Sweet Charity

I get fed up whenever I buy card/s in Clinton’s and they try to sell me a charity pen ?

Tesco were recently asking, at the self check out, whether I wished to round up my payment to the nearest pound. No!

I can absolutely assure you the Wilko staff member does not want to be doing that anymore than you want them to.
The directive is made at corporate level by people who never have any interaction with customers or see anything other than ways to reduce staff numbers.
The 5p charity donation on card transactions was as much a surprise to the staff as the customers when it was introduced and we really don’t like having to advise everyone to press the red button to decline the donation in order to proceed with the transaction.

Tesco ask whether I want to round up, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I don’t see this as a problem.

The cash till near to me opens with a large advertisement on the screen telling me how I can donate to some aid relief scheme, followed by a message warning me to report anything suspicious or unusual. Disconcerting.

Quite a few places now ask if we want to round the amount up to xxx for charity. I always refuse as we give every month to our chosen charities and make a point of buying raffles tickets from the GC for various schools, football teams, scouts etc.

I quite like a charity tin beside the tills in The Card Factory, as most cards end in 49,79 or 99p, so easy to drop a few coins in.
I had to ask for help at the M&S self pay tills for how to include a donation to Macmillan and it took a while for it to worked out.

The power of the Charities.

It starts with a nominal sum 10p, 15p, 25p but it's only ever going to go one way.

They know where we are vulnerable - At the tills.

I don't like it

I don't want it

I totally object to it

Those who need help and support from charities are vulnerable

I give a monthly amount to a charity and have informed them that is it, do not ask me for more. They then waste donated money sending me raffle tickets, magazines , letters. I will tell them one more time or else I will stop donating. You are right silverspoon125, once they have your details they are like a dog with a bone.

Anniebach, that's quite right and am sure each and every one of us give to charity in some form or other.

Charity shops I visit regularly - donate, buy as others do.

Big Issue - Buy magazine as others do

Rough sleepers - a few bob as others do.

Charity Boxes - donation as thousands of others do

And that's great.

What I don't like, is being intimidated at the till and having to say No.

Embarrassing

What I really object to is being ambushed by charities at the door of shops. Great Ormond Street had a stand inside the foyer at M&S yesterday and I feel so mean declining (we do give regularly to charities of our choice)

Any organiisation that tries to blackmail me into giving to a charity of their choice gets a firm 'no'. Whether at the till or on online shopping orders, I just say no. As far as I am concerned, End of.

It is irrelevant as to whether I give to other charities or have some objection to giving to charities, or just do not want to. If I give to a charity, it is a charity of my choice and my choice of donation size.

Nothing at all embarrassing about it ,*silverspoon125*, just justified reaction to emotional blackmail.

I do give to charities of my choice direct debit. I will put any change I have in a charity box at a till. I don't like being approached about charities I have no problem saying no.

It's called guilt-tripping.

We prefer to make donations directly.

what is a petrol till?

pandapatch

What I really object to is being ambushed by charities at the door of shops. Great Ormond Street had a stand inside the foyer at M&S yesterday and I feel so mean declining (we do give regularly to charities of our choice)

These people are not volunteers, they are employed to stand there or accost people in the street. They are paid a salary or a percentage of donations.
They are not supposed to approach people in the street but some do and argue the toss if you say you already donate to a similar charity.

Janejudge - till at the petrol station

I shop mostly in small independent shops, markets and the Co-op, and haven't come across this. I would simply say "no" and if I felt it necessary " I already donate as I wish".
And as for charities sending begging letters, my mum became so distressed by this that I contacted the Charity Commission, who were unable to do anything. I contacted as many charities as I could to stop the letters, but it was a losing battle. When her mobility became so poor that she didn't get to pick up her post, we simply threw them away, she would have been furious had she known.

Aldi don’t ask you, Asda ask on the screen and you just click no
We now don’t have any chuggers in our high street so I m not feeling it I guess it depends where you shop

I actually quite like it. It's only like putting your change in the charity box. Sometimes I click yes, sometimes no. I regularly shop at a place where the guy clicks no before he pushes the debit card machine to the customer.

I find it infuriating too.
It’s almost like a public shaming when you say no!
TK Max do it, I end up justifying my refusal.

silverspoon125

The power of the Charities.

It starts with a nominal sum 10p, 15p, 25p but it's only ever going to go one way.

They know where we are vulnerable - At the tills.

I don't like it

I don't want it

I totally object to it

I agree with you, and think you are not being unreasonable at all.
I would not constantly shop at places where they do this.
Our charitable donations should be made when we want to make them, and choose the charity too.
It is true that this is a corporate decision, and the till service person would prefer not to ask every time.
Be firm and say no if you want to, or yes if you want to, but it has to be your decision not based on feelings of guilt.

silverspoon125

Janejudge - till at the petrol station

I thought you meant in wilkos