To think that when you contact a charity asking for help...

[PurpleAlerts]

They shouldn't then cold call you under the premise of research into your condition and then try to guilt you into donating money!

I have tinnitus- it's driving me mad and I have been told there is nothing that can be done about it. So on Facebook the other day there was a link from Action on Hearing Loss ( used to be the RNID) regarding a self help leaflet about Tinnitus. I duly signed up for it.

This morning was called by someone who said she was collecting information for research about Tinnitus and asked me some questions about what I was experiencing. She took my details so she could send me the leaflet. She then went into some long spiel ( obviously reading from a preprepared script) about how research was hoping to find a cure blah blah blah-( I could tell where she was going...) and would I be interested in supporting the charity by donating £8 a month!

I declined saying I not only already support charities for the deaf but actually work with deaf children and their families. I was then informed she doesn't actually work for the the charity- just a company commissioned by them to raise funds!

At this point alarm bells were ringing ( on top of the ringing in my ears ) and I started to think this was maybe a scam.

So I called up AoHL to warn them be told no this is one of the methods they use to raise money!

Seriously?

Yes we do the same. Donated to a charity that sends books to developing countries. After multiple calls/mail shots we will no longer donate

Sorry, x posted - that was to pulsifer

What got him and me the most is that how many £3 a month potential donators these people were putting off!

Its the reason why I wont respond anymore to donate £2 by text type adverts, or sign petitions (yes you greenpeace) They absolutely hound you. Its the script that I hate. If they phoned and said " we noticed you donated to 'blah blah' would you be interested in donating a small regular amount. I might be interested, but its the fake interest and matey conversation and the emotional manipulation i hate.

I agree meddle- I don't like being taken for a fool which is exactly what these charities are trying to do.

I stopped doing Race For Life after endless phone calls asking for more. I explained I couldn't afford a regular donation but despite being disabled (less so back then) I did R4L every year as my way of helping. After the endless emotional blackmail the caller said they hoped I never lost someone I loved to cancer which upset me a huge amount m I barely had enough room on my sign for the names of the people I'd lost :(
Also not a huge fan of NSPCC after they sent a pile of stuff about abused babies and children just after I'd given birth. The covering letter made it clear they knew I'd just became a parent so it felt very much like they were targeting emotional new parents. The spelling mistake in my name makes me pretty sure they'd got my information from Bounty.
Why do they try and bully people in this way though. If I tell you I can't afford £3 wtf would you think giving me shit for not giving more would work? I can only assume some people are brow beaten into eventually agreeing to the original requested amount. I'd feel very upset if I'd discussed details of my children's medical conditions and lives with people I thought wanted to help them only to find out they didn't care at all :(

I have just cancelled my subscription to St John Ambulance for the same thing, they wanted more than I could afford, God the phone calls at all times of day were ridiculous. They now call just as much trying to get me back 👎

Trouble is, I guess all of this is a matter of numbers - presumably enough folk must give in to the pressure to make it worth their while?

I think charities need to develop a code of conduct that they will not use these methods.

What got him and me the most is that how many £3 a month potential donators these people were putting off!

Yes, this is the problem. I'm happy to help but I hate being 'sold' to or emotionally blackmailed.

the charities need to realise they lose donations with these methods

i used to have a direct debit to a cancer charity that organizes (yuk) pink runs that exclude one sex...

once they sent me on the post a pre-filled form to increase my direct debit WITH ALL MY BANK DETAILS FILLED IN!

I rang them straight away, told them i was actually cancelling my DD and why and that it was a complete lack of security and invasion of privacy and have never donated to them since...

Wow! Yes, I'd have been livid at that too.

I'm afraid I cancelled my direct debit to Macmillan after they rang me and asked me if I knew how many people a year died from cancer. This was the fourth "please increase your DD" call and was the morning of my FIL's funeral. Who had died from cancer.

I think the Macmillan nurses are wonderful and felt bad cancelling the direct debit (I did explain why to them) but I had once told them my job wasn't secure (which was true), then told them in the next call I found it upsetting due to a family member's situation and asked them not to call again. The call on the morning of the funeral was the fourth in six months and pushed me over the edge.

It's poor form IMHO. I understand they are charities and rely on voluntary donations but they seem to forget there is a balance to be had between soliciting willingly given donations and harassment. Especially with emotional blackmail.