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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:
Vakant · 03/09/2013 23:22

"If you say no and have good reason we leave you alone"

Shock

Why do we even need a reason and why do you get to decide whether it's good enough? If I want to give to charity I do so, or not as the case may be. My choice and I shouldn't have to validate that choice to anyone.

Weegiemum · 03/09/2013 23:38

I stop them in their tracks.

I just say "our giving is already totally committed and anyway we make a point of never giving to cold callers or high street chuggers" and I close the door.

About 4 weeks ago I was upstairs when the doorbell went - (it takes me a few minutes to get down due to disability) - and I heard ds give the same speech and shut the door politely. Brilliant.

We are generous with our giving but ill not be bullied into it!

CharityFunDay · 03/09/2013 23:42

I had this while I was on JSA a few years back, from the Woodland Trust. I told them I was on JSA and they started wheedling that it was 'only' 20p a day they were asking for. I pointed out that this was a fiver a month, and a measurable percentage of my income, meaning that I might have to go without food for a day or two for the sake of some poxy trees. They carried on and in the end I shut the door on them while they were still talking. Bastards.

Weegiemum · 04/09/2013 00:01

It's awful, isn't it.

I work for a charity that doesn't do this. We take any referrals for new mothers who can't read.

I volunteer a day a week at a charity that provides furniture to destitute families (asylum seekers given leave to remain, homeless rehousing, people fleeing domestic violence).

Quite a lot of our "charity" pot goes there.

Neither has "chuggers" types. I've got little to do with fundraising at my job (though I pitch up at funding meetings and sell the awesome stuff we do).

I spend a lot of time filling in forms about the second. We never ask the public for money, our advertising is minimal (can't afford to print flyers when that money could go on diesel for the van picking up unwanted furniture or delivering it to those in need) but week on week our church hall is full - just about the time people get a HV referral about a new flat and we ship out sofas, bedroom furniture, pots and pans etc .....

So I don't give to chuggers. The best thing I can do is offer my time. It costs nothing but I'm there when people need someone.

zatyaballerina · 04/09/2013 00:51

I think it should be banned to protect vulnerable people from being guilt tripped and intimidated into handing over money they don't have and to protect the sanity of shift workers who shouldn't have to put up with their sleep being constantly disturbed (add babies and new parents to that).

I don't answer the door if I don't know who's there, the furthest a chugger or salesperson will get is a 'not interested' yelled through the door. It's extremely annoying when strangers ring the doorbell with intent to harass, they always disturb dd when she's just gone down for a nap ruining my only chance of a break in the day.

Bogeyface · 04/09/2013 00:58

My mum does Christian Aid envelopes, she co ordinates our whole area and every year the donations go down. She hates the actual job but does it because of her faith and does it entirely voluntarily.

Is that the same? I hate chuggers and the like because they are getting paid to do it so they are far more pushy than genuine volunteers, although I do feel some sympathy as right now, any job is better than none. But I feel that genuine volunteers arent as pushy so I dont have such a problem with them.

Cerisier · 04/09/2013 01:03

Totally agree with zatya.

slapandpickle · 04/09/2013 01:14

A dick of an Oxfam fundraiser followed me through a shopping centre once, asking me if I was deaf because I ignored him.

Having just been referred for a hearing test as I am at risk of hereditary degenerative hearing loss, I was not in the mood and may have cried. Have grown up massively since then, was only 18, and these days I'd get his photo and complain to employer.

Door to door not a big problem in my area, only really get JWs. I always tell them that last night a DJ saved my life and politely close the door. If it is charity I tell them my mum's not in. I'm 27 tee hee

Ghostsgowoooh · 04/09/2013 01:22

Cancer research knocked on my door recently and I politely declined, the woman retorted 'don't you care about cancer then'

I lost my dad to cancer and her comment really upset me.

I hate chuggers. They get a big fuck off if they try and sign me up and won't back off

Ghostsgowoooh · 04/09/2013 01:29

Pricy what the actual fuck?? If you say no and have good reason then we leave you alone

So I have to stand there and give a so called good reason to a complete stranger standing on my door step as to why I wont support your charity.

How intrusive and intimidating.

What charity do you work for? Just so I can avoid it like the plague.

ovenbun · 04/09/2013 09:13

YANBU
it is an awful way to collect money..especially from vulnerable people, a complete intrusion..any charity that does it i boycott..the agency guys who do our roads often change tshirts and charity half way down..i choose predominantly to give to 'word of mouth' charities who dont spend money on advertising.

wink1970 · 04/09/2013 09:32

They only have to give 10% of what they take to the charity concerned.

The sooner 'chugging' is banned, the better.

Refuse to sign up to anyone on the street/at your door.

SauceForTheGander · 04/09/2013 09:48

I was doorstepped during DCs bath time. I live in north London. I took a wet toddler wrapped in a towel with me to answer the door. I opened the door an inch to peer through cautiously as it was nearly dark, was bit worried and i wanted to prevent DD getting cold ......and the male, mid 20s chugger sniggered and said "don't worry, I'm not here to steal your kids I'm collecting for the NSPCC"

Way to go with the direct marketing training NSPCC.

vladthedisorganised · 04/09/2013 09:54

YANBU. I had a very nice young man from the RSPCA at my door yesterday, he was surprised I was so polite.
But I refused. I told him truthfully that I appreciated he had a hard job, however, I had already worked out my charity budget, paid everything through my payroll and didn't give out my bank details at the door, so I would need to say no.
"Don't you care about the abandoned kittens?" was the (clearly scripted) response. "Just £1.50 a week would help some of these helpless animals..."
It's sad all round really. I'm less likely to give to the charity if I'm being hassled for my bank details (just a thought - how easy is it to get hold of a charity bib and a clipboard?), it seems like a thankless job and everyone's left feeling miserable.

But the random requests for 'sponsorship' from unknown kids and their parents irk me more. "Little Jacinta here is raising money for her school trip by doing a sponsored silence for 10 minutes, can you spare a fiver?" "Hi, I'm going on Operation Raleigh's Trip of a Lifetime and I'm getting everyone I know to sponsor me..."

In fact I'm considering having a jar by the door to encourage any callers to give a pound to the DEC before I'll respond to their question.

whatevs123 · 04/09/2013 09:56

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

Then you have earned whatever you get.

Pachacuti · 04/09/2013 10:09

it doesn't take anything to have manners

Manners like, say, not ignoring 'no cold calling' signs?

0utnumbered · 04/09/2013 10:10

I don't like the ones in town either, I was on the phone to my work who were trying to offer me more hours which I really wanted and TWO of these people next to each other tried to interrupt my conversation asking for 'two minutes of my time', errrm I'm clearly busy? Way to make work think I had more important things to do as well!

If you ever ask them for a leaflet or a website address/phone number to donate as you aren't comfortable giving your bank details to someone on the street they always try and wriggle out of it as they want the commission. If you care about charity, volunteer. I would rather clean toilets or work in mcdonalds (have done both!!) than do a job that involves harrassing people or making them feel uncomfortable.

honeybeeridiculous · 04/09/2013 10:15

I Hate the cold callers. Have learnt now that if its double glazing, cavity wall etc (had both these callers this week) i tell them i rent the house, that soon gets rid of them. as for charity, weve had red cross round recently, girl was very rude, had to shut door in her face as she just wouldnt take no for an answer. told her i give to 2 charities & she wanted me to cancel them to give to hers!! unbelievable behaviour. Get them banned!!

0utnumbered · 04/09/2013 10:19

"Don't you care about the abandoned kittens?"

I'm sure my health visitor would have something to say if she was told I was giving my money to abandoned kittens rather than buying my 11 week old son his special comfort milk and letting him get poorly! I wish they would just understand that until I go back to work I have to budget so strictly! Lots of people are in similar situations too and trying to make them feel guilty is just cruel!

I would give to all charities if I could afford to do so without my kids having to lose out!

elfycat · 04/09/2013 10:23

I just say no thank you and shut the door before they get going. Same thing in town a quick 'No thank you' as I walk on by. Never slow down.

At one point I did sign up to pay to the RSPB, we have a reserve locally to take the kids to. The buggers than called me several times a year asking for am extra one-off donation for squirrel sanctuaries and other important bits of work etc. In the end I cancelled the whole membership thing stating the harassing calls as the reason. Own goal?

I used to pay monthly to 3 charities of my choice, but part of cutting back to enable me to become a SAHM was cancelling them. Can I just say how gracious the WWF were about it. No problem, no guilt trip and she only asked AFTER doing the cancellation if I'd mind sharing the reason for their records. I'll go back to making a small donation when I start earning again.

CiderBomb · 04/09/2013 10:24

Quite frankly I think that I think this kind of fundraising should be banned. I'd like to be able to walk through my local town centre without fear of being harassed by some scruffy student with clip board. They are always very pushy, and in my experience often quite rude with it.

Charity is a personal thing and no one should feel rail roaded into giving.

I'd be interested to know why charities have resorted to this kind of fund reasoning? In my opinion it's more likely to put people off giving rather than encourage it.

BetterNotBitter · 04/09/2013 10:36

Last night I had a woman from 'home fundraising' repeatedly clatter my letter box at 20.50! The noise woke my toddler and when I opened the door I said 'this is a ridiculous time to all, listen to my little girl, you've woken her up' (she was screaming the house down & my husband was going to settle her). The woman looked at me blankly and said 'well were licensed till 9pm and it is for charity you know?' In quite a condescending way. Yes, because that is going to make me give you money!!!!!

I dont mind charities knocking at a reasonable time at that time of night I really object.

elfycat · 04/09/2013 10:40

Licenced you say? That means there's someone to complain to... hmmmm

BetterNotBitter · 04/09/2013 10:44

Yep, first thing I did was look them up on the Internet and complain!

Campari · 04/09/2013 11:41

Before I started my current fulltime job, I worked part time but I also did unpaid charity volunteering 3 times a week. This was St Johns Ambulance, Children's hospital ward volunteer, & adult literacy mentoring.

I had a guy from Unicef come to my door, and when he asked for a Direct Debit, I told him I couldnt, we were in debt paying off our bills, but I already do a lot of charity work myself so I do my fair share.

His response? "yes but you are looking after people who have money & a home, its not the same is it?"
I told him in no uncertain terms, we both work for a charity but the difference is I am unpaid. If you think your cause is so important, why dont you do the same & give YOUR wages for knocking on my door??

£10 an hour some of them get! Angry