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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that charity fundraisers who knock on my door are intrusive?

112 replies

ChickenInABasket · 19/05/2010 15:11

I just had a very nice Red Cross fund raiser knock on my front door asking me to sign up for their latest fundraising campaign. I'm quite used to being accosted on the high street but this is the first time they've come to my home!

I do appreciate that they need to raise money/ awareness but AIBU to think that this is intrusive and that I should be left in peace in my own home?

OP posts:
JennyPiccolo · 19/05/2010 18:34

the paid ones do, actually, i volunteer for oxfam and ive met about twenty of them who work as volunteers as well.

They're on about 6/7 pounds an hour, which is shit money for what is essentially a sales job.

Ladyanonymous · 19/05/2010 18:38

Hmmm...but they do choose to do the job...no one forces them to do it...?

toccatanfudge · 19/05/2010 18:38

chuggers are mostly employed by fundraising agencies

"The practice also makes money for the fundraising agencies. According to Charity Facts, which provides information about the charity sector, the agency will typically take a fee of £40 to £60 for each sign-up. And it says that, overall, it costs charities about 15p-25p to raise each pound. Most collectors will be paid an hourly rate rather than commission."

So ok they reckon most are paid by the hour.........BUT the agency is making £40-60 PER SIGN UP.

JennyPiccolo · 19/05/2010 18:39

so they deserve to be shouted at and spat on? get a grip.

Ladyanonymous · 19/05/2010 18:40

I haven't shouted and spat on anyone in my life?

I just don't want them knocking on my door come tea time.

JennyPiccolo · 19/05/2010 18:42

Well, tell them you're having your tea, then?

toccatanfudge · 19/05/2010 18:43

who said it was ok to shout and spit at them?

I just don't want them knocking on my door (thankfully they rarely do round here - obviously we're not in an area that's considered wealthy enough to make the agency lots of cash) and trying to guilt trip me or co-erce me into handing over my bank details and siging up to donate when I am perfectly capable of donating directly to the charities and look at how money is spent (so don't often donate to some of the larger charities) and doing it myself.

Like with most door to door sales it's generally the most vulnerable, and those less able to afford it who will be "signed up".

saslou · 19/05/2010 18:44

Chuggers are paid and I take the view that if they believe in the charity so much, they can donate their salary. Mamasparkle, I had a fundraiser come to my house recently when I was collecting my dc from school and my younger sister was in my house. She told him it wasn't her home and he still hassled her to give him her bank details and was quite aggressive to the point that I complained to the charity (not that they bothered to reply).It's not that we don't care about the recipients of the fundraising,but it is not on to attempt to bully people into giving out bank details. People do have a right to go about their business without being accosted in the street or at home. I want to echo that not all fundraising goes to directly benefit people in need, but perhaps some charities would do better if they didn't alienate the people whose support they need by rude, aggressive marketing techniques

Ladyanonymous · 19/05/2010 18:45

Why should I be interrupted while I am having my tea with my children, once or twice a week, to ask someone to remove themselves from my doorstep.

I am all for charity, I myself volunteered for two days a week for several years and now work for the same charity - but it never involved cold calling and asking for money....it did however involve being spat on a few times when they were really pissed but that is a different story.

emsyj · 19/05/2010 18:47

It's true that there's no need to be rude, JennyPiccolo, but in my view that applies to the collectors as much as anyone else - more so, in fact, as they are calling uninvited at my home. The collector who was rude to my DH on Sunday was an uninvited guest on our property and had no business tutting and rolling his eyes at anyone.

I do give to charity very regularly, but there are a select few that I choose not to support for various reasons. This particular collector has ensured that I will never donate to the charity he was representing ever again.

ImSoNotTelling · 19/05/2010 18:47

They are on commission.

When I donate to charity I do so directly, and choose a charit/charities close to my heart. I choose a charity whose ethics I agree with. I choose charities who I think spend their money on the cause rather than advertising/commission for chuggers.

When I am in my own home by myself I do not appreciate large men trying to intimidate me into handing over my bank details. Shouting "don't you care about XYZ" in my face in the exact same manner that some people on this thread are.

I am sure they do manage to intimidate/guilt plenty of elderly people. Some of whom I am sure do then have to go without in order to service the ongoing commitment that they have made. And often without being fully told what they are signing up for.

I think there are some people on this thread who clearly feel that this is a good thing.

People like you give charity a bad name.

werewolf · 19/05/2010 18:50

'rich Westerners' - not in our house!

beepbeep · 19/05/2010 18:51

toccatanfudge - we had a christian aid women come round a couple of nights ago telling me she had come to collect the donaion envelope, when I said i no longer had the envelope she gave me another and basically stayed there until i went to get some money - there was no "would you like to . . " it very much felt like a "you will"!!

And she came round at the kids' bath time, this didn't seem to bother her!

ImSoNotTelling · 19/05/2010 18:53

If they are paid up to £60 for a sign-up

And most people probably sign for a fiver a month

Then that means that your entire first years charity donations go to line the pocket of a fundraising agency.

The people who are trying to sign you up are keen to do so for their commission, and for cash for the fundraising agency. By the look of those figures the charity don't see any of the cash.

They also use hard sell tactics on the doorstep.

How can anyone argue that all this is a good thing?

ImSoNotTelling · 19/05/2010 18:55

We have signs up in our area "no cold calling". Still they come. I suppose they don't think it applies to them

beepbeep the christian aid ones are definitely volunteers. Sorry you felt strong-armed, practice saying no for next year!

Lauriefairycake · 19/05/2010 18:57

I don't like anyone coming to my door and I never answer it unless its a parcel-delivery guy.

I see clients at home and there's nothing more annoying than someone hammering at the door trying to sell you something when you can't answer it cos you're with someone.

toccatanfudge · 19/05/2010 18:59

yes the Christian aId ones there'll have been a stack of envelopes at the back of the church with your streets name on them, either some brave soul will have volunteered to take them round - or will have had their arm twisted.

Agree practice saying "no I won't be donating" (they don't need the envlope back so it doesn't matter if you chuck it out when it first arrives)...........as if you say "I don't have it any more" some read that as "I've lost it but wanted to donate

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 19/05/2010 18:59

But giving to charity is a CHOICE, not soemthing we should be coerced into.

The problem is SO MANY charities are making demands that you can't possible give to all of them.

JennyPiccolo · 19/05/2010 19:01

the Christian Aid man who came round my house was elderly and a volunteer, I'm hardly going to give him a lot of lip.

I don't personally agree with giving money to religious-based charities but i explained to him that i gave to charities with similar projects, and left the envelope in case my mum wanted to give something.

On a totally separate issue, charities don't spend money unless it brings in at least twice as much, and i know from experience that with some charities the ratio is more like 1:5 so i reckon it's worthwhile or they wouldn't bother doing it. I don't see how that 'gives charity a bad name'

at the end of the day, the problems in the world are bigger than putting 10p in a tin.

JennyPiccolo · 19/05/2010 19:03

also, im a salesperson (business sales) and its generally accepted that you ignore 'no cold calling' signs.

I wouldn't work door-to-door but i'd imagine folk just ignore them and that's just the way the world works.

toccatanfudge · 19/05/2010 19:04

yes but the problem is when vulnerable people are co-erced into signing up for something (often they probably don't even know what it is exactly) on the door step, and often for more than they can really afford then there's a problem and it does give the charit a bad name when it transpire that lovely Mrs Smith down the road had her arm twisted to donate not just £5 a month - but £20 a month (or more)

Ladyanonymous · 19/05/2010 19:05

"On a totally separate issue, charities don't spend money unless it brings in at least twice as much, and i know from experience that with some charities the ratio is more like 1:5 so i reckon it's worthwhile or they wouldn't bother doing it. I don't see how that 'gives charity a bad name' "

On what evidence are you basing that statement?

Not all charities focus on raising money for people, some charities just provide a service, rather than funds.

JennyPiccolo · 19/05/2010 19:10

there's a strong code of ethics surrounding spending money that's been donated, which obviously is what charities run on. I don't know if its a legal requirement, but i know a few charities that applies to, so i assumed it was a generally accepted way of doing things.

JennyPiccolo · 19/05/2010 19:12

toccatanfudge, i agree that would be a problem, but i doubt that anyone on this thread would be having their arm twisted.

lefroglet · 19/05/2010 19:13

We've had a spate of different charities going door to door - I just politely tell them that I won't be donating. However, I think the "chuggers" are just plain annoying. I once watched one chase a man along the high street for a good 150 yards shouting "oh come on...you can donate something can't you?!" - they broke into a jog at one point!. He looked so embarrassed and people stopped to watch - I make sure I scan the high street ahead and map a safe course through them as I just don't want to have to have a conversation about how much money I could donate in public - it should be my choice, not on demand!