Stopped continually in town by people with rucksacks.

nearlyrich

Every week the woman selling windows in Bury shopping centre tries to give me a leaflet, the one time we were looking for quotes she wasn't there.

The BI seller in our town travels nearly 20 miles each way on a bus 6 days a week to stand in the cold, he has done this for 7 years so far, he "lives" in a hostel so he isn't homeless really. I have bought the odd copy but I have never found it to be worth reading ever.

My DH has a great response when stopped by chuggers or research people, he says "I charge £20 per hour or per part of 1 hour for my time" they either walk away or keep talking and he just holds his hand out and says "Cash only in advance" usually sorts them out.

As for Next I just say I refuse to pay a fee to shop anywhere so I don't want their catalogue and they usually wish they hadn't asked me.

If I say "no" and they keep badgering me I just keep walking away and they look stupid not me.

woohoo_postingid

I used to be polite, now I simply ignore them.

I walk past, do not acknowledge their existence,make no attempt to look at them whatsoever. They soon realise that I am not interested and move onto someone else. At first it was quite difficult to do as your natural reaction is to be polite but it soon gets easier.

People I'm out with get embarrassed by it as they think it's rude, but they all end up doing it :rotfl:

sandieb

I find a smile, a firm no thank you looking directly into their eyes usually works for all including the Big Issue sellers, who usually then wish me a good day.

As for the leaflet giver outers - keep your hands firmly to yourself.

BigBouncyBall

i got one from a jehovahs witness the other day, apparently the world is going to end...

Anthillmob

Morglin wrote:

We had a "gypsy" in town constantly waving her "lucky heather" at us.........so the next time she waved it under my nose, I grabbed a bunch, thanked her and shot off.

She had to chase me up the road to get it back as I hadn't paid for it...:rolleyes:

That was the last time she did it to me, anyway.

Lin

i dont remember but mum tells me when i was little a gyspy offered me lucky heather which i took off her and walked off with and she badgeref me for ages for payment unti mum got it off me and handed it back. i aparently had a paddy about this

Anthillmob

regards BI sellers. are they a con? my mum always gives the guy outside our local sainsburys a quid and some fags because in her wordss 'he's workinjg for a living'. i tell her shems being ripped off.

whos right and whos wrong?

advent1122

Anthillmob wrote:

regards BI sellers. are they a con? my mum always gives the guy outside our local sainsburys a quid and some fags because in her wordss 'he's workinjg for a living'. i tell her shems being ripped off.

whos right and whos wrong?

I am working for a living. Would your mother give me a quid?

Maysie

I thought i would just put a postive note in this thread. I stopped for a lady with a clipboard in town the other week. Turned out they needed people to do a survey for oasis drink. I came back the next day for them and got paid £8 for a 10 minutes (in and out and gone). They have some fab new drinks coming out too

rygon

I always thought that big issue sellers bought their copies from a homeless place (say for 60p) then they go out and sell them for £1. This way they make a profit of 40p on each copy they sell to go towards food drink etc and more copies if they want them. Its just an way of them making a bit of money for themselves and giving them a sense of purpose.
I once watched a program about how hard it was for homeless ppl to get jobs as most employers want them to have a a fixed address and a bank account to pay their money into. Banks wont give out accounts unless you have a fixed address either..and they cant get that until get that until they start making money (catch 22)