Cold calling charities.

Discussion in 'General Chatter' started by Nightryder, May 18, 2019.

  1. Nightryder

    Nightryder Well-Known Member

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    Earlier this week I got a call from a charity running a raffle to raise money for research into childhood cancers, a worthy cause & I was happy to help, tickets were $2.50 each & I asked him to send me 2, a donation realy of $5, but no the minimum he could "process" was $10, so they did not get my money.

    Last night 2 young men knocked on my door, they were fund raising for "Canteen" that helps teenagers with Cancer, they run adventure camps for them, again a worthy cause, but these 2 were hard to follow, they didn't want money straight away, just my details & money next month, it was a bit garbled, not helped by the fact Im so deaf, especially with speech but I knew exactly what they wanted & was waiting for them to explain,they wanted me to sign up to a direct debit every month, they never mentioned it, just asked if I was willing to help, it was only when I mentioned direct debit, that they admitted to it, Ive been asked this before & usualy just say no, sorry, I cant afford it, but I was so annoyed with their tactics it was a flat out no. Has anyone else had these charity callers who are not clear & up front about what they want, are they being deliberatly deceptive or am I just being overly suspicious.
     
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  2. Sis

    Sis Rootles out resources!

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    I too have found you have to squeeze all of the information out of them! What happened to being able to give what you can afford.:(
     
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  3. Archie's Mum

    Archie's Mum Always digging up clues

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    No, you aren’t being overcautious at all. It even happens at shopping malls and booths selling art union tickets. You can’t buy just one ticket. You have to sign up with a credit card. We were almost caught once but when we found out about the monthly contribution we turned on our heels and walked away.
    The best you can do is if you want to donate to a charity of YOUR choice just get a postal order and send that. A one off.
     
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  4. Daft Bat

    Daft Bat Administrator. Chief cook & bottle washer! Staff Member

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    If anyone turns up on my doorstep asking for money, no matter what charity they purport to represent, they are told a polite but firm "No".
     
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  5. MollyMay

    MollyMay Knows where to find the answers!

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    That happens here too, Dog's Trust (I have adopted 3 of their hounds over the years) and the Air Ambulance (my son did an abseil for them last year raising over £1500) are two of the charities that as a family we support and are often in the Shopping Centres, with big displays etc. but no box for cash donations.
    They are just after card details for monthly 'sponsorship'. So where I might well put a couple of quid in a tin, they get nothing:p.
    Like Jan, door knockers get a polite No, or if I am in an evil mood I ask the collector if they are being paid for what they do, and if they say yes, then I tell them if the charity can afford to pay people to canvas, then it is rich enough not to need my money;)
     
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  6. Ma-dotcom

    Ma-dotcom A Bonza Little Digger!

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    I also had the 'Canteen' chap at the door, he explained fully the monthly donation & cease if you cannot continue.
    I took it on & was then surprised to receive in the mail a thank you newsy letter & a bandana. I will continue for a time until I cannot.
    I began a 'canteen for kids' at work when the firm asked for ideas for donations, For all I know it is still going there.

    edit: re MollyMay's comment, I also always thought most donations go to pay staff,. with this one it is said to pay for kids to go on camps etc, not necessarily kids with cancer but those who are dealing with family cancer & or loss. Face book also has a page telling of these little exploits. I didn't delve into who gets paid what, but God will deal with those take what is meant to help children in his own good time. eh?
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2019
  7. Bay Horse

    Bay Horse Can be a bit of a dark horse

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    I was sitting in the bank yesterday in town waiting for an appointment, having arrived early. The plate glass windows gave me a full view of these hard-sell charity hawkers for half an hour. Noticeably, their preferred 'victims' were anyone with a walking stick or 3-wheeled walking aid, who couldn't get away easily, and I was fascinated by how many pedestrians they accosted in the space of a minute and how their smiles rapidly switched on and off.

    Appointment finished, I left the bank and tried to make my getaway but failed (I nearly got past!) A young man in a suit stepped in front of me and said, "You look as though you care about sick children? I'm Neil. What's your name?" (Wrong on so many counts).

    They come to my front door too. Always for a good cause... the local children's hospice, cancer research and Alzheimer's - charities that are close to my heart and which I frequently give generously to. They don't want a donation, though, they want a subscription (and I expect my details to sell on to 'other parties'). Even though I always try and help a worthy cause, these people do manage to leave me feeling uncharitable and a bit wretched for turning them away. :sceptical:
     
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  8. Ma-dotcom

    Ma-dotcom A Bonza Little Digger!

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    I was always a sucker
     
  9. Daft Bat

    Daft Bat Administrator. Chief cook & bottle washer! Staff Member

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    In the UK, 'chuggers' (charity muggers in town centres and shopping centres) are subject to legal regulation and some councils/boroughs have banned them completely. ;)
     
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  10. MollyMay

    MollyMay Knows where to find the answers!

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    I wish ours would:mad:
     
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  11. Archie's Mum

    Archie's Mum Always digging up clues

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    Not sure about over your way but here, most, charity collectors are paid casual employees of agencies acting for the charities. By the time the collectors are paid, overheads and administration costs are taken, what is left for the charity? And most collectors are overseas backpackers usually with Irish accents.
    I used to donate or buy tickets from the volunteer fire brigade but they got a bit greedy and were too regular with their calls. Now I give to no one accept purchase products from the Cancer Council, a charity dear to my heart since my Dad died from mesothelioma.
     
  12. AnnB

    AnnB Editor in Chief who is Hot off the Press!

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    Same here Jan. If they are still talking as I shut the door, my reply is that I am more than happy to give to charities of my own choice, but when I want to give. I don't think certain charities do themselves any favours by what is virtually trying to shame members of the public into giving a donation.
     
  13. Half Hour

    Half Hour Well-Known Member

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    I would never give my direct debit or credit card information to someone at my door for monthly withdrawls... to me that is asking for problems.. Very few charities canvas door to door here, now. Usually the only one we see are the Heart and Stoke and they advertise when they have a campaign on. Even the police tell you not to donate to any of these others as there is no guarantee they are who they claim to be.
     
  14. LianeH

    LianeH Well-Known Member

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    Like Jan, cold callers get a very firm but polite NO. I donzte to charities on a monthly basis but they are ones I want to donate to and I contacted the charity to set the DD up. I hate it when these charity muggers try and shame you into donating
     
  15. Sandiep

    Sandiep Successfully Supports Searches!

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    Like Lianne I have some charities I have donated to for years and would be happy to give a donation to a charity I wanted to but these days they all want you to start direct debits so they lose out all together.
     
  16. Dogsday

    Dogsday Well-Known Member

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    I have many charities that I give a monthly donation to, an adopted donkey, a horse & umpteen adopted dogs, this is my choice & I will not be pressurized into giving.
    If I'm asked in the street or at the door I just say I have all the charities I need thank you, but no thank you.
     
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  17. GJH

    GJH Well-Known Member

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    We have a notice by our front door: TO ALL COLD CALLERS. We NEVER transact business at the door. That includes “free” designs/estimates, “free” insulation deals and charity chuggers. If you disturb us you will be doing so at an inconvenient time and all you can expect is ABUSE.

    Most see it and turn round but some just ignore it, say they never saw it (it's obvious enough) or even that they can't read (with a clipboard and pen in their hand). They get short shrift.
     
  18. Findem

    Findem The Fearless One. Rest in Peace.

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    I don't like cold callers of any type, even if they are not selling anything such as Jehovas witnesses, after telling that lot I'm not interested many times I warned them if they persisted I'd have them for harassment. That was several years ago and they have only been back once, after an earful they left quickly.
     
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  19. Bonzo Dog

    Bonzo Dog Still the Mad Scientist?

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    When I was granted authority to manage my wife's financial affairs I discovered she had made out nearly 30 £2 per month direct debits to all manner of charities, most of which sounded decidedly iffy. I asked at our bank how I could cancel the debits as I had no idea how they could be contacted. The answer I was given was simple, "Which ones do you want to cancel?". "All of them". This took just a few seconds and not one organisation made any attempt to complain.
     
  20. Bonzo Dog

    Bonzo Dog Still the Mad Scientist?

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    One of my neighbours has a similar notice and a standard response to anyone who ignores it. He points to the notice and asks if they were born stupid or were they taught it at night school, after which he slams the door in their face.
     
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