Cancelling Amnesty International DD. They employ Scum

goz83

I'm a supporter of a couple of charities and don't mind signing up on the street, or by door to door as long as the sales person is not pushy and is polite. I recently signed up to Amnesty in a shopping centre. I had been meaning to support them for some time, as my wife usually gives money when the appeal letters come in the door. Signed up for €14-15 a month I think and wore my pin with pride.

THEN a very good friend of mine (without knowing of my recent donation) told me about an incident he witnessed in Temple Bar at the end of May. He was chatting to an old friend who was working on the street for amnesty with an English co worker who, he said was a bit pushy with people passing by (normal, I thought to myself, having done door to door charities 10 years ago). He then told me that he witnessed a girl with Down's Syndrome approach the English chap to ask where a certain shop was. The guy launched into his pitch and supposedly the girl looked very intimidated. He signed her up even when she said she didn't have a job. Meanwhile, my friend was gob-smacked when he then witnessed the girl saying she didn't know her bank details and asked him to call later. The English guy pointed to the atm across the way and said she could print a mini statement and get her details. The guy was even kind enough to escort her to the machine while she got a statement with her account information.

He is not the type to exaggerate and was already a supporter of amnesty until that day. I'm cancelling my donation. I know amnesty would be furious at this behaviour, but they simply don't have the controls in place to stop this and I am really angry about it. I have worked door to door in Leeds and the English are a bit more aggressive than us when it comes to selling in my experience, so maybe that was just normal to the guy who signed up a vulnerable person who was only looking for directions. Sickening!

I know this is second hand news and I normally wouldn't post anything like this, but it comes from someone I trust, who told me in passing conversation. Anyone who knowingly signs up a vulnerable person should be sacked.

tbh

if that's true then it's the act of a scumbag - but if you're that committed to them, shouldn't you at least call them and ask them if they intend to do anything about it first?

Emme

If you or your friend can find out the English street collector's name, report his behaviour to the relevant people in Amnesty International. Report the incident to Amnesty International anyway as this behaviour was a breach of the girl's human rights.

Shocking! :eek:

chiefohara05

They aren't members of amnesty.

They are sub contracted and given a commission for every person they sign up. If you complain to Amnesty you might'nt get the person who did it, but you will get them to bring it to the company that they've subcontracted to.