To think charity workers shouldn't be allowed to knock on your door?

[EweHaveGoatToBeSkiddinInSnow]

I've had three tonight. Three different couples representing three different charities.

I don't want to be specific about which charities, but here's the gist.

The 1st couple worked for a cancer charity. My door went at 6pm. So off i went out to answer. As soon as i opened it, I was greeted with, "Would you like to help a child with cancer?' No hello or anything. So i just said, "no thank you," feeling tremendously guilty. What is the appropriate response to that?

2nd couple came at 8.10pm, representing a charity for deaf people. Again, the door went. I answered. Conversation went like this:

Them: "Oh, that was a very determined door-opening!"
Me: "Can i help you?"
Them: "How are you doing tonight?"
Me: "Sorry, i've left my daughter upstairs. I'm halfway through getting her sorted for bed. Can i help you?"
Them: "Ah, what age is she? I have a little one myself."
SILENCE.
Them: "We're from X. Would you like to sponsor -"
Me: "Sorry, not interested."

3rd couple came at 8.20 pm, representing a different cancer charity. So i opened the door (with dd shouting from upstairs, "Muuuuum, please come and finish my story!").

Them: "Oh, hello there. Is your mum or dad at home?"
Me:
Them: "Sorry, is that your little one i can hear shouting?"
Me: "Yep. What is it you're wanting, please?"
Them: "Well, why don't you go see to her and we'll chat when you're done? Or we can come back?"
Me: "What is it you're selling?"
Them: "Well, we're from X. We're wondering if you know anything about -?"
Me: "Sorry, no thanks."
Them: "Ah, you're probably wanting to keep extra for your Christmas shopping, eh?" (Clearly this was intended to be a joke, but i didn't find it remotely funny.)

I hate unexpected visitors. Especially when they give big police-knocks such as these people did earlier. It makes me all edgy. This doesn't happen often by the way. Perhaps 3-4 times a year.

Surely charities' money would be better spent by:
a) not paying their directors over £100 grand a year
b) not employing so many chuggers
c) advertising their charities in a way that doesn't intimidate people (knocking on their doors/approaching them on the street/standing by the doorways of shops) and perhaps using something like billboards, posters, leaflets, free seminars. Things that can be voluntarily approached rather than have thrown in people's faces.

If anything, people coming to my door trying to sell me a charity actually puts me off them. Charity is a personal thing. It should be voluntary. It should come from the heart; not from intimidation/guilt.

Or ... AIB totally U?

Miaow do you not care about the Lesser Spotted Mongolian Newt?! How dare you! What a poor example of a human being you are!

Really there is nothing worse than constantly being accosted and made to feel shitty because you're not doing enough for charity. I give to a local charity. I ONCE signed up for a £5 a month DD to a national charity and the phonecalls were endless - "We really need you to donate more, it's just not enough" I ended up saying that as my £60 a year wasn't enough then I would give it to someone else where it would make a difference...

Anatacoat I'm sorry you've not been helped when you needed it but there are many charities out there that do help.
The elderly charities that helped with my grandparents before they died where so helpful in many ways.
Arthritis care has provided me with a lot of support over the last 15yrs whilst i've been struggling with this awful disease and there have been some very dark days, they've pulled me through.
The guide dogs provided to my blind friend have given him a freedom that he didn't have before.
The support and advice and research of charities that help my friends disabled child give her support, hope & advice that would be impossible to access otherwise as her Childs condition is so rare.
Heart charities research is invaluable to my DHs work in cardiology, there just isn't enough state funding for all the research projects that make a real difference to the leaps they can make.
Many charities do very useful jobs either through support, research, advice or resource.
I am happy to support all of these things but I don't like the doorstepping or the chuggers.

I hate it too, I also hate being accosted by chuggers in the a High Street.

I was recently in Tesco and about 7 women were just inside the door as you entered assertively approaching everyone that walked in asking for donations for the food bank. It did feel like a full on assault and as I was in there just to grab some free wireless, I could see the whites of many of the shoppers eyes as they set foot in the door and got ambushed.

All I know is that whilst it may be an effective strategy to guilt people into giving, it totally sucks when you are on the reviving end of it.

Receiving.

the ones I hate:

• they're a lot younger than you but ask if your mum or dad or owner of the house is home ( I'm the mum and owner of the house)
• they attempt to reel off their rubbish and you tell them youre 24 so can't donate ...and they get all jokey
• the ones that stand up on the doorstep so they're higher than you and could basically just step in the house...highly intimidating and once they do this I close the door. don't trust them. *the sales people who come to your house late at night just to hand you a leaflet...just stick the leaflet through my door and leave me be! *the salespeople who dont take no I'm busy for an answer ( told one I was seeing to my newborn and he said well see to her and come back I'll wait for you ..he had the door closed on him)

I used to be so soft ..I used to feel guilty saying no or shutting the door but after being rude to I've lost my kindness. wer getting a sign after being inundated with salesmen lately. our area is usually quiet.

I had one from the NSPCC on the phone the other day, a charity I already give to, wanting me to up my direct debit - she heard DD in the background and asked 'ooh, is that your grandchild?' - WTAF? and when I said, somewhat affrontedly that it was my daugther, actually, she did this simpering giggle and said 'ohh, bless, that's probably why you donate to us, you're a muvver!' - I said no, and I wasn't going to up my donation in fact I was thinking of stopping it altogether thanks to her patronising assumptions... I bet that conversation didn't get recorded for customer service training...

I hate the doorsteppers. They're employed by an agency rather than the charity itself and I loathe that fake bonhomie - as someone else said further up the page, don't tell me how generous my neighbours have been, I know my neighbours!

I hate the advert, "we aren't telling you this to shock or upset you, but...". You lieing fuckers you are trying to shock and upset to get more money for your management. I am disgusted your abusing little actor kids too making them cry.

I don't like doors knockers for charity but have to admit that my DH signed up to one the other day. .

I also agree that it is important to ask specific questions about the charity as clearly many of them really don't have a clue who they are working for.

I don't know what the 'polite' way to refuse them is, I do a lot of voluntary work for a number of organisations and once or twice I have said, 'yes, I'll support me if you support my work with ..................' - surprisingly none have agreed .

But clearly it must be cost effective for the charities to do this as otherwise they just wouldn't, would they? .

I detest them.

Especially when, like your lot op, they start with the 'and how are you today' in answer to me asking 'can I help you?'.

Pisses me right bloody off.

I get the 'don't worry it's nothing bad' opening line :/

I don't sign up to doorstop chuggers, or street chuggers, or anything where I don't have time to think about what I'm committing to.

I'm getting a sign for our door. Usually quiet but lately we've had a few who are so patronising.

Can you donate to none of the doorsteppers if you're under 25?

Just tell them NO! Or don't answer the door. This is why I like having a spy hole. Go to the door, it's no one I know and no one identifying themselves. I don't answer it.

yanbu, it's very annoying. I don't give them the chance to open their mouths; no eye contact, "No thank you, not interested" while closing the door.

Since perfecting my scary bitchface for chuggers, I don't get harassed on the streets anymore either.