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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fucking Chuggers!

32 replies

MissyMistress402 · 09/04/2015 20:48

I know they have got to make a living. But come on surely 20 past 8 on the night is unreasonable to knock to ask me if I'd like to talk about the NSPCC? I have two young children who had just gone to sleep so I was a bit short with her. Didn't shout or swear just said my children have just gone to sleep go away Blush

But AIBU to think they shouldn't knock at this time?

OP posts:
chickenfuckingpox · 09/04/2015 20:55

yanbu i dont answer the door

Teeste · 09/04/2015 21:02

I have 2 signs on my door, one right beneath the doorbell they ring, that say no cold calling etc. Chuggers, the religious and glazing salesmen don't seem to think it applies to them. I work from home and get them all the sodding time. I've given up being polite. So no, YANBU.

OrlandoWoolf · 09/04/2015 21:06

8.20 is too late. Personally I would complain to the NSPCC about it. I've done door to door and I just think common sense applies about when you should knock.

scaevola · 09/04/2015 21:12

I usually smile sweetly (or at least bare the gritted teeth) and ask for a leaflet so I can think about it when it suits me. They then invariably say they don't have any, at which point I cut them off, say it's obvious I'm not their target audience and won't keep them, and shut the door.

Original poster
MissyMistress402 · 09/04/2015 21:30

I don't open the door due to past doorstep incidents so called through the door to ask who it was. Blush

OP posts:
KingJoffreyFanciesDarylDixon · 09/04/2015 21:32

Ask them why they have no boundaries.

Shut the door while they're thinking.

MaidOfStars · 09/04/2015 21:36

Is someone who knocks on the door a 'chugger'?

Anyway, yes, annoying. Charitable giving should be a choice, free from bias other than the donor's particular interest, and not extorted on streets or doorsteps.

FrankelandFilly · 09/04/2015 21:39

Chugger = Charity Mugger

It applies to anyone who tries to get you to sign up to their charity, be it door to door or, more usually, ambushing you on the street.

LowryFan · 09/04/2015 21:48

I don't think you can be mugged at home. We should call that sort churglers.

fredfredgeorgejnr · 09/04/2015 22:17

Unfortunately the code says 9am to 9pm so 9pm is okay, and NSPCC are one of the exempt charities so it's harder to trip them up with the council, still contact the council to see if they informed and complain about them, also complain to the FSRB

www.frsb.org.uk/complaints/

They'll fob you off of course, but if you don't complain, it's much easier for them to pretend that their self regulation works.

If you think they "have to make a living", then that implies they were professional - did they tell you they were paid? Make sure you ask the NSPCC specifically how they insured the individual collector was a fit and proper person - basically just try and waste as much of their time as possible for the minimum of your effort so they start realising this form of collection is harmful.

fairgame · 09/04/2015 22:28

I've got one of them signs on my door saying no sales, religious groups or charities and the fuckers read it and still knock!
One chugger told me that she has to knock regardless of the sign. She did the apologetic head tilt as well Angry
Virgin media guy reckoned he hadn't seen it.
The reason i got it in the first place was because save the children kept knocking at 8.30pm. DS is already in bed at this time and has SN so when he hears knocking at nighttime he gets really anxious and takes longer to settle.
The always say 'your neighbours have been really generous'. Bollocks i bet none of them have even opened the door and if they have they won't have been polite in telling you where to go Hmm

Missdread · 09/04/2015 22:29

Get yourself a sticker OP: Amazon do oodles of them. Mine politely says I don't want cold callers, charities or religious groups knocking thank-you and since I put it on the door I've not been bothered once!

WyldChyld · 09/04/2015 22:31

Yes. We had Macmillan at 8.30pm tonight and I was hugely unimpressed, particularly as DH said "not a good time" and she still kept rabbiting on. I may have then made a terse remark about it being too bloody late...

Missdread · 09/04/2015 22:32

Fairgame, that's rubbish that your sign hasn't worked.....mine has pink flowers alongside the not-so-friendly message. They probably think I'm a nutter and walk on by!Grin Grin Grin Grin

KingJoffreyFanciesDarylDixon · 09/04/2015 22:33

When they say, "Your neighbours have been very generous..." you need to say,

"And yet you're still asking for more..?"

fairgame · 09/04/2015 22:34

I might try the flowers. Or stick please on the end of it Grin

BeaufortBelle · 09/04/2015 22:36

I'm awfully sorry but I don't engage with unsolicited callers. Goodbye. Over the phone I ask where they got my number because I'm registered with TPS and generally they put the phone down quickly

TendonQueen · 09/04/2015 22:37

I've never known anyone take a blind bit of notice of those signs. My parents have one and they still get all comers knocking. That's hard on your DS though fairgame. Try printing and laminating a sign that says 'Warning: bad tempered dog that gets aggressive with night-time callers' with one of those photos of an Alsatian baring its teeth. Bet the number of callers decreases.

PeachyPants · 09/04/2015 22:43

churglers - love it! Grin

fredfredgeorgejnr · 09/04/2015 22:47

fairgame If the collector said that, they are in direct violation of their own rulebook, and potentially even the law - www.pfra.org.uk/assets/resources/Doorstep_Rule_Book_Nov_2013.pdf

"A notice/sticker displayed on a home asking ‘cold callers’ not to visit whilst potentially applying to fundraisers may not, on its own, amount to a “request to leave” (an element of a criminal offence set out in the Regulations – see next paragraph). It will all depend on the exact wording and position/prominence of the sticker. Notices specifically addressed
to charities/fundraisers are more likely to be caught."

Complain!

Draylon · 09/04/2015 22:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BankWadger · 09/04/2015 22:58

Today I had sky and a big charity on the shopping centre try to hit me up, then outside on the small pedestrian area I had another charity, a restaurant, the big issue, a power supplier and a god botherer all trying to flag me down. Even when I was making a phone call. It's a small street only about 200 metres long, so it was extremely over whelming, especially with the very loud busker singing over top of it all. I just wanted to post a letter and buy some bread, not run the fucking Krypton Factor assault course.

fredfredgeorgejnr · 09/04/2015 22:58

Draylon Remember the chugging rules require them to take extra care after dark, ignoring the sign because it was too dark to see suggests they failed in that care...

Although unless it's a curry charity, that'd probably not help!

CalicoBlue · 09/04/2015 23:00

Everyone says they hate door to door and street fundraisers, but they do raise a lot of money for the charities, millions. That is why so many of the charities use them.

catlovingdoctor · 09/04/2015 23:03

Erm, yes, they're still asking for more. Because how else are they supposed to raise funds? If you don't ask you don't get and fair enough there should be boundaries but this is how charities make the differences they make. All you need to do is say "sorry, not interested" to the person knocking and close the door.