To never donate to charity via text again

[MoistSponge]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a really heart rending "advert" for a UNICEF appeal for the people suffering in the Southern Sudan.

The images were harrowing, those poor little children, and so I texted and donated a fiver.

Since then I have received three phone calls asking me to donate more - the first two calls were both received while I was driving, so I quickly told them that I already have direct debits set up for my charitable donations and that I wouldn't be able to commit to anything further, but I didn't let them go into their full spiel as I was on Bluetooth.

Tonight I received a call again, and I started straight away telling the man about my direct debits (I sponsor a child in Africa and I have a small monthly DD set up for another charity) and that I wasn't going to be able to give anymore - and then the "hard sell" started. Lots of very emotive language about the children dying and that famine is coming; lots of "buttering me up" telling me I have a good soul and he could hear it beating from me and that I'm clearly very intelligent and blah, blah, blah. It was pretty relentless to be honest and I felt very uncomfortable having to constantly defend myself by telling him that I can't give any more money. In the end I told him that I am on a low income, I'm a single parent to two children and I cannot afford anymore, I told him that five pounds is a lot of money to me but I had still given it with a full heart but that I CANNOT GIVE ANY MORE.

Fucking hell. This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened. I did the Race For Life for a few years, raising not huge amounts but a few hundred pounds in sponsorship. I get a phone all every year asking me for more and even though I tell them that I already give to my nominated charities they just won't stop.

I really want to complain to UNICEF TBH, the call came from a fund raising company that they are using, but it almost felt like talking to a bloody double glazing company or worse...timeshare! And the other thing is that they could be using this very aggressive technique on people who are more vulnerable than me and it just feels wrong. It has completely put me off donating by text to anything ever again, AIBU?

nope. i put money for charities in tins in the high street.

will not text

will not do a direct debit.

my dad had a direct debit to shelter for a tenner a month. this actually came out of his income which was mainly incapacity benefit by the end. didnt stop them phoning an ill man to ask for more and monthly letters along the lines of "just think what we could do". my mum cancelled the direct debit and told them why.

i have done the same with any charity that told me i wasnt giving enough. so now i have none!

I cancelled a direct debit to Save The Children a couple of years ago because they sent me so much marketing stuff that it outweighed my donation. I complained directly to the charity, they apologised and I've never heard from them again.

Medecins Sans Frontieres are an all-round ace charity.

miaow because this is one of those threads where everyone sits around moaning and bitching rather than doing something. There's an easy solution, you've suggested, I did up thread and it was dismissed as 'not everyone can just say fuck off' but that's not what this threads about. Some people just like a moan

Jeez, how many of you fall prey to double glazing salesmen etc if you can't manage "no thanks" and hanging up the phone?

And no, the charities don't need to be more regulated. Individuals need to take responsibility for not giving their last fiver away and then going hungry. If you don't have the mental capacity to do that, then arrangements (such as power of attourney) can be put in place to take finances out of your control.

Shocked pic snd mix

I don't think anyone is complaining because they have been talked into giving over more money.

I'm quite happy to hang up or tell them to take me off the list (hasn't worked with the monthly crap I get through the door) - what annoys me is having the many phone calls and rubbish through the door in the first place.

I won't be donating by text in the future either. I too have had several of these calls, the last two I missed so when they call me again which obviously they will I will be telling them to sod off!

I cancelled a direct debit with one charity, after they had bullied convinced myself AND my partner to donate, they were getting £20 a month between us, and yet still harassed us for more. It lead me to think that the money wasn't going to where it should be, and if they had the money to call me several times a day and pay the bugger at the call centre to do it, then they did not need my money.

M quite able to manage my finances and I'm able to say no to the charity people. What i don't like is being rang several times a day. When i have a lot of missed calls that i can't ring back it's a bit worrying (till i find out it's these charities).
I also don't like being harassed in the street, it is impossible to walk up my high street without a chugger stopping you. I'm able to say no but i don't like just ignoring them and being rude.