To be sick of charity doorsteppers

[LouiseBrooks]

I just had a girl from Marie Curie knocking on my door to ask me to contribute. It's 9.00pm. This happens every couple of months, not the same charity each time. Sometimes it's Saturday or Sunday evenings, it's always after 8.

I know they're all great charities, I know times are hard, and I do contribute to my chosen charities, but AIBU to think that my home should be off limits?

I now smile, say 'I don't engage with charities/sellers/religious organisations on my doorstep' and close the door. That's been working for me. (And yes, why do they always call while I'm cooking the dinner??)

A worrying new trend round our way is that they come back later if you don't answer the door - I saw one lot come up our street three times within a couple of hours last week, trying specific doors again (not mine though as I'd given them the short shrift as per para 1!)

I don't get this too often as am in an apartment building with a video entryphone, however the lock on the building front door was dodgy for a few months so could be pulled open, the whole building was hounded! In three months I had visits from JW, local evangelist church, cancer research, an animal charity, one specifically for dogs and cats, two for the refugee crisis appeals, as well as a shit load of sales people, tupperware, cleaning stuff and bloody scentsy!

It is wrong, I am at work all day and it is a rare event t be home for 6.30pm, it's usually 7. So when I am cooking dinner, bathing the kids and trying to help with homework I do not need this shit, so despite the well meaning intentions, all these people see me at my worst, least charitable self.

Chuggers I also despise, I do not like being accosted in the street and find it almost intimidating especially as our town centre at one point had dozens dotted throughout the high street until local people lobbied the council to intervene. It made gong to the high street a complete hassle.

Goldenhandshake If there's an entryphone system, they must use the entry phone with each and every address, they can't enter any other way and then knock on doors. Complain!

We had an awful experience with one of these. My mum answered the door. The girl was polite but she wanted direct debit only, not a one off cash donation- fair enough. It was for breast cancer. My mum explained that she didn't work and would have to ask my dad before signing up, because it wouldn't be her money iyswim. She asked if she could take a form and talk to him about it when he got home. The girl didn't want to do that so she kept pushing, my mum kept saying no, she didn't have the money to do it herself. The girl then explained to my mum that living with breast cancer is very hard and this money is for such a good cause, she hopes my mum's loved ones will never be affected by breast cancer. My mum was at home and not working because she was being treated for breastcancer. I was only about 16 at the time but had I been there I would have slapped her.

sirfredgeorge I wish I had known that then!

Doesn't stop them knocking but to any chugger I usually just say I donate through salary sacrifice at work. It wouldn't make sense to donate a different way.

I can't be the only one who calls them Churglars?
I never never never give on the doorstep on principle; I have elderly vulnerable neighbours who are afraid to open their doors for fear of being ripped off. Also when my DD was a few weeks old and my dad was staying, I was enjoying a rare nap and he got suckered into waking me up to come to the front door because the cheeky Churglar insisted they were my friend. I may not have been polite to them.
I am now an expert at the 5 second 'sorry no thanks' as I close the door on them. I have taught my children the same technique.
I find chuggers irritating but out in public I find RBF a good deterrent.

I have complained and received an e mail of apology, which said if I let them have my full address I will be taken off their list. Interesting because the girl on my doorstep said they don't have a list!

I get so annoyed when these people knock on my door at any time of the day. It's always when I'm just out the shower and in my dressing gown with wet hair, or when I'm at crucial point of cooking dinner. I always have to answer the door if I'm in as I work from home and get lots of deliveries throughout the day at random times.
They must be able to see the look of pure hatred on my face when I'm standing there in my dressing gown soaking wet. I used to be far too polite and would listen to their spiel for 20 mins and then sign up to the direct debit. I would always kick myself afterwards for not just standing my ground and saying no. I hate being bullied or pressured into anything that I don't want to do so I've finally learnt to just smile and say 'sorry I'm a bit busy but thanks anyway' and then close the door, even if it means I have to interrupt them mid way through their sentence to get rid of them. Life is too short to be listening to them wittering on for 20 mins.
I give to the charities that I want to give to out of choice and that's that!

They never come when I'm cooking dinner, they always come just as I've sat down to it and am preparing to stuff my face.

So complain again about the wrong information, also because the information is wrong, complain onwards to the regulator and not just the charity.

The self regulation of this area is really failing because so many of the complaints never end up recorded so the charities show few complaints. So make sure you actually complain about everything.

Also of course, the more it costs the charity, they might actually decide it's really not worth paying loads of money to collectors who mostly just harm their name.

We had someone a couple of weeks ago knock. Starts off asking me if my parents were in, and then after I've said no, it's my house, no I don't rent the house, it belongs to me I then get this:
"We sell windows and doors, is that something you'd be interested in?"
"We only had them replaced a couple of years ago, so no not really."
"Are you sure? A quote is only £10"

£10 for a bloody quote? I think not!
Just takes the biscuit, it's really annoying so no YANBU!

What gets me is when they tell me a donation is the same as a posh coffee every week, Please stop, I dont even buy posh coffee!!

I had one years ago who tried, "It's only the cost of a pack of fags." I told him it was many loaves of bread and shut the door.

A few months ago one was hammering on my front door and I decided I wouldn't answer. When they started peering through the letter box I got quite pissed off. Until they said, "You've left your keys in the door!" Including the key to my car parked right outside. I still didn't sign up, though!

I always say that I never give out my bank details or telephone to anyone. At that point there is no need to proceed. I always understood that charities were not legally allowed to call at your home. Also, they are not supposed to forcefully engage with you on the street. That is how it was when I was young!

Apparently there's a fine line between cold calling and charity fundraisers so they may ignore any signs

🤷🏼‍♀️ Err say what? You don't have a sign because they may ignore it. Just an idea but how about getting a sign then seeing what happens. I have a sign and it works almost completely. I never ever get visits from anyone other than an occasional scammer-type guys trying to sell cleaning products.

Getting a sign is much easier than having to get irate and having to write and complain.

I have a sign, although mine specifies no unexpected knocks or rings after 7:30pm because that's when my babies go to bed. It does work, to the point we ordered a takeaway and the guy was scared to knock the door I pointed out that as we ordered the take away, we were expecting him..

My window cleaner also now makes sure he comes to my door before 7:30pm to collect money.

We haven't had a single salesperson or religious person at the door since I put it up

It says:

Please don't knock the door or ring the bell after 7:30pm unless I am expecting you. There are sleeping children. If you are selling something please don't knock at all. Unless the house is on fire, you can knock then!

I like your message BigGrannyPants mine is more curt 😋

Toomanytrolls I was pointing out that due to them not considering themselves to be "cold callers" some of them ignore the signs. The reason I personally don't have a sign because until recently they weren't knocking on my door every month. Now they are, I will get one.

I have one at election times saying "no canvassers ..."

Mine says no canvassers too - unfortunately the representative for the labour party didn't realise she was a canvasser.

My sign is getting a bit tatty so I might replace it and include market researchers (as well as uninvited salespersons, canvassers, charities and religious groups).

Soon it won't be so much a sign as a reading test

unfortunately the representative for the labour party didn't realise she was a canvasser.

Well they'd probably not been in a tent since they left scouts.

I either ignore the door or answer it but tell them I'm not interested.

I have been known to walk around the block if I've gotten off the bus and I've noticed they're near my house... . Also aren't they meant not come to your house after 8pm? I swear there is a rule for it.

I can't stand the 'chuggers' in the city centre though, I either try and avoid eye contact with them, tell them I'm late for something or lie about my age. I really hate confrontation!

FredGeorge - then wouldn't she have been a nyloner (unless she was as old as I am - which she wasn't).