VENT: Chuggers/Charity collectors in the street/On street salesmen

Mk14:37

One chugger stopped me with a very good line - "Is it because I'm Northern that no one wants to talk to me?". I'm a northerner, and this was a few 100m away from my workplace in central London.

I told her no, it was because most people wouldn't dream of giving out direct debit details to a stranger in the street. We chatted for a couple of minutes and she told me that giving her DD details was no worse than losing your bank cards - but I don't do that on a volunatary basis, either! :money:

lincroft1710

Mk14:37 wrote: »

One chugger stopped me with a very good line - "Is it because I'm Northern that no one wants to talk to me?". I'm a northerner, and this was a few 100m away from my workplace in central London.

I told her no, it was because most people wouldn't dream of giving out direct debit details to a stranger in the street. We chatted for a couple of minutes and she told me that giving her DD details was no worse than losing your bank cards - but I don't do that on a volunatary basis, either! :money:

One of the most stupid and discouraging responses a chugger could give.

Payless_2

maninthestreet wrote: »

But a significant proportion of these chuggers don't take a simple polite 'No thanks' as an answer, do they???

Ahh. I've just googled chugger. I assumed that the OP meant everyone who has a job stopping people in the street. I agree that the charity people are very persistent. The gas and electric people are the same. I used to work for a market research company and we were told to leave people be if they didn't want to complete a survey. I cannot see the point in pestering people if they don't want to know.

I didn't mind people saying that they didn't have time or no thanks but getting sworn at when you've been standing out in the cold and rain for hours is no joke.

frivolous_fay

Mk14:37 wrote: »

If I see a collector shake a tin - or ask for change - I refuse to put money in on principle, because that constitutes begging and is against the law.

Yup - I've done time myself, collecting for a charity. Approx 20 years ago... and we were strictly not allowed to shake the tin.

Spartacus_Mills

I get sick and tired of these chuggers so I will engage them in discussion, take an interest in their charity, act really keen and then either give them bogus bank details or tell them as a bankrupt I have no bank account.

marywooyeah

I am so sick of being stopped by chuggers. I tell them that I sponsor a little girl in rwanda and that I give £8 a month to great ormond street - which i do - and this usually makes them go away.
the worst is shelter. i used to donate £6 a month to shelter but stopped after reading that the managing director was on £90,000 a year. the new one is one £130,000 now. whenever they stop me now I tell them this, some try to defend it, one even said "wow thats awful thats far too much". makes you wonder how many £6 a month it takes just for the MD to get paid.

bromleymum

We have loads of these in Bromley but I never feel that I have to be rude to them. I don't take it personally, they are just doing a job.

I normally look at the chosen charity and simply say that it's not a charity I am interested in helping.

Or I tell them I am already supporting a similar charity by other means.

If one of them is a little persistent I just smile and say sorry and move on.

When did it become acceptable to tell someone to F off in the street just for speaking to you??

vikingaero

bromleymum wrote: »

When did it become acceptable to tell someone to F off in the street just for speaking to you??

I suppose that depends on how persistent and rude some are. If you say no politely and they continue and continue then I'd argue you'd have every right.

chomsky_2

vikingaero wrote: »

I suppose that depends on how persistent and rude some are. If you say no politely and they continue and continue then I'd argue you'd have every right.

I agree, I'm never rude to chuggers unless they are extremely pushy or make wild statements when you politely refuse, like "oh so you don't give to charity?" Er yes I do but frankly it's none of your business.

Deep_In_Debt

Have loads of them where I work - sometimes about 6 on each side of the street so you get stopped going both ways so impossible to avoid. I just say that don't have time to talk but I do get extremely annoyed having to spend my lunch break trying to dodge them.

4 days out of 5 there are chuggers. I sometimes pretend I'm on my mobile - they don't need to know I'm holding a conversation with myself!