Street Charity Workers.
Discussion
OK I'm sick of the professional ones who seem to inhabit every high street going.
You know the ones who are probably students, wear coloured bibs, and adopt (very) annoying tactics to get your attention. Normally the work for Greenpeace etc or other big 'charities'.
I really wish they would go away.
I like to walk down the street w/out my personal space being violated in this way. They are like cold callers on the phone.
It's the way they try and get your attention that offends me. They make eye contact when you are still miles away from them, move towards you, make some comment which is usually a question and so designed to 'ensnare' you....and most try and act 'zany' and larger-then-life...no sure why but I suspect it is a compensation or way to deal with the rejection then must get a lot.
I'm proud to say I have never given them a bean (no doubt would actually be a credit card number in reality).
I see lots of people talking to them and I don't understand it.
They are just mercenary sales-people in effect, no doubt on a bonus.
Is what they do legal? Harassing people on the street?
OTOH I do give loose change to more dignified volunteer types.
You know the ones who are probably students, wear coloured bibs, and adopt (very) annoying tactics to get your attention. Normally the work for Greenpeace etc or other big 'charities'.
I really wish they would go away.
I like to walk down the street w/out my personal space being violated in this way. They are like cold callers on the phone.
It's the way they try and get your attention that offends me. They make eye contact when you are still miles away from them, move towards you, make some comment which is usually a question and so designed to 'ensnare' you....and most try and act 'zany' and larger-then-life...no sure why but I suspect it is a compensation or way to deal with the rejection then must get a lot.
I'm proud to say I have never given them a bean (no doubt would actually be a credit card number in reality).
I see lots of people talking to them and I don't understand it.
They are just mercenary sales-people in effect, no doubt on a bonus.
Is what they do legal? Harassing people on the street?
OTOH I do give loose change to more dignified volunteer types.
ewenm said:
It's not hard to politely tell them you're not interested. If they push it, just say you don't give out bank details to strangers in the street (all they want is for you to sign a standing order). Information security and all that...
You get that far? A firm no thanks and dismissive body language will stop them at the first sentence
amir_j said:
ewenm said:
It's not hard to politely tell them you're not interested. If they push it, just say you don't give out bank details to strangers in the street (all they want is for you to sign a standing order). Information security and all that...
You get that far? A firm no thanks and dismissive body language will stop them at the first sentence
Occasionally I might waste their time by getting them to do their entire spiel, ask loads of questions, chat for ages and then refuse to sign a standing order, but only when I'm bored.amir_j said:
ewenm said:
It's not hard to politely tell them you're not interested. If they push it, just say you don't give out bank details to strangers in the street (all they want is for you to sign a standing order). Information security and all that...
You get that far? A firm no thanks and dismissive body language will stop them at the first sentence
k OFF" tends to finish the job.ewenm said:
amir_j said:
ewenm said:
It's not hard to politely tell them you're not interested. If they push it, just say you don't give out bank details to strangers in the street (all they want is for you to sign a standing order). Information security and all that...
You get that far? A firm no thanks and dismissive body language will stop them at the first sentence
Occasionally I might waste their time by getting them to do their entire spiel, ask loads of questions, chat for ages and then refuse to sign a standing order, but only when I'm bored.Still I wouldn't make it a hobby.
SmoothRB said:
LOL I did that once with a cold caller selling mobile phone contracts. I said at the end I couldn't find my bank details...should have heard the sigh...
Still I wouldn't make it a hobby.
Still I wouldn't make it a hobby.
Done similar myslef. Got a call sunday lunch time offering a free phone
Not only that, but I had a choice of which one to get. Asked a few questions, compared the models. Then she went on to talk about monthly cost. I tried explaining I already had a sim card I could use so wouldn't need to pay for their service. Could she just send me the free phone please. 
It was then she got upset and wanted to know why I was wasting her time.
Xerstead said:
SmoothRB said:
LOL I did that once with a cold caller selling mobile phone contracts. I said at the end I couldn't find my bank details...should have heard the sigh...
Still I wouldn't make it a hobby.
Still I wouldn't make it a hobby.
Done similar myslef. Got a call sunday lunch time offering a free phone
Not only that, but I had a choice of which one to get. Asked a few questions, compared the models. Then she went on to talk about monthly cost. I tried explaining I already had a sim card I could use so wouldn't need to pay for their service. Could she just send me the free phone please. It was then she got upset and wanted to know why I was wasting her time.
They get very confused when I ask them how much they're going to pay me. Of course, if they'd asked whether I paid my mobile bill rather than my employer before telling me they could save me money, they might not get confused!
My student son got recruited to do this without my knowledge.
When I heard how highly per hour they were supposed to be paying him, I called scam. It would have taken all the donations just to pay the wages.
Sure enough no wages were ever received.
Even if the students believe they're working for a genuine charity, they're probably being defrauded.
Give them your details and you will probably be defrauded too.
Maybe there's a few genuine ones out there, but it's not worth the risk.
Take control of the situation. Ask the student how long he's been doing it and has he been paid as agreed?
How many people does he know that have been paid as agreed?
Students need to either be studying or earning. Ripping them off and wasting their time is disgraceful.
Do them a favour and talk them out of attempting to sign people up.
When I heard how highly per hour they were supposed to be paying him, I called scam. It would have taken all the donations just to pay the wages.
Sure enough no wages were ever received.
Even if the students believe they're working for a genuine charity, they're probably being defrauded.
Give them your details and you will probably be defrauded too.
Maybe there's a few genuine ones out there, but it's not worth the risk.
Take control of the situation. Ask the student how long he's been doing it and has he been paid as agreed?
How many people does he know that have been paid as agreed?
Students need to either be studying or earning. Ripping them off and wasting their time is disgraceful.
Do them a favour and talk them out of attempting to sign people up.
My friend is a driver for these people, he picks them up takes to destination then goes off himself and later on picks up and drops off then goes home bags up the money and banks it the next day on his out leg.
its shocking the money they are paid and him who also gets miles paid too plus they are all on a % of takings on top of the wage
for this reason i never give to charity this way as its a very very low amount that is actually finally given to the charity
J
B16JUS said:
My friend is a driver for these people, he picks them up takes to destination then goes off himself and later on picks up and drops off then goes home bags up the money and banks it the next day on his out leg.
its shocking the money they are paid and him who also gets miles paid too plus they are all on a % of takings on top of the wage
for this reason i never give to charity this way as its a very very low amount that is actually finally given to the charity
J
And then the charity, like Oxfam, spunks the money on commissioning surveys about belief in gloopal wombling. its shocking the money they are paid and him who also gets miles paid too plus they are all on a % of takings on top of the wage
for this reason i never give to charity this way as its a very very low amount that is actually finally given to the charity
J
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