Charities and Fundraising

Sydneyswans on 28/08/2015 - 18:29

So yesterday whilst I was on lunch break I was minding my own business talking a walk when who should I bump into in the middle of the city but another one of those damn charity fund raising types. Don't get me wrong I'm all for helping the less fortunate and I'm no Ebenezer Scrooge but I try to avoid them when I too also have my own financial situations to deal with. In this instance it was regarding Unicef.

Now this individual introduced herself and I ended up introducing myself or well she saw my work uniform and knew where I worked. She did the whole spiel about helping the less fortunate, clean drinking water etc etc and then at the same time she started taking down my details name, email, account details as well It was like she didn't give me a choice or chance to decide IF I wanted to start a monthly donation or not. There were other fund-raising people nearby so I couldn't exactly attempt to walk away otherwise I would bump into another one. Now I'm stuck having to make phone calls and emails to the charity not to mention my bank as I don't want any funds to be taken out.

what are your thoughts on charities, on these fund-raising processes? how do you handle these individuals? Would love to hear your thoughts….

General Discussion

Comments

  • pjetson on 28/08/2015 - 18:59
    +113

    Why did you give her your details? I just say "no thank you" and walk away.

    • tyler.durden on 30/08/2015 - 01:15
      -5

      how about acting retarded?

      • adante on 30/08/2015 - 03:16
        +1

        had a friend who said he had an acquaintance who claimed she would just start drooling when she was in situations she didn't want to be in. Always wondered if it would work

        • Serapis on 30/08/2015 - 13:33
          +3

          I always just say I'm a student and they'll leave me alone.

        • [Deactivated] on 30/08/2015 - 15:28
          +3

          @Serapis: You need to be over 21 so I just say I'm only 20. Even if you are 50 if you say that its a pretty clear indicator to leave you alone (im 29)

        • insular on 31/08/2015 - 13:56

          @Serapis: nope tried that, they'll say "we don't have a minimum amount, you can donate as much as you can afford" etc.

          btw, charity is a con. they mask their business class flights, high wages of execs under 'general administration costs'. look at the dollar value of those.

    • diddy50 on 30/08/2015 - 12:21
      +14

      This, why would you give them your email, and bank account details?!

      So they knew where you work. So? You had a choice, you got sucked in reeeeal good.

      You make it seem like they stole those details off you.

      Your choice.

      I avoid eye contact or politely just say no thanks and keep waking.

      I donate to other charities so that's another good thing to tell them.

      But to avoid getting sucked in further - cancel the direct debit if you want to stop any donations they forced out of you.

      • andyken on 30/08/2015 - 13:38
        +43

        the chick must be really hot

    • pointless martyr on 30/08/2015 - 14:54
      +29

      OP, seeing as you are a soft touch, can you please PM me your credit card details? Id like to set up a monthly debit as I would like some free money too.

    • cktftw on 30/08/2015 - 15:04
      +21

      She was hot wasn't she?

    • str1k34 on 31/08/2015 - 20:51
      +1

      have been hot ;)

  • loulou1 on 28/08/2015 - 19:01
    +36

    I never make eye contact.

    • [Deactivated] on 30/08/2015 - 12:25
      +16

      I usually flop the old fella out in situations like this

      So you could say I do make eye contact

      • ChillBro on 30/08/2015 - 20:05
        +10

        Glad you finally made use of it.

        • [Deactivated] on 30/08/2015 - 20:36

          Your Mrs knows all about it ;-)

        • spackbace on 30/08/2015 - 21:23

          @tith:

          It always makes them laugh ;)

    • No ONE on 30/08/2015 - 15:19
      +3

      unless she is hot

      • loulou1 on 30/08/2015 - 17:00

        Yes, I am, but I still don't make eye contact.
        Oh wait, did you mean the charity person?

        • No ONE on 30/08/2015 - 18:01
          +1

          hahaha yeah, I meant the charity person. Should have typed "unless he/she"

      • Sydneyswans on 01/09/2015 - 10:51

        was she hot? Sweedish backpacker girls are always hot… thats one of the ways they rope you in….

    • jellykingdom on 31/08/2015 - 09:02

      You'd be surprised. They are worse than street salesmen in India! I had headphones on, no eye contact, walked behind a bus stop, and the woman came and stood directly in front of me to block my path

      • BartholemewH on 31/08/2015 - 14:20
        +1

        I would've walked into her. Not joking.

        • jellykingdom on 31/08/2015 - 14:56

          Well…. (as per previous comments in this forum) she was good looking and about 25yr old. So i didn't really have the heart to do that

    • [Deactivated] on 31/08/2015 - 17:41
      +4

      I ALWAYS force eye contact to assert dominance

      • hahaboy on 31/08/2015 - 20:35
        +3

        and then spit on their side, whilst maintaining eye contact

  • mskeggs on 28/08/2015 - 19:05
    +16

    I am told the companies employing the collector's charge the charities approximately the first 12 months of donations.
    As a result I strongly reject this approach.

    Edit: er…not strongly to the collectors. I just say no thank you and don't slow down.

    • Htu08 on 30/08/2015 - 11:11
      +4

      I was actually offered a position with a company that does this type of thing.

      The signup commission each employee was paid was $90 for a sign up at the base level. So I have to assume the company running receives at least $180 if not more..

    • Vampyr on 30/08/2015 - 21:45
      +3

      I don't know the exact amounts… But if the fundraisers weren't out there, the charities wouldn't make any extra revenue… If it wasn't a good return on the charity's fundraising budget, they would use a different, more effective means.

      • mskeggs on 30/08/2015 - 21:48
        +11

        Sure. The charity makes more money, but the donors contribution goes to pay the collector and the collector's employer.
        I am happier donating directly, so that 100% of my contribution goes to the charity.
        On top of that, I don't like being hassled in the street, so signing up with them just gives them encouragement it is a useful business to be in.

        • Vampyr on 30/08/2015 - 22:01

          I agree completely. If you are thinking of doing it; go direct!

          Was just saying that it serves a purpose and genuinely helps the charities by recruiting those who wouldn't have thought to do it… And are manipulated by young, enthusiastic ladies ;)

  • Chef-Johnson on 28/08/2015 - 19:10
    +5

    I had a run in the other day with Cerebral Palsy, so a guy comes around i give him my details (including card number) etc and you are meant to get a call within the next few days to say how much you want to donate. I get no call then all of a sudden I have a few charges from on my card of $32, so i contact them they say "we didn't hear from you so the fundraising subcontractors chose $32 as your amount". I said good for you why didn't you contact me and why was there several charges, go a refund and told them to jam it. This was in Brisbane,

    • Johnx on 30/08/2015 - 11:55

      Are you 100% sure it doesn't say on the form "by signing this the charity now has permission to debit your account"
      You might say this (the subsequent call) is what they told me….then….
      Are you 100% sure it doesn't say on the form "I understand no verbal agreement is accepted"
      Charities don't want you to sign if you don't want to do it, you waste their time and money.

      • Chef-Johnson on 30/08/2015 - 13:48
        +1

        Couldn't give a sht what they want. They took what they wanted when they wanted. They knew they were in te wrong that's why they refunded me asap

        • Johnx on 30/08/2015 - 14:54
          +6

          Check the form. The signature should be the authority.
          "we'll call you" is usually a lurk by the chugger to close a (wavering) deal.
          The charity usually refunds because people grow massive (aggressive) balls over the phone that they don't have face to face.

  • spackbace on 28/08/2015 - 19:19
    +38

    at the same time she started taking down my details name, email, account details as well It was like she didn't give me a choice or chance to decide

    How can she just 'take your details'? Or do you just have your name, number and email address tattooed to your forehead? Do you always just answer questions blindly? If so, what's your credit card details?

      • spackbace on 28/08/2015 - 20:58
        +42

        So the way someone words things and you pull out your credit card, and you felt trapped?

        Wow, I just don't have the words for that level of naivety and stupidity!

        • airzone on 29/08/2015 - 00:19
          +4

          @Spacebuck - Yeah, they use pressure sales tactics to rope you in.. Most people don't know they have been sucked in until after it happens, and they feel obliged or too nice to do anything about it on the spot.

          @chelseafc - I just tell them that I am already donating to another cause.. If they push, "SIDs and Kids" - because nobody can say their cause is more just than dead babies.. At least starving kid in africa / autistic kid / dementia sufferer / cancer patient / etc are still alive.

          p.s. No lies, I do occasionally give to SIDs and Kids because SIDs and stillbirth hits close to home.

        • spackbace on 29/08/2015 - 00:43
          +9

          @airzone:

          Yeah, they use pressure sales tactics to rope you in.. 

          I'm in sales, I know what they do/try to do, but that being said I would never just pull out my credit card to someone on the street at any age. It's not life experience talking here, it's just plain common-sense!

          At my workplace we get them just walk in and corner you, a bit harder to brush them off, but again I'm not just going to magically whip out my card, or commit to donate monthly etc!

        • SlickMick on 29/08/2015 - 09:23
          +6

          I don't think they'd get my details, but I really feel for those less able to stand up for themselves… I can imagine how they prey on the elderly etc.

      • [Deactivated] on 28/08/2015 - 21:22
        +3

        She's done sales training. They teach to assume you have an order - not to beg for one - that you have a yes unless a person says no, just keep right on going with the order.

    • kiitos on 29/08/2015 - 14:08
      +2

      Maybe she was a hot redhead…named Jean Grey. He didn't have to say a word. :-)

  • siraitken on 28/08/2015 - 19:22
    +15

    I also don't understand how they got to the billing stage if you weren't interested. They must be bloody good sales people!

      • 2big4u on 30/08/2015 - 09:38
        +15

        coming from a Chelsea fan..its hard to believe your were new to this BUS PARKING tactic

      • pitiek on 30/08/2015 - 17:35
        -4

        You deserve it 100%…
        No one like to be against a team with a habit of parking a double decker bus in front of the goal…

        chelshit

      • Choc83 on 31/08/2015 - 03:41
        +3

        grow a pair. A polite, "no, sorry" is all it takes.

    • Cusack on 30/08/2015 - 15:35
      +3

      Id like to hire that person for my own business :)

  • try2bhelpful on 28/08/2015 - 19:44
    +6

    I can never understand how people get caught with these things, my usual response is "no thank-you" as I march purposefully past. If it is a beggar I usually shake my head and say "sorry".

    We also screen all our phone calls with an answering machine. People who want to talk to us just wait for the end of the message and yell and we then pick up. We get a lot of hung ups even though we are on the no call list.

    • eatwell365 on 28/08/2015 - 21:42
      +6

      I like grandma's approach - "no speak English" then hang up.

    • airzone on 29/08/2015 - 00:22
      +2

      +1 for screening calls. If it's not worth a voicemail, it's not worth a conversation.

      • onetwothreefour on 31/08/2015 - 22:30
        -1

        Ha! I'm the other way, if my family don't answer my calls then they don't deserve to be spoken to!

  • Sydneyswans on 28/08/2015 - 20:17
    -1

    I will admit that I fell for this the first time when someone from the Wilderness society managed to swindle me for $20 a month years ago… but in the end I cancelled that one…. fortunately this time I gave her an account that I no longer accessed and it kept declining… She simply told me to "update my details" later on…

    • Hirolol on 30/08/2015 - 02:47
      +11

      so its not the first time this has happened eh?
      tsk tsk!!!

    • Peace Maker on 30/08/2015 - 17:09
      +8

      'Fool me once, shame on…shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.' George W Bush

      • [Deactivated] on 31/08/2015 - 12:44
        +1

        Too bad that chap fooled America and the rest of the world for nearly 8 years…

  • NancyCat on 28/08/2015 - 22:44
    +15

    So basically, this girl started to talk to you on the street, then you gave her your personal & credit card details…hummmm

    • [Deactivated] on 31/08/2015 - 12:44
      +5

      Was her name Ashley Madison?

  • PartyNextDoor on 29/08/2015 - 07:55
    +4

    I like to say in a clear voice "I don't speak english." They have no real comeback for it, if you say "I'm late" or "No thank you" they still try to chase you down and say it'll only take a minute or some other spiel. I also don't believe in charities, less than 5% of their revenue will go to the ones in need. I'm generalising here but the rest is recklessly spent on stuff they don't need by idiots who don't know how to run organisations. Salvation Army had 300M+ revenue last year, I would like to see an expense report to see how much of that actually went to the ones they claim to support.

    • SlickMick on 29/08/2015 - 09:37

      I'm sure I saw a report once that analysed charities' financials and provided that information. I would use it to donate to the best-run ones, but I can't find it now. (I'm thinking it might not have been Australian, hence why I can't find one relevant to me.)

      I don't like it either, but charities get more funds for their cause by spending on marketing etc.
      We can be critical that they need to do that, but we aren't actively seeking out opportunities to give, so it's actually our fault they need to do that.

      We can't be there to help, so it seems our options are to either give to a charity or do nothing.

      • Waldo000000 on 29/08/2015 - 20:18
        +6

        I also don't believe in charities, less than 5% of their revenue will go to the ones in need.

        You're right that some charities have high overheads and are ineffective. But some are evidence-backed, thoroughly vetted, and underfunded. You might be particularly interested in GiveDirectly - not 5%, but rather 91% of their revenue is delivered to extremely poor people in rural Kenya.

  • SlickMick on 29/08/2015 - 09:29
    +5

    I treat these the same as beggars - I feel for the cause, but don't agree with the approach being taken.
    I told red cross I would be happy to consider making a donation after evaluating them against other charities, but they weren't interested in a one-off donation, it seemed that they were only paid to sign people up to ongoing monthly deductions.
    I'm still sponsoring a kid because by daughter signed us up once. Hmm that kid must be through uni by now… do they stop the deductions once the kid has a job??

    • Waldo000000 on 29/08/2015 - 20:22
      +3

      Your donations are probably (I would say, almost certainly) not actually restricted to helping a particular individual.

      Nevertheless, as an Ozbargainer, I would encourage you to re-evaluate your subscriptions. It's the same Ozbargainer logic as shopping around for a better home loan interest rate from time to time ;-P

      I suspect you might be able to get more bang for your buck with one of these 4 charities!

  • Sydneyswans on 29/08/2015 - 15:14
    -4

    Thanks for the responses…looks like many of these individuals have been well trained. They never ask me "would YOU LIKE… to sign up and help our cause in the past few instances they have simply said something along the lines of "now lets confirm a few details"… other times I have been in the same situation and simply said no "im sorry I cannot afford it or something like that…" this lady was so persistent she didn't even give me a chance to say "well can I at least even think about it?" Anyway Unicef replied and said that since my details were only recently forwarded through to them they wouldn't have me on the database yet and advised me to try contacting them again in a few days time… what a joke…

    • Hirolol on 30/08/2015 - 02:47
      +1

      You must give me your details right now!
      no ifs or buts!!

    • freakatronic on 30/08/2015 - 09:55
      +30

      I have to say you sound like a pretty easy mark. Do you walk out of Harvey Norman with a fridge every time you go to look at their DVDs?

    • [Deactivated] on 30/08/2015 - 15:16

      don't be so gutless, say no if you don't want to donate.

    • windrc on 01/09/2015 - 16:52

      before I can give you some advice,
      let's confirm some details, what did you tell to that lady for the following?:
      -credit card type
      -credit card number
      -name on card
      -card expiry date mm/yy
      -ccv number

  • kronicmacstigator on 29/08/2015 - 15:20
    +1

    I just tell them I'm starting my own charity (I am). Usually gets them off my back.

  • Waldo000000 on 29/08/2015 - 20:14
    +19

    As others have said, some charities have high overheads, and some charities are very ineffective. In fact, there is a huge difference between the worst and the best charities available. Any real Ozbargainer should do some research before making a decision on how to spend their money - and definitely not just follow the advice of some random on the street. And DEFINITELY not give out their credit card details to randoms on the street! :-P

    Here is a good introduction to how to get the most bang for your buck, when it comes to charities. For the TL;DR, here are the current top 4 most effective charities in the world, from GiveWell.org:

    • GiveDirectly: Distributing cash to very poor individuals in Kenya and Uganda (they place 91% of your donation directly in the hands of the extreme poor, and are extremely transparent about follow-up evaluations of how your money was spent)
    • Against Malaria Foundation: provides funding for long-lasting insecticide-treated net distributions (for protection against malaria) in developing countries. The total cost to purchase, distribute and follow up on the distribution of an AMF-funded mosquito net to protect a child from malaria is only about $5-$7
    • Schistosomiasis Control Initiative: Schistosomiasis (also known as bilharzia, snail fever, and Katayama fever) is a disease caused by parasitic worms, that may infect the urinary tract or the intestines. Signs and symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine. Deworm a child for a total of around $1.23 per child
    • Deworm the World Initiative: Intestinal worms are debilitating, widespread, and under-treated. School-based deworming is safe, cost-effective and scale-able. DtWI enables governments to eliminate the public health threat of worms through school-based mass deworming programs.

    If you're interested in getting involved with the communities surrounding these independent evaluations of charities and the work they do, you can check out EffectiveAltruism.org :-)

    • exp1 on 30/08/2015 - 12:26

      thanks for the information, is there an Australian version of this?

      Would it be logical to assume that the Australian branch of the charity is effective if the international parent is effective?

      • Waldo000000 on 30/08/2015 - 19:55
        +3

        You're welcome! :-)

        The links I provided are applicable to Australians, even though those four charities are not currently tax deductible in Australia. Plenty of completely ineffective charities are tax-deductible in Australia - that doesn't mean they are effective.

        If tax deductibility is important to you, I would suggest:

        • Preferably, just donate the post-tax equivalent of whatever pre-tax amount you were planning to donate, to an effective charity (e.g. if you were planning to donate $100 to a deductible charity, donate $65 or so to one of the above effective charities instead). Or,
        • See this longer list of the top 10 most effective charities, for which two Australian tax-deductible charities make the cut, i.e. Oxfam and Fred Hollows Foundation

        Would it be logical to assume that the Australian branch of the charity is effective if the international parent is effective?

        I think that would be a reasonable assumption, but it depends on a number of factors so I'm sure GiveWell would recommend doing it on a case by case basis. Was there one in particular you had in mind?

    • susmind on 31/08/2015 - 00:59

      there is a huge difference between the worst and the best charities available

      I'd give to charity if the world was a better place from their use of the money but the world is only getting a worse place in all of the places that charity's use their money so maybe moneys the problem and we should give charties hugs or something else instead ?

      • Waldo000000 on 31/08/2015 - 07:32

        the world is only getting a worse place in all of the places that charity's use their money

        Have you got a source for that? If we checked the evidence and found that, actually, the developing world is improving dramatically, would you start giving to charity as you say?

        You might be interested in this.

      • Waldo000000 on 31/08/2015 - 09:40

        See also this article on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

        Between 1990 and 2015, extreme poverty was halved thanks to effective interventions. The mortality rate for children under 5 more than halved, while maternal mortality fell by 45%. Across developing nations, enrolment in primary education reached 91%.

  • Waldo000000 on 29/08/2015 - 20:25
    +3

    Forgot to answer your question:

    how do you handle these individuals?

    I ask them how they measure their effectiveness (e.g. in $/QALYs, i.e. Quality-Adjusted Life-Years), and how their efficiency compares to my current portfolio of charities that are top rated by the independent evaluator GiveWell.org.

  • argonide on 30/08/2015 - 01:09
    +3

    I usually encounter these outside supermarkets, so I usually head to a different supermarket.

    One of the times I failed to avoid them, when she worked out I was an unemployed student, the conversation ended fairly quickly.

    For strategies, there is a segment about 7 minutes in here: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/how-not-to-behave/LE1424H00…

  • FittyFitty on 30/08/2015 - 02:23
    +4

    Charities are great. You didn't have the gall to be as articulate as you are with hindsight to navigate your way through your real-time human interaction. So, in the context of your event, one should not question the charities, UNICEF one of which is the most reputable; rather one should question one's own emotional intelligence and communication skills to navigate through human interactions, lest one should inadvertently manifest as a self-righteous twerp….

  • grumpyboots on 30/08/2015 - 02:27
    +14

    Hate the experience of being cornered by "charity" collectors on the street.

    I support and believe in charity work and organisations, and I don't mind that some of the money I donate will go towards admin and resourcing the charity (hard working staff running the programs need to be paid). But I hate that I feel mean when I walk away from another corporate/backpacker collector who will get paid a commission of my first year's donation for signing me up to monthly billing and the charity won't see a drop of that money.

    To the people questioning OP about handing over their account details, I have to confess that I got caught in Martin Place about four or five years ago and did the same. I was heading back to the office after lunch, I accidentally made eye contact with one of the people in charity collector shirts and before I could escape I had my hand shaken and I was too embarrassed to be rude and walk away - which led to an unwilling exchange of names, an awkward conversation, a pitch with pictures of poor hungry children, a line about how if I signed up right away I'd still have time to re-consider whether I wanted to help feed starving children because I could allegedly easily cancel or reduce the deduction (with the implication being that only a monster would consider those options).

    I tried to be politely evasive but in the end I felt too ashamed to say out loud that I just didn't want to do it, especially in front of all the other charity collectors who had gathered around and it really did seem like they did help children so I signed up and left. Literally a minute later, I felt angry at the guy, the charity and most of all at myself for falling for their coercive tactics. I got annoyed again each month when I saw the deduction on my account statement but felt bad about "taking money away from starving children" so allowed the donations to continue for a while… until I was told that the backpacker who had cornered me, was paid $600 by the charity for signing me up to the $50 per month dediction - at which point I decided to ignore my embarrassment and guilt and cancelled the automatic deductions.

    When I'm asked to make a monthly donation now, I say my monthly budget varies but I save up whatever I can and make a lump sum donation to charities of my choice. This is true, and I think I have given more this way (and more mindfully) than if I was making unthinking direct debit donations. I've offered to give street collectors a lump sum and was refused as they are only authorised to collect CC or bank details for ongoing donations.

    I also have a personal rule that if I see the Salvos collecting at the train station or around I always drop at least a gold coin into the donation box. I do this because I actually see how their programs help so many vulnerable people around my workplace and can't think of a better way to say thank you.

    • Sydneyswans on 01/09/2015 - 10:59

      Good on you mate on choosing who you donate to… but yes thats exactly the position I was in. Imagine a line of them carrying their clipboard, ipad and blue shirts. If I walked one way I would get caught out by someone else..

  • Hirolol on 30/08/2015 - 02:52

    im sorry but i cannot justify donating any money when i dont know where the money is going.
    if i was forced to make a choice to either donate money or volunteer or something i would volunteer everytime.

    That 'Kony 2012' re-enforces my decision as well, that thing was a joke!

  • Kjjd on 30/08/2015 - 03:17

    If I am caught, I just firmly say my husband and I already allocate a budget for giving and need to discuss any further giving. I am happy to look at the information you provide but will absolutely not commit now.
    Most can't even be bothered to give you anything. If I want to give I don't give to street solicitations except to the Salvos.

    Otherwise I just walk quickly by and not make eye contact. If they do , just say sorry , I'm in a hurry and keep walking.

  • Mysterious on 30/08/2015 - 04:47
    +7

    Im in legitimate shock and astounded after reading the comments by OP. You gave your personal and payment details because it seemed like they forced you to? That's baffling. You need to learn to say no.

    Simply don't make eye contact. If they stop you, smile and say sorry and keep walking. Here's something important. Good salesmen won't get offended by people blatantly ignoring them, it's part of the job.

    I simply smile and say sorry. If their opening spiel is very confronting and they're confident I might stay and listen for a moment, but never should you feel obligated to pass over your info.

    You either have a really hard time saying NO or you got sold to by a great salesman.

    I agree though, it's very annoying being stopped all around the city by these people. They're income is typically solely from commissions, which is the reason why they're so persistent to talk to you.

    If they're confident and approach with a "how are you?", just confidently say "yeah pretty good thanks" and keep walking. These salesmen are only after the weak minded because honestly, what busy confident people will give their details and credit card info to someone on the street?

    • gentlecrack on 30/08/2015 - 08:22
      +2

      I say 'Having a pretty bad day at work. Now, what do YOU want?'

      They say 'Oh, I am so sorry to hear that…' and I walk away before they complete.

  • Harry Krishna on 30/08/2015 - 06:44
    +4

    Classic case of a person with a strong "controller" vibe, meeting a person with a dominant "sub" vibe. Ease up on her people, it's the vibe.

    • Conka on 31/08/2015 - 16:22
      +1

      I can't speak to the Dom v Sub vibe; but … Ease up, for crying out loud.

      Our OP is simply asking for "how do you handle them" - not seeking a critique on themselves. I don't commonly applaud anything from that part of the UK, but it took some guts to ask this.

      Be nice, people.

  • HoneyComb on 30/08/2015 - 06:54
    -1

    First time this happened 4 years ago I gave them all my details except my card number. I told them I didn't have my card and bank details with me. I was telling the truth at this instance. Pulled out my wallet and showed them i only had $10 there and told them i was happy to give them $10 on the spot as a small donation.

    The person refused my cash donation and said they needed my card. I was very confused at the time. They must not need money if they are refusing cash donations.

    Anyway in this circumstance. They told me I could call the bank and get the bank to give me my account details. So The person dialed the banks number and then the bank on the phone would ask me for my secret password which i then refused to give to them. I just said sorry i forgot the password. The bank won't give you your account details on the phone if you don't give them the password. So all you have to say is you forgot your password and then you turn around and tell the charity person that the bank refuses to give you your account details.

    If you feel pressured and cannot say no. This is one way to get out of it.

    After the first time. I've done this trick twice more for fun. If I have some spare time to waste. I act all interested and eager and each time. I go yeah I can't wait till i sign up and then i do the bank trick and You can see the huge disappointment on their faces when the bank won't give you the details. It's funny

    • tyler.durden on 30/08/2015 - 07:38
      +21

      too complicated and unnecessary…

      Just don't look them in the eye
      and say "not interested", wave your hand while do it.

      • cheng2008 on 31/08/2015 - 12:30
        +2

        When Tyler Durden's telling you a joke's too complicated and unnecessary, you know you've screwed up.

    • freakatronic on 30/08/2015 - 10:13
      +12

      Are you kidding? You must have absolutely nothing to do in your life if this qualifies as fun for you.

    • Sydneyswans on 01/09/2015 - 11:03

      I have done the bank trick in the past… it works.. kind of hard to do it last week when I was still holing my bank card whilst in the middle of getting my coffee… she would have seen right through it…

  • A Driver on 30/08/2015 - 09:29
    +1

    I always keep walking and just shake my head as just I don't have the time to be stopped everyday. I give where I can but definitely not this way. Another approach that might help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4CizzE-zZo

  • bowdo on 30/08/2015 - 10:01
    +7

    Seriously, what is so hard about saying 'not interested'? If you don't want to engage with someone, don't engage with them. If they physically block your path tell them to f*** off.

  • freakatronic on 30/08/2015 - 10:11
    +8

    No need to lie or make stuff up to get rid of them. They're bred as mini-predators, and if you show fear they'll reach straight into your wallet themselves. OP seems to be very soft, to put it politely.

    If you're sitting there and they come by, tell them you're honestly not interested, you don't want to have a chat, and wish them best of luck. Look them in the eye when you do - prey can't look a predator in the eye. If you feel bad, just remember these people are collecting for their own benefit - commissions. They don't care about their charities. They're just on the right side of the equation to heap guilt on the weak-willed.

    • Bunnyburger on 30/08/2015 - 10:45

      Thanks! I'll try this next time. Would "I'm busy", be better?

      How do you get past the handshake part? I've always hated being guilted into shaking the hands of charity muggers.

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