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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in getting annoyed with 'chuggers' at my door?

86 replies

MrsSnoops · 11/02/2010 17:55

This is he second time this has happened recently. Doorbell just went and it is a charity worker asking for donations. I know I am not going to give as I already donate to charity and am happy with what I give, so I politely but firmly say no thanks and he says 'do you not care about children?' WTF??
Firstly this is my house and if I don't want to talk to you I don't have to and secondly don't emotionally blackmail me in to giving money.
Does anyone else get annoyed by this? I am actually getting really fed up with it.
I'm being miserable aren't I?

OP posts:
BendyBob · 12/02/2010 09:48

I got sick of this too. Also sales people and people wanting to chat about religion.

I bought a very nice sticker for my front door (from Ebay) putting them in the picture(ie bog off).

It seems to be working, so far.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 12/02/2010 09:51

Avril - I said 'No Thanks' to the one who approached me in the restaurant, and she refused to leave - and when she did actually go, after I had firmly told her that neither my friend or I wanted to donate, she told me to 'Fuck Off' as she passed the window where we were sitting.

Frankly, if that's her way of doing her job or supporting her chosen charity, then she is doing a crap job of it - she put me right off donating to her charity!!

gramercy · 12/02/2010 09:52

I'm in the Avril camp.

Why be mean to people trying to earn a living? Just a firm "No thank you" will suffice.

And being rude to cold callers/double glazing salesmen - these people are doing a horrible job. I just say, "I'm awfully sorry, I've just had a new kitchen installed/ taken out a new mobile contract/ etc etc". Just imagine taking a job like that and getting abuse from people all day.

I dislike chugging as much as the next person, but I'm never rude to them. There but for the grace of God and all that...

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 12/02/2010 09:52

And surely if you are desperate, you don't want to adopt tactics that will piss people off and make them even less likely to listen to you!

Morloth · 12/02/2010 09:55

So what do the "No thankers" suggest for removing someone from your path when they will not accept "No thanks"? I find "Move now" a bit more effective.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 12/02/2010 09:56

Gramercy - I doubt that the vast majority who have posted here go out of their way to be mean or unpleasant to chuggers - but if they won't go and insist on carrying on with their pitch - especially by trying to use emotional blackmail, then they have overstepped the boundaries.

Grabbing a child's hand to stop the mother? Swearing at someone who didn't donate? Stepping in front of people? Using emotional blackmail? Standing outside someone's house for ages when they've closed the door?

Is it any wonder that chuggers etc have got such a bad name?

And for the record, I am always polite when someone stops me in the street, rings me up or comes to my door - but I think I have the right to expect the same from them!!!

BendyBob · 12/02/2010 09:56

Here you go

gorionine · 12/02/2010 09:59

It is one of my pet hates.

bellissima, I once had a "tough cooky" one, when I said " I am not giving you any bank details" she answered " Well all your neigbours did!" (seemed very offended that I would not trust her) and then procedded to tell me which banks my neighbours wre using! horror!!

TheSmallClanger · 12/02/2010 10:16

The ones in our local large town have this awful habit of jumping in front of you. Actually jumping. I normally try to steer around them.

They even try to stop me when I am obviously in a hurry and have a heavy, flustered animal in a kittybox, which has often just piddled itself. They know no bounds and deserve all they geet.

SerenityNowakaBleh · 12/02/2010 10:21

When I was at law school one of the lecturers spent about half an hour telling us everything that's wrong with chuggers. This is what I remember:

  • for every £1 raised, only 27p actually goes to the charity
  • the biggest contribution to charities is made through tax revenues
  • erm, other stuff. Will have to go and dig my notes out, but it was brilliant.
Original poster
MrsSnoops · 12/02/2010 10:27

I absolutely tried to do the polite "No thanks" and close the door and he tried to stop me closing it and then said "I have a liscence from the met" and then I said "No thanks" again and then he started with "Don't you care about children?".
I accept it on the street to a certain extent and would never be rude to someone, but to come to my home and then basically abuse me, I don't really see why I should be polite.
Anyway, I am now going to phone the charity and make a complaint. Action is better than complaining I guess.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsSnoops · 12/02/2010 10:41

Well I just phoned the charity and as soon as I said what i was calling about they said they have someone dealing with that and put me straight through to someone! They took all the details and took it quite seriously. As she said, this is not how they want people to think of their charity.

OP posts:
StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 12/02/2010 10:43

I'm glad to hear that, MrsSnoops. I hope you're feeling OK about it too - it sounds a bit scary, tbh.

ninedragons · 12/02/2010 10:45

I had an animal charity chugger ask me if I didn't like dogs.

I said "I do! They're fucking delicious"

I am pleased to report he was

ninedragons · 12/02/2010 10:46

Maybe I should try the same line if I get a "don't you like children?" one.....

mazzystartled · 12/02/2010 10:46

Well done Mrs S
Charities need to know that their staff are behaving inappropriately.

LazyJourno · 12/02/2010 11:30

LMAO at "they're fucking delicious". I'll try that one next time

KimiLivesInStarbucks · 12/02/2010 11:38

I told the woman collection for the red cross who got mouthy when I said "no thank you" that there is a recession on, I am doing all I can to feed my children thank you, and if people can not afford to feed and house their children maybe they should stop having so many. She got me on a really really bad day .

NoahAndTheWhale · 12/02/2010 12:10

We don't seem to get any charity collectors coming to the door here which is good. And I must somehow deter the ones on the streets as well.

We also have JW immunity as our next door neighbour is a JW. She gives us JW literature now and again.

Morloth · 12/02/2010 12:16

Kind of like protection pamphlets *Noah?

kitcat1977 · 12/02/2010 12:32

I'm also getting a lot of charity bags through the door - 2 or 3 a week. If I used them all Iwouldn't have a stitch to wear! What a waste of a charity's resources IMO. If I have stuff, I'd rather take it to a charity shop.

LazyJourno · 12/02/2010 12:32

I could do with something like that. I got my first door-to-door God Botherer today

She was a lady in her 50s and said "Would you mind if Pat and I came in and talked about the word of God?" and gestured to another woman who was looking a bit embarrassed standing about 5 feet behind.

I don't know why but the lady being called Pat makes me giggle

rosieposey · 12/02/2010 12:36

A few years ago someone i knew became a chugger, she wore different tabbards for different charities in different places. They worked in the south west and took the train from Plymouth to Bristol and back again all the time (she lived in Exeter).

She had a basic wage of between £7-£8 per hour and this was a few years back so it wasn't too bad financially for her. I saw her literally harrass people by cajoling and follow them down the street.

I am pretty sure that this is a private company contracting on behalf of the charities (dont quote me on that though) because she said that they all made really good money doing it with overtime/train journeys ect.

I was a single mum and particularly broke at the time and used to have a directdebit going out each month for £10 to save the children. When i saw that she earnt in 40 minutes most of what i gave each month i cancelled it, i know it seemed a bit mean but i couldn't afford it anyway and it just seemed that none of them gave a crap about the charitys they were representing just the money that they were earning.

cyteen · 12/02/2010 12:53

"And for the record, I am always polite when someone stops me in the street, rings me up or comes to my door - but I think I have the right to expect the same from them!!!"

StayingDavidTennantsGirl, that's exactly right. I resent people coming to my door and trying to harass me into using their power/joining their religion/giving over my bank details, but I am never rude unless they give me reason to be. I am, however, very firm and clear on the point that DP and I never do business with anyone going door to door. It's amazing how often the doorsteppers act pissed off, like they've got a right to invite themselves into your personal space.

We had some JWs round the other week and the following conversation ensued:

Me: is this about God? Because if it is, I'm not interested.
Old guy (in accusatory tone): So you don't think there's any value in reading the Bible?
Me: no, not unless it's for literary purposes.
Old guy: Well we do.

So fucking what! It's great that you've got an interest in life, but you don't need to come to my house and tell me about it.

MyNameIsInigoMontoya · 12/02/2010 12:58

Seems to me that a good answer to "don't you care about the ...." is to ask them how much THEY are currently donating and to which charities... I bet most of the chuggers are not giving anything themselves, or very little!

Luckily we don't have much bother with them... sometimes get JWs and similar but they are usually quite sweet round here and go away without any bother if you don't want to talk.

That said, I got pounced on a few years ago by a Hare Krishna guy who wouldn't take no for an answer - he wanted me to go to their temple and COOK for them! - err, why exactly would I want to do that?? (He had obviously never tried my cooking, either...)