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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Cold callers knocking on door

84 replies

alemci · 18/09/2014 16:10

just had someone at the door to do with Marie Curie, I know it is a good cause but I don't want to sign up for anything and I hate being bothered on my doorstep.

I often give money if someone is in street etc or certain charities.

this makes me feel lousy, would others have done the same or just retreated like me?

OP posts:

plantsitter · 19/09/2014 16:32

I usually say 'sorry I don't donate/buy at the door but thank you' and usually they are fine and go away. The odd double glazing salesman has been a cock but that's unusual.

ILoveTurnips · 19/09/2014 16:37

I have a no cold callers sign and up util a few weeks ago it was 100% effective. I was a bit frosty with the idiot who ignored it. As a representative of a religious group he didn't think it applied to him.

I would give any Cold Callers a bit of a lecture about inconveniencing me.

I think that if you don't have a sign then it's as though you are saying you are ok with cold callers.

I have a tasteful one from Amazon. I still dislike it but not as much as I dislike cold callers.

Archiesnan · 19/09/2014 16:46

I also have a sign up and it works most of the time. When someone knocked last week I just pointed to the sign and shook my head, he stood in the garden shouting it was for a cancer charity and to just talk with him. I closed the curtains- I'd just found out my dad's cancer treatment was being stopped and really didn't need it. I wish these people would take notice of the signs,the heart foundation man told me they were he to ignore signs and knock any way.

Teddybeau1988 · 19/09/2014 16:47

That the thing miss about living in a flat. You can turn the buzzer off and no one can get near the front door.

I detest charity's knocking on doors. A while ago I had one from a dog rescue knock, he was so persistent it was bordering on harassment. He had a booklet of abused dogs looking sad. When I said I wasn't going to give any money he said ' so your going to let this happen?'

MrsDeVere · 19/09/2014 16:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BravePotato · 19/09/2014 16:54

I never give/buy at the door with no guilt.

I am not (really) rude, I just say "no, I don't like being bothered in my own home."

I don't get the guilt thing, why feel any guilt?

MothershipG · 19/09/2014 16:58

Get a sign.

Mine hasn't completely stopped them but it has greatly reduced them and they can't complain when I give them short shrift!

MothershipG · 19/09/2014 17:01

Here's mine, I made it myself!

LittleprincessinGOLDrocks · 19/09/2014 17:14

I hate them with a passion.
I have had one who told me I should feel guilty that I was able to go and have a bath when children in Africa were having to walk miles for drinking water that was not clean enough to drink. I told him to feck off.

I complained about the worst one a few years ago when DD was about 3. DH had answered the door (at that time I used to just say "not today" and shut the door, but Dh always gets in to polite small talk and will sign up to anything and then try to cancel later - drives me barmy!) and the pair of chuggers handed DD a box of chocolates and somehow managed to force their way actually in to the kitchen. They were all nice and friendly chatting away trying to talk DH in to signing up to a DirectD of £20 a month, when I came in and asked what was going on. They said it was all ok, that my H was signing up to a DirectD and it was all in hand.
I said no, we are not. We don't sign up to anything at the door, but if you leave the forms we will have a read and do it online when we have looked at our finances.
They said it had to be done there and then and that it cost the charity more if we did it online (we found out later that was 100% a lie!) and the charity paid too much for online donations.
I said well we couldn't really afford £20 a month at the time as we had just had a new baby, but we would look at our finances as it was a charity we both felt strongly about supporting and look at a suitable payment option online later.
They said, oh but the charity needs it so much more than you do ...
and they snatched the chocolates from my 3 year olds hand as they were only a gift if you signed the papers there and then for exactly £20 a month!
I argued with them and said they should not have given them to her before the papers were signed if that was the case. DD started crying as the mean lady stole her present. DH asked them to leave at that point.
They got really nasty and started shouting abuse as DH ushered them out.
I contacted the charity straight away (whilst consoling a sobbing 3 year old) who said they had lied and used underhand tactics to try to get us to sign up. There should not have been any chocolates offered at all. (It did seem odd they only had the one box!) And that actually they make more money when people donate using the website as the overheads of the website are a lot less.
I will not donate to that charity again.

AnyoneForTARDIS · 19/09/2014 18:09

Fairllea what does your sign say?

Ive got a 'NO cold callers/chuggers/salespeople'' and STILL they knock.

I don't open door (cant fit a chain) I look through peephole (after I ignored a three time caller and he came a FOURTH time) and say ''who is it''. in as deep a voice as I can muster to seem like its a bloke!

this time it was a guy saying from the *charity. I said (deep) who is it and he said ''Im from charity madam''.

I said ''1- Im a bloke, and 2- theres a large sign on the door.'' only then did he leave ..

FOUR bloody times though.

capsium · 19/09/2014 18:15

I listen about their cause, agree with them usually, that it is a good one, but I then explain I only every make spontaneous one off donations because there are too many good causes to decide which ones to sign up to support every month. If pushed, I then ask if they have a website, and then say thanks I'll remember them when I decide I want to make a donation.

MyLittleFinger · 19/09/2014 18:18

Knock on the door the other day and through the spy hole I could see two women standing on my step about three inches from the door. This annoys me intensely and it's very rude to stand right on the threshold. I opened the door slightly and almost eyeballed each other. They were fund raisers, I replied as I always do that I don't do doorstep fundraising. They said sorry to trouble me etc and went. Grrr...

CromerSutra · 19/09/2014 18:42

I absolutely loathe these people. They are constantly knocking on doors in our area and there are masses of them in our town centre. I think this form of harassment and emotional blackmail is totally unacceptable.

i was recently told by a chugger for RNIB that my monthly donation to Stonewall was "ridiculous because gays can help themselves"! I complained to the charity who were really apologetic but it just made me more determined never to give to these chuggers ever again.

steamcomingoutofmyears · 19/09/2014 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll1 · 19/09/2014 21:02

I don't answer the door to them. When I have in the past they haven't listened to my politely spoken ' No thanks I'm not interested' and babbled on about what they want me to shell cash for. Dh gets blunt with them but I can't bring myself to be like that unless I really have to be. It must be a shit job but it's not my problem. I have a shit job of own to do which I'm they don't care about either.

The TV can be on, windows wide open and the kids watching them but still I will ignore them.

Greatfalls · 19/09/2014 21:46

We get lots of tea towel/duster sellers. They are invariably rude if you are not interested. They usually come bang on the time when you're trying to get the children up to bed as well, and bang several times on the door if you're upstairs bathing and changing etc before they take the hint. They make me feel quite intimidated.
We also get the annual Christian Aid lady "I come every year"; nicely spoken and very naicely turned out. She is incredibly sarcastic and rude if you decline.

Original poster

alemci · 19/09/2014 21:55

I don't mind Christian aid or the envelope idea as much as it is a 1 off, I just don't like the dd pressure and being locked into something I don't want.

OP posts:

Purplecircle · 19/09/2014 21:57

I got a no cold callers sign from money saving expert
So far it's working

capsium · 19/09/2014 22:15

Agree alemci I much prefer donation envelopes or boxes. It is more immediate somehow and you don't have to worry about banking issues. The Direct Debits actually stop he donating because I do not like to give personal details or sort all the baking out. Giving cash is so much simpler.

capsium · 19/09/2014 22:18

Silly because my single donation is usually equal to the standard suggested DD for a year. I know they probably can't claim the tax back but I just like the immediacy. I like to treat myself to some books etc from a charity shop and shove a donation in the box. Something for me and something to give away. I've already saved by buying the books / clothes second hand anyway.

MarchEliza · 19/09/2014 22:19

I get quite a few of these. The other day a man from Battersea Dogs Home came and asked if he could have a quick word with my mum.

I pointed out that he would have to go to Dorset for that as this was my house and I was 33.

If it was a clumsy attempt at flattery it backfired.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 19/09/2014 22:21

I had a chap come to the door and start a spiel about rehabilitated people looking for work, or something. I said sorry but I don't deal at the door. He looked furious and stalked off. He was big and rough looking. I hope he doesn't come back.

MiuChoos · 19/09/2014 22:25

I hate door step chuggers. Yes, I appreciate they're just doing their job, but that doesn't mean I'm happy with them knocking on my door at all hours with the big hard sell and guilt trips.
The latest we've had them is 8pm, and I'm really not in a charitable mood when they come knocking at that time!

DragonReena · 19/09/2014 22:29

I hate it! Last time I had one I had said I couldn't give him any money and he told me it was fine, he didn't want money, he just wanted my bank account details!

Orangeisthenewbanana · 19/09/2014 22:29

They drive me insane too. I generally try to stay polite as I appreciate it is a shit job, and at the end of the day it is for good causes. I generally say that now isn't a good time, but do you have any info/leaflets so I can look into it more when it's convenient to me.

If they won't take no for an answer or try to guilt trip me, I do get a bit shirty with them. I do like the idea of giving to a different charity each month rather than signing up to just one or two with direct debits. There are so many worthy causes out there to support.

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