Charity pests in Stafford? AKA Chuggers

Andy Straw

Andy Straw

A few posts under my belt
I find the way to deal with teams like the Shelter lot is just to say "already saw your colleague" and walk on by. At the end of the day the staff on the street are just trying to earn a living like the rest of us. They don't make the strategic decisions to swamp Stafford town centre with hundreds of clipboard wielding guilt trip facilitators all at once - they have over-paid management types for that. I like to support charities, but i'll be the one who chooses who to approach - i don't donate to charities that harass me, or charities where they spend a lot on overheads and very little on aid.
 
tek-monkey

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Not at all, just ban the ones who hassle you! Standing still with a collection tin is fine, chasing you down the street after your bank details is not.
 
Randlesuk

Randlesuk

vroom vroom!
Love at First Bite I must say this is a subject close to my own heart and just had to comment.

When I first finished uni some years ago I was 'lulled' into one of these companies that advertised the job as 'Sales and marketing Executive working in a fast paced environment with fast track opportunity'. At first glance as a newly graduated and unknowledgeable individual this appealed. Its all a very long story, which looking back now was pretty disturbing experience, but went for an 'interview' and was subsequently bustled off in a car to Telford to walk around estates and knock on doors as a charity rep. The people that I was with did not care about the charity, had no interest in it, was commissioned, the company was drafted in by different charities to raise money for them and were making money out of this. (I know it happens but don't agree with it!) The tactics used were disgraceful and intimidating and I felt ashamed to even be a part of it. Some of the people approached could clearly barely afford to look after themselves and morally felt wrong to put them under pressure which is unfortunately what happened.
I appreciate charities have to raise money to survive but there are right and wrong ways to go about this. This experience left me appalled by the whole situation. I give regularly to charities but in my own time without pressure.

As a business we regularly do what we call 'product placements' where we take our products to different places such as Tesco/Asda/The Guildhall and we usually have our lovely Anna with the vehicles. Anna would never hassle or bombard people in the street as I have seen with some charity reps on so many occasions. It should be a case of - you say 'No' and thats it. As a business we also give and support local and national charities and I regularly receive phone calls re: charity events and giving which we invest in heavily as we are keen to support worth while causes (and I must say there are plentiful of them). Recently supporting the firemans ball and the sportsmans ball at Stafford Rangers.

Lets hope these new restrictions tighten up and the ones the that don't do it right so it works well for the people that do. Everyone has a job to do but there is a big difference between doing it the right way and doing it the wrong way.
 
Trapnest

Trapnest

Well-Known Forumite
Miss Red said:
I got stopped by the student rag mag brigade last weekend - I agree get them off the streets along with the big issue sellers!!!
Click to expand...
Oh gosh! I got that too, I was just like NOPE. >.< Hate that. I absolutely hate being approached by chuggers and stuff! You guys know, I made a point of how much of a socially awkward penguin I am and stuff like that actually makes me just not want to go in to town :/
 
Miss Red

Miss Red

Well-Known Forumite
Cant somebody stop that awful racket thats down there every saturday - mainly a man who thinks hes the long lost bro of pavarotti!! Not everybody likes this sort of racket belting out while shopping and certainly not interested in buying some homemade cds!!
Dare say theres some out there who have a fetish for it - but i find it personally disturbing, pushy and not to mention very "in your face" lol
 
Miss Red

Miss Red

Well-Known Forumite
Cant somebody stop that awful racket thats down there every saturday - mainly a man who thinks hes the long lost bro of pavarotti!! Not everybody likes this sort of racket belting out while shopping and certainly not interested in buying some homemade cds!!
Dare say theres some out there who have a fetish for it - but i find it personally disturbing, pushy and not to mention very "in your face" lol
 
Miss Red

Miss Red

Well-Known Forumite
Miss Red said:
Cant somebody stop that awful racket thats down there every saturday - mainly a man who thinks hes the long lost bro of pavarotti!! Not everybody likes this sort of racket belting out while shopping and certainly not interested in buying some homemade cds!!
Dare say theres some out there who have a fetish for it - but i find it personally disturbing, pushy and not to mention very in your face lol
Click to expand...
 
Miss Red

Miss Red

Well-Known Forumite
Miss Red said:
Cant somebody stop that awful racket thats down there every saturday - mainly a man who thinks hes the long lost bro of pavarotti!! Not everybody likes this sort of racket belting out while shopping and certainly not interested in buying some homemade cds!!
Dare say theres some out there who have a fetish for it - but i find it personally disturbing, pushy and not to mention very "in your face" lol
Click to expand...
 
Miss Red

Miss Red

Well-Known Forumite
Something went wrong!! Housten we have a problem - "server error" then posted it too many times :?:
 
Glam

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
I have say that the 1 that really gets on my tits nerves,is the bloke with the accordian that stands on the bridge goin to Sainsburys. Even the youngest has taken to shouting at him to change the bloody tune! I dunna get stopped by chuggers tho,I usually put my mobile up to my ear and walk past them very quickly.
 
Trapnest

Trapnest

Well-Known Forumite
Miss Red said:
Cant somebody stop that awful racket thats down there every saturday - mainly a man who thinks hes the long lost bro of pavarotti!! Not everybody likes this sort of racket belting out while shopping and certainly not interested in buying some homemade cds!!
Dare say theres some out there who have a fetish for it - but i find it personally disturbing, pushy and not to mention very "in your face" lol
Click to expand...

Isn't that a dude trying to sell a CD for Help for Heroes? Cus I'm sure he was the other side before and he stopped opening his gob but the singing continued. Or maybe it's a differen't bloke. I didn't pay much attention when I saw a guy this time. There was this youngish lass with a guitar, not playing it and "singing" it was god awful. *cringe* and then that... lad? Who's always playing guitar and singing. Spoiled my boots shop! Do you not need a busking license in staffs town? Theres such a massive influx of them now. though I quite enjoyed the bloke I saw with a digereedoo.
 
joshua

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
You don't need a licence to busk but you do need a pedlars licence to sell, so it might be worth reporting to the council or your town centre pcso.
 
highguyuk

highguyuk

Well-Known Forumite
Working in Birmingham, I'm regularly pestered between New Street and the area I work in. 2/3 different charity groups, Free Magazines, Surveys etc.

I originally took to sarcasm, overly friendliness when approached etc. Now I must admit it is a more blank approach. No!

That said, I've not been approached by a Chugger for several weeks now, very welcome news!
 
M

miss_D

Newbie
Personally I am sick of having to practically slalom, down the town to avoid what on a bad day can be four chuggers armed with clipboards and the Big Issue woman. Like 'Loveatfirstbite' says it's getting to the point where you can't stop to look in shop window - Ridiculous!!
 
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