To think those high pressure charity street fundraisers should be banned

[startrekk]

This isn't really something I have given much thought to until recently. I always just avoid all contact and walk past the charity fundraisers quickly, ensuring I don't get caught listening to their hard sell.

However recently in the small village where I live there have been a team of around 5 and they are stood apart from each other pretty much blocking the main high street meaning you have to actually ask them to get out of the way as they have taken to hovering in front of you as you get close. I've had them pretend I have dropped something in order to get my attention and comment on my outfit or shopping bags as I've gone past.

I feel sorry for the small independent coffee shop that is located in the spot they have chosen to stand, as everyone avoids this path like the plague now and goes along the path further down.

I know it raises money for charity but I don't feel that is a good enough reason for these high pressure sales tactics to be allowed. There's nothing wrong with standing with a bucket and hoping people give change, but this is just ridiculous! I'd love to know where they learn their 'techniques' for selling.

AIBU? Anyone else who can't stand charity street fundraisers (charity muggers)?

I just walk past, but if they do try to engage I wave my hand to indicate that I'm not interested but also offer a slight smile so I'm not being rude. If they chase after me, then I am rude. I give to charities and tbf, I'm living from payday to payday and in loads of debt so unfortunately that little bit of money they all tell me I won't miss can be the difference between a hot and cold meal at the end of the month.

What annoys me more is the charities I am signed up with keep chasing me to increase my direct debit. It's 'only' and extra £2 etc. Fuck off!

My home town banned them.

Before they did I remember being stopped in the street, it was pissing down with rain and I had just been made redundant that day so I wasn't at my best. They did their speech and I told them I had just lost my job and didn't know where I'd get money for my own bills and food and she said that I still had more than some.

The thing that really pisses me off is that they deliberately target women, especially if you've got a pram, as you're seen as a soft target. They would NEVER follow, or repeatedly verbally-nag at a man. They exploit female socialisation and our reluctance to seem rude.

I remember totally losing my rag at Cannon Street station after being targeted by a guy who refused to stop talking at me and let me past.

I also get cross if you say no and then you get a snarky comment, or are made to feel uncomfortable. And the fake compliment to try and engage you really makes me cross too.

I just tell them I won't give any money to a charity that pays them ~£10 an hour to harass people on the street, or pay their CEOs six figure salaries. Shuts them up sharpish.

Call the charity and tell them. Their head office has no way of knowing what people using their logo etc are up to if you don't. I used to work for a charity, although we never did this kind of fundraising. But if anyone had been behaving like this in our name, we would have wanted to know asap so we could stop it from damaging our reputation!

I don't like it either, it's very uncomfortable. Hate running the gauntlet. I understand that charities need to fundraise, and it's true that people tend to need to be asked to give, rather than waiting for people to do so of their own accord. But I personally think that any gains from stopping people in the street are likely outweighed by the negative perceptions that this gains for the charity in question.

Thewifipasswordis we’re going this weekend, sounds like a few more mayors/councils should take a leaf from Mr Anderson’s book!

I refuse to give to them. One particularly persistent person soon shut up when I pointed out they were being paid between £8 to £12 an hour and my £2 a month for charity only covered 15 minutes of their wage.

Yeah just not with anything else he does 😂 @MissCharleyP he's a moneygrabbing, vile beast of a man.

They definitely target women with children.

I once complained to a charity about someone who knocked on my door and was rude when I politely said I wasn't interested (much like Pearl's experience) - they took it seriously and I got a detailed reply about how they had handled the complaint. So it is worth contacting them.

I stop in my tracks, go up to them and do a loud and long "AHHHHHHHHHH!" in their face until they back off. Now and again I do the same, but bark.

They're absolute dicks.

There are rules for how they must operate, e.g they are only allowed to take 3 steps alongside you if trying to engage (so they can’t just follow you up the street). If they are being overly aggressive and on the edge of harassment it’s worth reporting as they do have strict guidelines.

If you feel awkward about saying no just say I already have a monthly debit with you - and keep walking.

I just say a polite but firm "No thank you." As I quickly breeze past them. I am hardened against this from sales people at mall kiosks in the US.

Biancadelriosback, if they're calling you to increase your dd tell them you'll cancel if you're called once more. Charity is not meant to be like this!

Definitely complain. I know charities take complaints extremely seriously right now with everything going on. And I totally agree, it's horrid and intimidating.

Argh I hate them!! I hate that you have to avoid all eye contact and (still often have to offer some excuse as they step into your path when clearly you don’t want to engage). I hate the pressure to justify why you don’t want to stop. The worst thing is when you (politely) decline on the way down the street and then another of them swoops in for a second go on your way back ...

I got so sick of being harassed by them while in town that I now just tell them to fuck off while sticking my finger up at them.

DH thinks I’m an awful person but I don’t care, they no longer even approach me.

I remember being stopped when I was only about 13. When I gave him some money, he commented on how I had a lot more silver in my purse to give. I was a fucking child.

The door knocking thing seems to be a relatively new tactic. We had one in the summer - it was a vile day, pissing it down and the girl looked frozen and half drowned. She made some lame joke about her hair and how she didn’t want to frighten us and normally looked better than this....I asked her (politely) to go as I was just going to bed to get up at 4 for work and I did not appreciate being disturbed at that hour by someone asking for money on my doorstep. Gusto are another pain for this, though I sort of shot myself in the foot by saying “Oh yes, I cook from fresh anyway”...as the microwave pinged 😂

I had a knock on my door at 5.30pm from an altzsimers charity (can't spell it!) I was feeding my baby, he wouldn't let me speak, I looked past and there were a few of them going door to door. I just loudly spoke over him and said I was too busy for this. I must've looked like I wanted to shut the door in his face (which I did want to!) and I was obviously trying to feed my baby. It was horrible. I didn't know they done this sort of thing.

silkpyjamas, I may use those reasons next time. It's certainly how I feel about the whole business.

Ooooh, I bloody HATE people knocking on the door to try and push stuff onto us! Fortunately since moving it happens very infrequently (we are in a rural row of current and ex council houses, so we don't look like a lucrative bunch of potentials and there's no pavement so not many get as far as us) but it's really intrusive imo. We haven't had any charities so far, just some bloke trying to flog me an arial photo of the house and some Jehovah's Witnesses - a woman and (presumably) her young dd, who she'd dragged out in a horrible, bitterly cold day at Christmas . Anyone who came and did chugging would get short shrift. It used to happen at our old house, and I hated it. And I'm normally on charities' sides, but that I truly dislike.

"I don't give anything on the street"
Repeat and repeat again. And again.

(Also "I don't give anything at the door for the infuriating dicks who deliberately ignore my no cold callers sign)

They always seem like failed actors to me.