To feel a bit harassed by charity worker

[Hardknocks]

Was on my way back from a meeting in London this evening, had to stop at the ticket machine to get my ticket a charity person came over to ask for a donation - I said I couldn’t afford it (I couldn’t), but I usually do give something. However this guy was so pushy, putting leaflets in my face, telling me he lost his brother to knife crime etc etc. He put £25 into his card reader and just kept saying ‘just tap your phone, tap your phone’. I politely asked him to move so that I could get past and through the train barrier but he said not until I tap.. so feeling completely intimidated I did.

I feel stupid, I couldn’t afford £25. I don’t begrudge giving to charity at all and I do where I can. AIBU to feel a bit upset about the whole thing.

Surely this counts as theft? He basically intimidated you into not being able to leave until you tapped your card. How can that not be some sort of crime

Bastard Chuggers. Encountered two when I was showing a US friend around London. Dogs charity, pushy pushy pushy sods. I said no and kept walking, one of the Chuggers shouted "Dogs" after us ...... I wish I'd complained.

Tell your bank what happened and see if they can reclaim the money. You paid under duress.

A charity mugger, @DBSFstupid.

Sorry, NRTFT but it is a known scam

report to your card company immediately and say what happened

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius Thank you for taking the time to reply!

Given they are technically a company rather than a charity I'm fairly sure it falls under Trading Standards and it is reportable to them.

Rather than theft it's high pressure sales:

High-pressure sales, also known as aggressive commercial practices, are illegal when they use harassment, coercion, or undue influence to affect a consumer's judgment. This is prohibited by Regulation 7 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Examples of high-pressure sales include:
A doorstep caller who pressures you into buying a product after you decline

A salesperson who stays in your home and pressures you to sign a contract

A business that keeps consumers at their premises for a long time to get them to buy something

(I did a lot of reading up on this a number of years ago regarding Bounty harassing women on maternity wards).

They aren’t allowed to do that. You’re not even meant to shake a collection tin

I noticed them encroaching on the concourse tonight too. I'm going to speak to station staff tomorrow. I am also v riled up!

I’ve heard about those knifecrime campaigners. It’s like a pyramid scheme. There’s been loads of complaints about threats and intimidation. Beware.

Farringdon station is awful for this kind of thing, it's like a brigade of charity collectors charge at you as you emerge from the station

It usually means that they didn't do the paperwork so they were just dissolved automatically

I would not be entirely surprised to find UPliftz meets the same fate

Yanbu. It’s harassment.
A co op near me always has some charity station literally right outside the entrance staffed with young girls. Even without engaging they hound you and you can’t escape them as they are literally by the door. Really irritating.

I use Farringdon station so will be looking out for him. I will warn my colleagues too.

The company records say it was only incorporated in July 2024. It's not a registered charity so definitely get in touch with your bank and report to trading standards.

You could also see it as learning money

you need to learn that it does not matter if random chuggers think you are a good person who would normally donate to charity or whatever. Who are they to judge you anyway?

i have to walk through groups of chuggers blocking the way all the time so got hardened

” do you care about children?”
”no”

” do you care about innocent kids getting stabbed ?!”
”no”

i just say no or else ignore them

i don’t care what they think of me. At all 😁 Same way that they do not care at all what I think of them. At all.

Thank you everyone, I needed these messages tonight. I’m going to report it to my bank, to the council and to trading standards. I’ve done a lot of research on it tonight and it’s appalling really.

Thanks also to those using Farringdon who will be warning others! I’m back in a few weeks and I’ll be ready next time..

Chuggers! Hate them. My elderly dad with dementia keeps getting caught out by them & keeps getting signed up to direct debits.

Report to the charity & owner of the location eg sounds like it was a railway station. Some towns have banned them due to complaints.

Name & shame the following charities have taken advantage of a frail, elderly person with dementia: Save the children, cancer research, MacMillan cancer, Great Ormond Street charity. Chuggers are thieves.

I'm sorry you felt so intimidated if your ever in this situation again cause a massive scene, they will back down if everyone is watching them.

The transaction wasn't fraudulent though. OP was pestered for a donation to a knife crime charity and gave one.

Unlikely a bank would reverse a charge for buyer's remorse.

Chuggers should absolutely be banned from soliciting donations in the street though.

If it was done under duress using practices which were unlawful such as high pressure sales then it's still something you could challenge because it would still be a problem.

Sorry OP it's such a horrible feeling when you know you've been taken advantage of. Same happened to me when I was scammed by a "locksmith" this year, it's very hard to put your foot down when you're feeling vulnerable and they are so intimidating you'd do anything to get away. I had to borrow money from family to get through the month and I was mortified! But talking about it made me feel better as loads of people have been caught on the hop and been done over.

Good advice on the thread but don't beat yourself up over it. They know exactly what they're doing and you'll only be more aware and diligent going forward. Hopefully you get your money back and if not it's a relatively inexpensive learning moment, even though I know it doesn't seem like that now!

He's a chugger. Gets a big cut of that. Report him.

Intimidating money out of someone and physically not allowing them to leave is absolutely not legal, whether it is fraudulent or not (pretending or misleading people into thinking they're donating to a worthy organisation, whether a charity or a CIC is fraudulent though!)...

Absolutely report to bank/card..
TFL - local authority - police.

And I'd take a whistle next time and blow the fucking thing in their face if they come within a few feet of you. Aztec death whistle would do the trick nicely.