'Should I have given him the money?' blog discussion

NewSu

Tough call this, isn't it. Here's a story - a couple of weeks ago a man knocks on my door on a Sunday. I peeled my baying hound from the door, I saw through the one-way glass that he took a step back then I opened the door & he handed me a card saying he was deaf & would like me to look at his sketches with a view to buying one. I couldn't at that time so turned him away. A local newspaper report later that week showed this as a con-sweep in the area as several 'deaf' people were seen canvassing & later one was spotted using a mobile phone amongst other give-away signs!
I have a handicapped nephew & my experience tends to make me think that someone with this level of handicap would be unlikley to be unsupervised but I'd have given him a fiver & a cheery good luck. My only worry would not be his honesty but that he maybe being used by unscrupulous 'friends' to defraud you.

fagun

Surprised that no-one has mentioned this yet. Charities Aid Foundation has a number of different products - including GAYE, where you contribute pre-tax.

You can then write Charity Cheques. Only registered charitities can cash them. Which means that a conman can't ue them to get your donation.

MARTINS_DOLL

I personally would like to see Martin's response to the blogs which He has posted. In that, I would like to see His views on the postings. Thank you Martin... :money:

Wyndham

I have in the past collected door to door for charity. I was always given id - a badge to wear (which was mostly covered by my hair!) and a card. I was always surprised at how few people asked to see the id. It's something I always ask for and I know that legitimate charities do provideit to their collectors.

geo555

I seem to recall that years ago there were gangs of door to door sellers with dusters, teatowels etc. They used to call it "Spazzing" where they acted like a disabled person to get the sympathy of the homeowners and sell more of their useless goods.

MARTINS_DOLL

geo555 wrote: »

I seem to recall that years ago there were gangs of door to door sellers with dusters, teatowels etc. They used to call it "Spazzing" where they acted like a disabled person to get the sympathy of the homeowners and sell more of their useless goods.

OMG... I'm shocked. That is absolutelly disgraceful.

I am disgusted to read about this type of thing having gone on in the past.

Shame on anyone who did this.

Maybe one day you too may be disabled yourself. See how much fun that is.

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

Martin I'd like to think I would have done the same:D

MothballsWallet

ID can be faked, so can the jacket things the street collectors wear. It's easy to make official looking sign-up forms: just save the organisation logo off their website, or scan it from a publication you have to hand. Not hard to fake.

skintlass

I'm a soft touch - a guy turned up at my door with a tale about how he didn't have the money to get home - I gave him what I had in my pockets - not a lot as it turns out. My family were annoyed that I'd done this but if I were stuck I'd hope someone would help me out so thats generally how I react.

Sue-UU

skintlass wrote: »

I'm a soft touch - a guy turned up at my door with a tale about how he didn't have the money to get home - I gave him what I had in my pockets - not a lot as it turns out. My family were annoyed that I'd done this but if I were stuck I'd hope someone would help me out so thats generally how I react.

Please beware of that sort of tale skintlass as all too often whilst he's talking to you at one door - another could be trying to get into your second door! It happens here all too often.

Sue