Cold callers knocking on door

[alemci]

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?

I also had someone trying to sell me fish the other week which was odd!

We live in Surrey and in the library with all the other leaflets they have free no cold caller stickers issued by Surrey Police. Might be worth a look for those wanting a sign. Not sure if other police forces do them.

I like to tell them I'm terribly sorry but I don't speak a word of English.

I got this phrase from MN a couple of years ago

Dragon The fish sellers are something else (if you know what I mean)

Ask them in hushed tones about ciggies and voddie from under the dashboard.

thing is what about vulnerab;le people, especially if some callers are bogus (casing the joint or whatever).

the elderly and stuff?

cold callers shouldn't be allowed by law to knock on peoples doors.

I had one from a dog charity (can't remember which one as didn't really pay attention. He started off with 'do you like dogs'? I replied firmly as I always do to cold colders that I don't buy anything or give to charity to door to door sellers on principle. He replied ' so you don't like dogs' I shut the door!
Normally, they are reasonable polite thankfully.

I should say Ive used this approach ever since my 87 year old grandmother got burgled by two men at 2.30 in the afternoon that started off by pretending to sell stuff.

I don't open the door unless expecting visitors so don't get involved in conversations in the first place. I'm Not interested in anything people can sell at the front door (including religions and charities).
Don't know if this link from money saving expert has already been posted, may be useful:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk#freesign

According to the website, it may be an offence to cold call if there is a sign up

I just smile and say I already donate to them via direct debit. They never check and bugger off.

"Do you like animals?"

"No"

"But you have a dog"

"I know, I don't like him"

Then I shut the door. I've only ever had to do that once.

"Do you care about children"

"Not right now, no. Maybe another day I might"

The chugger was too gobsmacked to say or do anything else after that which gave me time to get away.

D

I am a fundraising manager of a county wide charity and I don't do face to face fundraising, for many reasons. Unfortunately many charities look at how much they DO get and not consider how many people are put off giving - you can't measure a negative, if that makes sense! I have friends and professional colleagues who lead face to face fundraising and we have to steer clear if the topic! I have very high standards for how my team engage with the public and I could not cope with the thought if agency or target driven workers acting the way some if the posters above describe! I would urge anyone who has a bad experience to make a complaint to the Public Fundraising regulatory association www.pfra.org.uk/ - face to face fundraising is the only type that is externally regulated, and they do act on complaints.

I have a 'No Cold Callers or Canvassing' sign on my door as I used to be tormented by gas & electricity companies when DD1 was tiny. One knocked SEVEN times in a day once as I wouldn't open the door. The sign doesn't work for chuggers at all though. The last one we had could see DH dishing up our tea but wouldn't go away despite being told we wouldn't sign up. In the end I had to fetch DH to deal with it as he's much ruder than me.

The dodgiest one we had wanted us to donate to a dog's charity in Venezuela.

I had someone selling meat once, complete with a fag hanging from his gob and a builders bum . I told him I was vegetarian.

Yeah it is really annoying I hate it if they are trying to sell double glazing roof etc I Just tell them we rent the house and they go pretty quick

Chuggers in street get told I'm not a British tax payer. (Forrin accent helps, but they still go ) I give not a shit.

I find saying 'I'm not interested, goodbye' and shutting the door while they are still speaking means they can't reply! I know it comes across as being rude but I really don't care.

Nightsky I didn't know that was part of the deal. Secretly hoping the fish man will return now!

Had a nice chugger come to door yesterday who totally accepted I couldn't do a direct debit but asked if it was ok to tell me a bit about the charity, Anthony Nolan trust, so I could spread the word that they desperately need bone marrow donors. So I am! Men aged between 18 and 40 are needed. I said I would tell my son and his friends. It's not always just about the money and I often have a chat with them.

I was asked by one if I like dogs - I don't, so I said I didn't. he was

Mostly I say I don't buy anything at the door

Got stopped once in street by chugger. Was in hurry so ran past him saying sorry i dont talk to bloggers.... Left him standing there saying bloggers, im not a blogger...

I think there needs to be better monitoring of this. A lot of vulnerable people could end up signing up to multiple charities, leaving them with very little to live off because they are too anxious/nervous/worried/timid to say 'no'. I avoid see different charity chuggers every day in the city centre here, they don't ask whether someone's signed up with other charities, and they don't question whether someone can afford to donate. It would be very wrong to take someone's last £ for a dog's home, IMO.

I had a sign up for ages and people just ignored it, so now I say 'No thank you' and shut the door.

I have a big yellow dog who barks and looks fierce. (he isn't of course but cold callers and chuggers disappear fast.) This is not the main reason for having a dog but it does help put unwanted callers off.

I had a sign up. Still got people coming to the door at all hours. A couple really aggressive people putting catalogues through the door and then nasty because I wasn't putting them back out. And some that, when I pointed out the sign, said:

• No English. (as in don't speak English)
• I can't read.
• It doesn't apply to Betterware as we're not selling, we're "providing you with an opportunity to buy." Um. Really? (this guy was REALLY aggressive and nasty)

Now I don't even bother answering.