Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder why door to door fundraising still exists?

20 replies

Ghoulette · 08/11/2021 13:52

Especially after the pandemic lockdowns?

It's incredibly exploitative no matter what side of the door you are on. The young people and students doing it get paid in commission (so effectively bugger all if you don't sell) which 99% of the time comes from the elderly and the vulnerable who feel under pressure to donate and end up stuck paying.

I've just had a young boy at my door trying to fundraise for some charity or another and I told him I wasn't interested. I saw him on the other side of the estate when I went to drop the kids in this morning. He will work 8 hours today and not make enough to actually cover his expenses and it has left a really bad taste in my mouth.

OP posts:
CloseYourEyesAndSee · 08/11/2021 13:54

YANBU
I was pulled out of an important meeting the other day as I thought the doorbell was something else but it was a pair of twats wanting to talk about raising money.
I'm sorry that's not fair - they aren't twats but it's a shitty shitty job and shouldn't exist.

Merryoldgoat · 08/11/2021 13:59

It's extremely intrusive and I think it should be illegal.

VickyEadieofThigh · 08/11/2021 14:02

My main objection to chugging of any kind is that they adversely target the elderly - my 88 year old dad has dementia and I discovered by chance when going through his bank statements (this was prior to my brother being able to access his account online and keeping a regular eye) that a charity had stung him for several separate monthly donations. It was obvious they'd either doorstepped him or rung him and put pressure on.

When he was in his right mind, my Dad would have told them to bugger off - I phoned, complained and told them to stop the DD and remove him from their list.

Heavymetaldetector · 08/11/2021 14:07

It makes me thing less of the charities that use this method of fundraising

BashfulClam · 08/11/2021 14:56

I really hate it. I am not giving out my bank details to a stranger. I know they can’t do much with them but still I’m not giving them.

TrevorFountain · 08/11/2021 15:04

My DS answered the door to chuggers the other day and was furious with them.

We have a very big red notice at the door, given to me by the Council, which is about as clear as you can get that chuggers are not wanted and are now trespassing (the Council's words).

Interestingly, I also have a grab rail at the front door, put in by the Council. So I probably look possibly elderly or vulnerable. (I have rheumatoid arthritis.)

DS told them to fuck off. He's a similar age, so I suppose it was fair enough.

girlmom21 · 08/11/2021 15:13

(so effectively bugger all if you don't sell)

It's also effectively bugger all if you do sell. I know someone who ended up sleeping on a park bench and fare evading on a train to be able to get to family who could house them after spending a few weeks doing this

BurntTheFuckOut · 08/11/2021 15:22

8 hours? Nope. They have you in the office at 9am and then you’re out all day banging on doors till 9pm.

It is all commission based however you don’t get paid for it until the persons first DD comes out.

I know this because my temp agency sent me for a job interview there a few years back, despite knowing I was only interested in office work! Once I clicked WTF was going on, I left at the first opportunity (after they’d explained the above, because I was curious).

Pandemic or not, it needs banning.x

Notcontent · 08/11/2021 15:24

I agree - it’s completely wrong.

I am not old or vulnerable, but in the past I have allowed myself to be guilt tripped into signing up to things on my door step. Three different charities and also a couple of non- charity things. It just feels really awkward once someone starts doing their spiel and you feel like the worst person if you say no.

I don’t like not answering the door but now I just say straight away that I don’t sign up to things on my door step.

HarrietsChariot · 08/11/2021 15:28

It still exists because people still fall for it (whether through being guilt-tripped or through being unable to make a rational decision due to mental health issues).

Mugging still exists because it is profitable. Whether it's charity muggers or regular street thugs, they do it because they know that if they target enough people they will get some money out of it. Charity mugging should be just as illegal as regular mugging is, and the people who perpetrate it should be prosecuted as common criminals.

The only way to stop these scumbags is to have nothing to do with the charities who employ them, and try to persuade others to avoid them too.

Notcontent · 08/11/2021 15:29

I also agree that it exploits the people doing it. Street chugging should also be illegal.

Larryyourwaiter · 08/11/2021 15:37

I always ‘I don’t sign up for things at the door’ and repeat repeat repeat. Sometimes they try and press for a further explanation but I don’t give one.

There seems to be lots of people selling education plans now door to door. What a waste of time.

Tal45 · 08/11/2021 15:38

I once had someone from the Dogstrust, his rehearsed speech went on for ages before I was able to get a word in and say I wasn't interested. I would never give money to chuggers.

GoldenLabbie · 08/11/2021 15:42

This is exactly why I only donate to small local charities.

ElftonWednesday · 08/11/2021 15:44

I've always thought it was a ridiculous idea to ask people to give their bank details out in the street or at their door. Collection tins at the supermarket - fine, but I think chugging should be illegal.

whoami24601 · 08/11/2021 15:45

Don't know whether this is better or worse but actually some companies do pay a decent wage to doorknockers plus commission on top. DH did it for a while a few years ago and he was earning more then than he does now working for the local council!

minou123 · 08/11/2021 15:49

Unfortunately I know a little bit about this because I did it for a few months 20 years ago.

It works the same as MLMs. They use cult like behaviour to exploit young adults.

At the top of the food chain, is Appco, used to be called Cobra Corp. Its an American company.

The premise is that you go door to door getting people to sign up for charity, or change gas/elec suppliers etc. You only earn money on the commissions.

But, the real deal is they want you to build your own team and open your own "business ". You earn more money from people who join your team. - is this sounding familiar?

The truth is its a terrible business. There is lots of lying, bullying, and horrible tactics being used to exploit mainly people in their twenties.

It's starts with a job advert that's a massive lie. Something along the lines of "do you want to work in Marketing?" Etc.
You turn up for an "interview".
You spend the day following someone knocking on door to door. But this is when the cult tactics start.

Your told over and over again that people who work 9-5 are idiots who will never be rich, but in this job, provided you do everything they say, you will be a millionaire and retire by 30.
You have an interview with the Owner and made to feel you have to do really well to get the job, but the truth is you got the job the moment you turned up.

There is lots I can tell you, but my post is really long already Grin

I try to help the people who knock on my door to understand what is happening.

It's really difficult because they make you work from 9am to,often, 11pm. They pretty much cut you off from family/friends because they will "neg" you. So it's hard for them to hear from a stranger that what you are doing is a massive con.

RavingAnnie · 08/11/2021 22:38

YANBU

My DS (17) went for a "job interview" with a doorstep charity company (unbeknownst to me). They basically spent the whole day selling the job to him.

He came back really excited and fired up and I had to be the one to burst his bubble which was horrible.

Fuckers made him waste a whole day and left him bitterly upset and disappointed when he found out he'd been conned.

So as you point out OP they don't just prey on the elderly and vulnerable, they also prey on their young workers.

Terrible industry that should be banned.

Allsorts1 · 09/11/2021 15:46

I really don’t like street chugging either, it gives fundraising a really bad name - I have worked for charities (not ones that did this) and we could never work out why certain charities did it - it must be profitable I guess!

I also don’t like it because it makes people avoid the lovely ones in the tube who are volunteers who will be collecting coins for a charity and are not paid - they’ll be fundraising for the marathon or something. I think if we only had those type of fundraisers on the streets then everyone would be much more generous.

Especially in this day and age of the internet and marketing, if charities want to get their message out there and sigh people up to be regular donors (which are really useful for charities at it allows them to plan ahead for projects) then with marketing and PR and events they can do so.

Don’t need to make people feel guilty having to speed past someone on the street and ignore them - i feel like every time you give a potential donor this horrible experience, you’re alienating them from charitable giving and ruining your brand as a charity - is that truely worth the few reluctant sign ups you might get?

thecatsthecats · 09/11/2021 16:06

@Larryyourwaiter

I always ‘I don’t sign up for things at the door’ and repeat repeat repeat. Sometimes they try and press for a further explanation but I don’t give one.

There seems to be lots of people selling education plans now door to door. What a waste of time.

No need to repeat.

Say it as you're closing the door, with a cherry, "Have a nice day!" on the end.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page