Door to door Charity Fundraisers?

What do AAM readers think about door to door charity fundaraisers? I live in a fairly new housing scheme (built in 1999) and I regularly have to answer the door to all sorts of cold callers selling everything from crow guards, timber flooring, window cleaning and most recently charity fundraisers. To be quite honest I'm getting more than a little annoyed about this intrusion! I see my home as my castle and when I return from work in the evening the last instrusion I want is from someone "selling" door to door. People selling stuff I can "dismiss" without any qualms but charity fundraisers are a different matter, they are quite pushy and don't like it if I'm too busy to listen to their spiel. Invariably they call when we are about to sit down for the family dinner. Am I intolerant, should I embrace all fundraisers with open arms??? If I spot them in advance I'll often not bother answering the door. Also I find that young children (often under twelve) unsupervised and not resident in the estate are calling to houses selling lines. I have no difficulty with sponsoring local children who are resident etc but when I was a chap we were told to only collect such money from immediate neighbours, family or friends. I just think it is irresponsible to allow young children to go out unsupervised and call to strangers homes. Any thoughts??

Agree with you 110% Carpenter - just posted the same thoughts here http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=13078 before I saw your thread.

I wouldn't say you're intolerant, you have no obligation to give anyone coming to your door money (unless it's the telly licence guy!-before anyone points it out, I know you actually can't buy these from the inspectors).

I wouldn't have any time for anyone selling anything door-to-door.

Charities-well it really depends I guess.

Youngsters selling lines- I know all about this, cos I had to do it myself. Most soccer and GAA clubs have to fundraise every year these days, I guess I'd support these clubs as at least it gives kids something to do, and may even keep them out of trouble. The packing bags lark is something that I would object to-I'd rather pay my money and hopefully win a house/bottle of whiskey/bag of coal/whatever than have my bags packed (I know you can just tell them 'no' and leave them standing there doing nothing)

Young kids probably shouldn't be unsupervised from a safety point of view, but that's a call for their parents, or if you feel strongly enough about it, the Department of Social Welfare and Family Affairs.

I agree also. In my new hoouse I haven't had such calls, but in the past I just told them, in a nice way, to get off my property. On one occasion I had a guy who just wouldn't want to leave and kept knocking on the door. I eventually answered the doorw with the local garda station on the phone informing how serious his actions were. Never saw him again.
This was a last resort situation, but I never saw him again.

I wouldn't have a problem supporting good causes, especially those that work with young people, including sporting organisations and clubs etc. But I think if you are going to send your youngster out selling lines they should be doing so only in their immediate neighbourhood. How am I to know where the money goes otherwise, if it's kosher, so to speak never mind the personal safety issue? I find that even "reputable" companies are now resorting to "cold calling" and door to door selling. My neighbour recently answered the door to two young ladies who were trying to flog eircom Phonewatch. They didn't call to our door because of the alarm bell box outside! Is there no end to their incessant advertising either?

I disconnected my bell years ago so never hear most callers; people I know, know to knock. If I do happen to answer the door to a cold caller I tell them that 'I have a policy never to buy or give anything at the door'. I think that when they hear the word ‘policy’ they decide to go away and not waste any more of their time.

Simple solution. Don't answer the door to anyone you don't know.

And how do you know if you know them or not without answering the door Gabriel????

What about the charity bags? We get about 3 a week and nobody has ever collected them (full or empty) so now we just use them as bin bags!

Must say on the charity bags I like them a lot. We get yellow ones from Enable Ireland quite regularly and almost always put something in. They always collect them. Its a great way of helping out while keeping the wardrobe uncluttered. If you haven't worn it for 12 months then chances are you never will.....

I've given up leaving the bags out but one of the neighbours hasn't and hers still don't get collected!

Cahir said:

What about the charity bags?

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We often support Enable Ireland, but I wouldn't leave out any old rubbish - I make sure it's something that actually has some resale value. I'm very suspicious of the bags that come in with no named charity or an unrecognised name (e.g. helping unmarried mothers).

Yeah we've often had those bags: "help single mothers, victims of abuse etc" no name, no address, no registered charity number. I'm sure it's a scam, they take what's saleable and dispose of the rest by the side of the road.

Lakeview said:

And how do you know if you know them or not without answering the door Gabriel????

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Well, that depends on what sort of door you have I suppose...one with a spy hole perhaps etc...?
We have a window on our landing that looks over the front door so I can just look down on whoever is calling and decide whether I want to answer or not. Works great.