...to feel that charity agent workers should be stopped?

[whatever187]

Today as I tried to leave my local supermarket with my shopping and baby in the pram, I was approached by a person from one of these charity sign up stands (you know the ones where they take your bank details and you sign up to a direct debit to support x-charity)
He was stood in my way, showing me a picture of some dogs and asking if I would like to sponsor one. I said no, to which he didn't move, and asked 'why, don't you like dogs?' It felt awkward and I replied that our family couldn't afford it. Thinking that would be that (and it is embarrassing enough to be made to stand there and say that) he ridiculously claimed 'Everyone can afford it, it is only £2 a week' I was almost immediately irritated, I have a lot going on today with appointments etc and didn't feel like having to explain, so I said that it wasn't true as we can't. He was so pushy and to my utter disbelief said 'Well, you can afford shopping and having a baby'
YES! Yes we can because we planned to do that, we budgeted to do that and we already support a charity, don't enjoy luxuries and are happy because we wanted a second child, knowing we would be making sacrifices to do so, but we do it. I told him exactly that! He angered me so much when he asked if we were saving in trust funds... yes... well then we have some money to spare! No... we don't. Why won't you leave me alone? 'Because people think it's ok to say they can't afford it and move along. What if everyone did that? We would have to close rescue centres within 6 months, it is ONLY £2 a week!'
I literally felt like crying, it was so embarrassing and I was getting so enraged, so I asked if he supported them, to which he answered 'No, because I work for them' He doesn't, he works for an agency that gets employed to fundraise! I told him that and proceeded to walk forwards, he had no choice but to move out of the way of my pram or get run over, but now I feel terrible.
AIBU to think that this shouldn't be allowed? It is turning me against charity of all kinds!
Sorry about the rant

I give a lot to charity. Through pre-palnned tax efficient giving (I am a very higher rate tax payer).

If I am chugged or sent an unsolicited request for money I knock that charity off my list for 2 years. A phone call using a number given to them for non marketing purposes knocks them off for 5 years.

I gave about £6k to Barnados with all boxes ticked that I must not be contacted etc. They gave my home phone number (I have 2 and this one is not public and always been unlisted) to a marketeer who phoned me during Sunday lunch and said as I had given so much would I like to give more. I no longer give anything to them.

Personally, I just look straight through them and completely ignore anything they say to me. As I live in London there are always other more compliant looking victims walking down the street at the same time as me who they can pick on. I have never had a problem with harassment from chuggers or evangelical religious people.

If they call at my door I don't answer the door unless expecting callers but just shout through the door "who is it?" If they don't answer or tell me it's from a charity, I don't open the door.

simbacat, do you tell them that's why you've crossed them off?

Views like yours seem widespread to me and also practises like Barnardos' are a reason people often give for not giving to charity at all - if you give once, you get on their list for calls for years etc.

I often wonder if, although these chuggers must make some money, their use isn't counterproductive overall.

Just ask them for their bank details in return, see how they like it.

That's outrageous OP but unfortunately doesn't surprise me one bit.

I have indeed been "chugged" in our local precinct, I said sorry I'm not interested and the girl rattled on about me not caring for children etc, I just walked past her, but when I walked past again on my way home she caught me again. I kindly informed her that she had already stopped me once and I had told her then I wasn't interested. She laughed and said "don't worry I will get you again"

My son was stopped at the entrance to the train station by a cancer charity, he told them he was 16 (he is!) and the man said "haha nice try"

I despise these rude people and I'm surprised anyone signs up of their own free will. I think you should complain to the charity and the supermarket.

I would also report them to both the charity and the supermarket. I used to give to a charity by DD and then they kept phoning me and wanting more money / me to increase my DD. After telling them a couple of times that they were not to phone me and that if they did I would no longer support them I cancelled the DD. The next couple of times they called I told them exactly why I would no longer support them and now they don't call. It is up to you to decide what giving you would like to do and how, if everyone stopped signing up in the street it would get rid of the chuggers.

TheAlias

I wrote and telephoned Barnados to tell them why and to get written confirmation that they had removed all of my details from all mailing lists. They didnt reply but I no longer get anything from them.

I did used to tell chuggers but they don't care a jot about the charity. They are just like kitchen salesman- they are sales people- they flit from charity to charity in our town. So now I don't bother but do post back the mail to those charities saying why if they direct market me.

That is really awful, OP, and I think you should complain.

The key is, never apologise, never explain. You just keep saying 'I'm not doing it'.

Though the day years ago I got nabbed by a young woman working in Body Shop to sign up to aAnita Roddick's latest charity venture was an exception. I said no, she (white) said, sneeringly, 'Don't you care about Africa?' (I'm African). Talk about light the blue touch paper and stand well back.

The best response I find is to ask if they are from the charity - if not, state that you only give directly so that the funds are used for cancer research etc

Whenever I tell them I am not a UK resident (true) they instantly lose interest.

I would complain. I've complained about a chugger before and was told by the charity in question that one someone says 'no' twice they should leave you alone. The problem is that they are paid commission so it's in their interest to guilt trip people.

I always just breeze past them saying 'sorry, I won't be stopping' and that usually works - once you start engaging with them it becomes tricky. That said, I think you've had a particularly bad encounter and should complain.

They get one chance for a polite no thanks from me. If they're too hard of thinking to comprehend that then they're fair game and will get it with both barrels.

Definitely complain to both the supermarket and charity. If you are ever put in this position again, don't engage with them, don't say anything bar "please move" if they don't, turn round and go back into the supermarket and report them to customer service/the store manager.

"I don't have a bank account" works for me.

I always feel bad for the chuggers, actually. A lot of them are people who have problems getting other jobs and they are under huge pressure to make target and get enough sign ups (or the agency fires them) but if they are pushy and the charity gets a complaint about them they get fired for that as well.

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea IMO.

Was this Dog's Trust?
They were in my Morrison's.
I signed up because i miss my little pet. If this is their approach to young mothers I will stop my SO.
I think that was way over the line.

I feel sorry for them, but not sorry enough to engage! Your mistake OP was talking to them in the first place:) At the 'don't you like dogs' line, I'd have said 'no, I don't actually' and walked off. Though if you don't make eye contact in the first place, they tend to look past you. Don't explain, don't justify, it just gives them ammunition!

They are supposed to take "no" as an answer and leave you alone. You do have to be blunt though. "No, thankyou" and walk on. Nobody will think you are rude, it's socially acceptable to refuse to engage with chuggers.

I complained about an agency doorstepper and got an apology from the boss. He explained that they do follow a code of conduct but that you have to be explicit. Eg they will ignore signs that say "no cold callers" but won't knock if the sign includes "and charity collectors"

We get there staked out along the high street all the time. They are very pushy and one was so bloody rude that I refuse to speak to them now.

My experience was similar to the OPs - I was rushing with DS sleeping in his pram to get to the supermarket, with about ten minutes before I had to be home for a call from work.

I said 'no thank you', then 'Im in a rush', 'no I really am in a rush', 'I have to get to Tesco and home in ten minutes as I have a conference call' as the irritating little flea followed me along the road trying to wear me down.

Eventually he stopped and yelled up the road at me 'you only have to say you don't want to talk and not make excuses you sileee woman!' (he was French). Had I time, I would have gone back and made him cry but I didn't.

I find saying the completely irrelevant "do I look like a paedophile?" works.

Are you interested in human rights? Do I look like a paedophile? Do you like dogs? Do I look like a paedophile?

Means nothing, of course, but definitely makes people prefer to leave you alone.

This reminds me of when my mum was approached by a chugger from a dog charity. No actual problem with this as there are 1000's of dogs in need out there.
However what pissed her off was when she said that she couldn't afford it he said "oh don't you care about abandoned dogs then?" in a nasty tone of voice.

Oh boy did she give it to him with both barrels!

She'd just taken on another rescue dog on top of the two she already had, a volunteered 2 days a week at a local shelter!

He was very sheepish after that, hope it taught him a lesson.

They need to stop hiring sales people to do it. I have experience of sales people like this and they are hard-wired to use any tactic, even near- abuse to browbeat people into paying.

If it was people who actually cared about the charity it would be a bit different.

*and voluntered

If they call at my door, I ask them if they have an appointment. They are normally taken aback, and say no :-) . I then say sorry, we don't see anyone without an appointment, goodbye...Then I close the front door!