AIBU to let charity workers talk for 5 mins before telling them no?

[margiemoo]

Charity workers regularly knock on my door asking for direct debits to be set up for their charities and they always speak for about 5 minutes before telling you what they want and giving you the chance to turn them down.
They obviously do this to make you feel bad and feel as though you really should sign up since you have let them talk for so long when you're actually not even interested and they always tell you your neighbours have been shockingly supportive and have all signed up as well.
I don't want to be super rude and shut the door in their face but I don't want to sign up either or let them waste their time.
Can anyone think of a way to politely decline the invitation to set up a direct debit when they're only 9 seconds into their long speech and haven't asked for anything yet?
Has anyone ever signed up for a direct debit with a charity who knocked on their door?

"I do not give, buy or sign up for things at the door".

My first question is always: "Are you a volunteer?"
They struggle with this question, gawp at you for a moment while the cogs whirr into place, and they then usually waffle on about working 'on behalf' etc.
I then say "Are you a volunteer or do you get paid?". More waffle usually follows. So I say "Yes I see, but do you actually get paid for doing this?"
They almost always admit it.
It's easy then - you just say that you aren't interested.

Don't give them a big, long, convoluted explanation. It just gives them longer to work on you. You don't owe them an explanation, they don't care. Just say no thank you and shut the door. Job done!

What really annoys me is that they tell you how much the payment is going to be for. I had some people come round when I was a student and I said I can't do monthly payments. They said "we do a one off payment, it's £35" ?! Back then that was a whole weeks living costs after rent for me.

Since Ive had a baby and answer the door holding her they've started asking if my parents are home which is very odd. One of them insisted he had spoken to my mother earlier in the day and just wouldn't let it drop. She doesn't live with us and hadn't been visiting.

Ive had the "your neighbours are all joining in" thing for a weely raffle direct debit too but I said I can't do that as its gambling which was enough for them to leave.

I once had a guy from an animal charity step into my house as I opened the door so I couldn't close it. Unfortunately he hadn't bargained on my xl guarding breed dog who happened to be dozing in the other room and summoned by a quick one word command! He soon backed off and no one knocked again! Arsehole. I lived by myself at the time so it was very intimidating. Thank god for that dog.

The “charity” collection bags for clothes really boil my piss. The small print says “we will donate £90 to charity per tonne of clothes”.

Cash for clothes pays 50p a kilo, so even before cutting out their margin, that’s £500 a kilo......... so the rest is lining so company’s pockets.

Sorry £500 a tonne, that should have read!!

Interrupt, it is just a waste of your time and theirs. Once I said I would give a once off donation but couldn't commit to DD as I was self employed and so just on the basic maternity.

Found out next month he had signed me up for DD.

It may be possible to set up a No Cold Calling Zone in your area, if they're a persistent problem. We have this in our area - it doesn't stop everyone (though it should!), but I think it helps empower the more vulnerable to just say they can't talk to them because they live in a NCCZ.

I just say 'no thankyou' when they knock on my door. Or if it's religious people I just don't answer.

When I'm out shopping and people stop me I usually say the following

Animal society - "Sorry, I don't like animals"
Religious people- "Sorry, I'm a pagan lesbian"
Gas/electricity/sky asking which company I'm with? - "Sorry, I live off the grid, like John Connor"

Christ I got caught by barnardos one day, I tried everything to get out of it, sorry I only have my husbands debit card with me, I did, and he had a lot of money in the account, it was his business account, no wouldn't piss off, I said look he wouldnt' be comfortable or happy with me signing up with his details, can you contact me later, so he still wouldn't give up, so I gave him an old cancelled card that was in the wallet, he signed me up and I left and went and rang the charity and complained . At no point should he have taken the details unless they were my own, annoying little shit. Next Time I will be sending them packing without acting the eejit. Do you know a lot of charities, if you donate 1 pound the amount that actually reaches the needy is like 10% of it, after thebig wigs are paid their salaries.

Those signs don’t work.

People who ignore a very clear sign, are being very rude if they expect you then to listen to them! I will, and have, shut the door in the face of anyone who does not leave immediately after I point out the sign. Charity workers included. If you think this is rude, then I do smile as I shut the door.

I cut them off quickly by saying I'm not able to sign up to anything. I used to have more time for them until one very rude man from Oxfam basically said I had a nice house so must be able to spare some money, and started demanding to know my monthly bills I complained about him.
Salesmen/tradesmen - tell them the house is rented. They tend to leave a leaflet 'for the landlord' and disappear pretty quick.
Accidentally discovered that telling unwanted callers that I'm busy dealing with a sickness bug makes them back away pretty quickly too....

I have two stickers, one on my door and one under the doorbell, saying no cold calling and all that. They are routinely ignored. So if any fucker is so rude as to ignore them, I do not feel rude in shutting the door in their faces. They have already been warned. I work from home and it breaks my concentration.

I generally give them a Paddington stare, point to the stickers, watch the guilt in their eyes and shut the door.

To be fair many work on commission.

When my DS was new born my Ex took up a door to door sales job.

He worked 3 days. 7am to 7pm, being collected in a mini bus and taken to areas.

And he made nothing. Not a penny as no one signed up.

I just say ‘sorry can I stop you there, I’m not interested, thanks’
A bloke from the dogs trust did ask me once in Tesco if I liked dogs, so I said ‘no not really’ and that ended that conversation (I do quite like dogs actually though)

I cut in, but with a smile and a firm but polite tone (well, that's what I go for; I hope they don't think I'm a bitch) and say 'I'm working and I don't have time to talk, but thanks.'

They usually take it OK. Even though, being British, I find this hard, I make it a point of principle not to use the word 'Sorry'; I'm not sorry, I'm just busy!

I dont understand why people seem to need all sorts of ruses to get out of speaking to them? Just say no thank you and don’t be drawn into giving them any further information. I didn’t think I was particularly assertive but maybe I am because I have no qualms about just saying no. I used to work in sales and we did a lot of stuff about dealing with objections and asking for the business so maybe that’s why I’m firm on not giving them an “in” at all.

Just answer door, you can see who they are pretty much instantly, say "no thanks. I am not interested," as you close the door. Very simple.

No excuses. No veiled threats. No Pa comments. No BS. No drama.

I always remember reading one of these threads years ago, when I picked up a wonderful tip from a MNer.

Just a wave of the hand and in perfect BBC announcer accent, say the words 'I'm terribly sorry, I don't speak a word of English'.

Isn't it easier not just not answer the door? Assuming you can see visitors from the window before answering. I don't answer mine.

I once had a milkman knock the door to try and sign me up for a daily delivery of milk.

I told him I was lactose intolerant...

“I don’t sign up to charities on my doorstep. Thanks. Bye” said whilst closing the door. Don’t give them a chance to respond. They’re trained to blabber on regardless until door is actually closed. It’s not rude - knocking on my door and starting a fake monologue in the hope of making some money out of me ‘on behalf of a charity’ is rude.

I interrupt.

"I'm so sorry but I won't sign up to anything like this on the spot. Please leave me website details and I'll take a look in my own time."

These aren't actually charity workers.

They are contracted by a big corporate company that manages the people and the money gets sent through them to the charities.

I had an interview with a company like this before. They made it sound like an amazing job on paper and at interview but in reality it was knocking on doors and asking for people to sign up to direct debits to charities as they get commission for every direct debit.

All of the employees are "self-employed", and if they don't get any sign-ups in one day, they don't get paid.

The bloke that took me round for an "introductory day" lied to people, made out he had kids to get sympathy and people signing up, even said stuff like old people were more likely to sign up, and he bought his cigarettes from small newsagents that didn't itemise receipts so he could pretend it was "lunch" and claim it as a business expense.

At the end of a very long day trudging around they asked me if I wanted the job but I told them to stick it.

I have no good words to say about the company, they're not in it for the charity, they're in it for lining their own pockets.