AIBU

The coop not only donates part of your spend to charity, but also helps in a lot of ways. Our local Co-op supports Age Concern and is forever giving food [fresh and within date] and other bits to the local centre. They are extremely supportive, having cake bakes or whatever as well. So I subscribe to them.

But the sort of chugger you encountered annsixty would make me feel very uneasy. It is a bit like the places you go to who ask you for your postcode so they can "GiftAid" your entry fee or whatever. No thank you. YANBU

The Entertainer (toy shop) asks if you want to donate to a charity. It is asked as you are keying in your card details. I found it off-putting, nearly forgot my pin because of it. (Only takes the slightest thing to put me off my stroke!)

It is inappropriate to entertain the concept of something being 'inappropriate'. Think of a better reason to dislike something. And remember, it's always YOUR decision whether to be offended.

My husband said he has been asked in restuarants "do you want the change?" They want to keep it as a tip. How cheeky is that!!

farnorth Waitrose have been doing the token thing for years, long before the charge for plastic bags came in. You get a token whether you've bought a plastic bag or not.
The same with the Co-op - it's a proportion of what you spend. You get something back in divi which is put on your membership card (like a Boots card) and a lesser amount is donated to 'your community'.

I too give where I can, to my choice of charity. I have also recently had charity 'reps' knocking on my door asking for money or for us to sign up to a regular DD donation. I think it's a cheek and would never sign up.

Jalima Am I alone in that I really really really hate the TK Maxx Christmas advert it's horrible!

Hopeful1 - Like it.

Begging for charities in this country has be going on for as long as I can remember and so for over sixty years or more it has now become a way of life and the government has accepted that this is the way to help those in need. Whereas in Germany we help our poorer citizens by paying taxes to charities and so no one needs to beg in the street. Therefore I have never understood why it is that if these charities are so essential to our citizens why we don't have a similar scheme.
I feel we have become a nation of beggars because everywhere you go you have to run the gauntlet of tins in your face, begging at the tills or even worse endless junk mail. There is no guarantee that your money goes where it is intended or any indication as to where the money ends up.
I do give to charities but of my own choosing and own amount. Anyone begging leaves me cold.

I have been asked to 'round up' before. When I said no; but I will 'round down' I was just greeted with a withering look . Wont be going back there then!

The token in the slot works well here (NZ). Once a year our national petrol stations ("Z") holds a "Good in the Hood" month promotion. Charities apply to be included and each neighbourhood Z station selects 4local charities to receive votes. There are 4 boxes in each station, so potentially many charities according to where they are situated within the city. My charity has been fortunate to be selected twice by our local service station. Tokens go into the box of your choice of charity and are counted at the end of the month.The most tokens attract the most money and so on. $4000.00 is shared in this way between the charities. It's a nice idea and everyone benefits!

I would say no and not feel bad about it. I spend time investigating charities before I donate to them. You used to be able to check the accounts of charities online but may are now charging around £5 to download them.
I make items for Knit a Square which is a small ground up charity that explains where the money goes.
If I give cash, I give to Lendwithcare.org. You can choose the entrepreneur who gets the loan and the money is returned when they repay it. They ask for an optional admin fee of £1.50 which doesn't sound unreasonable so I paid it and then had most of it refunded as it was used as a hedge against currency fluctuations.
If you give through a business, the business will make a big noise about the donation that 'they' are giving. With unethical companies like Tesco it is just charitywash.

'Time consuming' even. Sorry!

I really feel for the assistants who ask this. I would have to ascertain whether it was a voluntary or mandatory question. My assumption would always be the latter but 'indirect pressure' can make it seem voluntary. After that I would try to find the manager and make my displeasure known without indicating which person had served me. Timely but........at this stage in my life, I sometimes have time.........

The definition of the noun Charity - the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.

The word voluntary is the key in my book. I'm afraid I never give when asked like that as I feel its a bit like begging. I do give to charity when I can afford to and, to the charities I choose. I prefer to know that my money is going to the cause not to those that 'oversee/run' the charity.

Harsh maybe but I'm not a pushover cos I'm old!

Hobbycraft ask you if you want to add 20p to your bill which I don't mind. To round up to nearest £? Would depend on the charity I think but I don't think I would object.

They do that in Australia, well they do where my DD lives.When I visited earlier this year I found it embarrassing at first but soon learned to say no thank you. My DD said when it first happened to her she felt put on the spot and said ok the first few times then when she realised how wide spread it was and it was the norm for her area she soon learned to say no thank you. Something else that has derived from overseas and made its way here.

yes it is still being added on even tho thet don't know if you are a tax payer. I always refuse on principal if the admission is more than standard cost.

I've come across this. It happens in garages that have Tesco Express attached. I hate it because you have to make a public declaration that you're not giving your 'spare' change to charity. The card machine does it and won't let you continue until you press the right button to cancel it (t isn't clear which one). At least when it's online no one sees you say no.

I feel horrible every time it happens.

I never quite understood why gift aid admission to charitable places meant increased cost at the till, when I felt I was contributing just by paying the already large admission fee. I am happy to agree to the tax break, but not if it costs more on the door. I am not sure if this is still the case, but I have certainly come across it in recent years.

I am very against official charities now, you don't know how much actually gets through to the front line of the cause.......

I am despairing of charity shops and what they pay their retail directors etc.........also all the ot her high paid people at the top of everything.

I will donate to Lifeboats as I know the people at the sharp end do so as volunteers and need the best equipment but, the rest of them leave me rather cold now I know what the executives get paid.

I've never come across this before either but I wonder if it was for Children in Need??? Still, if so ... or whatever charity they were collecting for ... they should have had big notices up in the shop and certainly around the tills to warn people.

Cheeky articles!

If I pay cash in a shop, and get a few pence change, I usually put it in the charity pot they have by the till. This seems to me the same thing now so many payments are made by card. You just say no if you don't want to.

I admire what the Prince's Trust does, but think he has enough dosh to keep it going himself, so it would not be top of my list for a donation!

If you order from Pizza Hut online , prior to paying it asks if you would like to round up your total for their selected charity. I think EBay does it also .