Chuggers Again

[Caran]

Couldn't believe it. Two came knocking on my door from the Red Cross. They were really forceful wanting my bank details. Telling me how generous my neighbours had been. When I said I don't give my bank details to anyone they were not happy. I offered a donation but they said they were not allowed to take anything.

[Ann]

Don't believe them Caran, I'm sure the Red Cross wouldn't knock on doors and want bank details. I can check tomorrow, our friend is a volunteer with the Red Cross. I think the people knocking on doors are common thieves, I would ring the Police to inform them what is happening. Do you also have a neighbourhood watch co-ordinator you can tell?

[Caran]

No we don't have one Anne. I would be very interested to see what your friend has to say about this.

[Sparkles62]

They don't sound genuine Caran, I would ring your local police and report them.
Similair thing happened to me earlier this year, I rang 101, our local non emergency no. and they caught them a couple of days later in the next town.
If they are genuine then they need reporting to the Red Cross for their bully boy tactics.

[Buenchico]

>>>I'm sure the Red Cross wouldn't knock on doors and want bank details

Yes they do. Both the Red Cross and the RSPCA have had chuggers working door-to-door around here recently. (Chuggers will always need bank details, since the whole point of their work is to get people to sign up to direct debit payments).

[Dee Sa]

I would be very suspicious Caran and yes phone the police and tell them, next time ask to see their authorisation and say stay here whilst I go and check and phone the police.
When they approach me in the street and I cant get away I always ask are you getting paid to do this and when they say yes I tell them half any donation I make will go on your wages and I am not doing that and I walk away, its not a question they were expecting and they haven't got an "off pat" answer ready.

[Ann]

// (Chuggers will always need bank details, since the whole point of their work is to get people to sign up to direct debit payments).//

Gosh Chris, I'm amazed at a respected organisation like the Red cross doing this, especially as people are constantly being warned not to disclose bank details etc. I would never sign up to anything on the door step anyway.

[Ann]

//and say stay here whilst I go and check and phone the police. //
I wouldn't do that either Dee, unless I closed the front door first, they could get in to rob you while you were on the phone. :(

[seekeerz]

Honestly this appals me .... Bad enough that they're on the phone all the time, but to request bank details on your doorstep .....I hope that doesn't catch on here !!

[Caran]

I look forward to Ann's response when she checks with her friend.

[ummmm]

Phone the police? Really???

People never cease to amaze me.....

Shut the door. Why waste police time?

[Mamyalynne]

Anyone approaching me or knocking at the door or telephoning gets a polite 'No thank you'.

[HansUrbancka]

The Red Cross is getting too pushy nowadays. Especially with all the Mail that comes through my letterbox; all because my wife gave them a postal donation. I reckon that has now been spent on the Gift Cards, Badges, Notelets etc. which are continually being sent to her.

Anyway, it is as well to know if door-step callers are genuine and the following link should help to establish the true position :-

http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now/Our-fundraisers/How-do-I-know-if-a-fundraiser-is-genuine

Hans.

[kylesmum]

Any Red Cross volunteer wouldn't be forceful.Did you contact them afterwards to verify the authenticity of the people?
I have collected for them for years and i'm astonished.
Mind you,I had the misfortune to require a wheelchair after a very bad accident, I couldn't get one from the NHS, no-one can, but who came up trumps...the Red Cross, free gratis for as long as I needed it. I of course gave them a very healthy donation when I returned it, they were saviours.I haven't been hassled at all ever but I will continue to make them my primary charity cause because they truly are frontline carers for people unlike some charities.

[Buenchico]

>>>Any Red Cross volunteer wouldn't be forceful

While a few (usually small and local) charities use volunteers to do 'chugging', nearly all of the big charities use professional teams of chuggers, hired from agencies that specialise in the work. So the teams who are in (say) Leicester on Monday wearing 'RSPCA' bibs might be exactly the same people who will be in (say) Loughborough on Tuesday wearing 'Oxfam' bibs (and in Melton Mowbray on Wednesday doing the same job for yet another charity, and so on).

A volunteer working in a busy city centre might be lucky to get half a dozen people to sign up to a regular monthly commitment in a day. The professionals are expected to get at least that many every hour. (The very best at the job can get nearly a hundred people a day to to sign up).

The (paid) interviewing work I do on behalf of charities like Sustrans (where I'm only seeking lots of information, rather than any money) has taught me quite a lot about how to stop people and drag information from them, even though most of them would say that they're not susceptible to the techniques I use. On some occasions (notably in central Leicester) I've worked right next to teams of chuggers and admired the way that they work. There's a real craft to it ;-)

[Gill1941]

I have a notice on my door which says "no uninvited traders". Goes on to say do not knock just go. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.
I have not had any cold callers since.

[viv38]

I just don't answer the door !

[patsyann]

Ha. We have official notice on our door from Hampshire police stating no callers etc. knock on door pointed out the notice fellow said can't read it I am dyslexic. Unbelievable.

[Jeza]

The cancer charity also want you to do a DD with them. When I said no they got quite rude so I closed the door.

[HansUrbancka]

I have reached the stage where I am fed-up with being bothered by charities.
Chuggers are a nuisance and it's time a lot of the organisations amalgamated to avoid duplication of activities and services provided by them.

There are around 180,000 registered charities in England and Wales. Their total annual income is over £20 billion (=£20,000 million). Furthemore, a penny donation to each one would cost an individual a mere £1,800.00.

Hans.

[Buenchico]

>>>There are around 180,000 registered charities in England and Wales

. . . but many of them aren't bodies that actively solicit donations from the general public. Lots of sports clubs are registered as charities, as are many educational establishments, such as Eton College and Harrow School.