Cold callers for charity

[onrepeat]

Three times in two days I've answered the door to two charity people and a guy - not sure if he was affiliated with any organisation- asking for donations. Like those people on the street trying to nab you, I can't stand it. I give to my preferred charities by direct debit, I also sponsor several people a year raising money for their chosen charity, and the school also asks for donations to this and that, and of course I give at my church as well as make donations of items and clothing throughout the year. I'm tapped out.
This last guy was the last straw. His story was he has a young son and has come all the way from Scotland to raise money for his birthday. I refused to engage and shut the door, and heard him say something sarcastic to my neighbour (who also shut the door). Why not use the train fare for his birthday? Why come to a suburban neighbourhood several hundred miles away? I just don't buy it. Plus it's disconcerting to be a single female answering the door at night to strangers.
I guess they must get enough money to make it worthwhile, but this is not going to make me give more money, it makes me feel uncomfortable refusing at the same time. Aibu? Do many people sign up to donate from being cold called? I do remember my poor parents, who were very generous, fielding several calls a day from these organisations. At least not having a landline has stopped that.

That does not sound like a legitimate charity collector. That sounds like someone begging door to door.

His story was he has a young son and has come all the way from Scotland to raise money for his birthday

This sounds like total bullshit to me, did he have any official ID to prove he was affiliated with a real charity?

Like you. I don't deal with doorstep chuggers. They get told I contribute to the charities of my choice, which I do.
That last bloke sounds like a chancer.

Yeah the random bloke sounds like a chancer.
We don't get them so much now but the last one I got i just said I already donate to that charity via work (tbh they were my company's chosen charity that year).
Might be worthwhile just saying you already donate to them, its usually the large charities that come door to door.

That's a scam. Report to the police!

For the rest, huge smile, "no thanks" and shut the door. Before they get 5 seconds in their appeal.

Can't stand these, also the ones hanging around shops.
I hate the line "you wouldn't miss 20p a day", err yes I would now sod off. It's a swift "NO" as I walk by the shop ones.

If it’s real charity people I explain that I already have a portfolio of charities I donate to by DD which is true.

If it’s someone selling dusters I explain I can’t help because I lost my job. Also true albeit several years ago. No one has ever been unpleasant with that response.

I hate it too.

Same as you, I already give a fair amount to various charities.

I tend to, truthfully say, "I already give what I can but I am on maternity leave. I can't give anymore just now"

And they always say "that's great, that's fine. Can I just tell you a bit about what we're currently doing?"

I have to say yes but really I'm thinking "why waste your time? I've told you I'm not not giving anything"

So they go through their spiel, I smile and nod, they then start asking for money again and I get annoyed and say I already told you no.

But the guy from Scotland "raising money for his sons birthday present"? Wtf, that's it a charity, that's begging (and presumably lying, because why the fck would you travel from Scotland to do that)

They're not allowed to knock after dark, report them.

Same as Jehovah's witnesses, a firm no thank you, and close the door. Don't engage in conversation.

Get a No Cold Callers sticker from Amazon to put on your door.

The last for to door begger (collecting for his sons birthday - begging not collecting for a charity) should have been immediately reported to police. He may simply have been a chancer or he could have been scoping out houses to return to later to burgle/vulnerable people to target etc.
That's where a a video doorbell/CCTV comes in handy - point to the camera, when they look at it tell them to 'smile your on camera, now sod off before I call the police'.

If people would just stop buying from cold callers - even genuine businesses/charities it would all stop. They only do it because it is profitable. If their most positive interaction of the day was having the dog set on them there would be no more of it.

I got a sign up saying No Cold Callers but few read it.

I never answer the door at night anyway. Never have.

I have a blanket policy of never dealing with anyone at the door. It doesn't matter how important the charity is or what the appeal is or what they want to sell, if they knock on my door they get zilch. I don't make up any excuses because that just means I get coded to be tried again next month. So I just tell them we never deal with anything whatsoever at the door, and close the door.

"Cold callers" means telephone calls from organisations that you have had no prior contact or dealings with. Not door-to-door.

This is why I love having an intercom.

"No." ^^

It doesn't make me feel uncomfortable at all, and also applies to canvassers, sellers and religious callers. I will choose who I vote for, what I buy, whether I follow a deity or not, and which charities I choose to support, without having the life badgered out of me, thank you.

"Cold callers" means telephone calls from organisations that you have had no prior contact or dealings with. Not door-to-door.

dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cold-call

to call or visit a possible customer to try to sell them something without being asked by the customer to do so:

Get one of those camera doorbells
I have a proper cctv system but sometimes I forget to check it and get caught out
I agree it's annoying .

Sounds like a scam, not a charity collector. I'd never engage with cold callers - ever.

We don't answer the door to anybody we don't know

It really is that simple

We are getting on, nearly 70. We have bought/donated about 3 or 4 times in our married life from door to door/ people selling in the street or in supermarkets. Each time it has either been a scam, expensive or a crap company. The first. In Hertford 40 years ago, an art student selling his work door to door to fund his studies. Bought a couple of pieces, only to find out they were mass produced prints, not originals as he told us, and he was part of an organised group being dropped off by a van. We bought a time share (after 2 presentations and lots if pressure) after being approached in a Northern town centre. We did have 10 years of good holidays, but got rid when the 2008 credit crunch started. We worked out that each holiday cost us about the same as booking with a travel company but was a lot more hassle. We bought a new door from a company handing out leaflets in Morrisons. We got a good door, but it was loads of hassle from a sales oriented company. We did buy cleaning cloths from an 'ex offender' once. Crap quality, expensive, and again an organised con. With the internet it is much easier to check companies out, so we now buy nothing from the door or from companies promoting this way. A big purchase we check out on line first, small purchase not from door to door, charities we support local causes such as the local food bank, and national/international causes through my Rotary club. Door to door people can do one.