Stop Charity Junk Mail

Stop_Charity_Junk_Mail

I'm writing to ask for some advice and opinions based on this thread from last year that I found via google.

This section seemed the most obvious place to post, but if it is in the wrong area then apologies!

My mum equally gets bombarded with numerous letters and phone calls from charities, many of which she has never given to or heard of before. As she is a kind, generous lady (like i'm sure many of you are) she does respond to some of these letters & phone calls, but only because she feels guilty.

To me, it doesn't seem right that charity giving should be based on guilt and it should be about feeling good to change the world (in however small a way).

I've now given her some advice on registering with the mailing/telephone preference services and the unsolicited calls & mail should hopefully reduce. I've also told herto only respond to those charities that she truly cares about and not feel bad about returning the others.

Anyway, this got me thinking about writing a guide for people who get targetted with excessive charity mail & phone calls on how to reduce the number and how not to feel guilty by doing it. I wondered if anyone had any idea or suggestions if a: this would be a good idea, b: is there anything else I could include c: any suggestions for promoting such a guide? or d: is it not a problem and am I wasting my time!

The other plan was to look for like minded people to think about some ideas to make charities to think twice about this e.g (Campaign against Charity Junk Mail?) and look for alternative ways to give effectively/efficiently to charities that don't do this, such as virtual giving circles, as I currently can't seem to find an organisation (in the UK anyway) that does this effectively - any tips again appreciated!)

Sorry for such a long post - hope it is of interest and that some of you may have some ideas or suggestions. I have set up a generic e-mail account if you want to contact me...

Thanks for your time!

GiveItBack

Hmm, but why focus exclusively on charity junk mail? I think that charity mailings are amongst the easiest to stop. It's the somerfield flyers and the car insurance ones I hate.

There are three types of charity mailing.

1.The ones from a charity you've donated to before. These are easy. You know these guys, maybe you give regularly, or during a special time of year, and you don't want to be asked at other times. Well, them you contact, write to them, call them, maybe even email saying 'I support you, I want to/don't want to* know what you're doing, please only mail me with an annual newsletter/ a monthly email / a special appeal / not at all* (*delete as applic)

2. Swapsies. These are addressed to you but from someone you haven't given to before. Sometimes, some charities swap lists of donors, because people who give to one charity are more likely to give to another (and that's a fact, pop-pickers). Now maybe you like what you get, maybe you don't but you can do the same thing. If you don't want to hear from them, you tell them not to mail you again, thanks very much.

3. Cold mails. This is where it gets trickier, you see even if everyone else does what you ask (and they *should*), then you might still get cold ones, they're usually not addresses, so they're not checked against don't send lists. Sometimes they go to people who already donate, sometimes they go to people who've asked not to be contacted, so there's not a lot can be done about this, except ask the postie not to deliver them (correct me if I'm wrong folks).


Charities send mailings because they work, people give, some people are inspired to give, some people feel guilty, and some people just see the word charity and bung in a cheque (I wish I knew who was who).

Which brings me back to guilt. You see, no-one can make you feel guilty except you. So you have to be rational and understand why not to feel guilty.

There are 190,000+ charities registered in England and Wales. There are 20,000+ more in Scotland, and there are probably millions across the world, some of which fundraise in the UK. (WSPCA for example) You really can't give to them all. Some of them work for opposite aims, so you have to choose the ones you want to suport - maybe the cause, or the specific campaign, but you have to accept that you can't support them all. Your donations go further spread between fewer charities, so pick the ones you love, and give because they change the world the way you want.

Th biggest difficulties charities face with sending out letters and things is that they don't know what you think unless you tell them.

I work for a charity, and a week ago I sent out 1000 newsletters to people who have donated in some way or form to my charity locally in the last few years (I wish it was more). I've put in a letter asking people what they think, the envelopes had a return address on for people who have moved away, I've put in my phone number, my email address, my mobile number and my post address. Since then 4 people I've spoken to have told me they've received it. 1 to tell me the stamp fell off and he had to collect it and pay for it, 1 (prompted) to say yes, he did get it, one to say 'sorry I haven't donated for a while, but I always do this time of year and I will be soon', and one in passing to say they'd had a 'letter from you'.

I know a handful have come back as having moved on, but the rest, I have no idea. Maybe they like it, maybe they wanted to know different stuff, maybe they hated it, and now the charity and me, but I have no idea.

I promise that if someone says they never want another one I'll never send them another one, but since no-one has said so, what should I do?

That's why I always say please contact the charity - even just a wee note saying leave me alone. And that way I won't spend the money on the stamp, so it'll even save me some money.

This is long, and I think I'll pm you anyway, but I wanted to put across my view to all the (patient) moneysavers!

margaretclare

Hello

My pet hate are charities that give you a plastic bag for you to leave unwanted clothing etc outside for them to collect.

At a time when we're trying not to use plastic bags - have just bought some new shopping bags to avoid using supermarket carrier-bags! - I'd rather they didn't.

I would agree with GiveItBack. You can't possibly give to every charity that there is, no matter whether it's sad-eyed African kids or sadder-eyed puppies and kittens. I decided a long time ago that there is a small number of charities that I would support, and they're the only ones who write to me. Actually, I've now got it down to 3 personal charities - the Woodland Trust, BTCV and the Steadfast Trust. At church we choose a local charity to support each year, that's because we've finished the building project but people were still raising money. This year it's the local CAB because they lost a lottery grant just at a time when they were getting more and more people through their door.

Can't understand why the OP's Mum gets 'bombarded' with letters and phone calls about charity donations? There must be some way to screen them out, deal with this problem. The Mailing Preference Service is a start, and isn't there a similar thing for phone calls?

Browntoa

add to the list the High Street Charity "muggers"

I walked down Chatham high street the other day and there must have been 30 of them , any charity that resorts to these tactics goes straight on my blacklist

Stop_Charity_Junk_Mail

Thanks to everyone for your responses.

I've given my mum some advice and have registered her with the MPS & TPS.

As someone who also works for a charity I understand the reasons why phone calls & mail is used, but think that there must be a more efficient, env friendly and fruitful approach.

From the responses, there doesn't seem to be any great desire or interest in any campaign or project to reduce the rate or to look at alternatives.

Many thanks for all your helpful replies and opinions....

rogerj

Why just Charity Junk Mail ....and where do they get your data?

West Wiltshire District Council sell the data on their Electoral Register to
Datalinx Ltd of Savile House, Savile Road, Elland, West Yorkshire. This company pay the local councils £168 for each edited roll. And then they sell them on. Of course, this is not the only way the junk mailers acquire our details.

Datalinx phone number is 01422 387900. I have tried to contact them to have my data removed, but they don't answer phone calls. Their web address www.dlinx.co.uk brings up a 404 Error. No luck there either.

In spite of being on the mailing preference scheme, this secretive outfit sells my details to Credit Card mailers/banks/and companies like Retirement Services, who in turn try to sell me pension plans.
Can anyone out there throw any light on the secret world of Datalinx?

JasonLVC

Roger.

First of all, next time the form comes around from your local council about checking the people who live at your address/electoral roll, make sure you tick the box asking to be kept of the official electoral roll (otherwise they oput you on the other one which they can sell to data companies).

Secondly, write to the Data Protection officer at the Datalink address you have, requesting they remove you from their database permanently and give them 14 days to respond. Stipulate that if they do not do so you will report them to the Data Commissioner.

I had a problem with Sky last year, I couldn't get through on phone and emails ignored. I sent a letter recorded delivery and within 7 days had a formal response, apologising and ensuring I was removed from their database.

Any infringement on the future is liable to a large penalty and the law states that once formally requested to be removed, the person keeping the database must do so.

Re. GiveItBack and Swappsies. Unknown to most charities, the data protection act also applies to them, so if they are passing on donar details to other unconnected parties without permission they are liable to large penatlies for such breaches.

margaretclare

I am still having the problem of people going around delivering plastic bags for charity clothing collection. The Mailing Preference Service is not a helpful in this regard. We do still get take-away flyers etc but those can go straight into recycling along with newspapers and magazines. The plastic bags are a worse problem. I've just had one for the Salvation Army pushed through the door. I managed to catch the woman delivering these and I explained to her that we are trying hard not to use plastic bags at all. I got a very rude response. She said I should contact the Salvation Army, it's nothing to do with her, she just gets paid to push one through every door.

We've had the same things for Save the Children, Mencap, Help the Aged and the British Heart Foundation. All involve waste of plastic bags. Does what the woman said to me imply that I have to contact every one of those charities, and even if I do, how will it get down to people who are 'just paid to push one through every letterbox'?

GiveItBack

Hi JasonLVC

Most charities that swap lists do follow DPA regs to do so - by including on their comms that they might swap lists, and giving the opt out (I think that's the one needed for such things), so they have permission to do it - the thing is, how many people bother to tick the right boxes on DPA statements?

I stood with a form once with the opt out for mail and opt in for email and people who hadn't even put down an email just ticked both boxes.

margaretclare - plastic bag collections - this on'es harder, but I believe that most charities collect the empty bags too, so they can reuse them? As for contacting the SA, I would - and I'd point out that whoever is hiring their bag droppers is doing a rubbish job, if they can't stay courteous.

JasonLVC

GiveItBack wrote: »

Hi JasonLVC

Most charities that swap lists do follow DPA regs to do so - by including on their comms that they might swap lists, and giving the opt out (I think that's the one needed for such things), so they have permission to do it - the thing is, how many people bother to tick the right boxes on DPA statements?

I stood with a form once with the opt out for mail and opt in for email and people who hadn't even put down an email just ticked both boxes.

Appreciate your comments. They're not really swappsies are they though, the charity is simply passing on details of those who have opted in for such sharing and this perfectly fine - your post intimated that charities just shared details around like a student would a roll-up in a crowd!.

I ALWAYS tick the appropriate boxes (or not tick, as sometimes you have to not tick to opt out - sneaky!)

GiveItBack

yeah, sorry, that's my bad for poor explanations!

got to watch those boxes. Did you know, I thought that they were that way roud to be sneaky, but apparently, you have to have opt out for further info / third party, but opt IN for email. So they *have* to be worded like:

if you don't want to hear from us or our pals tick here.
if you do want to get emails from us tick here.