to boycott shops that facilitate chugging in their store?

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

In a smallish branch of M&S today.

1 exit.

Have to run the gauntlet of getting past 2 chuggers for the British Heart Foundation.

The sum total effect of this decision by M&S afaiac is that I won't go to their shop again.

Aibu?

Since they tend to work in groups, I usually just say I've already spoken to someone. Seems to be fairly effective.

I have had similar too from a chugger with a 'do you not care if animals die' shout in front of the kids and all.

twats

ThymeLord - statistically they do. And not everyone responds like you. I've never minded chatting to chuggers, even when I didn't work in the third sector.

My charity doesn't use chuggers btw, but I have seen a lot of studies that do the figures. Some people really hate them, but a lot of people don't mind them and they amazing for generating unrestricted income, so, for example, if you had a load of EU funding which made up 20% of an important project like a hospice renovation and that was suddenly frozen due to Brexit (as a lot of EU funding was) then you don't have to put your project on hold while you start fundraising again. You've got the funds coming in from those direct debits to use as appropriate, you know the money is there and it can be used for those kind of holes.

I don't like it either. Slightly different but in our local Tesco the charity bag packers! Not actually raising money for a registered charity but just a local high school (near the other local high school that my children attend) raising money so the school trip next year can be Australia. No I'm sorry, choose a cheaper, nearer and maybe more historic destination!!! That is not what money raising is for!!

choose a cheaper, nearer and maybe more historic destination!!!

Err, can't argue with cheaper and nearer, but how is Australia not 'historic'?

YANBU. If the shop wants to promote a charity, let them do so out of their profits.

I boycott shops that do this - chuggers make me feel uncomfortable, and why would I want to give my money to a shop that tries to make me feel uncomfortable?

I detest chuggers, but at least in a store you're not a captive audience and can walk straight out

Now, if you could just persuade doctors' surgeries to stop allowing them in ...

I dislike them because they make me feel so guilty because i can't afford to donate, even to money in a bucket types. I live in my overdraft and on a credit card in a house with no heating or hot water, i'd love to give to cancer research, nspcc, rspca and the like but i can't even afford to take care of all my own needs let alone help with everyone elses. Still not as bad as the £give just £3 a month" tv ads for water aid etc with the starving skeletal kids though, they make me cry and feel like an awful human for not being able to afford to help.

I thought chugging was now illegal? I've done bucket collections, and we were told in no uncertain terms that we must not approach people or badger them into giving money. Just jiggle the bucket and smile. Most people give you a very wide berth, unless they support your charity.

PS. I was an unpaid volunteer

@jaxhog I hope you don't mind me asking but how long ago did you volunteer and dip a bucket collection? I did it in 2011/2012 and we were all given very specific rules to obey (as set out by the local council whose permission we had to get first) and one of those was 'Do NOT shake the bucket/tin' we couldn't approach people, speak to them, make eye contact or obstruct a public pavement at all. It was very easy but a bit lacking in donations lol

Koala you really don't need to be offended by everything! I said more historic, not Australia is not historic! Seeing as we live in the UK then would Rome not be a far more 'historic' choice? most attractions within walking distance or Europe in general with a WWII interest???

Seeing as Britain deported its "criminals" in large numbers to Australia in the 1700s and in living memory sent away children from the care system and orphanages to a very uncertain existence in Australia I think it's got a full share of historic relevance.

But I loathe chuggers and am amazed shops allow them in.

I don't mind people in stores with buckets ( even though i always then feel like i have to give) it's the gits in towns ( maybe it's just where i used to live!) that annoy me.
You say no you're not interested, no thankyou and they follow you! Or they walk and purposely stop and stand right in your way and walk with you saying 'are you sure you can't help, it's only this much' even when you've said you're not interested and you're walking away!
I used to avoid part of my highstreet just so i didn't have to go past the chuggers. These people harassed you

I don't give to charities that use chuggers at all now.
The only way these charities will stop is by hitting them where it hurts.

We have 3 direct debits with charities - we sought 2 out and one was arranged at front door by a volunteer from local hospice - happy to sign with her knowing all the money goes to the charity.

They are ruining town centres and bloody hell I HATE the student chuggers my town - rude little shits.

FourKids: Not offended at all, just genuinely no idea what you're on about.

PicardsCombOver - it was last year. We were outside a Waitrose Store and the amount we collected was disappointing. We were not allowed in the store.

roseshippy and KoalaDownUnder the point is that if someone pledged £10 a month, the charity got £10 a month. My pay and the agency fee was paid out of the gift aid, which is the rebate on tax that the government gives to charities. After a couple of years of the direct debit, the gift aid money then went to the charity. I was paid commission only, so some days I earned nothing.

The fact is that fundraising costs money. Charities have to spend money in order to receive money. The reason why charities like direct debits is because it's a regular source of income so it helps them plan their services. It would be great if charities could rely on people setting up direct debits without prompting, but that's not how human behaviour generally works. Charities have to pay for TV adverts, or chuggers, or direct mailing, to persuade people to give their hard earned money regularly.

AntiHop

I have been giving to Amnesty International via direct debit every month for 20+ years. I know exactly how it works, and why charities prefer it, thanks.

The fact remains that I, and many others, hate chuggers. There are other ways of getting people to sign up for direct debits that do not involve using pushy, obnoxious salespeople to get in their faces in public.

The reason why charities like direct debits is because it's a regular source of income so it helps them plan their services

I don't doubt it, but it also seems to give them a convenient "handle" for calling the donor requesting an increase This happened to a friend with a major animal charity, who simply would not stop pestering - in the end she had to cancel the payment completely, and while that produced an absolute blizzard of calls shortly afterwards, at least that way they eventually stopped