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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be glad we were out late?

40 replies

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 10/02/2016 21:58

Got home at 8:27, to a group of 5 chuggers in our little street.

What time are they supposed to give up for the day?

Normally, dd is in bed by 8, and the front door is right by the bedrooms!

6 year old over the road is also in bed by then. The widow and the pensioner couple are all settled in front of their tvs...

And walking around th edge of our village in a dark 'charity' t-shirt is first freezing, second, not clever as the roads are not pavemented. Is that a word?

OP posts:
FithColumnist · 10/02/2016 22:21

Eh?

DoesAnyoneReadTheseThings · 10/02/2016 22:25

They knocked here at 9.15 the other week Hmm

jonquil1 · 10/02/2016 22:30

I think the word you want is 'paved', op..

And yes, you're right. Completely inappropriate for chuggers to be out annoying peeps at that time. Especially at that time.Angry

Hope you told them to bugger off? Or, as my old mum would have said "go and play down your own end" Grin

breezydoesit · 10/02/2016 22:33

Chugger? Was someone having a wank on your street? Confused

fredfredgeorgejnrsnr · 10/02/2016 22:46

9pm is the limit under the Code of conduct, you can also ask your council to limit the licences further if the collection is not one of the big charities.

Code of conduct is here
www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/code-of-fundraising-practice/sections/public-collections/

You can still complain though to the www.frsb.org.uk , and t-shirts in cold weather might be considered inappropriate clothing, but I think that's really meant to be about misleading rather than the chuggers being cold.

YouMakeMyDreams · 10/02/2016 22:47

Chugged- charity mugger. People that try and get you to sign up for direct debit donations to charity. Rude, intrusive and far too pushy.

Original poster
WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 10/02/2016 22:49

I didn't speak to them.

I watched from the warmth of my car, while they knocked on my obviously-empty front door.

Thanks jonquil. I knew there was a word...

OP posts:
nattyknitter · 10/02/2016 23:02

I have a sign next to my front door

NO sales
religion
charity
politics
or relations
others by invite or appointment only.

I make exceptions for the postie.

People I like know to come round the back, so I know anyone at the front is undesirable. Once its gone dark I don't bother getting up to answer it.

I do think they have a nerve going round that late.

OfficeGirl1969 · 10/02/2016 23:06

Holy shit this actually happens?! I had no idea what a chugger was (in my head relates to knocking back of shots in a "chug-a-lug" style"!) So glad I live in the middle of nowhere with no visitors!

Would definitely tell them where to go in the evening!

SolidGoldBrass · 10/02/2016 23:23

It's not good. I'm a bit sorry for the actual chuggers in many ways - it's a shitty job and not all that well paid, and they can be under a lot of pressure to sign people up which could be why they are wandering around unpaved roads in the evening with insufficient clothes on. It's the companies who hire them I despise.

What2 · 10/02/2016 23:31

I'd complain to the charity. They need to know that it's unacceptable.

IWasHereBeforeTheHack · 10/02/2016 23:47

Top Tip - they have to leave if you don't answer the door within 20 seconds.

Cutecat78 · 10/02/2016 23:51

They came round here 9pm on a FRIDAY NIGHT ffs - in the pissing rain.

I was half cut by then Blush

icclemunchy · 10/02/2016 23:56

We had them just after 8 the other night, woke DD2 who had finally gone down after an hour. I was not impressed when he smugly told me they can knock up till 9pm. Not on my bloody door you can't I said and shut the door on him.

So now I've added Marie curie to the list of charities I won't donate too which is a shame because I'm sure hey do great work but I simply won't give money to charities who can afford to pay people to pester for donations

Cutecat78 · 10/02/2016 23:58

Mine was Anthony Nolan trust.

I just cut him dead and said I feel sorry for you being out in the rain but I'll stop you right there as I am not going to donate Smile

IgnoreMeEveryOtherReindeerDoes · 10/02/2016 23:59

9pm apparently when I gave one a bollocking for hammering on my door so loud, thought door was been kicked in one late evening and I wasn't happy as DS was in bed.

ExitPursuedByABear · 11/02/2016 00:02

Seriously? That would really piss me off.

We don't get them here.

I'm worried now as to why?

pinkyredrose · 11/02/2016 00:04

Cute that was probably their method, people half trollied are probably more likely to sign up! Grin

ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 11/02/2016 00:17

I know someone who does this for a living.

They work up until 9pm every night, they get £18 per sign up and a bonus if the direct debit goes on for 3 months as well as bonuses for the most sign ups in the team etc.

The get told to start speaking as soon as you answer the door as most people are too polite to tell them to fuck off while they are in the middleof complimenting your curtains/kids/dogs/top/house/area/whatever.

I still tell them to fuck off, or ask them how much they donate to that charity if I'm feeling chatty.

I would never signup on the doorstep as most of the money will go to the chugger, much better to give directly to the charity.

ephemeralfairy · 11/02/2016 00:19

They employ some really aggressive tactics. I used to live in a big block of flats in London, there were lots of lone parents and older people living alone in the block. We used to get chuggers round pretty late employing really quite aggressive tactics: banging on doors, leaning on buzzers, shouting. I complained to the head office of the charity they were collecting for but I doubt anything came of it. (I know it's not the charity that force these awful tactics but I didn't know what else to do)

CuttedUpPear · 11/02/2016 00:38

No, paved would imply that the road itself was paved.
Pavemented actually seems to be the correct term in this instance.

As you were.

gooseberryroolz · 11/02/2016 00:51

Oh you beat me to it cutted Grin

OP complain to the charity. I lost my temper with a chugger who told me my 'no coldcallers etc' sign 'didn't apply' to him at 8.30pmish. When his colleague knocked a while later i decided to grass the team up to the charity itself. I do it for all late chuggers now. Elderley neighbours being one reason I think it's just not on.

Friendlystories · 11/02/2016 01:42

I had one from Water Aid literally hammering on my door at 9pm a while back. I'm particularly sensitive to that situation after our door was kicked in during an aggravated burglary a couple of years back so I wasn't best pleased by the time I'd plucked up the courage to actually open the door. The lad got a fairly thorough bollocking and I emailed head office and complained. I got the usual 'permitted by law until 9pm' reply although it did include an apology and they've apparently removed my address from their canvassing area so they won't be knocking again, I have seen them in our street since and they have missed our house out so that does appear to work. I also have a sign up stating no charity collectors etc so if they still choose to knock it's at their own risk, I've made it fairly clear they won't get a warm welcome.

Bogeyface · 11/02/2016 02:04

I do feel sorry for people who do the job.

Its often young people, probably graduates who cant get a job in their chosen field, you rarely see middle aged people doing it.

They are doing it because that is the only job then can get.

So I am very polite, but I still say no.

fredfredgeorgejnrsnr · 11/02/2016 08:16

Don't complain to the charity - or don't just at any rate, always complain to the FSRB and your local council. The FSRB are toothless of course but the charities get away with self regulation 'cos it can be shown how few complaints they get.

And also your local council, because they issue the licences for the chuggers to be there (outside of the national ones) and they may well get bored enough with the complaints / take them seriously enough that they start restricting the times / number of occasions further.