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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not sign up to charity donations at the door.

79 replies

iMum · 22/05/2009 19:56

A very nice, gift of the gab man just rang my (door)bell to ask me to sign up to weekly donations to the NCDS (national deaf childs association) he had an ID of sorts and with him 1 direct debit form and 1 leaflet/pack of stickers that he would only leave with me if I signed up.

I would love to support a charity like this one but I dont feel comfortable giving out my bank account details alongside address date of birth etc. So I declined.

I mentioned that I would go online and check out the charity and perhaps donate that way but he said the charity then loose 30% of it to admin costs?

Am I wrong to not want to give this info out at the door to by all intents and purposes a genuine charity caller, is this info already readily available to anyone who looks anyway?

I felt very mean but am so cautious-maybe too much?

OP posts:

nickytwotimes · 22/05/2009 19:59

He's a chugger.
DO it online.
These people get paid anyway, so it is not cost free. Not sure what he is on about re: charity losing 30%

yanbu

Original poster

iMum · 22/05/2009 20:00

chugger?

OP posts:

southeastastra · 22/05/2009 20:01

i saw tons of these people round here today. it makes me mad. in their stupid bibs.

icedgemsrock · 22/05/2009 20:03

I know what you mean and I wouldn't like them coming to the door, but they are only doing their job and trying to raise money for charity.

southeastastra · 22/05/2009 20:04

it shouldn't be a job.

icedgemsrock · 22/05/2009 20:06

but they are raising money for charity why shouldn't that be a job?

southeastastra · 22/05/2009 20:07

because they're all paid on commission, so it attracts pushy types who won't take no for an answer

HecatesTwopenceworth · 22/05/2009 20:08

chugger - charity mugger

I would not consider for a second giving my bank details to someone that knocked on my door, even if they had a hundred forms of 'id' and the pope had given them a lift over!

Original poster

iMum · 22/05/2009 20:09

And he was a pushy type, in a faux friendly way which grates on me anyway! he left saying "well im going to go sign up your neigbours now"
But really I dont mind him or his "job" but I do feel that giving my bank and personal details out to a stranger at the door is a bit dodge?

OP posts:

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 20:10

I have heard that a lot of the ones who go door to door and try and sign people up on the high street are paid.

And was told that if you sign up through them the first 2 months worth of donations will go to the company they work for rather than the charity.

How true that is i don't know but they can be very pushy and I find it easy to believe they are working for a collection agency rather than teh actual charity.

I just say "i already donate to charities" and leave it at that. When I want to donate i sign up online.

Original poster

iMum · 22/05/2009 20:13

hmmm, I did notice that his ID badge wasn't from the charity but a different logo/company.

I should have asked him how much of my donation through him would go on "admin" but instead took part in his chit chat about what a great area we live in (we dont) how long have we been here for, how many kids, do I work etc etc...

OP posts:

southeastastra · 22/05/2009 20:13

telling them you don't have a bank account gets rid of them sharpish

i don't like people coming to the door to collect like this, they also phone all the time.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 20:17

imum my guess is that the 30% he claimed would be spent on admin if you signed online was actually the figure if you signed through him. Sounds about in line with what I have heard.

i can't believe that signing online so the money goes straight to charity coffers can be anything except the most admin-light way of doing it.

icedgemsrock · 22/05/2009 20:23

yes ok I see what you mean about them being pushy, and yes they do get paid, but the charities wouldn't keep on employing people like this if they didn't raise a good amount for charity.

smackapacka · 22/05/2009 20:23

I think this is a horrible practice. My DH got collared by a Guide Dogs guy a few months ago. I felt dreadful as we really couldn't afford the DD so we went back and got the details torn up. I had a friend who works for the GDBA and told her my tale of woe, and she basically said not to worry about it. The charity is doing fine in spite of the credit crunch.

These are clever people with clever marketing strategies. I once got hollered at accross the town square by someone asking 'do you care about children with cancer...?' How can you say yes I do but I cannot afford to sign up today. (I worked for Social Services on the Children's Team at the time and that still didn't carry any weight).

You can't win.

southeastastra · 22/05/2009 20:29

it's pretty unethical, doesn't help that charites employ pushy student types

Original poster

iMum · 22/05/2009 20:30

Ha! Smaka, thats just what he said to me today-Do you care about deaf children!

OP posts:

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 20:32

icedgems i think it's the doorstepping and pressurising people into signing their cash up for things they don't want to do and/or can't afford. i think it is bad practice, as bad as any other doorstep sales. it gives the charities a bad name IMO.

southeastastra · 22/05/2009 20:33

iMum you should have shouted 'pardon?'

icedgemsrock · 22/05/2009 20:33

i agree about the doorknocking but not really the ones on the street as you can just avoid them.

icedgemsrock · 22/05/2009 20:34

pmsl southeast

squeaver · 22/05/2009 20:37

Ahh, this reminds me of my first ever AIBU thread

The memories, the memories...

Original poster

iMum · 22/05/2009 20:42

southeast (although I whenever i see your name i read it as southseaastra

OP posts:

Original poster

iMum · 22/05/2009 20:43

Squeaver you and I obviously feel the same-but are we right-is it dodge to give out such info or not?

OP posts:

southeastastra · 22/05/2009 20:45

i like the southeastra

i resent the way charities are gunning for business so much.

i really dont understand why they target us minions when they could get just as must from their own networks

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