To think that you should be able to opt out of chuggers coming to the door

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

DH off out at a course last night.

I have bathed and settled 1 year old DS and 9 month old DD. DD teething, has a cold and hand foot and mouth so this is no easy feat.

Have just made myself some lovely spaghetti carbonara and am about to settle down to catch up on crap TV.

At 8:30pm, I have just got my arse on the sofas and am about to eat the first mouthful of my spaghetti when I am disturbed to put it mildly by some loud hammering on the door. I get up, and as I have not a sneered the door quickly enough within the 10 seconds expected-- the caller then starts ringing my very loud old Victorian bell so loudly that it nearly comes of the wire

By this stage, I've got the fright of my life and DD is screaming. I genuinely assume that something awful must have happened to DH and the police need it speak to me urgently. I then open the door to find a middle aged gentleman dressed in a red "Save the Children" jacket standing in my door step grinning at me. He then asks me if if he can speak to me about "The Children"?

I say NO! not fuck off, even though I feel like it but I'm so relieved that DH isn't under a lorry on the M60 that I'm feeling charitable I then said I had to go and settle DD again and shut the door

AIBU to think this is totally not on? It's like harassment - I feel like these chuggers are now ringing the bell really loudly to make people think it's super urgent that they answer the door.

At 10:30 once I have settled DD, chucked out my congealed spaghetti and made some toast, I cancelled my Save the Children monthly direct debit. Any suggestions for a children's charity that doesn't use these awful collection techniques? I'm not happy to be donating money to support this kind of thing.

If it's any help, living in a country with virtually no gun control laws is a very effective way of ensuring chuggers don't come to your door.

It's a bit extreme though...

I'll be honest and say that I did once sign up to a chugger at the door - really sorry. It was a charity that I had been thinking for some time 'that's the one I want to support' but had never got around to it, and they turned up on the doorstep. So it's my fault.

I did wonder if I would get loads of other charities at the door but so far we haven't.

Why would you give your bank details to a random stranger at the door. If interested in charity do it direct. As for door to door just phone head office and complain. They wont know otherwise.

Yes even more reason not to sign up to a chugger if you actually want to support the charity, the chugger will be getting either a share forever of your donation, or a fee that will likely eat up 6 months or more of your donations.

wobblyweebles heh heh true! Our tasteful sign says "This door answered by Mr Smith & Mr Wesson"*.

*Not true, but DH wanted to put that up after a blissful Sunday afternoon was disrupted 3 times by election canvassers.

YANBU a, we have had three separate chuggers since 7.00 tonight. I think they are focussing tonight because people have been answering the door for Halloween. Particularly annoying as our front door sticks at the moment, so is hard to undo. I am afraid that DH (after politely declining two lots) just said no and slammed the door shut on the last one (to be fair you need to slam it to shut it), which led to the chugger banging on our window calling him a "fucking rude bastard" scaring DD a bit.

It surprises me that they must make enough money from this to risk completely alienating the rest of us.

Will this do?

I can see people approaching my front door from my living room.

Anyone wearing a lanyard or carrying a clipboard gets ignored .

across -

AcrossthePond - that is brilliant. Now where can I get it printed onto a doormat?

I have a 'No Cold Callers, No Canvassing' etc sign that my husband detests, he says it makes us look like Daily Mail readers. If he'd had a gas/electricity company knock seven times in a day though when dealing with a toddler and a newborn, he'd appreciate the need for it.

Problem is, chuggers don't think it applies to them. We are tormented by rude bastards who can see how busy we are (usually a crying kid somewhere in house, the dog trying to escape etc) but won't go away. I really need to just shut the door when they're mid guilt-tripping speech.

Don't know about a doormat, but you can buy a sign for £2.00 at mixthemessage.com. They have lots of not so lovely signs!

Um, don't click that link if you are easily offended.

The fuckers always call when you are about to sit down to eat your dinner. And there are no signs that I would put on my front door, I shouldn't have to. The Jehovah's witness's have me down as a do not call and I never get bothered by them. Today I was really annoyed by a company who ring the door bell, post a leaflet and then move leaving you at the door wondering what who has just rung. I won't even buy a poppy at the door!