Chuggers/fundraisers should take your first "no" for an answer

[Parkingmoan1]

I've just been walking through the town centre on my way to catch a bus and was caught by one of those fundraising groups who accost you in the street.

As soon as she started talking to me I politely said no thank you, I don't have the time to talk and carried on walking. Instead of taking that as my final answer she chose to walk alongside me saying "I'm a fast talker" and continued her speech.

I felt a bit intimidated to be honest, she was quite loud and bolshie whereas I don't like confrontation and hate things like this.

I said I don't have any spare money, she said if I didn't want to make the one off payment to the cause (£25 bloody quid) the magazine they're selling is "only" £5.

I ended up buying the magazine just so that she'd leave me alone.

AIBU to think they should have to take your first "no" as an answer and leave you be?

I (often truthfully as it happens) say “it sounds like a great charity I’ll ask if my work would consider adding them to their list of causes. I never gift anything outside my work scheme as they match my donations”. A couple of times people have persisted but if they do I figure I’m fine to be a bit rude as they clearly aren’t fussed about the charity

This organisation has teenage kids out on the streets doing it, the vast vast majority will still be living with their parents / guardians.

If i get sucked in then I apologise and say "so sorry for wasting your time but that I already give £x to that charity every month and I really can't afford to increase it' they seem to find it hard to argue through that.

Why ever would you apologise?! If anything, I'd claim I was upset that my regular giving wasn't appreciated, so I might as well cancel it altogether - and ask for their full name, so that I could tell the charity which of 'their' people's actions had led me to cancel. Whether you do then cancel or not is up to you, of course.

We were told in training that asking 3 times has been shown to get the most donations.

That is appalling - it sounds like a scammer's tactic rather than that of a supposedly-reputable charity. Criminals have probably also discovered the ways to get the most money in - raise your voice, target lone women and the elderly, threaten that you have a weapon etc. Just because something might happen to work in no way means that it's remotely acceptable.

A young bloke came to my door and asked me if I had heard of Marie Cure, I said yes thanks and shut the door. He rang again and when I answered he said I was very rude. I said that's right, off you fuck and he did.

They have a choice, anyone with enough confidence to stop strangers on the street and try to get them to sign up to charity donations will be capable of getting a different job.

If one knocks on my door I I tell them I already donate to whatever charity it is.

My small local Co op used to let chuggers stand just inside the door. It was so intimidating because there was no way to avoid them.

Then it’s the organisation you should be angry with, the ‘teenage kids’ are victims as much as anybody else…

I pulled up to go into a shop that had some standing outside the other day. Where this was located, they could only be there with store permission. I just turned my car back on and left. I just didn’t feel like dealing with them even though my standard policy is to just ignore the hired ones. I will be polite to real volunteers, but more often these days you can tell these are just people hired to stump up donations. Either way, I don’t donate in the street. It’s a poor way of making charitable giving decisions . At most I will take the name of the charity and do more research.

Maybe respond with "I'm sorry but I can barely afford to pay my bills right now".

I am. The organisation should be regulating how their representatives engage with the public.

They won't though. I doubt they care if people are intimidated so long as they get the cash.

I mean, YABU. It's a job. It's annoying but someone is doing it for a living and it's your responsibility not to engage with them. I can't stand them but also recognise it can't be much fun harassing people and getting abuse all day long. They have to have the skin of a rhino and be constantly 'on' performing for long days stood in the weather!

And you reinforced their behaviour by buying the magazine. If she hadn't done that you wouldn't have done. So she's good at her job.

Personally I pretend they don't exist. It's a kindness to us both as they don't waste their time on their patter with me, and given that they've gone out of their way to accost and interrupt my day I feel it's perfectly acceptable to continue going about my day. Had too many experiences where I've tried to be polite and they just won't drop it so I just blank them now. It feels rude at first but honestly it isn't, they're the ones behaving outside the social norm in the first place, icing them out is perfectly civil.

You lot are aware that these are actual human beings you are talking about? They wouldn’t be doing it for the fun of it, they just have bills to pay and mouths to feed like the rest of us. Some of you sound really self righteous and not very nice!

So are burglars and scammers and dodgy used car salesmen who will knowingly sell you a lemon. Nobody objects to people standing with a collecting tin and waiting for passers-by to approach them; these people (and the charities that use them) know full-well that they're intimidating people into giving.

If people were truly pleased to see them - as if they'd never heard of the concept of giving to a charity before and also welcomed a random stranger picking one for them, rather than doing their own research to choose whom they most wanted to support - there would be no need at all for any of the intimidatory tactics and chasing after people, scaring them out of their wits.

I told one once "don't talk to me". He said I was rude. I just stated at him. Tosser. I'd just come out of a divorce appointment with a solicitor. I refuse to speak to them at all now.

Stared....not stated

it can't be much fun harassing people and getting abuse all day long.

Well, it seems a little silly choosing to do a job where you're harassing people and goading/scaring them into abusing you, then. A bit like being terrified of heights but still applying to be a circus acrobat.

Isn't this actually already unlawful?

I agree. I think it's a really unethical practice by charities. They go door to door as well, my mother was recently visited by one and when she said no because they already donate to other causes the girl said "Well I'm not asking for much, loads of your neighbours have donated"

Chugger: Would you like to chat
Me: No, thank you
Chugger: But..
Me: I've said no once. Do not ask me again.

I'm a fundraiser for a charity with a "household name" but I won't touch chugging or house-call practices with a shitty stick. It's dreadful. The sad thing is that it's VERY effective at raising money, which is why some orgs pay a lot for chugging staff, travel and training.

Incidentally, I was approached by a chugger while I was carrying large amounts of very obvious promotional/fundraising equipment for my charity across the city. The nerve!

How is that our problem? I don't want to give a complete stranger my personal details. If I want to donate to a charity, I will.

I have a sign on my door saying I wont interact with charities, buy anything at the door etc.

If you can't just ignore and walk on by, start saying "Only if I can sell you some raffle tickets for my fundraiser" and rummage in your bag pretending to find them.

I apply a similar tactic to anyone except very close family asking for sponsorship. I message back saying "Put a tenner in from me, and I'll do the same from you as I'm doing a sponsored twerk (or whatever) 😄

One guy in his 20s tried stopping me as I came out of a supermarket. He said "hello" I replied "no thank you" he burst out laughing and said "no bother"
I'm really good at avoiding them normally, and I can see who's coming up my path so if it's anyone I don't know I don't answer the door.

Last time I went to our local Co-op I was confronted with a couple of chuggers at one side of the entrance and the Big Issue lady at the other.
I went to Sainsbury's instead!

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06027/

Fundraising by charities is governed by a self-regulatory system, although the Government has reserve powers to control fundraising if self-regulation fails.

A new regulator, the Fundraising Regulator, launched on 7 July 2016 to take the place of previous arrangements. The Fundraising Regulator regulates all forms of fundraising by charities and deals with relevant complaints.

Here is a link to the actual code of conduct.

www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/code

Relevant section:

8.1.1.
While fundraising, you must not:

act in any way that might reasonably cause members of the public to be or become startled or anxious;
act dishonestly or manipulatively, or deliberately try to make a potential donor feel guilty; or
act in any other way that a reasonable person might consider would damage the charitable institution’s reputation. This includes:
smoking or drinking alcohol while wearing clothing that contains a charitable institution’s branding;
taking or being under the influence of illegal drugs;
lewd or aggressive behaviour, including swearing, while wearing clothing that contains a charitable institution’s branding;
putting undue pressure on members of the public to donate;
exploiting your position for personal gain (for example, asking for a job, asking someone for a date, or asking for a discount on goods or services); or
any other behaviour that harms the reputation of the fundraising profession or the charitable institution you are representing.
8.1.2.
You must avoid causing an obstruction, congestion and nuisance to the public. You must not deliberately block the path of members of the public.

8.1.3.
You must treat the locations you are working at or visiting with respect.

8.1.4.
You must not suggest to any member of the public that the conversation you are attempting to start is not about money or that you are ‘not fundraising’.

8.1.5.
When asking for a regular gift, you must not suggest to any member of the public that it is ‘without commitment’.

8.1.6.
Unless this is authorised under an agreement with a private site, you must not approach members of the public who are:

seated, unless the seating is part of a charitable institution’s promotional stand; or
in queues, unless the queue is directly related to the fundraising activity.
8.1.7.
You must not knowingly approach people who are carrying out official duties, such as uniformed officials while they are on duty or people who are clearly working.

8.1.8.
You must not obstruct, interfere with or disrespect members of staff from local businesses.

So you CAN make a compliant on the grounds of undue pressure.

I think from what I'm reading that some local authorities have strict rules that chuggers have to comply with if they have been given permission to raise funds in certain areas and this may include bylaws which involve fines.

So there is somewhere else to potentially complain.

According to the Fundraising Regulator the system is currently under review to see if its working... Details on their website.

So OP you are very much not unreasonable and there has been significant issues in this area and attempts to prevent the type of behaviour.

Please make a complaint.