Chuggers now calling to the front door

Queen-Mise

Unfortunately this happened to me less than an hour ago, minding my own business when a chugger knocked on the front door.

Used the exact same tactics as the ones on the street. The girl annoyed me instantly with the forceful and the emotional blackmailing language. They were collecting for orphanages in Haiti - using the example of 33 girls after been abducted into the sex industry. Obviously this is horrific - and help should be given.

But it is the tactics of the chugger are disgraceful. She bullied for ten euro a month to be given for six or so months - direct debit from a bank account. I said I couldn't do this as I can't guarantee that there would be money in the account. If it wasn't there I would be penalised with bank charges.

I thought the next suggestion of hers was particularly cheeky - could you set it up for the 4th of the month - children's allowance - so passed the comment back that it changes every month - not necessarily through by the 4th, hence more charges for me. She tried to convince me by putting in €2.22 a week...


I am already on a negative budget at the moment... I really don't think she was physically able to hear that fact.

Kess73

You should have asked her for her bank details and said you would lodge a tenner a month there for her to pass on.


Bet she would see a problem with the concept of handing out bank details to a stranger on a doorstep then.

Menengroth™

I find "**** off" and a door slammed in their face to be particularly effective.

strobe

If you want to get them to piss off but don't want to be nasty about it, just wait till the second they say what they are collecting for and say "ohh yeah, I'm already signed up", they have no come back for that.

Cheap Thrills!

The magic words that disarms them instantly is:

'Ah yeah, I am already signed up to that'

Renders 'em silent.

Buh byeee!

Edit ^^ye beat me to it!

Banned Account

Put in a smart suit and tie with a gold name badge on saying "Brother ... " then answer the door with a Bible in hand, welcome them to your lovely mormon homstead and spend the next hour attempting to convert them.

funk-you

Why not just use the time honoured Dublin expression:

'Ger owa dat gerden ye sap.'

-Funk

kylith

Don't engage these people in conversation. Just tell them you're not interested and shut the door. I nearly walloped one guy who wanted me to dig out my electricity bill so he could tell me how much of a better deal he'd give me.

Eoin

Between them and the door-to-door sales people, I just don't answer the door most of the time. If it's a genuine caller they'll ring twice, and thankfully the chuggers don't do that (yet).

Loopy

You just have to be rude and abrupt back to them...

petes

I answer the door and tell them not interested and not to call again.

TheZohanS

funk-you wrote: »

Why not just use the time honoured Dublin expression:

'Ger owa dat gerden ye sap.'

-Funk

They'd cop on to that after the 3rd or 4th person calls themselves Funk...

BenShermin

Fitzcaraldo wrote: »

Put in a smart suit and tie with a gold name badge on saying "Brother ... " then answer the door with a Bible in hand, welcome them to your lovely mormon homstead and spend the next hour attempting to convert them.

I done that once, unfortunately it was a fecking Mormon knocking at the door. Awkward to say the least.

novarock

Just tell them you already donate to X charity - there is nothing that can be said to that..

super_furry

Just ask for their bank details, when they say they don't want to give them to someone they don't know, say you don't either and shut the door.

prinz

Queen-Mise wrote: »

Unfortunately this happened to me less than an hour ago, minding my own business when a chugger knocked on the front door.

But it is the tactics of the chugger are disgraceful. She bullied for ten euro a month to be given for six or so months - direct debit from a bank account. I said I couldn't do this as I can't guarantee that there would be money in the account. If it wasn't there I would be penalised with bank charges..

Nothing new in that. I used to be in Limerick and it was a fairly frequent occurence, especially around dinner time. They'd ask 'have you time to talk?' .... householder 'Actually I'm in the middle of making/eating my dinner'....chugger 'dinner, awwh aren't you so fortunate' guilt trip heaven

Back when I was young and naive I got stung by the same set up as you mention above, €10 a month for six months. Funnily enough when the six months ended, the debit kept occuring, contacted charity, took about a further 6 months to stop it completely and they refused to refund those. Basically there was fine print on the form that within 10 days after signing if you didn't confirm that you only wanted the first 6 months they had the right to extend your subscription indefinitely etc etc. B*stards. I would give to charity no problem, but not when they try to rob you.

Snowie

i stop if the girl is really fit agree to everything she says then say i dont have any money in my bank account would you like a coffee ?

stovelid

Just answer the door with a carving knife and stand with a transfixed look on your face and slowly stare them up and down.

The Big Red Button

I always just tell them that I'm not eighteen yet so I can't sign up for it.

I still get ID'd a lot when I'm buying drink, so I reckon it's believable!

spinandscribble

chatterpillar wrote: »

I always just tell them that I'm not eighteen yet so I can't sign up for it.

I still get ID'd a lot when I'm buying drink, so I reckon it's believable!

that never stopped them when i was under 18 i was asked to convince my parents, told sure i can lie about my age ect.

i especially hate the ones who try to hug or put their arm around you. who the hell do they think they are.

partyguinness

I use the same tactics with Indian call centres phoning me about my MBNA card...when they ask for my details...I say No...not until they give me their details and I can verify their idenity...they usually hang up saying they have got me at a bad time.

I'm completely immune to the guilt trip.. I'll either walk straight by, or listen for a while and say 'sorry, i'm a ****' before walking on.

partyguinness

I cant understand why you have maybe 3-4 chuggers within 30 yards of each other...is it so you might change your mind between chuggers!!

partyguinness

About 9 yrs ago, I signed up to work as a chugger for a day (for Concern)...as in walking around to houses asking for bank details etc as part of training. I was meant to start proper on the Monday. It is all commission...it was £5 per person who signed up...if nobody signed up...no pay. I saw sense over the weekend and never showed up.

It is a dark secret of mine..:o

Snow-Monkey

Snow-Monkey wrote: »

i stop if the girl is really fit agree to everything she says then say i dont have any money in my bank account would you like a coffee ?

I do this, get rejected with a polite lie, and then hit them with the punchline; "see, this is what everybody else does to you."

ejmaztec

They generally get the message when you open the door stark bollock naked, with your lad in your hand.

petes

partyguinness wrote: »

I cant understand why you have maybe 3-4 chuggers within 30 yards of each other...is it so you might change your mind between chuggers!!

I was walking down the street and one of them was trying to get me to sign up. I said no thanks. Ten yards away another one who saw mw saying no tried to sign me up

Said it to him as well.

bullpost

I just tell them I don't buy anything at the doorstep as a rule. If they want to leave me details I'll ring them back at the office.

stovelid

ejmaztec wrote: »

They generally get the message when you open the door stark bollock naked, with your lad in your hand.

They might even give you some money seeing as they're collecting for people with little posessions?


:pac:

Hazys

Just answer the door saying in you best Speedy Gonzales accent "Me no speaka d english, senor"

and everytime she talks, respond with say "que?"

the drifter

so a chick calls to your door on a wednesday afternoon...and you didnt "suprise" her.....

FAIL....

Pauleta

This is unbelievable. Ive never had them at my door. Strangers knocking on your door unless its an emergency should be illegal, as should people ringing your phone. They are trespassing on private property FFS!

My chugger tactic is usually wearing sunglasses and earphones, which doubles up as a homeless and Roma Gypsy repellent. They usually avoid me but when im a clear space and they corner me i look at the ground and give a Paolo Di Canio style finger wag! A tactic that i may try out is when they ask you for a second of your time just say "Sorry Ive got cancer!" This will stun them for enough seconds to get away. It could also work for chuggers at your door but a shotgun could be more appropriate.

Owen

They're doing in Cork too ... Trocaire have 4 kids driving around in a hire car, I spotted them close to my house having a nice large lunch from the local deli, before they called to my house later in the day. Really pushy guy at the door, wanted nothing less than a direct debit. Told him I've already a direct debit for UNICEF, and wouldn't be doing another one, and I'd gladly give a donation if that helped. He told me that a donation would be no good, and only a DD would do him. Mental.

Indubitable

The joys of living in rural areas

spinandscribble

partyguinness wrote: »

I cant understand why you have maybe 3-4 chuggers within 30 yards of each other...is it so you might change your mind between chuggers!!

you'll notice they put their genders down the street, they generally look for attractive individuals according to someone i was speaking too might be BS though...

the idea being is you might sign if you get stopped by someone you fancy.:rolleyes:

mikom

I answer the door in a ladies silk dressing gown with this blaring in the background.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22ltlLZkFlE

Works everytime.

TwoShedsJackson

Don't answer the front door unless you're expecting someone. These days anyone that you actually want to see when you open the front door will at least have rang you before they come over.

Otherwise it'll be either a chugger, the tv licence guy, some git from a political party if there's an election on, or some poxy kids looking to get sponsored for something or another. None of these are desirable.

PeterIanStaker

I had one come to the door yesterday. He said "I'm not here trying to sell you anything", then proceeded to try and sell me something.

Wish I coulda done this: http://witneyman.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/gran_torino.jpg

Wolfe Tone

The best thing to do is to ask them an awkward question. For example these concern lads were collecting money to fund a school building project to, in his words, "take children out of child labor situations and educate them so they can get better jobs". To this I said "Ah so you will pay the kids to go to school? I mean their parents wouldn't send them to work if they didn't need the money surely? So if they leave the work their families will suffer more? So in that case parents wont sign kids up for your new schools as they cant afford to lose their child's income?"
He (after a silence) said "Studies have shown.... blah blah blah." Then he said he would get me again and walked off



And just to clear something up, every single one of these people have told me that they are NOT paid commission. Is this true?

me_right_one

I have never ever ever experienced any of this. I would love to have these dikcheads call round to my place, oh the fun I'd have!

ejmaztec

stovelid wrote: »

They might even give you some money seeing as they're collecting for people with little posessions?


:pac:

Not since since I replied to an email in my spambox, telling me that I could have a penis that would be longer than the Great Wall of China if I bought some special tablets.:P

Eoin

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

And just to clear something up, every single one of these people have told me that they are NOT paid commission. Is this true?

I'd be shocked if that was the case. In my experience, people collecting cash tend to be volunteers, people collecting direct debits are paid.

Wolfe Tone

eoin wrote: »

I'd be shocked if that was the case. In my experience, people collecting cash tend to be volunteers, people collecting direct debits are paid.

Yeah thats what I was thinking, didn't want to challenge any of them on it though.

Kalimah

Concern on the street are not paid commission. I can guarantee that from insider knowledge. However the agency that Trocaire use to do door to door are called Total fundraising and I believe they charge Trocaire for each DD that's set up. Not sure how much but it's not cheap. Concern are not doing door to door at the moment but they use their own employees for that kind of work

yeahimhere

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

or some poxy kids looking to get sponsored for something or another.

I may have been scammed by a little kid! She called around looking for sponcership for her school walk. I got a couple of Euro but noticed the paper she was talking names with was a little dodge and didn't have a school name on it. I asked her how far she was walking and she said she didn;t know....alarm bells started to go off but as she was only around 8 or 9 I didn't pay any heed to it. Nieve me still thinking kids are innocent!

prinz

yeahimhere wrote: »

I may have been scammed by a little kid! She called around looking for sponcership for her school walk..

That's a common scam used tbh.

walshb

Queen-Mise wrote: »

using the example of 33 girls after been abducted into the sex industry. Obviously this is horrific - and help should be given.t.

You are on here complaining yet from this it "seems" you just have accepted what she told you at the door? Why is it necessarily true just because some beggar told you so at your front door whilst trying to obtain your bank details?

Jeez, if that was the case, I might try this ****ing scam myself; but you know, I think I will aim higher than 33. I will make it a cool 100, that should pull at the heart strings a bit more.

There is close to ten million people in Haiti, can't they not help these 33 people? Are they
really waiting on some chugger' in Ireland to scam an Irish person
into helping?

Cool_CM

"I don't have an Irish bank account" generally seems to work for me. In other countries "I only have an Irish bank account" works a charm.

Morlar

'No thanks not interested' also works. I don't have a link but I am sure I read in the independent that these people are on 50% commission. You sign up for DD for 1yr and the first 6 months of Direct debits goes to the person who signed you up.

thebiglad

prinz wrote: »

That's a common scam used tbh.

Surely everyone's done that one - or the copy of the legit sponsorship form one:p

Banned Account

OP, if none of the other suggestions work, my I suggest you answer the door with your growler hanging out, nothing puts people off their spiel like a pair of beef curtains flapping about like a pancake in the wind.