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AIBU?

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Original poster

Not to give bank details

54 replies

Squills · 16/10/2016 16:21

I've just had a guy turn up at my door asking if I'd like to contribute to funding the Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance. I said I would like to contribute and he then produced a tablet and asked me to fill in my bank account and sort code number so that a direct debit could be set up.

I refused and he asked what it was about him that I didn't trust. I said that it wasn't anything to do with him personally it was just that I wasn't happy giving banking details via his tablet. I said I didn't mind doing it online via my own wifi and computer. He gave me the impression that I was being awkward. I felt, as he already knew my address, giving my bank details on the doorstep was a step too far.

Was I being too suspicious or not?

OP posts:
witsender · 16/10/2016 16:50

The same charity always accost me at the supermarket. I appreciate that they are not allowed to collect cash, and that leaflets to take away cost money, but if I am going to sign up to something mpnthly I want to look into it...not just hand my details over to someone in a supermarket foyer.

Kewcumber · 16/10/2016 16:50

I would have told them his eyes were too close together.

If he's got the balls to ask such a ridiculous question then he should be able to accept a ridiculous answer.

ImperialBlether · 16/10/2016 16:51

They don't want the security code, don't be daft. They are simply setting up a direct debit.

GabsAlot · 16/10/2016 16:52

it was a stupid thing to say but not miuch different to what a cheque says on it or something u would sign up to online

a dd doesnt need your card number

pipsqueak25 · 16/10/2016 16:59

some posters on here are sadly quite naive in their ideas in what is safe, a cheque with its details are the first part, but a lot of stuff can be found out with the right knowledge just from those few numbers, you'd be surprised.

harderandharder2breathe · 16/10/2016 17:02

Yadnbu

A genuine charity collector would hopefully have said "ok that's fine, here's our website you can have a look and sign up yourself if you wish"

StormStrike · 16/10/2016 17:04

Why don't you email the charity and let them know that you think door to door collections are a bad idea. Their email is
[email protected]

I don't like door to door collections. I have a sign on the door which means I no longer get cold callers.

TheFlis12345 · 16/10/2016 17:07

Plenty of legit charities do this. The reps want you to sign up on the spot so they get their commission though. If you sign up independently later it can't be tracked back to the 'seller' so they won't get paid.

Thingvellir · 16/10/2016 17:08

I had a similar conversation with Friends of the Earth recently who wanted me to set up a direct debit over the phone (they'd got my details as I'd signed one of their petitions on change.org). I refused to do it on the line. They seemed very surprised that I thought it was unsafe to hand over my bank details to someone who had called me up on the phone.

No one should give bank details over the phone when a company has called you cold, or at the door, only do it on their official website, or if you have initiated the phone call yourself.

pigsDOfly · 16/10/2016 17:17

As soon as anyone who has knocked on my door starts telling me about their charity I stop them and tell them I won't be signing up for anything at the door.

Sometimes I get a similar response from them that OP got from the air ambulance collector, also had: all your neighbours have signed up, really? Still not going to make me change my mind.

There's no way I'm going to hand over my bank details to some random person at the door no matter who they say they are. Why anyone would is beyond me, but clearly they do or the charities wouldn't go on trying to raise money this way.

No you weren't being too suspicious OP.

Petronius16 · 16/10/2016 17:17

My bank regularly reminds its customers it will never ask for your bank details and also advises not to give them out to anyone.

HermioneWeasley · 16/10/2016 17:18

YANBU at all, and his weird question would make me think he was definitely dodgy.

ImperialBlether · 16/10/2016 17:22

Petronius, they're talking about on the phone or by email, there. Obviously you give your bank details out every time you buy something.

Verbena37 · 16/10/2016 17:26

It's actually Kent, Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance.
You can tweet them and ask if the guy was genuine.
@kssairambulance

Even if he was a real guy, they shouldnt be using a tablet to get your details. They could then just store them and they could be stored in the tablets history.

MagikarpetRide · 16/10/2016 17:27

I politely refuse too saying that my vast experience with data protection and collection means I won't give my banking details out that way. They often Hmm at me but leave me alone. Some then insult my intelligence at which point I usually tell them there's no way they'll get anything now.

YNK · 16/10/2016 17:27

No one gets a second look from me on the doorstep after a bogus operator lifted her hand to me (I think she was under the influence)!

I said no thanks and she tried to say I thought she was a bogus collector??? WTF, until she said it it hadn't crossed my mind! I had been interrupted so maybe my attitude was a bit brisk, but I hadn't intended anything but "No thanks"

I demanded to see her ID so I stepped forward, only for her to raise her fist! She turned and ran and shouted to another woman across the road and both disappeared as I stood stunned with my mouth open!

I was so confused I still rang the charity who told me they don't have doorstep collections and advised me to call the police.

Rosamund1 · 16/10/2016 17:28

Many years ago I did some door to door fundraising; here are some pointers.

  1. Large charities like St. John ambulance rely on this type of funding ie regular direct debits.
  2. You say you 'will set it up on your own'. The truth is you will not, people are busy/lazy/forgetful and unless prompted will not give £15 per year to a charity, even though it is what they spend on coffee in a week. They are not bad people. That is human nature.
  1. Genuine fundraisers will have an identity card with a number to call and verify.
  1. The information you give in terms of bank details is the same as what is on a cheque. They need your consent to take a regular payment and I certainly was not sophisticated enough to have known how to misuse a sort code and account number even if I had wanted to and I'm sure it's the same for most people .
SarahMOs · 16/10/2016 17:32

Never give your bank details out like that...your actions were very safe. I don't even let the metre reader in the house, I write the reading on a pice of paper and give it to them (keeping the door shut as I do!).

schbittery · 16/10/2016 17:36

You'd be insane to enter your bank details into anything other than the official charity website imo. I hate chuggers with a passion and if someone rang the bell to attempte to get me to set up a redular DD I'd report them to their charity. I can and have chosen to make one of donations on my own via charity websites or fundraising websites. If charities rely on door to door chugging then I would suggest that's not a sustainable business model.

Rosamund1 · 16/10/2016 17:37

Also to the pp saying they just want a commission. I did it as a student and made less than minimum wage. If I had received NO commission at all I would have been going out 9-5 in the sleet for 3 weeks for free then would not have earned the living expenses I needed. Sometimes volunteers collect for free, but not everyone can afford to work for free.

Collectors are trained about safety etc (no to go inside houses, how to politely explain security etc.) The vast bulk of many charities finances are raised this way, simply because most people think they are generous and support charities but in reality do not. They just think about it. Do you support a charity financially?

Sometimes it takes a face to face conversation with someone explaining the work they are currently doing in your local area to get them to sign up.

NavyandWhite · 16/10/2016 17:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BowieFan · 16/10/2016 17:39

You did the right thing. I always worry that something like this will happen to DS2 when he's 18, he'd gladly just type them in without thinking about it (he's ASD).

If it were me, I'd ask him to leave a card which I could use to access the website myself on my own wi-fi and if he left me his name I could make sure it was known who had referred me.

schbittery · 16/10/2016 17:40

Sorry Rosamund but you'll never convince me. I'd rather my dc were fruit pickers or worked in McDonalds like I did when I was a student than to try and make a rubbish amount of money harassing people with cheap sales techniques about charities they probably know very little about and have no real connection to.

GabsAlot · 16/10/2016 17:57

they cant do anything navy i dont blame people these days but everyones become too paranoid

if anyone still sends cheques out theyd better stop or someone might do something Hmm

Original poster
Squills · 16/10/2016 18:25

Thanks for the responses. I'm glad I responded in the way I did.

I will email the Sussex Air Ambulance tomorrow and let them know what happened. If he was legit then I think they need to look into the way they do their fundraising.

A couple of folk mentioned that the details would be on any cheque... which is true but the fact that he would have known my address as well as the bank details would potentially have made it more open to fraud.

OP posts:
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