase you halfway up the street. You just have to keep a poker face on you.

I refuse to support charities who employ chuggers. I do not want my donation paying these idiots. One of them followed me into a shop even though I said I wasn't interested he got a bit freaked when I shouted in a busy shop 'please stay 10 feet from me or I will scream and call police as this is harassment!' He legged it then lol. Also the day my father died I was rushing along street to get train to my parents and one stopped me I burst into tears and roared into her face 'f**k off you stupid boot my dad just died!' X

If ds is with me and we're jumped on approached he'll tell them that we already have a direct debit set up for them, this works really well, far better then 'no, not interested' as they follow you down the street.

I do think better regulation is needed. It's a different charity every day here. They could be approaching the same people who are not confident enough to tell them to piss off , leaving them with a string of direct debits to charities and no money to live on.

There's tonnes of threads about chuggers on here.

*Most Chuggers are employed by sales and marketing companies. The chuggers will be S/E and only earn monies by signing people up. They do have some pretty intensive training and are under enourmous pressure to perform 'in the field'.

Those that don't won't get paid usually. This applies to lost of people who sell everything either door to door or on the streets.

A good % of the premium is taken by the sales office as commission. The sales person will get a little bit and the charity will only get something when the sales office have taken enough premiums to cover their costs.*

This is absolutely not true of the majority of street fundraising companies. Those working for reputable fundraising companies will earn a wage, as will fundraisers employed by charities directly, such as Shelter.

Each charity will pay a fee to the company for each sign up. This will have been negotiated well in advance, and the charity will use the money from their fundraising budget. The charity then takes all of the direct debit from the person who has signed up. Companies have no access to the donations.

I think it should simply be illegal to approach anyone for any corporate purpose in the street or at their home, or to phone them. "Corporations" in this case would include charities and "research" organisations. There could be an exemption where there is a pre-existing relationship, or someone has specifically invited contact.

The only valid methods of approach should be text, i.e. advertising or email. (And people should be allowed a blanket opt-out for the latter.)

This would improve quality of life for most of us.

I hate the ones who stand outside supermarkets making you feel guilty

the big issue seller moved his spot today, from outside tesco's where he's normally found to the porch of the church where a wedding is being held. i did think this was a bit off. noone wants a big issue seller in their picks.

They are on every street in the city centre here, dreaming, some have two or three.

The ones at the supermarket annoy me too. Especially as I don't usually carry cash, just pay by card.

But they still give me that look, as if I am a terrible person. How can I give any money if I don't have any on me?

The chuggers in town I am learning to deal with, and just manage to dodge them until I'm finished

One of my nephews does this (although he doesn't like the term 'chugging'). He's lovely, and sincerely believes that he is doing something worthwhile, working for a charity. If he wasn't getting paid doing this, he would have to get benefits. He pays his taxes. Don't see the problem about paying someone to raise money for charity tbh. And it's not a lot, either, although he's a pleasant, cheerful lad and does manage to sign people up.

I told him I would be signed up, but they're not allowed to ask for money from their own families.

I want a T Shirt, that says "The only Chuggers i do, ride the rails".

I don't understand why those who want to sell you something are entitled to behave in a manner that would be criminal harassment if they were targeting people like that for any other reason. I scare them off with my 'don't you dare' bitch look where they stop halfway in approaching me and piss off. They're looking for the nice, polite, vulnerable people who they can guilt trip and bully into handing over their bank details, it's extortion and I put every charity I see practicing it on my 'never giving to them again' list.

I no longer donate to any charity that uses these tactics. There are plenty that don't and I want to support the white hats.

Every year I am on this earth, my responses to these people get shorter and more to the point.

The Friends of Earth ones particularly want stringing up.