to not want scouts, school kids etc to pack my shopping for me

[longingforsomesleep]

I always try and avoid the till points with fund raising bag packers at them but sometimes they all have them.

In Asda the other day there were 3 early teen girls standing at the end of the conveyor belt. I politely declined their offer of help but they then sort of leaned over the packing area, jostling each other and talking/giggling loudly. One seemed to be staring at me most of the time! Today in Sainsbury's it was the scouts - a couple of boys who looked about 10/11 who were being silly and pushing each other.

I don't want to risk them squashing stuff and I object to feeling pressured into giving them money. I usually do tho, because by the time I've packed my bags myself I'm starting to feel guilty (which annoys me!) so i drop something in their bucket.

I suppose it must work but personally I'm inclined to be more generous with people collecting for charity who aren't so much in your face.

Our Scout Group do them.

We give them lessons in packing and politeness beforehand. They pack beautifully once they've been taught how to.

Just tell them "No thanks" and do yourself?

I would see where you are coming from if that were my experience, but my experience (both as a shopper, and someone who has supervised youngsters on bag packs) the dc are always polite and helpful and just have a breather as and when people say "no thanks".
I too think it's really important that the young people 'earn' their money rather than having it all on a plate, and that they realise x number of hours standing in a supermarket in your uniform - where, as others have said you are likely to be spotted by your mates - is equal to £x raised.
It really isn't a problem if you don't want your bags packed or if you don't want to donate. We cope with that.
I have to say I do feel cross (but don't show it) at the occasional person who lets them pack and then doesn't donate, but that is more than balanced by the generous members of the public who throw something in the bucket even if the dc hadn't packed for them .
If everyone who went through even threw in 50p, it would make a massive difference to the fundraising though.

I pack myself and donate to them anyway.

I also ask them to unload my trolley and I can then pack everything in the order I want. Result - encourages the children to work for their treats and makes my life a little easier.

oh lilly that is genuis although do you ask them to do it or are they at the trolly end the ones i have seen are always at the end of the till,

I don't mind them at all as I know how hard it is to raise funds for these organisations.

Bag-packing is an easy way to earn money as all it needs is groups of kids to turn up for 2 hours at a time rather than coffee mornings, fetes and other kinds of things.

Nobody forces you to accept their help or to pay them

I ask them to unload the trolley - and they have always been happy to move round to do this.

DS's school are doing a bag back today but it's adults only. The store have said it's too busy a day to have kids doing it.

Any organisations I've seen doing it locally have pairs of secondary aged kids doing the packing with a few adults walking around to make sure they behave themselves

I pay them not to pack also. The only people I will ask to help is women about my own age or serious looking older girls. Teenage boys just throw everything in together IME. My heart sinks when I see them because I hate seeming grumpy but I have a system that makes life easier when I get home. Shopping is stressful enough without dealing with the packers. I love love love those scanners that you use to scan as you round and pack as you go! Then just pay and goa! Bliss!

Unpacking the trolley is a great idea. I struggle with bending over to do that and I'm fussy about my packing

I'm not fussy about my packing - I just throw everything in the bags. I don't understand people who are precious about what goes where

YANBU.
I hate having someone else packing too, always get heavy stuff put on top of squashables and mucks up my system for putting away. They have always been nice and polite though, just not up to my anal rules. I don't mind donating at all though. It never occurred to me to just say no to the packing part, I usually just hover getting more and more twitchy .
I will either ask them to unload trolley next time or just say no. I would always give a donation anyway, they are giving up their time and putting effort into fundraising.

My daughter does this with her guide troop. I have no qualms about people packing my shopping but I understand people that do. If you don't want them to pack your bags then just say no and don't feel obliged to give them money unless you want to. It's for charity and they won't force you. My daughter really enjoys doing it so when we go shopping she's the only one I want with me

I just put my weekly shop through the self service till so I don't have to interact with anyone

So all of you who 'just say no' does the volunteer step well away from the packing area? I 'just say no', then Me, DH, Ds1 and Ds2 in the trolley all try and fit ourselves in the packing area with the volunteer! I then say 'excuse me could you move?' and they shuffle 1cm over and lean on the packing area, again including adult volunteers, I repeat 'excuse me could you move?' until they move or I have an 'accident' and someone gets mildly hurt.
I my weekly shop was small enough to put though the self serve, though I have seen some trolley size self serve somewhere, where was it?!

I use Scan and Shop. No conveyor, no people.

YANBU - I don't like having my bags packed either, but on the other side of the coin I did bag packing with my DS (Beavers) last week. Three and a half fucking hours or it . At our lodge all Beavers have to have a responsible adult with them. I found many people visibly relaxed when they learned I was going to pack (the fools!! ), and DS just did the PR work and chatted! Never a problem if people didn't want help, we just backed off.

I am a Guide leader (for the past 20 years).
We have bag packs about twice a year in Asda or Sainsbury's, and raise around £400 each time in 3 hours. The Guides (aged 10-14) are in pairs with an older girl and a younger one, and they are well supervised by adults. Before we let them loose on people's shopping they are prepped with what to put in with what, how to load, and most importantly, to ask politely before touching anything if the person wants help, and if they say no, to just stand back and wait quietly.

Just say no thanks. How hard can it be?!

they can keep their hands of my packing. I don't mind making a donation but some of them get sniffy and won't take it.

I'm happy to donate but I'm very fussy about where everything goes so I'll pop £1 into their box and pack my shopping myself.

I don't understand people who are precious about what goes where

I dont either but my dh has a system if it was me id just bung it in but it does make it easier to unpack when we get home