I have just had another call, the second in a couple of weeks supposedly from a couple of charities I support.
Both wanted me to agree to a standing order.
It was only at the end of the call did they admit that they were from a company that was being paid by the charity to call me.
Is this a growing trend and are others getting such calls.
Unfortunately for both the callers I had more association with the charities than they expected and floundered a little.
Both callers had UK voices and were certainly not youngsters.
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I suppose its inevitable if your number was somehow available or associated with charities, then they are going to try to get more money from those known numbers.
I've never given via text or anything like that as i would expect someone to be number farming for future use, so no i haven't yet had chuggers...mind you they could always text instead and join the queue of so called lawyers ready to line my pockets following the accident i haven't had or reimburse me for the PPI i didn't take out.
To be quite honest i've reached the end of it with charities and the lucrative careers they provide, not to mention the endless ads on telly requesting money.
You can't even pop into the supermarket without running the charity gauntlet at each exit, and i see the lawyers for accident claimers are now advertising in the motorway service area bogs...that says it all.
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"To be quite honest i've reached the end of it with charities and the lucrative careers they provide, not to mention the endless ads on telly requesting money."
Same here gb. That's why I now only ever contribute to local charities that I know are run by volunteers. There is a very good on near us for MS and since a friend has MS I give most to that and also to a local children's hospice. Fed up with these big charities that accept millions per year from Gov and then use it to lobby Gov for more or get politicised (WWF, FOE, even Oxfam who I used to raise noney for as a teenager!! etc).
With ref to henry's post above; today I received yet another call from an agency promising to pay off my debts and save me 70% or something. Since the phone is a work phone where I am only known by a number and I spend all day driving and hate being on phone while driving (even though I use either car Bluetooth or my earpiece) I took the opportunity to "press 5 to speak to an operator" and told them what I thought, along the lines of "You don't know me, you don't know my name, you don't know if I have any debts, I am driving and you are distracting me so do not call me again. Oh, by the way, I appreciate that it's not your personal fault, and it's a crap job you have. If you want to leave and need a few quid to see you over, you have my number and I may be able to help you"
Condescending/ rude/ unnecessary??? Maybe. And the next PPI call I get will be the same!
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PS You might find this interesting though I can't vouch for its accuracy
fakecharities.org/
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>> Condescending/ rude/ unnecessary??? Maybe.
Oh don't you worry Phil i suspect you are a polite pussy cat compared to SWMBO a woman who takes no prisoners, i no longer answer the home phone in the evenings, the results when they try it on are quite amusing in a slightly tragic way.
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"a woman who takes no prisoners, I no longer answer the home phone in the evenings, the results when they try it on are quite amusing in a slightly tragic way."
You are obviously far too familiar with Mrs W!!! ;-)
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I give to a different charity monthly. In November a certain charity gets £40, Last year they hounded me 3 x in as many months - they only took me seriously when I asked them for another charity who would be grateful for Nov 2012's £40.... then all went quiet.
... until last month when once again they were on the blower 3 x - 2 x and they did not leave a msg on the answer machine and they caught me at 10am on a Sunday.
Looks like the next time is the last as I have asked them to leave me alone - If I want to up the money I will let them know.
They want me to make the payment £10 / month - to quote "a little and often" is easier than £40 in one go - I suggested £3.00 / mth and they went quiet a few years back.
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I now only support the smaller local charities as the larger ones are now more like corporate money generating giants. I often wonder, after the huge salaries, and massive advertising budgets how much is really left?
My employer chooses a charity each year to support, and they try to pick something with a slightly local flavour so they usually get a few quid out of me each month. The new graduate intakes have to give 10% of their time to fund raising and carrying out good deeds like working with kids in schools. Think the company match £ for £ anything given so looks a fair deal to me.
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I support two charities. If they or their agents hounded me, I would stop at once. Period.
They do not.
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>> I support two charities. If they or their agents hounded me, I would stop at
>> once. Period.
>>
>> They do not.
>>
When one charity (which shall remain nameless) pestered me fairly aggressively in the street (trying the jokey-but-not-guilt-trip approach) I took great pleasure in switching the £40/month direct debit to someone else.
Told them why when they called up to ask why the payment hadn't gone through the next month - which, ironically, was like getting a call from a debt collection agency - and got a "yes, a few people are doing that" response.
I will never sign up with a chugger, whether it's in the street or door to door. They're paid a fee based on you signing up for a year, so if you change your mind after three months, the charity actually ends up out of pocket more than if you'd done nothing at all.
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>> I will never sign up with a chugger, whether it's in the street or door to door. They're paid a fee based
The company they work for get paid a fee - and then pay the chugger very little. The working practice of the companies employing these chuggers leaves a lot to be desired - you'd not get paid anything if you didn't get someone to sign up.... and I'd never give my bank details to a stranger like that.
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Chuggers calling my phone. - -
