To think that 9pm is too late for charity clipboard door to door folk?

[Girlwiththearabstrap]

Just had a knock at the door from a British Heart Foundation worker trying to do the whole direct debit sign up thing. DD1 is already in bed and I was feeding DD2. I would have just left it but our upstairs neighbour is terminally ill and her daughter visits regularly so I answered in case there was something wrong.

Anyway. I was polite in telling the guy to go away. But WIBU to tell him that 9pm is too late to be visiting houses to try and get people to sign up for charity things? Or am I just old and grumpy?

Anyone active and personable enough to be a door to door chugger has many opportunities for jobs, facillitating extracting money from vulnerable people doesn't need our sympathy.

I did it when I was 18 and had no other means for money. I have anxiety and ASD, people like you were the reason I cried every morning for an hour before going in.

Most of us were also students, just trying to earn extra cash where we can and also do something rewarding. It was the worst job I’ve ever done. Never have I felt more threatened, scared or intimidated than when I did it.

For what it’s worth, we were paid, but not from the donations made. The donations made were extra, we got paid whether people signed up or not because charities set aside a certain amount to pay for fundraising.

I have no issue with anyone asking a legitimate question but you said it as if you actually enjoy making these people feel uncomfortable, which is sick.

9pm for that shit?n

I had one call at 9.45pm when my husband was working away. It was winter so very dark and it was quite scary getting an unexpected knock at the door. They shouldn’t be allowed to go round so late.

I remember when a BHF worker knocked on my student house last year whilst I was in the middle of my final exams. I politely told the worker that I did not have the time because I was revising for an exam that was that afternoon. The chugger then tried again and I just told her to go away and shut the door.

Sometimes you have to be rude because they don't get the message. If someone tells them no then they need to accept that and move along. If they decide to ignore people or knock at stupid times then people are going to be rude.

Do you enjoy making underpaid students feel uncomfortable

Well, underpaid students seem to have no qualms about making me feel uncomfortable in my own home.

I got pounced on for a charity coming out of the supermarket. I felt aggrieved by the approach but signed up for a standing order as I believe strongly in the cause.
Anyone knocking on my door, however, can fuck right off

I don't even answer my bell if I'm not expecting somebody, a parcel etc.

Overheard a conversation on the tram the other day:
'We're having a great time, good money.'

Do you enjoy making underpaid poor students feel uncomfortable?

Aww poor babies. Just thinking about the jobs I did as a student. Perhaps instead they could work in a factory or gut chickens or clean toilets. God forbid they should be made to feel uncomfortable.

I on principle won't give to charities that use chuggers.

I don't feel one bit sorry for 'poor student' chuggers and door knockers. If you choose to do a job that you know fine well makes people feel harassed and intruded on you can't complain that people aren't nice and polite about it. Anxiety and ASD? Do you not think there's a chance some of the people behind those doors (whose space you're choosing to put yourself in for your own gain, not the other way around) might have those or similar conditions that would make them extremely distressed to receive an unexpected knock on the door late on? Or vulnerable to giving away more money than they can afford to spare?

YANBU, that's really out of order. Well, the whole knocking door to door thing is, tbh. My stock answer to chuggers is "Sorry, I never give money or bank details at the door/over the phone/in the street. Thank you." Then shut the door or keep walking.

I go to bed before 9pm due to our family work hours etc. I would automatically answer the door incase it was something important..... Id be so so annoyed if it was a chugger.

Yeah I agree.
Had two doing the rounds on our estate about 4-5 months ago on behalf of I’m sure it was RSPCA. Dog was fairly new to us at that point,
He was a bundle of nerves, at 9 months old he was on his 4th or 5th home, between each home he was just camped out at kennels, he had severe anxiety issues, would do things like piss on the carpet if someone came to the door, plus all the barking and climbing over the very tall dog gates. We had just got a behaviouralist for the dog,

So what I thought was, I’ll write a note, just explaining that the dog becomes distressed when people call so please don’t knock on our door as it’ll cause distress to the dog thank you very much. Written in big capital letters on A4 paper, with 4 bits of blutac so it was fully readable.

Some 15 minutes later, my doorbell went not once, or twice, but 3 times.

And the dog starts don’t he. I manage to get him in the kitchen behind the gate, but he doesn’t stop barking the doorbell goes again. I quickly shut the gate and run to the front door.

As I start to open the door the sales spiel starts....
By this point I already know when I turn around I’m going to have puddles of dog piss to contend with,
EXCUSE ME, BUT CAN YOU NOT READ?.... THE SIGN SAYS NOT TO CALL AT MY DOOR.

Sales mans answer, it said knock, I rang the bell with a lovely grin.

I think I saw fire, became aware that DD was in the house and the dog was jumping the gate, and all I could muster was GO.AWAY and slammed the door in their face.

To clean up dog piss, and be told off for being so rude by my daughter.

The charity they were representing were quite upset with them when I complained to be fair.

I have absolutely no sympathy for chuggers.

They have no qualms about knocking on the doors of vulnerable people. The reason we live in a “no cold calling” area is because there’s sheltered accommodation.

I did countless jobs when I was a student, most of which were fairly grim. I never once did one that intimidated people in their own home under the pretence of “doing something rewarding”.

I would never sign up to someone knocking at the door at any time. Apart from anything else they may have a clipboard and a badge, but you don’t really know who they are - and you are supposed to give them your bank details!

I always want to ask "do you think I'm an idiot?" when they suggest I give them bank details.

I have no qualms about being rude or messing them about. One time a chuggers tried the approach of asking how my day

Posted too soon

So I just rambled on about my problems for ages

I mean I disagree with them in general, but why is 9 so bad? Most people home from work, not eating dinner, sounds good to me. It’s only those with small children which is a minority of the population

It's a ridiculous time. I am just getting into my downtime and spending last couple of hours of the day with DP relaxing. I don't want to be disturbed by people hassling me.p and intruding on our time.

I'm afraid the door wouldn't be answered to them.

I think I'd tell them to fuck off. And I'm dead polite, me.

@DrSpock - you could have got a bad job, or a job I’m a shop.

Whether you need money or not, you have a moral duty not to cause distress to people. People were rude to you because your behaviour was unacceptable (knocking on their door late pestering for money, ignoring cold calling signs). Just because someone told you to do it and laid you for it doesn’t mean that it’s not your responsibility. If someone paid me to punch someone int eh face and I did, I can’t claim the moral high ground because ‘they told me to and paid me and I was a poor student’

Take responsibility

@hibbledibble
they're not chuggers if they come round your house, they're churglars. Chuggers get you in the street

Doorstep chuggers require a license from the Local Authority ( tho national charities may have some sort of national arrangement). I'd complain to the licensing dept of your council- BHF may not have broken the terms of the licence by coming at 9pm, but you should make your views known to the council that coming after , say, 7pm should not be licensed.
I'd actually like the practice banned completely. They are a nuisance and I never ever ever sign up. I politely interrupt them and say I don't want to waste their time but I don't sign up to anything on my doorstep but will read any leaflets they have ( they usually don't).

DrSpock*

Sorry but I'm not buying the poor student excuse. You must have known that you were annoying and upsetting people when you knocked on their doors. As someone who suffers with anxiety then I would have thought you would be more aware not less.
It's also surprising that you saw your work as doing something 'rewarding'.

It's a job where you are literally doing no good.