Harrassment on telephone to sell raffle tickets
Posted by: Tricia
5th Oct 2012 09:09pm
Am i the only person who finds it offensive to constantly be spoken to in a rude manner for saying politely no I don't wish to have a raffle book. This year particularly when my father has had 8 mini strokes I don't need the agraviation. I also have the charities I choose to give to and do so regularly so I don;t need to be put down for not taking every book someone wants you to sell.
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Comments 43
angry mum
No you are not the only person being harrassed. i am constantly being called and what gets me is the fact you can no longer just donate a couple of dollars. They told me the minimum was a book of tickets at a cost of $20.00. I don't think they should be allowed to call at all.
annezane
I give the phone to my child and he talks pokemon to them non stop thats one way of stopping them calling. They aparently dont have to abide by the do not call register as they are charities. Totally agree they are rude and pushy.
kit
I usedto get what they call "push messages" on my mobile and loads of incessant callers seeking purchases and selling tickets. I listed all of my numbers with DO NOT CALL REGISTER, and since then have had no problem. Listing lasts 3 years, and you cna change your listing if you change numbers. I have a select few organisations I donate to and stick to them by going to their office locally, or by bank deposit to ensure they get the funds, not a collector with percentage commission.
Gerry1945
They always call dinner time...tell them to remove your number from their list. Unfortunately they are not included in the do not call register.
s
I am going to purchase some next week from the heart foundation research as they sent me a letter after I said I would purchase $20 worth over the phone and if I purchase before the 25th od September I receive bonus tickets.
I always check the caller ID first and if it says overseas I do not answer it.
tytenkev
just tell them politely to call during your areas business hours only if your interested, and if there is a next time after you have told them not to ring you and remove your number from any and all listings they are using. THEN you get out the umpire's whistle and let her rip it the personal approach to the dont call me list..
Sil sil
Your not the only one... sometimes they just dont take no for an answer, now i am scared to donate even once because of fear of becoming chased for ever! I've politely told one charity that i no longer work so i've had to stop giving for a while, the lady tells me ok she'll update the data base & sure enough i'm called the following week.. perhaps they work on commission, not all are volunteers.
Ally
It would have been much easier for you to put your name and phone number on the list for charities and telemarketers 'Not to call You' if you do not want to be harassed by these people. It's your right and choice to refuse raffle tickets. There is absolutely no need to feel the least bit guilty. Practice saying "no thanks" and hand up promptly.
Blossom
Another issue that arises from sending donations by mail following phone calls you sometimes you keep getting requests in the post too. I even posted back surplus postage paid envelopes to some charities, asking them not to contact me again. I didn't bin them as many other people would. They still didn't get the hint. I moved house but I didn't bother to notify them considering I had already asked them not to make any contact with me by post.
GAK
I myself don't like all the phone calls from charities. However, unfortunately I think it's necessary and something we need to put up with because how else are they (charities) going to be able to get donations. Most are very valuable to people and communities.
chickenman
try the do not call register. it does work. only calls i get are from charities i support by phone, and they are very understanding when i say no.
Blossom
Charities and political groups are exempt from the "Do not call" regulations.
I have even had them on my mobile phone - but they didn't have my name.
I got the ones on my landline at Commonwealth Election time that were pre-recorded.
maucol
I do not have a home phone now and I am thankful I am not receiving calls from charities. I can identify with your frustration and like you I donate to a charity of my choice. As I am now on a Centrelink benefit I can't afford to help any more charities.
I would not support any charity when the caller is rude.
bettythrelfo
I find that the telephone people are literally hjitting me once a week with all these different raffles, and this week I have for the first time said no thank you, and please dont ring me again. I have supported for many years, and have never ever won a prize, so now feel that tlhere are other causes I could contribute to. Have looked around, and my husband and I decided it was now better to support The Fred Hollows foundation two or three times a year, with the same amount I would be buying those raffle books. It was hard to say no... but considering fred hollows work, and I know it is not going on the staff, but on the work there, say this to myself now every time someone rings. , and they always ring between 12 and 1 and 5 and 6 when I am busy with meals, and have said yes, so I could get back to what I was doing... but no from now on...so Tricia I am agreeing with you wholeheartedly......
littletoot
It really amazes me that so many charities have my phone details because I getcalls almost daily. At first I thought it was because of previous donations, but recently I learned that it has to do with an Australian life style survey that collects infornation and asks for a bunch of info about charities Recently I asked to speak with a senior manager when a charity called. I asked where they got my number and was advised that the information had come from a
life style survey. I think in future I will decline to answer survey questions on charities. Has anyone else gleened any information as to how these charities have obtained contact details?
Blossom
I never mark that section of surveys at all.
Another way some charities get details is scanning phone books. I love it when you have your surname listed with 2 sets of initials and you get a phone call asking for Mr...........
Prior to the Do not Call Register being implemented we got a lot from telemarketers too. If Mr..............wasn't there but another man, being brother, uncle or whoever I would get them to speak to whoever it was. That way they thought there was a man living in the house. Most never called back again.
If I was suspicious it was a nuisance call - especially if there was silence or only breathing on the line I would call out a man's name. 99% of the time whoever it was never did it again - not for awhile anyway.
april789
No you are not the only person who feels put out by this. I much prefer the people waiting at train stations or in the street whereby you can give what you can at the time. Now you cannot even give what you can but have to sign up for a life time or buy lots of tickets.
april789
I get so many calls and they are really put out if you do not buy something. So no you are not the only one who feels put out by this
celiak
Sadley i am spoken rudly by people wanting to sell me stuff and i am sick of people harassing me at the shopping centres wanting me to give my bank account.. umm no why dont they do what one charity did at the sydney easter show and accept peoples loose change. what ever happened to the man in a kola suit working hard for my money. bring back the kola
Ingi
I agree with you. I buy raffle tickets when I am able to buy them, not all the time just now and again, particularly the Guide Dogs, SIDS because my 5 months old Grandson Shayne died from cot death 21 years ago and the Salvos. I am nice and polite on the phone but have to be firm and say NO, a straight No I cannot afford it at present. Some are nice and some telemarketers are nasty.
annie
I hate being put on the spot to buy a raffle ticket when someone rings my telephone.I have to tell them that I am not interested and a sorry
Ingi
At one stage, we also used to get phone calls at around 6pm our tea time, so my husband said, may I have your telephone no. please, the person asked why? my husband said because then I can call you when you are at the table having your tea or dinner...ha ha...It worked.
jb
We are still getting called regularly, usually around 6pm when we are settling down for dinner etc. Yes, it is embarrassing to say no, but it has come to the point my wife and I agreed we would each only contribute to one charity. We are getting so fed up with these persistent calls and are now getting thick skinned about refusing !
daisy
ionly give to stgiles in raffle books and life line ithink the other places are to dear with there raffle books
shucheryl
I hate being put on the spot whith this sort of thing. They try to make you feel less than human when you say NO. They don't know or care what is going on in your life at any given time to make you say No. I have got to the point where I simply say No and hang up so I don't have to enter into the conversation with them.
Moonwarrior
I had it a few times that certain charities call me and these have been very annoying when I decline to buy raffle tickets and they keep on calling till it makes me feel bad and I give in and then someone else calls from the same place. My elderly mum gets it also but mainly from one charity who doesn't accept that she cannot give to them as much as before and do not like it when she tells them that she can only send them a small amount. I also live in Australia and it seems we are looked on as a soft touch but not all of us can afford to give to every charity that is wanting donations.
bosslady
Like everyone else I also get the constant calls from the same charities it seems that once you donate once they expect you to keep donating all the time. I am tired of getting these calls and feel that they should try ringing other people for a change. You do feel guilty when you say no but the thing is when you are on a limited incoome you just can't afford to do it.
Tricia
Kell I totally agree we are looked on by the rest of the world as a soft touch that is primarily as our government gives money had over fist to countries that think nothing of bombing tourist spots. We should as you say given the tuff econimic cilament be looking after our qwn. Yes if we can afford a few dollars for our choice of charity fine but let it be our choice.
Anonymous
People selling things or asking for money has become an epidemic in this country and it's because Australia and Australians are seen worldwide, as a soft touch. I used to give to the charities which came to your door, with proper I.D. and explained, who and why they were asking for help, now days they make you feel like a leper if you don't hand over big bills. My family and I are struggling to survive in today's economic climate, we don't have money to help ourselves, let alone the literally hundreds of people who come with their hands out. Charity has become big business, remember when you could go to St.vinnies and get some clean clothes for the kids or a bit of furniture for the house and you could afford to, with little in your pocket, now you may as well shop at K mart, because there is little difference in prices, BIG BUSINESS!! What about cancer research, I have made donations to cancer research since I began work in the 70's, literally millions upon millions have been donated to cancer research, over the years this has been going, yet we have today the highest cancer rate ever, with a prediction of 1 in 2 in the next few years, surely with the amount of money poured into it, something positive should have happened by now???????
Blossom
Where I previously lived there is a church that has a Garage Sale with mainly Ladies Clothing. Strangely very little childrens or mens which I found unusual.
You could buy goods that still had the original shop price tag on them for a very cheap price. e.g. Blouses were $8.00 I got a cotton blouse - brand new - with the shop tag in it showing $24.95. There was a Cyclops Tricycle with a child's helmet for $10.00 which were near new. Neither of them had any marks on them. At the time the bike alone was worth $20.00 and the helmets almost the same price. Somebody offered them $2.00 for them.
In the next suburb there was a Red Cross and a Vinnies in the same group of shops. They too had new/near new clothes at remarkably low prices. A neighbour of mine got complete outfits (some still had shop price tags in them) for 3 of her girls for $45.00. She wanted an outfit for one of them for a special occasion. In a retail discount store one party dress was $35.95 --not $45.00 for 3. I bought childrens books which were as new for 75 cents which in the shops were $5.95 - in fact I am sure some of them were brand new.
Tricia
It is for that reason I obtained a sign that says unsolicited people will be charged. It is amazing the get to door read it and turn tail and run. If you can't in good faith offer what you can afford then there is something wrong with that charity.
jjdrer
I too had one that wanted more than I was financially unable to donate. The "final straw" was when she said that I needed to guarantee to donate a certain amount every month. It was something to do with funding to feed children who went to school without breakfast.I later found out that some cases are genuine, some the parents are too lazy to give even their toddlers breakfast, or some kids get up to late hoping they won't be forced to go school. One teacher at a school told us that one child suddenly started coming to school without breakfast after his Mum found out about the scheme. I believe some food companies actually donate food, and some retailers donate some if the packaging is damaged.
I am not denying they need some funds but they should not go about it the way they do and they would probably get some small occasional donations. The lady who knocked on my door was not prepared to accept a small one off donation until I managed to save more to donate.
Ingi
The people calling at my front door are normally okay, but once I had the same problem I offered $5 and they refused wanting more. So I said, have a nice day and shut the door. They should be happy with any amount that is given. Every little bit helps.
ToniW
A person came to my door selling packages of goods/services for a charity, of which the costs were huge (some were hundreds of dollars) . I said I was prepared to give him a $5 donation, and he advised that he cannot accept amounts for less than $10. Therefore he left with nothing.
Anonymous
i agree with Tricia and Gibbo, it makes me feel good like im making a difference when i give to charity when i am being pressured into it i.e harrassed over the phone to buy raffle tickets it makes me not want to donate.
Jabucat
I have a phone filtering system on my mobile. Add their number, and their calls don't get through again. At home, I am rather rude, and say I am not interested as I have made my own charity choices. When the ask who I support, I tell them that it is none of their business. Usually the phone goes quiet, and I say Goodbye. If each of us on the blog was to support all these charities, we would need support ourselves! Watch out for VIP tickets for houses - no tax rebate form the government.
Tricia
Radaa the point is we all only have a certain amount we can afford to donate,it should be our choice who to without being harrassed.
Trushka
I also agree. Unfortunately, 'charities' are excluded from the 'do not call' register. A few words in a foreign language does wonders for any unwanted callers, especially those from o/seas. Well worth learning a few phrases in French, Latin or even Greek. It's fun listening to the reaction on the other end of the line.
PukPuk
Worked in Papua New Guinea for four years. Locals taught me some lingo which comes in handy when the New Delhi calls come in.
Tricia
Thanks that is a good suggestion I must remember that. It seem fo be a never ending problem.
Jenny
I couldn't agree more with both Tricia and Gibbo. I am constantly getting phone calls from different charities to buy raffle tickets or donate to for this and that. I am sorry I don't wish to appear rude but there is just too much of it happening every week. I am on a Pension also and I have my regular charities I support and as much as you would like to give to all of them you just can't. I am also sick of getting them in the mail where most times you get a little gift of stickers or something similar. I think the best thing to do is send them back .
ednamc
I also have started returning this mail. I was offended by a telemarketer recently. I politely told him I could not help. He told me that I was being very negative and there were thousands of disabled children in Australia. At that stage I hung up. He does not know my family situation which makes me very well aware of children with disabilities and my help has to go to family first.
Anonymous
I feel really bad for not buying the raffle tickets, but the calls are constant and I can't give to them all. Sometimes the minimum amount is $40-$50 for 10 or 20 tickets. I did buy some tickets and about three weeks later the same charity rang again!