Ambushed by charity workers

[Berrylove]

What’s a polite way that actually works to get the charity collectors on the streets to leave me alone?

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve given plenty to charity in my life, given food to homeless on my way hone from work etc. But now I’m a young mum struggling to make ends meet, my ability to ‘give’ has obviously changed. Not to mention on the rare occasion I do donate, whether it be to a charity or a busker, it’s a guarantee I’ll be asked for yet another donation only a minute walks away.
Yesterday in my city centre I was walking with my parter and dd, when a mental health awareness person came to ask for a donation, my partner gave to them, which is fine, but then only about 100ft away we were asked again by the same charity, and then again on the next corner! We told both we’d already given to the first guy but the last guy didn’t seem happy still.

I love the idea of charity but AIBU to be sick of being asked and people getting in my path stopping me in the street to ask? I’ve done the old sorry I don’t have any change as it’s just quick and easier than explaining I can’t afford to keep giving my money away to be then told they take card. (Said card guy also said minimum donation was £2.50, shouldn’t I get to choose the donation? He made me feel bad for not wanting to pay that much, I even said that it was a bit expensive for me).
If I gave to everyone that asked I’d need charity myself.

What do you guys do in these situations?

I dint object to charities paying people to fundraise - it's a no brainier if you employ someone on £20k a years and they pull in donations of £100k. Money very well spent.

But I am not convinced that groups of usually vey young people who have no real experience or interest in the charity can be that effective. And they piss people off and damage your "brand".

When i get stopped and say "No, thank you." I always get an "Oh, you're Scottish?" (it's a sales tactic to keep you talking) and to that, i always reply "yeah, unfortunately". It throws them completely and they never know how respond. They look speechless. Bastards. lol

I usually just say 'sorry no speaking English' in a random strong accent.

I just say no thanks firmly if they persist I just say NO again .
It annoys me I've already said no politely I'm not apologetic I donate all the time and I'd happily Chuck some change in but these people want to get into conversation so you hand over bank details .
It's annoyed me in the past I've been apologetic and said so sorry I'm in a rush and they give you a filthy and pissed off look . So now I say no and they move on to the next sucker person .

These drive me mad they are everywhere in my town. I've told them I'm a single parent and not working and they still try to make me feel guilty by telling me it's only so much a month surely I can afford that.

I've tried ignoring and walking past not looking at them which often results in them shouting and waving their arms to get your attention and everyone around turns round and stares which is really embarrassing.

A few months ago I was walking through the shopping centre talking to my daughter and had one saying "excuse me". I ignored and continued my conversation and she kept shouting "EXCUSE ME" in a really rude tone. Eventually she walked in front of me and said "excuse me I'm talking to you" I replied "excuse me but I'm in the middle of a conversation" and walked away. I was furious that one still pisses me off today and I wish I thought of a better come back

My local Co op sometimes has someone stood at a stand just inside the door trying to get people to sign up to regular donations. It's a tiny shop so not sure why they're allowed. You can't use the excuse of sorry I'm busy and then go and browse, can't say you haven't got a card and can't remember your details, so they force you to be rude. Told the man that was there the other week from Dogs Trust that I don't like dogs (I do like dogs). When I had just had my DD, I lived on a run down council estate, it was obvious this was a council estate and most of us didn't have 2 pence to rub together I got a knock at the door from a man at 9:28pm from BHF. I signed up to donate and cancelled it as soon as he left, I didn't have the guts back them to tell him it was disgusting to be asking people for money at nearly 9:30 at night in a filthy council block at a minimum of £10 a month donation, especially when most of the people living there were elderly or disabled. Wish I'd given him an earful

My town is full of chuggers. Can't stand them. As a family we have monthly standing orders to one local and one national charity of our choice, plus I volunteer regularly and I work for the NHS.
'Do you care about children dying of cancer?' was possibly the most tasteless call I've had. Obviously they prefer to ask this as you walk past with a child old enough to understand.
There's one national charity I no longer give to due to the behaviour of its chuggers. They claimed to be collecting money for 'local xxx'. I'd just re-commissioned the fucking service for 'xxx' (it had stayed with the local charity who have done an amazing job for so many years) and I told them they didn't provide it. The next week they were back with the same line ... Lying manipulators in my book.

Put your hand up in a "no" signal like a celeb avoiding the paps, and don't make eye contact.

I hate them and wish their practices were made illegal.

It's horrible but I've pretty much given up on being polite, because in the past on several occasions when I've tried to be polite I get ignored anyway or just get abuse.

In the past when I've said a polite no thank you, I've had that ignored and had them continue to attempt to engage with me and block my path. On two occasions after that I've had actual rudeness from them, one called me a b**h and another made a rude remark about my character. Other elderly relatives in my family have had abuse or rudeness too. One relative who was on a much needed and rare break from being a full time carer got told 'smile love it might never happen'. Others have tried to make contact by engaging with my child, which also makes me see red.

So now I usually just breeze past without acknowledging any attempt to speak to me, even if they walk over to me.

It's become so bad I rarely go into the city centre now.

I'm usually reply with a very brisk, "no thanks", without breaking stride, but once I was stopped by a terribly pleasant greenpeace chap, and before he could get a word out, I said, "before you say anything, I feel I should tell you I work at 'x local nuclear power station'".
It completely flummoxed him.

I usually tell them I already give a regular donation to whichever charity they’re asking for.

@Bobbindale

I've pretended not to speak English before.. also once started a fake but loud argument with OH to frighten one off coming near!

I have pretended to be someone who can't speak English too.

Literally said 'beklager Norsk, ingen Engelsk ' (Sorry Norwegian, no English.)

The clown said 'oh, you're foreign where are you from?' 'Ummm I just said No English you dummy!'

@Newcatmum

A few months ago I was walking through the shopping centre talking to my daughter and had one saying "excuse me". I ignored and continued my conversation and she kept shouting "EXCUSE ME" in a really rude tone.

ARGH! How annoying. That annoys me so much. I have lost count of the amount of times I have been walking along chatting with DH, (or DC or a friend;) and a chugger, or a salesperson, cuts me RIGHT OFF in the middle of a conversation with their sales spiel! Incredibly fucking rude.

A similar thing happens in a certain fast food chain sometimes. I am sitting with my DC/friend/DH eating the food we just paid for, and chatting quietly, and the Lobby Woman interrupts us, trying to flog raffle tickets, and says very loudly 'HI FOLKS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY SOME RAFFLE TICKETS? You can win a telly, or a stereo, or a tumble dryer,' blah blah, blah......'

Umm I am EATING my food, and talking to my friend/family member. Bog off. PLUS, I have it on good authority from someone who used to work there, that the top 3 raffle prizes (that cost somewhere in the region of £300, £200, and £150,) go to one of the managers or supervisors, or one their family They totally fix it. As a general member of the public, you have VERY little chance of winning a main/major prize. Probably no chance in most cases.

Going back to the Chuggers, like a few others here, I do ignore them now, because a few of them HAVE been arsey when I have said 'no I am not interested thanks.'

And on quite a number of occasions, I have been alone (or with another female friend or relative or colleague,) and have had a MALE chugger sneak over like a slithery lizard, saying 'morning ladies....... you are looking so beautiful today.......'

Fuck. RIGHT. OFF!!!!!!!!

Who the HELL told them to come in from THAT angle? Trying to compliment WOMEN? How moronic does anyone have to be to think that will work?! And when I am with DH, it never ever ever happens. Funny that eh?

I have set responses

Animal charity's - 'sorry I don't like animals' (not true)
Children's charities - 'I have enough of my own to pay for'
Anything to do with lottos or raffles - 'my religion doesn' t allow me to gamble' (atheist)
Any Sky/Virgin TV people 'I don't watch TV. Its the work of the devil'
Gas/electric 'I live off the grid, Like John Connor'
Religious people 'sorry not interested I'm a polyamourous lesbian witch'

They tend not to bother me again 😂

If you wish to give to charity, then the best way is by monthly standing order, not on the spur of the moment. I find the charity people who pounce on you in at lunchtimes extremely annoying, but I realise they have an awful job and so I say "No thank you." Firmly if necessary.

"Sorry to stop you...."
(No change of walking pace) "You haven't" and a big smile.

Don't get so many "have you had an accident in the last 5 year" ones these days, but I used to get childish pleasure from tripping over their feet or stand. They do talk to you then

Don't speak to you

Usually I say 'sorry, I'm not interested' or 'sorry, I don't like dogs' but a whike ago I was asked by the same charity 5 days in a row so I just said 'sorry, I don't speak English' a few seconds later when it sank in I heard the guy chuckling and a quiet 'good one' so they must be used to all sorts!

Yanbu

I get the underground to and from work and they have a different charity at the station each week. So every single morning and night hiya darling just 2 minutes- no!
Then I walk through a shopping centre to get home. Normally stopped by someone trying to change my energy supplier, phone provider or internet- no.
The worst is my work has for the last few weeks had charities in the foyer at work. Company of about 900. This morning I walked in and was accosted for raffle tickets for some random full of tat raffle, asked to buy tombolla tickets for a bottle stall, asked if I wanted to buy some “homemade festive goodies” no my 5 year can make better.
Then a man asked me if I wanted to donated to WWF- on my way into work, on my way out of work for break, on my way into work after break, on my way out of work for lunch, on my way into work from lunch and so on. Pissed me off so much I’ve emailed the big boss to complain.

I’m not polite to chuggers. I don’t give them eye contact and blank them if they try to talk to me.

It’s rude AF I know but approaching me and trying to guilt trip me into donating money (which will never be enough, they’ll always want more) is equally rude tbh

I just say no thank you and sidestep them. I had recently follow me giving me lip so he loudly got told to fuck off and leave me alone.

"I don't give anything on the street/at the door"

And carry on walking/shut door.

(I personally have a go at door knockers as I have a prominent "no cold callers" sign.)

Say no thank you and if they keep going get their name and report them to the charity 's supporters services dept.

Dont bother with polite. I was approached by one once and I told him to leave me alone as I was eating my lunch and he called me rude!! He then glared at me til I felt so uncomfortable I moved elsewhere. But I was the rude one not wanting to be hassled for money while I was eating.

If they're foreign aid charities, I say politely:

"No thank you, I think £14bn is quite enough."