[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Some of the big charities are awful for guilt tripping. I've had someone shout after me (as I avoid High Street charity salesmen like they're angry bears); "Oh so you don't care about kids with cancer then, that's nice!".

Big companies for all sorts of things are just as bad really, though. Angry official-seeming letters, completely false legal threats, debt collection threats, often for bills that have actually been paid, and all you get when you call is "Oh sorry, administrative error". I just get pissed off with these things now but a few years ago, when a demand for £100 "immediately" was an insurmountable ask, they used to make me pretty anxious. Which is crap even if you DO owe money. When you actually don't and it's "just an error" it's just not on.

..with my friend and it was quite a few years ago now, the training which I think was around a month and based away so he was away from home, involved trying to make conversation with the person called to offer insurance and then picking up on things found out, like if that person was living alone, so many fears would be emphasised to make them afraid and things like that and make them feel that these insurances were something that they couldn't possibly live without even though the questions they were asked also made it obvious that they couldn't afford the insurances either...he was totally depressed at the thought of having to actually do the job, which went against everything he believed to be right but thankfully he was offered another job while he was doing the training and accepted that one straight away ...

[JoshBB]

I think the technique of constant badgering for money is inappropriate at best, and aggressive at worst. They should look into being polite tbh but the whole story just confuses me.

[Kizzy]

If people are employed by exploitative companies does that and should that absolve them?

[Lostie!]

Originally Posted by Smithy

sorry but how is her falling in anyway linked to the charities??

Her death is believed to have been a suicide, and it was first thought that the pressure from charities contributed to that, but her family have since said that the charities (while "a nuisance") weren't to blame.

[Kizzy]

Her son, Del Whelan, 62, said: “She thought she had done something wrong.” He said she also had health problems but the loss of the money and the impact of the cold-callers took their toll. “It was the constant drip of the begging letters. I think she found it difficult to say no. She had just had enough.”

I'd say they were a substantial contributory factor.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

I tell charity people who call or visit to piss off if they wont take no for an answer. I think its a pisstake that its even allowed. If people want to give to charity, they will give to charity, they dont need to be pressured, harassed and guilt tripped into doing so. We can't walk up our high street now without being pretty much chased by at least 2 charity workers (depending which day, Saturdays its usually 4) and a 'vanquis' credit card person. Its ridiculous.

This doesnt surprise me about calls centre 'training'...having worked in one myself when I was 16. We didn't have a 'system' to take people off as we were just handed pages from various phonebooks each shift...

You Are Most Wise

[arista]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Her son, Del Whelan, 62, said: “She thought she had done something wrong.” He said she also had health problems but the loss of the money and the impact of the cold-callers took their toll. “It was the constant drip of the begging letters. I think she found it difficult to say no. She had just had enough.”

I'd say they were a substantial contributory factor.

Very True, sadly

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

If people are employed by exploitative companies does that and should that absolve them?

The problem is, people HAVE to do what they can to make a living themselves. I hated my job, really hated it and I didn't even have to guilt trip people..I just had to tell them convincingly that they had won a holiday (after asking their jobs, to check if they are expected to have a household income of over 40k per year) which was actually just to get them to go along to a timeshare meeting where they would be pressured to sign up for it...

Yes, I feel if employed by the company, its unfair to blame the employee for doing crappy things. You do what you have to do to keep your job, especially right now. It wasn't as bad back then.

[Tom4784]

I'll have to remember to tell Cold Callers to remove my number from the list, we get it endlessly. It's not right.

Cold Calling should be illegal, it's harassment and there's no justification for it.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

The problem is, people HAVE to do what they can to make a living themselves. I hated my job, really hated it and I didn't even have to guilt trip people..I just had to tell them convincingly that they had won a holiday (after asking their jobs, to check if they are expected to have a household income of over 40k per year) which was actually just to get them to go along to a timeshare meeting where they would be pressured to sign up for it...

Yes, I feel if employed by the company, its unfair to blame the employee for doing crappy things. You do what you have to do to keep your job, especially right now. It wasn't as bad back then.

I don't blame the employee either but the employer I do, it is legal and it shouldn't be. If they can't stop it they should make it easier for people to remove themselves from lists or have a specific number that restricts certain codes, anything to make it easier to protect yourself from this type of marketing.

This might be a solution ..

'A man targeted by marketing companies is making money from cold calls with his own higher-rate phone number.
In November 2011 Lee Beaumont paid £10 plus VAT to set up his personal 0871 line - so to call him now costs 10p, from which he receives 7p.
The Leeds businessman told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme that the line had so far made £300.
Phone Pay Plus, which regulates premium numbers, said it strongly discouraged people from adopting the idea.
Mr Beaumont came up with the plan when he grew sick of calls offering to help him reclaim payment protection insurance (PPI), or install solar panels.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I don't blame the employee either but the employer I do, it is legal and it shouldn't be. If they can't stop it they should make it easier for people to remove themselves from lists or have a specific number that restricts certain codes, anything to make it easier to protect yourself from this type of marketing.

This might be a solution ..

'A man targeted by marketing companies is making money from cold calls with his own higher-rate phone number.
In November 2011 Lee Beaumont paid £10 plus VAT to set up his personal 0871 line - so to call him now costs 10p, from which he receives 7p.
The Leeds businessman told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme that the line had so far made £300.
Phone Pay Plus, which regulates premium numbers, said it strongly discouraged people from adopting the idea.
Mr Beaumont came up with the plan when he grew sick of calls offering to help him reclaim payment protection insurance (PPI), or install solar panels.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

I didnt know you could do that...I would set up one of those proper extortionate ones where its like $2 per minute or whatever

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

If people are employed by exploitative companies does that and should that absolve them?

Not of anything and everything, depends just how forceful they get and if they are obviously going "above and beyond" in their badgering in my opinion. But in a climate where turning down a job, quitting a job or deliberately getting fired from a job can mean complete financial ruin (all three could result in benefits being cut off completely, so no income at all) then yes I think it should absolve them. If they are not doing anything illegal and simply following the rules. What is the other option? What if that person has children? I mean, I hate the idea of cold calling and pestering elderly people but if it's a choice between that and seeing my own children go hungry (which is a perfectly realistic scenario with sanctions) then there is really no option at all.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Not of anything and everything, depends just how forceful they get and if they are obviously going "above and beyond" in their badgering in my opinion. But in a climate where turning down a job, quitting a job or deliberately getting fired from a job can mean complete financial ruin (all three could result in benefits being cut off completely, so no income at all) then yes I think it should absolve them. If they are not doing anything illegal and simply following the rules. What is the other option? What if that person has children? I mean, I hate the idea of cold calling and pestering elderly people but if it's a choice between that and seeing my own children go hungry (which is a perfectly realistic scenario with sanctions) then there is really no option at all.

It's another lovely hypothetical, although related it doesn't really have a baring on how I feel about the topic.

[reece(:]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..in general I don't really get involved very much with the bigger charities because I do think there is corruption on different levels and a huge amount of the funds don't get through to where it was intended to be...I don't also believe so much in giving cash either and think that there are other direct ways to do things which aren't open to corruption etc...

I agree Ammi, the only type of charity I would ever give to would be local for a good cause.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

It's another lovely hypothetical, although related it doesn't really have a baring on how I feel about the topic.

why ask, then?

[Kizzy]

It was a rhetorical question

[Z]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

I tell charity people who call or visit to piss off if they wont take no for an answer. I think its a pisstake that its even allowed. If people want to give to charity, they will give to charity, they dont need to be pressured, harassed and guilt tripped into doing so. We can't walk up our high street now without being pretty much chased by at least 2 charity workers (depending which day, Saturdays its usually 4) and a 'vanquis' credit card person. Its ridiculous.

This doesnt surprise me about calls centre 'training'...having worked in one myself when I was 16. We didn't have a 'system' to take people off as we were just handed pages from various phonebooks each shift...

I had a door to door guy guilt trip me into signing up to donating £7 a month to a charity for blind and deaf children because I was hungover and I'd just turned 23. It took me about 7 months to cancel the direct debit, I felt really bad about it too. It's getting a bit out of hand in my opinion - you can't walk down a high street without feeling attacked and you're not even safe from them in your own home.

[Jack_]

Just before Christmas I had some girl from Save the Children (I think it was) approach me in the high street in a really strange, friendly way, she basically held out her arms as I was walking towards her and it was one of those 'do I know you? ' moments where I wasn't sure whether to hug her or not, so I stopped and we started having a conversation and she was asking me things that you would anyone you know, 'where are you off to then?', 'how's your week been?' but then things turned to 'aw what do you study?' so I realised I didn't know her.

Anyway then she said 'let's go over here out of the rain' and at this point I'd usually say nah I'm in a rush bye but she was hot (and was playing on it) so...she started explaining about donations, how the kids really need the money, there's people who are starving hungry etc and all that then and I tried to pass it off with the usual excuses about being a student, not having the money etc, but I did offer to do a one off donation (which I genuinely wouldn't have minded) but apparently 'we don't work like that, it has to be a monthly thing' which was like £3 a month and I'm really not up for committing to something like that which I'm then gonna be feel guilty of terminating a few months down the line. She then said 'I'll let you into a secret, this is my first day on the job and you'd be my first sign up' and explained about her interview process etc and basically tried to guilt trip me into it while all the while I stood there like

Long story short I was this close to saying 'I'll do you a deal, I'll sign up if you give me your number' but thought it was probably a bit inappropriate saving the kids for my own gain and decided to walk away but yeah, they really do try to guilt trip you and it's awful

[Ammi]

..Jack....hey I just met you and this is charity..but here's my number, so call me maybe..

[Nedusa]

These people are a flaming menace and should be banned outright.

I'm so fed up being stopped by these morons who force you to listen to their mindless rantings and then follow after you attempt to walk away.

They help no one and cause offence to many.

My advice if accosted by these types is to scream louding into their faces
...." I'm not fcuking interested. .....just piss off and stop assaulting me"............

If this doesn't work then threaten them by stating that they have sexually assulted you and you are going to seek the assistance of the Police and have them arrested....

They soon jog on after that.

[Kizzy]

Or... instead of swearing and lying you could just keep walking?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

These people are a flaming menace and should be banned outright.

I'm so fed up being stopped by these morons who force you to listen to their mindless rantings and then follow after you attempt to walk away.

They help no one and cause offence to many.

My advice if accosted by these types is to scream louding into their faces
...." I'm not fcuking interested. .....just piss off and stop assaulting me"............

If this doesn't work then threaten them by stating that they have sexually assulted you and you are going to seek the assistance of the Police and have them arrested....

They soon jog on after that.

Blimey I usually just say Im on a break and rushing back to work, or change direction and ignore their advances