Charity pests in Stafford? AKA Chuggers

a controversial subject possibly, but i've just heard on the news that certain councils (liverpool and i think manchester?) have banned those clip board holding pests who approach you in the street wanting your signature or monthly donations. and personal details of course. theres even talk of making it illegal. personally i think its a good thing, as a business owner i dont want any potential customers put off window shopping and taking their time. i remember a few weeks back, there were 6 red shirted people in town, all in the highstreet. 6! once you sucessfully avoided one, there were more! i felt like i was in a computer game, dodging the zombies. i felt bad for any shop owner on the highstreet that day. what do you all think? would it be a good idea to push for this in stafford town? am i being cynical and un charitable? do you feel compelled to give these people money? x

 

Not a 'controversial subject', IMHO. I give regulaly to a variety of Charities, and recently did something to raise funds for 2! , have worked for a charity; and it being approached in the street gets on my goat. I feel sorry for the poor beggars doing it, if voluntary fair doo's, they have a choice, but I suspect the youngsters are doing it as a job, as they can't find anything else in 'credit crunch' times! I give, do bits, for charity, where, when, can afford and, want to. You would have to go round with your head in a bucket, not read, not watch Tele', to avoid the coverage charity gets!. I don't need, or want it, when walking through 'Ford! When I go to the supermarket, there is usually someone waiving a a bucket/form/leaflet at me! I feel guilty passing them buy, I support their right to do it in the foyer, but they are easy to avoid, with a polite smile, but being approached and followed up the street! I'm with the scousers!

 

It's weird this should come up - I was approached on Monday by 2 seperate "Shelter" representitives who both came in with the maximum attack and charm offensive to try and get me to engage in conversation. I'm sorry I've only got an hour break - I I don't want to stand around for 15 minutes talking to you!

 

My friend, during Uni did a "training day" with one of these companies for collecting door to door. She was absolutely disgusted with the company and what they were expecting her to do to get the donations and never went back. I have had one of the chuggers shouting at me as I walked away from them about how I didn't want to help starving children in order to make me feel guilty and come back (It didn't work and I felt angry for hours afterwards). I will NEVER support any charity which uses street chuggers or door to door chuggers. I have no issue with people standing with collection boxes but I will not support paying people to forcibly collect money in the way chuggers do.

I am very glad councils are doing something about this now.

 

Recently I was in town and saw at least half a dozen of these people all for the same charity dotted about the high street. Why there were so many was beyond me. I felt sorry for the last few I passed, as it started off with:

1) no thanks
2) no thanks
3) Noooooo (said whilst sighing)
4) Look I've just told the last three of you I'm not interested
5) What? Another? Are you taking the piss?
6) Oh just **** off!

 

I've got a plan of attack waiting for the next time someone from a high profile charity accosts me: my knowledge of how they spend their income. This is free to find online.

 

Ah, blind them with knowledge. Did that with the RSPCA one, said I couldn't support them as I kept reptiles. She said surely if I kept reptiles I'd support an animal charity, she didn't realise that they were trying to get exotic animals banned.

EDIT: My true feelings on this matter are well documented elsewhere on this forum, you lazy newsletter sods can go find them yourself

 

chuggers are unfortunately on comission, if you pay attention you'll notice it's the same people doing it for a different charity from week to week. it's a shame they have a job, but they do try to guilt trip you into signing up to a direct debit. I'm fairly certain i've even had someone say they'd rather i gave them 2 quid a month rather than a 25 quid donation.

if you want a way of getting rid of them quickly, i have found previously that saying something mildly offensive towards the chosen charity works, and is also rather funny in an infantile way. i once had one from the rspca shouting at me in the high street in wolverhampton saying i was a horrible man because i cut them off by saying i was a fan of shark baiting. as if they believed me

 

I wish i could find the answer i posted some moments (years) ago, but that is not quite the case.

It is indeed the same people doing it, for different charities - they are 'prepped' for the charity du jour - but there is a subtle difference to the concept of 'on commission'.

I have had the misfortune of having a spell 'cold-calling', and my Attorney once was a 'Supervisor' of a chugging team - operating out of Bristol to a surprisingly extensive surrounding area - so i know a bit of what i speak.

An individual chugger will be paid a per-hourly-rate, but they will have 'targets' that they will be expected to achieve - ie, let's say, 10 'hits' a day. If they consistently under-achieve they will be scrapped, if they keep hitting the targets they will survive. I think it's fair to say that that is not exactly the same as being 'on commission' - they don't get more coz they got more, sort of thing.

This is in no way an attempt to support the work they do, i hasten to add. My Attorney got out as soon as it was possible for him to do so, and they annoy the piss out of me too. As i believe i said in the answer i posted some moments ago - don't feel guilty about saying no, i can guarantee that they forget about you before you forget about them...

 

I got stopped by the student rag mag brigade last weekend - I agree get them off the streets along with the big issue sellers!!!

 

I dont really mind the big issue sellers, they arent pushy. I was in brum yesterday and not only were there no direct debit hunting chuggers, the charity collectors I did see all kept to themselves. They did say things as you passed, but it felt much more like you could engage them if you wanted but walking by was fine.

Compared to what stafford gets every week I have to say it felt a lot more civilised.

 

I say 'no thank you' and then if they keep on and I'm in my usual bad mood I say 'Oh, ****off!' I've had them walking down the street slagging me off a few times.

The Roundtable collectors were just as bad at christmas. I'd just given some money to a scottish bagpiper who had a sign to say he was collecting for a soldiers charity,then walking back to the car there was a group of about 6 roundtable collectors outside The Swan. I said no thank you but as I walked on they were shouting "Santa's coming to you as well you know!" As I was making several trips backwards & forwards to the car with my shopping I felt most uncomfortable as they then kept shouting comments and shaking the boxes in front of my face each time I passed.
Despite always giving to them in the past when they've come around the estate with Santa's sleigh,that made me determined not to give to them that night when they came a-knocking on my door !

 

Well you cant really discriminate - at the end of the day they are all there for the same thing - to get money out of you regardless if its student, big issue seller or whoever!
Personality is just a trait some are loudmouth some are quieter.....how you go about getting that money is down to the individual! Then the money they get then goes on the cause they are doing it for!Whether it be homeless, the latest ipad or a cheapo bottle of cider from the offy.
Some prefer to bore you silly with droning opera etc has has been the case the past month or so in town - its depressing enough without having them sing it to ya while shopping!!
I give to no-one except taking unwanted things into shelter shop - thats the only one i will give to!!

 

Charities that hound you in town give other charities a bad name. We have collections in town and our volunteers, who kindly collect for us, are professional and stand allowing people to approach them if they would like to make a donation. We appreciate people supporting us in this vital way so we hope this unprofessionalism doesn't reflect badly on all the other charities who stand patiently and quietly when collecting in towns and cities.

 

I regularly give to the air ambulance guy outside Iceland, and the owl lady come to think of it. And the girls collecting at the entrance to M&S for a breast cancer charity the other week, in fact I seem to give money to people at least once a week. Never to one who approaches me though, they can **** off.

 

My partner and I have our 'chosen' charities which we support. She gives a monthly amount by direct debit to Cancer Research and for my part I never walk past an Air Ambulance collector without dropping something in the box.
When approached by collectors for other charities I tell them I already support a chosen charity, most of them accept this and leave me alone.

 

i got stopped by shelter 4 times on monday! i told them i was only 17.. haha its actually worked aswell..bearing in mind im 23
.

 

More like guilt them with knowledge of how much their high execs are earning...and the percentage that goes on their actual charitable spending.

I think many people are happy to support their local charities, I'm also with the people who give to the air ambulance - real necessary work.

 

Might be an idea to ban all street colletors then theres no discrimination on people supporting local or their flavour charities or causes.....most places can handle them but seems to be a big issue here (lol - no pun intended)