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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to shut the door on chuggers?

111 replies

LittleSausageFingers · 09/12/2016 16:13

Apologies if this has been done to death.

We've had a spate of chuggers knocking on recently and it's doing my head in. They tend to knock at 5ish, almost always when I'm giving DD her tea so I've had to drag her from the high chair to the door to answer. I know that of course I could just not answer, but I've done almost all my Christmas shopping online this year and we're getting a lot of packages. I don't want to miss them and have to go collect them.

I've no problem with walking past chuggers in the street with a 'no, thanks', but it's so much more intrusive at the door, and they don't seem to take the hint that it's a bad time, even with a food splattered baby on my hip. So AIBU to say 'no, thanks' and shut the door in their face?! I generally cut them off quickly and explain that I don't want to waste their time, but I am not going to donate to them/sign up because I don't agree in principle with door-to-door chugging, and it's nothing personal or against the charity. Which is fine, and doesn't take me long to say, but some of them are very persistent.

OP posts:
AmeliaJack · 09/12/2016 17:07

Irrelevant?? Auto correct has gone mad today!! "correct"

marilynmonroe · 09/12/2016 17:09

Something similar. We get charity bags put through our door. They usually do it around 6am and shove it through waking me up. The other day they did it at 5.45am. I was furious! I emailed them and got a quick reply explaining that the charity actually outsource that service and they are not meant to do it that early. Any formal complaints they get the outsource company have to give a £50 donation to the charity! So was pleased I complained! I also said I didn't want another bag out through my door and they agreed!

londonrach · 09/12/2016 17:11

I just shut the door without saying anything. Not worth my time doing more than that. Its very naughty as its dd upset time as shes worn out.

Badcat666 · 09/12/2016 17:14

Fucking Hello Fresh can stick their boxes up their own anal passages.

3 times last week... 3 fucking times. Like can't you take a hint??! I don't want your overpriced poncy boxes as I can cook! Get off my land!!

And I have to answer door as all the chrimbo pressies have been ordered online and also take in parcels for my neighbours.

Worst one was for pet insurance. I have a floor mat with a cat face on out the front door so an easy target. Told them very nicely "no thanks" and was then asked "What happens is someone decided to hurt your cat, what would you do?" I calmly looked him in the eye and told him I wasn't some old granny he could scare and "I would find that person and do exactly what they did to my cat to them. and it wouldn't be quick"

Fucker

VinoTime · 09/12/2016 17:16

I had a dude follow me all the way down the high street this afternoon while attempting to do the school run.

I'm there busy trying to pick up several different mounds of shit the dog decided to bomb around various parts of the pavement while said dog wraps her lead around my legs several times. And I'm doing this while trying to keep a hold of the dog and the 30-odd Christmas cards I needed to post and a doggy bag that wanted to take off and be one with the sodding wind, and 'Si' from Save the Children assumes this is a good fucking time to ask if I've got a minute.

No Si, I don't have 'a minute'. I'm not exactly winning at life right at this very second! Honest to god! Eventually had to adopt a heavy Glaswegian accent and tell him to do one.

peppersaunt · 09/12/2016 17:18

My mother was the queen of "This is a bad time" accompanied by a sorrowful look

KingJoffreysRestingCuntface · 09/12/2016 17:19

Chuggers get paid per victim.

They're not collecting for charity, they're collecting for themselves.

No one should feel guilty about not giving.

idontlikealdi · 09/12/2016 17:21

I open the door say no thanks and close it again.

Powergower · 09/12/2016 17:30

We've had the ex offenders selling lakeland stuff. I was absolutely terrified last week alone at home when one han knocked at 7pm. We have a long dark drive and he kept saying 'sorry but I've not sold anything today can you help?'. The stiff he was selling was oven gloves and dusters etc but was quite expensive. He had some id but he did scare me and I was glad to get in. I really hate door chuggers.

Original poster
LittleSausageFingers · 09/12/2016 17:32

Power my mum bought from one of those recently and word must have got around that she was a soft touch because literally about 10 more turned up that week!

OP posts:
Libitina · 09/12/2016 17:43

Just say no thank you and immediately shut the door whilst they're still in mid flow. Do not engage or wait for a break in the conversation. Just talk over them.

SexLubeAndAFishSlice · 09/12/2016 17:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

formerbabe · 09/12/2016 17:50

I wouldn't open my door to one in the first place.

One caught me as I was leaving my house once...I told him "sorry, I hate charities". You find it shuts them up pretty dam quick.

formerbabe · 09/12/2016 17:56

Oh and if they are ever collecting for a charity that helps children...I exclaim "brilliant, I have 2 and I'm completely skint. How can you help me?"

They soon shut up.

MrFMercury · 09/12/2016 17:58

I have signs up and it makes no difference. I say sorry no and most just look disappointed but I have had "don't you care about kids then?" And "well I hope no one you love gets cancer" when my MIL was battling breast cancer for the second time.

Stripeyblanket · 09/12/2016 17:59

Get one of those doorbells you can answer from your mobile. Say thanks but no thanks.

No getting up or dragging your little one to the door.

GreenAndWinter · 09/12/2016 18:02

I'm generally polite to them, but I did totally lose it with the young man who rang my doorbell at 9pm after I'd spent over an hour trying to get my sick children to sleep.

I have a no cold callers sign!

When I said it was a bad time, and told him he'd woken the kids, he looked shocked and confused and said, "but it's for children with cancer". I told him I didn't care what it was for, he shouldn't be knocking on doors at 9pm.

He backed away slowly. Then, when he was trying his luck next door, I went back outside and held my front door open so that he could hear the children crying. Then I went upstairs and spent another whole hour settling them back to sleep - they were so ill and cranky.

I do think chugging on doorsteps should be banned.

AlpacaPicnic · 09/12/2016 18:29

I have started calling through the door for them to identify themselves before I'll open it. Thus is mainly because I live in a slightly dodgy area and someone once knocked at 1.30am asking to borrow an iPhone charger Hmm

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/12/2016 18:30

I can't see how it's helpful to them to have to go through five minutes of polite chat before getting nowhere, so that makes me feel better about shutting the door. I work from home quite a bit, so I get them a lot and usually just do that. Very rare to have them be rude about it.

Shiningexample · 09/12/2016 18:34

Dont actually open the door, just say 'who is it?' from behind the door, if it's someone you dont want to engage with just say 'not interested'..all without opening the door so they never even see who they are talking to.

Much harder to dismiss them once you've opened the door and made eye contact etc

WritersBlockk · 09/12/2016 18:35

I would put a sign on my door saying "no cold callers" and then if they knocked again I'd point it out to them and tell them to make a note never to knock on my door again. YANBU.

Janey50 · 09/12/2016 18:37

Becca - I have had this problem too,i.e. not being quick enough to escape street chuggers. I am disabled and walk very slowly,I am physically incapable of walking quickly. A few times I have had a chugger descend upon me and I have said 'Sorry',I am in a hurry,haven't got time to stop'. To which their smart-arse response is 'You want to try walking a bit quicker then love!' If I could,I bloody well would! Angry

expatinscotland · 09/12/2016 18:39

I don't answer the door during mealtimes. If I look through the spyhole and it's not someone I recognise at other times, I ask who it is.

Vagndidit · 09/12/2016 18:47

They're out in full force certain times of year, always around teatime. I now refuse to answer the door if I see them through the peephole. On the few times I've been caught by surprise, I just put on my finest nasally American accent and tell them this is a holiday let and I'm just visiting despite living here 7 years

They're bloody irritating too. We have door-to-door fundraisers in America too but 1.) Thry're usually cute kids selling GirlScout cookies or chocolate bars for band camp, and 2.) You can actually give them cash to make them go away. This collecting of UK bank details for charity giving does my head in!!

givemegravyonemoretime · 09/12/2016 18:54

KingJoffrey it's not** true that all chuggers are paid on commission / per sign-up. Some will be agency staff; some will be directly employed by a charity's fundraising team; and different organisations have different pay structures.

That said, I agree that doorstep chugging is manipulative and irresponsible, and no OP YANBU to shut the door with a firm 'no thank you'. I like the idea of contacting the charity to express your thoughts as well.