Charity Collectors

nlgbbbblth

Originally posted by eth0_
The biggest thing that pisses me off about Dublin are the charity collectors. They're like parasites. Why should I have to pretend to be on the phone or sending a text so they don't approach me? They should be banned from the streets, it's not like most of them even give a sh1t about the charity they're working for, they're all students attracted by the pretty good wage these charities pay.

What do other people think?

What do you do to avoid their "bullying and intimidating ways" [workmate's words]

- I've seen people instinctively cover their faces with newspapers as they walk past
- In Blackrock I saw a guy cross the street and then shout at the Concern volunteer - "Hey look at me, I've crossed the street to AVOID you":D

Surely if people want to contribute to charity they shouldn't be shamed or coerced into it.

Oriel

F*ck sake. Whatever happened just just saying "No" and walking on?
It's not as if they follow you home like a stray dog.
The furthest I've gone is saying "Look, f*ck off." to one guy who asked me three times.

S.

/edit - changed "god" to "dog", hehe

Kobie

In Blackrock I saw a guy cross the street and then shout at the Concern volunteer - "Hey look at me, I've crossed the street to AVOID you"

Excellent!!!:D

I just say "No Thanks". I've a direct debit going to Concern that I set up myself. I don't know what the people on the street get, but if I give to charity, I don't want any of my money going to some student. (Apologies to any students)

And there really are too bloody many of them out there these days.

Bluehair

They're a pain in the arse. I also give to charity by DD but resent being jumped everytime I take a walk down a main street.

Christ they even stagger themselves accross a wide pathway and on both sides of the street so one of them will def get you

Karoma

ffs. "just say no" :rolleyes:
my problem with them is - mainly Concern - that they're paying people to do this. It's an unfortunate neccessity and I get that - is it commission based? I don't mind being rude to the Concern ones. you know from the start they're not doing it for charity. they're making money from peoples suffering.

lodgepole

Originally posted by Karoma
ffs. "just say no" :rolleyes:
my problem with them is - mainly Concern - that they're paying people to do this. It's an unfortunate neccessity and I get that - is it commission based? I don't mind being rude to the Concern ones. you know from the start they're not doing it for charity. they're making money from peoples suffering.

It's commision. They used to be paid. Nothing wrong with paying people to do work, even if it is for a charity.

Karoma

Originally posted by Lodgepole
It's commision. They used to be paid. Nothing wrong with paying people to do work, even if it is for a charity.

it is when they use the 'charity' card to emotionaly blackmail people...

Dont be at yourself

Scourge of the earth! I tend to be quite rude to them, giving them a tirade of four letter words should they approach me. I must remember that cross-the-street-and-shout one, that's quite good!

The thing is, if it were the likes of HMV or McDonalds paying students to go around Dublin hassling people in a similar fashion, a stop would be put to it pretty quickly. Why one rule for charity workers and another rule for everyone else?

vorbis

because its for charity, you miserable git. Honestly you could just say no and walk on. If you want to be completely selfish and don't give a damn about anyone else then thats fine. Whats the need to make a song and dance about it?

they're not doing it for charity. they're making money from peoples suffering.

Better the charities collected no money at all :rolleyes: They're making money by performing a service for a charity. If there were more volunteers, they wouldn't be needed. Honestly, I think people are getting ridiculously self centred.

Dont be at yourself

If you want to be completely selfish and don't give a damn about anyone else then thats fine.

What, I'm completely selfish and don't give a damn about anyone because I don't hand over my bus-fare to students hassling me on the streets in the name of Concern?

Call me crazy, but when I give money to charity, I'd like to choose one where I know that as much of the money as possible is going to those who need it most, and I'd like to choose it without being hassled non-stop during my lunch break.

Rabies

Just say NO! to drugs and charity collectors.

Karoma

It's out-sourcing charity for christsake.
Concern has always had high administrative costs. This approach is just ridiculous. It's not a 'better than nothing' case! In the long run charitable donations to Concern will probably drop dramatically. Not purel because of people being 'self centred' but because organisations credibility has gone out the window.
Also, what happens next? Other charities adopt the same approach. People with no loyalty to their associated organisation or the cause are out on the street in droves hassling people more aggressively to make a commission.
I might be 'self centred' but at least I'm not as short sighted.

alleepally

Originally posted by NekkidBibleMan
What, I'm completely selfish and don't give a damn about anyone because I don't hand over my bus-fare to students hassling me on the streets in the name of Concern?

Call me crazy, but when I give money to charity, I'd like to choose one where I know that as much of the money as possible is going to those who need it most, and I'd like to choose it without being hassled non-stop during my lunch break.

The thing about it is NekkidBibleMan, a lot of charities have been forced to adopt these tactics as it's an important source of funds for them - and those funds save lives, period. Nobody beats down the door of a charity to hand them money.

The Concern people will get paid 'per signup' but once someone is signed up for lets say a €5 per month, the value of that direct debit will greatly surpass the sign up commission. With direct debit, a charity can better plan and fund campaigns knowing that they will have x amount coming in every month from all the direct debit subscribers. Very few actually cancel a DD to a charity so it's a win win situation.

Of course, you can always sign up for the DD thing direct with the charity as well. Either way, you'll be doing an enormous amount of good.

Dont Ban Me

You know all them coppers you have and hate in your pocket! There's ause for them...

One cent for you, and one cent for you.........

Red Alert

Well now, my old friends, the charity collectors! My own experiences with them are pretty awful, as they punctuated my entire day at work this summer.

Starting off at 8.30am, i walk up grafton street about half way (I used to work in the shop right across the street from Bewley's, you probably know the one!). It's early in the morning so the charity collectors aren't out. Safety!

Morning break, I usually head down to Tower records or even just out for a walk around the street. Usually too early for the charity collectors, there might be a few people with buckets collecting coins but they're harmless.

Lunch time, it's time to go to Dunnes Stores in stephen's green. Eek! Usually manage to dodge the Hanly Centre crowd on the way to Dunnes, but on the way back, especially when I decided to be nice to myself and have a pizza, it's like Camp X-Ray. What's even more annoying is the "Hi, how are you?" line before they even show you their warez. Safely back into the shop, although one almost tried following me in.

It's 5pm, and time to go from shop to bus stop. First place to watch out for is the general area of the junction with Wicklow Street. Usually a few Concern people there, but once you go by the Molly Malone statue at the bottom of Grafton Street then it's a gauntlet. Do this gang not see i've had a hard day?

KdjaCL

Just reneact that scene from Airplane/Hot Shots

Dont mind em, I dont give em any money ,i pay church envelope it goes where i can see it.

kdjac

nlgbbbblth

Originally posted by Red Alert
Well now, my old friends, the charity collectors! My own experiences with them are pretty awful, as they punctuated my entire day at work this summer.

Starting off at 8.30am, i walk up grafton street about half way (I used to work in the shop right across the street from Bewley's, you probably know the one!). It's early in the morning so the charity collectors aren't out. Safety!

Morning break, I usually head down to Tower records or even just out for a walk around the street. Usually too early for the charity collectors, there might be a few people with buckets collecting coins but they're harmless.

Lunch time, it's time to go to Dunnes Stores in stephen's green. Eek! Usually manage to dodge the Hanly Centre crowd on the way to Dunnes, but on the way back, especially when I decided to be nice to myself and have a pizza, it's like Camp X-Ray. What's even more annoying is the "Hi, how are you?" line before they even show you their warez. Safely back into the shop, although one almost tried following me in.

It's 5pm, and time to go from shop to bus stop. First place to watch out for is the general area of the junction with Wicklow Street. Usually a few Concern people there, but once you go by the Molly Malone statue at the bottom of Grafton Street then it's a gauntlet. Do this gang not see i've had a hard day?

vibe666

i always thought they were volunteers. greedy little feckers. they just got one step closer to the scabby little knackers with their hands out sitting next to the cash machines (don't get me started on them).

i'd like to know exactly how much of that money you give to concern is actually getting to people in need. i bet it's not much anyway. i'd be surprised if even 50% gets to the people who actually need it after paying students to do their dirty work, and then all their 'administration' costs.

until there's a regulator for charities in Ireland I'll be making my donations in other ways that i know get my money to where it needs to be.

whosurpaddy

Originally posted by vorbis
because its for charity, you miserable git. Honestly you could just say no and walk on. If you want to be completely selfish and don't give a damn about anyone else then thats fine. Whats the need to make a song and dance about it?

your doing the exact same thing as the collectors. you imply that people are the worst in the world because they dont want to give money to these people. so what?

if you want to give to the particular charity, then do it directly, that way they get all the money you give them. no commision going to someone else, who as was pointed out above, the vast majority of them dont care about the charity in question anyway.

why the need to call people selfish etc etc. the people collecting on the streets dont care if i have a direct debit to concern, i send a monthly food parcels to help the homeless, or i send cheques to nudist colony of north dublin, they just want to hit their commision.

now im not rude to them, but i dont like being guilted everytime i walk down certain streets, and i sometimes alter my route to avoid them! is it right i should have to do that? no. they are pests and give a bad name to volunteer charity collectors. they should be banned imo.

davkav

Wrong wrong and wrong.

I used to work for quite a while for one of the charities mentioned above. I'm gonna clear up all the rubbish that has been posted above.


First of all you can't lump the charities into one basket. Stand and watch one day, Concern/Amnesty don't approach you they stand on the spot. If you say no, thats fine. The others approach you and are instructed to wait for you to say no 3 times!


The reason for this? Concern and amnesty in Ireland (and I think the entire uk) are the only guys that work direct for their charity. ALL the other guys work for an agency. They get told " Tomorrow your gonna be working for xxxx"
This also means that, it doesn't matter if you walk into the charity building or stop with the (concern/amesty)guys on the street. THERE IS NO COMMISSION

As for the money, The agencies pay their staff by commission. Concern and amnesty get paid an hourly rate like any other job. They do a 35 hour week. They are regularly trained and must pass regular screening to get their job. They *do* care.

Of course they must get paid. Do you think that the charities would have them on the street if they were losing money???


That man crossing the street is just ignorant. Its not the recruiters fault if you feel guilty.

whosurpaddy

Originally posted by davkav
Concern and amnesty in Ireland (and I think the entire uk) are the only guys that work direct for their charity. ALL the other guys work for an agency. They get told " Tomorrow your gonna be working for xxxx"
This also means that, it doesn't matter if you walk into the charity building or stop with the (concern/amesty)guys on the street. THERE IS NO COMMISSION

As for the money, The agencies pay their staff by commission.

????????????????

davkav

I'll write it again for you....

concern/ amnesty work directly for their charity. They get paid an hourly rate. Like any other job. No commisson, incentives, bonuses etc. They will tell you they get paid before you sign up with them

The other guys work for one agency. They get commision.

What I'm trying to show here is that you can't bash something when you clearly don't have all the information.


Would you rate all newsagents based on just walking around your local one? No

But for some reason people do that with charities

chump

davkav
as a college student, they (the agencies) advertise jobs on local college lists for this kind of charity work, they offer 10+euro an hour and bonus money for people they sign up...

these are the ones who try and get ur credit card or bank details...

to be fair, if they stood at the side of the street with a sign that said: Please Help Our Charity and Sign Up Right Now to Help Save Lives ... fair nuff...

but the people stand in 3's and ambush you as you go along, many has been the time I've been asked by all 3 and I have to say no thank you to each one...

I think its ridiculous and some people who've replied here with flippant remarks like, just say no etc.. etc.. obviously haven't experienced the daily routine of having to say no thanks-no thanks-nothanks-sorry pal-no-not today-etc.etc...

they also stand in your way so you have to walk around them, so it's definetely not as striaght forward as one might think


they should be outlawed

whosurpaddy

if i was misinformed on the commision thing im sorry, but it doesnt change the point that its very annoying having so many of them on the streets. i know concern do a lot of this(i mean putting people on the street 3 or 4 standing within 10 feet of one another), cant say for certain about amnesty.

the bottom line in my opinion is, i dont want to be asked to donate money 3 or 4 times while walking through town. i walk across stephens green and down past trinity nearly every day after work. they are outside stephens green center, on dawson st, bottom of grafton st, outside trinity. henry st.

its a pain and id like to see it stopped.
and if i do stop and sign up, its not going to stop them asking me 3 times again tomorrow and the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that.......................i dont want to give them money no matter how many times they ask. its hard to politely decline 3 or 4 people asking the same thing every single day. you starting to see where were coming from?

Karoma

Stand and watch one day, Concern/Amnesty don't approach you they stand on the spot. If you say no, thats fine.

I've had one or two approach me - ie move from their little spot towards me. One in Dublin. One in Thurles. I'll give you/them the benefit of the doubt and pass it off as mistake/whatever. But the fact remains that one must walk by several people pretending to be nice when they want something-insincerity.

:rolleyes:

ended abruptly.

jor el

I must say I've never had any bother with the Concern people, seen them on the streets many times but have never been approached. I have a DD to concern anyway so I'd just say I already have one if I am asked.
What about the people selling The Big Issue, isn't that ment to help the homeless, but most of the money goes to the seller? There's an old refugee type woman here in Limerick that follows people up the street, waving the magazine in the air and shouting abuse at them if they ignore her. I go out of my way to avoid her as she's just a money grabbing old bitch.

whosurpaddy

there arent people on every street corner selling the big issue. and they dont go around in groups of 5 standing in everyones way so they can get* everyone




annoy, guilt, delete as appropriate

Chinafoot

well i have never had any hassle with them. i say no and keep walking. i signed up with amnesty two years ago so i dont feel the need to sign up for more.

i do disagree with some of the comments made here.
of course they have 3 of 4 on the same street! theres so many people in dublin and the whole point of these people is to sign up as many people as possible. one person on grafton street at lunch time isnt going to do a whole hell of a lot.

as for the money, you may argue that if they really cared they'd do it for nothing and stop taking money that could go to charity.....however, would you do a job for no pay where people act like you have the plague and even shout abuse at you in the street? no matter how much you care about something, people can only take so much.

if you dont want to be "hassled" by these people doing their job, then cross the street. they wont hunt you down or anything! :rolleyes:
i dont think the abuse is necessary.

Dun

I got followed by an Amnesty gatherer as I was going to get the bus in Derry. Followed me from Waterloo Place to the Guildhall square - about 100 yards. Almost missed my bus too.

The only ones I have trouble with are the ones that stand right at shop doors.

[Preacher]

How hard did you have to work for your dinner today?

Fu.cking Retards.

Nala

These people are annoying-no doubt about that.
(Especially the ones that stand on Maynooth Main St. (usually the ATM or Centra) repeatedly asking us do we have any money. Most students don't. We're distinguished from the schoolbag on our back and the lack of school uniform.

*However* some of the posts here have been quite nasty. These people may be annoying but they are doing a job.

l3rian

worse than beggers

Woden

Originally posted by [Preacher]


How hard did you have to work for your dinner today?

Fu.cking Retards.

its not my fault they're dying

[Preacher]

Originally posted by Dataisgod
its not my fault they're dying

See my original post, the last line is aimed at people like you.

l3rian

another angry do-gooder :rolleyes:

Woden

Originally posted by [Preacher]
See my original post, the last line is aimed at people like you.

indeed god bless my fucking retardedness, i think i'd prefare to give money to something like focus or the simon community to help people here then in another continent

[Preacher]

What a fantastically informative and on-topic post, great job brian.

Data, I agree too many people are homeless in Ireland, and imho we should house our own before housing the waves of refugees that are flooding through our boarders. But thats the Irish government for you.

Originally posted by Dataisgod
its not my fault they're dying

So, what has your original "I'm-Such-A-Smart-Little-Wanker" post got to do with the topic at hand?

Chinafoot

Originally posted by Dataisgod
i think i'd prefare to give money to something like focus or the simon community to help people here then in another continent

yeah you're so right. we should all give our cash to the homeless people of a country whose government, if run correctly, could provide better help to these people. why should we help often wartorn countries with no money where millions die daily?? :rolleyes: they are on another continent afterall.

Woden

yeah its got about as much to do with the topic on charity collectors as you post on children dying of famine in somalia has

Woden

Originally posted by peachypants
yeah you're so right. we should all give our cash to the homeless people of a country whose government, if run correctly, could provide better help to these people. why should we help often wartorn countries with no money where millions die daily?? :rolleyes: they are on another continent afterall.

of course and perhaps if the governments/dictatorships in the countries on another continent didn't have as many issues there wouldn't be so many people dying but there are and there are people homeless here and i'd rather help the latter.

[Preacher]

Originally posted by Dataisgod
yeah its got about as much to do with the topic on charity collectors as you post on children dying of famine in somalia has

My post was perfectly on topic. Just pointing out a perspective that no-one else had, and if you dont find the opinions posted by some people on this thread to be pretentious bull****...

Woden

imo i dont' believe it was as the topic was charity collectors and their ways

l3rian

What a fantastically informative and on-topic post, great job brian.

indeed, its about time i got some recognition

...post got to do with the topic at hand?

funny to see your trying to be the on-topic police now too, does your charity ever end? :rolleyes:

[Preacher]

Brian: SMB you **** stirring ****wit.

Data: Re-read the thread.

ferdi

if i had money it'd go to Goal - over 90% of the money they make goes to to where its needed, not to admin costs.

its no our fault they are dying but thats not the point - if i see someone hit by a car do i walk off becausei wasnt driving?

i dont like pushy chraities either but they have to do it cause if everyone was lazy like me, africa would be gone by now.

does anyone else feel that at least some parts of the world are byond help? the west keep pumping money in but there ar always new problems and it just putting a 'band-aid' over a gaping wound? is the only reason we do it to make ourselves feel better even though we know its futile?

Woden

Originally posted by [Preacher]
Brian: SMB you **** stirring ****wit.

Data: Re-read the thread.

i feel no need to having just read it before my intial post, but its dinner time for me, did i have to work hard for it? no, but i reckon i'll still sleep ok tonight

Chinafoot

Originally posted by Dataisgod
of course and perhaps if the governments/dictatorships in the countries on another continent didn't have as many issues there wouldn't be so many people dying but there are and there are people homeless here and i'd rather help the latter.

fair enough....but people could just as easily say that if the homeless people "didnt have as many issues" such as drugs/alcoholism then there wouldnt be as many of them living rough.
i just find the apathy and hostility on this thread amazing. people trying to help others who are dying are seen as a hassle and an annoyance and something that should be "outlawed".
god help us all if the tides ever turn.

[Preacher]

Originally posted by Dataisgod
i feel no need to having just read it before my intial post, but its dinner time for me, did i have to work hard for it? no, but i reckon i'll still sleep ok tonight

I hope you die roaring

(soon)

ferdi

uncalled for preacher - your obviously just having a bad day in work - chill and do some aid work in africa.

l3rian

Brian: SMB you **** stirring ****wit.

what has Super Mario Brothers got to do with my excellent stirring skills?

someone call the on-topic police and direct this man to the games section

[Preacher]

Im not venting ferdi, stupid people will annoy me any day of the week.

Brian: Stop flaming. Any admins think im going off topic?