How to deal with chuggers?

[Antst]

I live where it's impossible to walk an entire block without encountering someone asking for money. There are homeless people. They generally hold out their hands or ask directly, but don't approach. There are Jehovah's Witnesses. They stand where they get in way of pedestrian traffic and cause delays, but aren't confrontational. Then there are the representatives of charities like UNICEF. I do donate as much as I can, but never to random representatives on the street and always through PayPal or at a reputable business. I get so sick of being begged at whenever I'm outside and it's often impossible to tell if representatives are genuine.

Every day since the weather warmed up, there have been UNICEF people stationed in different places along one of the main streets where I live. They seem to position themselves to get in everyone's way and cause maximum chaos.

One of them stands on the other side of a busy road and jumps in front of people as they reached the other side. The people behind then can't get out of the road and things can get quite dangerous, especially at rush hour. He shouts at people who don't give him money. The other one stands where the footpath narrows because a bus shelter has been built on part of the path. It's already chaotic and people end up having to go into a busy major road when they can't get through and other people approaching from behind start piling up.

Various people at work have called the council about the problem (presumably they issue permits to these people) and are told that the council has no power over them.

Today the guy who blocks people trying to cross the road got in my face after he created a block that left me and several other people in the road after the lights changed and traffic started approaching. I tried to step around him and he blocked me. I stepped around him again and then he started yelling nasty things. I said quite calmly, but firmly, " off. You have put me off donating to UNICEF."

When I reached the other representative, I said that they were creating a hazard and being far too confrontational. She started chanting "we care about the children!" over and over again. So I called the police on their non-emergency number and asked for someone to take a look at the situation. The UNICEF people are the worst, but there must be four or five other groups on nearby that cause delays.

Anyway, I feel awful for reporting a charity group. Am I a complete ? What should I have done?

I thought a chugger was something else tbh

Yes report.

I have mastered the art of a polite and simple no. It works! Just smile and say no and really believe it.

You’re not being unreasonable if they are putting people in danger. They should have standards that they follow.

managedmis, that's what they're known as at work, "charity muggers." If it means anything else, I'm sorry!

Ask for his badge number and report to UNICEF.

I just put my headphones in and avoid eye contact. Don't judge me though I do give £200+ to charity every month. Mug that I am.

Contact UNICEF direct. These people have to wear ID, ask to see it, then report to the charity, I agree, they are far too aggressive.

We had some obscure Welsh Evangelist church accosting school children in uniform in the shopping centre (we're in the SE). I had no qualms at all about a stroppy email.

The BNP also set up a stall in the middle of the precinct, deliberately designed to inflame tensions outside a school with predominantly black pupils. They too were approaching white children. I called the police on them and had them removed.

there are 2 different problems here, chuggers and beggars
chuggers- I don't normally have a problem with them, I avoid eye contact and if I can't avoid it I walk briskly past and say 'no thank you' without breaking my stride. I NEVER engage with them- they are paid to do it (crap job) and - if it's a cause you care about, you soon find you know more about it than they do. I chose what charities to give to, and I highly doubt a recent graduate will be able to enlighten me as to a charitable cause I have never heard of/would consider donating to. These UNICEF lot you mention sound the worst, and I think it would be kindness to UNICEF to tell them their subcontracters are alienating potential donors.
As to the homeless people/beggars, this has often been discussed here- homeless charities often say that giving cash to people on the street is a bad idea. Some places have coffee/lunch tokens you can give, or vouchers for a night in a hostel. So you could consider that.

They are paid to do it.
I've got places to be.
Like loads of folk I volunteer for charity and donate without getting paid so it's an assertive 'move' from me if they block me after I takes steps to avoid them.

Thanks, UnicornBrexit. I didn't know about the ID requirement. I'll look out for it. It'll be interesting to find out if they're real UNICEF representatives. I just can't imagine they are. Who would donate to people who behave like that?

I do feel guilty. It's one thing to call the police on people harassing kids. This is UNICEF.

newtlover, the chuggers are by far the worst problem where I live. I don't even remember the last time I walked between home and work and wasn't approached at least a couple of times. I have never encountered this anywhere else I've lived. It must work for them because they keep doing it, but I don't understand who donates to them given such aggressiveness.

Personally I pretend to be German. Ich verstehe nicht ! Repeated loudly and angrily tends to put people off.

Chuggers - walk on like a tank without changing direction and smile and say very fast and loudly “not today thank you very busy bye”

Beggars - smile and say “no change” with a shrug

www.fundraisingregulator.org states the following the following

j) Collectors MUST avoid causing obstruction, congestion and nuisance to the public.

k) Collectors MUST ensure that they wear appropriate clothing, which includes ensuring any provided clothing showing the name of the Fundraising Organisation is visible.

l) Collectors MUST NOT smoke or fundraise under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.

m) Collectors MUST NOT pressurise the public to give their support, but they can use reasonable persuasion.

n) Organisations MUST employ all best efforts to avoid soliciting regular donations, such as Direct Debits, from under 18s.

o) Collectors MUST be able to give the public information on how to make a complaint.

p) Collectors MUST, when asked to do so, terminate their approach in a polite manner.

q) Collectors MUST be courteous at all times.

CheeseToastieAndABrew, thank you. Very useful!

No worries, they are regulated by the charity commission (I think).

Urgh, yanbu but I doubt reporting them would solve anything. The most that might happen is that the agency they work for would tell them to tone it down, although since they are all obnoxious I suspect they are actually instructed to behave like that.

To me, they are on a par with cold callers. A public nuisance.

Its worth remembering that chuggers don't work for the charities. They work for commercial fundraisinig companies that charities contract their fundraising to

I reckon they must play a big part in why the high street is dying.

I tend to tell them very loudly to donate their own above minimum wage salary (and they are paid that as I've seen jobs advertised over £10/hr to do it!) to the charity instead and leave us all the f^%k alone

Headphones on, eyes down, completely ignore. Half the time I'm not even listening to music, it's just the only way you can walk down the highstreet without being pestered.

'sorry, I'm only 17'

Frankly, UNICEF is an international organization, not a charity. It gets most of its income from governments and spends a huge amount on (large) salaries. By all means flush out the chuggers, and find a more deserving recipient for charitable giving.

Chuggers are such a pain in the arse! I ignore, no eye contact and just keep walking. If they persist I ask them how much the CEO gets paid (they never know) or like a pp ask them to donate their high wages.

I blank them totally. Act as if they're not there even if they speak to me. Works for me!