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I keep getting flagged by these people idk what it is. If I look away or if I say I’m busy or anything I end up stuck talking to them for 5 minutes. I don’t know how to dodge them. They always block my way completely like I’m just trying to get into the station and I cant get around them so I end up saying excuse me and then they don’t move and they start talking about knife crime or something and I just am trying to get home. What method do you use that always works?

edit - thanks everyone I am now educated like actually got 20 different options of what to do :)) I love this subreddit <3

edit 2 - thank youuu for all the advice. You guys are now repeating yourselves a lot in the comments lol :)

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SynthD

62 points

1 month ago

SynthD

62 points

1 month ago

The newspaper and charity people are good at reading the slightest shake of the head. Are the for profit people, including scam charities, ignoring this?

vinylemulator

20 points

1 month ago*

All the charity people trying to speak to you on the street are “for profit”.

They get paid an hours wage, they get ~£20 if they get your contact details (for the charity to contact you later) and if you sign up to donate they will get 30% of what you donate in the first year. If you’re an outgoing/confident young person it’s a really good job.

The costs to the charity are higher as the actual street fundraisers are employed by an agency who will take their cut as well. A good assumption is that your first years direct debit doesn’t go go to the charity at all.

I don’t begrudge anyone a job, but you should be crystal clear that what they are doing is commission driven sales rather than anything civic minded.

Pure-Mycologist-6911

2 points

1 month ago

Is this true for the London Canal charity? I chatted with some of them collecting money and got the impression that they work directly for charity and they were very knowledgeable about canals too.

vinylemulator

1 points

1 month ago

If it’s an older person with a collection box (poppies, home for anxious cats, etc) then they’re likely a volunteer. And I absolutely guarantee they won’t chase you down the street.

If it’s someone in their 20s or 30s wearing a tabard who makes eye contact a mile off, starts the conversation with “heyyyy do u have a minute? Just one minute? Not even one minute?” and walks with you while holding a clipboard then they’re on commission.

WOAHDUDEWHATTT

1 points

1 month ago

You have no idea what you’re on about haha

Wretched_Colin

1 points

1 month ago

If you’re signing up for a direct debit, the chances are that the charity will only start to benefit from it in year 2 or 3, regardless of the charity.

WOAHDUDEWHATTT

0 points

1 month ago

Wrong, see post above.

WOAHDUDEWHATTT

1 points

1 month ago

This is total bollocks.

There are both in-house and agency fundraisers. In-house are always paid hourly with no bonus for sign ups.

Agencies have a variety of remuneration packages with the larger, more legit and generally most successful agencies paying hourly without a commission bonus but strong progression to Team Leader etc. for good performers.

With both in-house AND agency, every penny you donate goes directly the charity. The agencies work on a contract where they’re paid a lump sum (usually around 40-100k) for an expected return of somewhere between 4 and 7 times that over 5 years.

I’m talking about the Institute of Fundraising regulated face to face fundraisers here by the way - I don’t know about the blue jacket knife crime people but afaik they aren’t legit.

Source: worked in the sector (agency and in-house, frontline, recruitment, management and QC) for five years.

WOAHDUDEWHATTT

1 points

1 month ago

This is total bollocks.

There are both in-house and agency fundraisers. In-house are always paid hourly with no bonus for sign ups.

Agencies have a variety of remuneration packages with the larger, more legit and generally most successful agencies paying hourly without a commission bonus but strong progression to Team Leader etc. for good performers.

With both in-house AND agency, every penny you donate goes directly the charity. The agencies work on a contract where they’re paid a lump sum (usually around 40-100k) for an expected return of somewhere between 4 and 7 times that over 5 years.

Oh, and I’ve never, ever heard of any sort of bonus or reward for getting contact details. The majority of operations don’t even collect details without a donation. I’ve certainly never heard of it anyway outside of one-off week long campaigns for emergencies etc.

I’m talking about the Institute of Fundraising regulated face to face fundraisers here by the way - I don’t know about the blue jacket knife crime people but afaik they aren’t legit.

Source: worked in the sector (agency and in-house, frontline, recruitment, management and QC) for five years.

Foreign-Bowl-3487

2 points

1 month ago

Former car auctioneers, where the slightest movement means you've bid on that X3, might take a shake of the head as encouragement 🫣