Spill the beans...on which firms ignore your 'no cold callers sign'

agathadc

Chuggers. At least one a week. Most recent has been Battersea Dogs Home, which is a new one for us down here in Eastbourne. What's worse is the ones who come in the evening. I tell them I already give as much as I can to charity by direct debit and can't afford to give anymore - no, not even £3 a month! As they are not selling, they also seem to think the No Cold Calling sign doesn't apply to them, after all, they're doing it for charity.

Kithra

I have found the best way to get rid of the double glazing/utility people is to say we are renting, they lose interest very quickly. Apart from the guy who was shouting through my letterbox did I think my landlord might want new windows & did I have his number!

I hate the fact that people from charities seem to come at night ie; 8pm/9pm and try to make you feel bad if you don't sign up.
I had one guy do his whole script and then suddenly realise it was for the charity he had represented the week before and not the one he should have been talking about that day, that was quite funny actually.

The red mist descended with the JW, they were calling once a week at that point, they haven't been back since......

As for Virgin media and their mail shots!?! We get 2 letters every fortnight, one addressed to me and one addressed to 'the occupier' I've given up sending them back. If they ever came to my door I think I'd make the guy eat them.

wildchildofsussex

cowboy tradesmen - "we will do your driveway for you", cheaper (by over £1k !) if you display one of our boards out the front on the gate post. but even when he wouldn't leave the doorstep I said i'd take his business card (just to get rid) - the website on the card didn't exist !!!

bundance

thebillet wrote: »

I tell the chuggers they have convinced me and I will contribute but on line cutting out their commission and their company's also so the charity gets more. I then thank them for bringing it to my attention.

I don't lie quite as much in my everyday life, only in these situations, I don't know why.

If I can't be bothered, say Judge Judy is on the telly and I'm missing it, I just say I already give via DD.

I didn't realise, before reading this thread, that chuggers came to people's houses :eek: I live in a flat (See above)

I think that your post shows a good way of dealing with chuggers. I may use it next time one of them tries to stop me in the street.

As it is, the times I have been stopped by them in town, I say (without stopping walking) :

"No thanks"

"I don't have a bank account"

OR,

"Cobra Group" - For anyone who doesn't know, chuggers work for Cobra Group, a direct selling company, said to use high pressure sales tactics.

Bullying tactics of all levels of subtlety are being used.

I don't stop to see their reaction as they can be that sly that they will find another way to manipulate me into signing.

One young man moved from his space and was even trotting backwards trying to keep me, as I was walking briskly away.

I know marketing and sales have been with us a very long time, but it is getting particularly aggressive this last decade (I would say)

It's not good when we have to walk down the street, making sure, not to catch the eye of a chugger ahead.

blondie46

I have a sign on my door that clearly states 'No cold callers', but yesterday a young man knocked at my door from the Marie Curie foundation. I pointed out the no cold callers sign but he said 'Oh I'm not after your money' then proceeded to try and get me to sign up a direct debit form!!!

bundance

Kithra wrote: »

I had one guy do his whole script and then suddenly realise it was for the charity he had represented the week before and not the one he should have been talking about that day, that was quite funny actually.

Ha that's funny, I bet he went as red as a beetroot.
:rotfl:

bundance

blondie46 wrote: »

I have a sign on my door that clearly states 'No cold callers', but yesterday a young man knocked at my door from the Marie Curie foundation. I pointed out the no cold callers sign but he said 'Oh I'm not after your money' then proceeded to try and get me to sign up a direct debit form!!!

Maybe the sign should say

"No un-invited/un-expected callers - EXCEPT for friends and family only"

That way they wont be able to use the "It doesn't apply to us" excuse anymore.

What do you all think?

NeverInDebt

He is obviously stupid

blondie46 wrote: »

I have a sign on my door that clearly states 'No cold callers', but yesterday a young man knocked at my door from the Marie Curie foundation. I pointed out the no cold callers sign but he said 'Oh I'm not after your money' then proceeded to try and get me to sign up a direct debit form!!!

The_Bookman

cherie1122 wrote: »

Surveyors from a double glazing company - not sure who they are but my husband gave them our phone number when they knocked the first time and they have been ringing non stop ever since. Number is 0118 986 5460. Luckily for hubby our landline phones have call blocking on them so I blocked the number after the first call.

That is a Reading phone number, and I'm fairly sure it belongs to SafeStyle (Ya buy one, ya get one free, I say ya buy one...) windows. So....no surprise there then.

If you ever find you have too much time on your hands...... I usually try and turn the conversation around. Very often the callers are students trying to supplement the grant etc, on minimum wage and working to a script, so I get them off-script and talking about themselves, then I invite them to consider alternative employment, e.g. bar work, waiting tables etc, where they are providing a service that people actually want, rather than just being annoying. I'm fairly confident that in the last year I've actually managed to get at least 3 to walk out of their call centres there and then.

Another favourite tack, because I sell books, is to again turn the conversation round and start my own sales pitch to them for books with titles such as "How to be a successful Tele-marketer" and "Cold Calling - keep them on the phone for longer". I never cease to be amazed at how long it takes some of them to realise I'm taking the P :rotfl:

Like I said.....if you have time on your hands....:o

starkey

I just had a Battersea Dogs Home charity signer upper at my door, even though I had the Money Saving Expert sign saying no cold callers. He said when I pointed to the sign "don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you anything". I tried to educate him so he knows next time what a cold caller is, but understand they are told to ignore these signs.

Therefore I have made my own sign and replaced the MSE one, feel free to copy if you think it might help.

DO NOT KNOCK OR RING
IF YOU ARE

SELLING OR BUYING

TELLING ME THE BENEFITS OF CHEAPER
ELECTRICITY - GAS - PHONE - TV - OTHER

PROMOTING A CHARITY OR CAUSE

TRYING TO MAKE ME VOTE FOR
YOUR POLITICAL PARTY

ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE MY
VIEWS ON RELIGION TO YOURS

ALSO NO UNSOLICITED MAIL/LEAFLETS
THROUGH MY LETTERBOX

THANK YOU