Naturopath, my link two posts above leads to what you are referring to.

There are very strict rules on charity collecting and anyone collecting must be able to produce a legitimate license.
A street collecting permit is required by law, I know all this because I used to collect for Macmillan Cancer.

Charity Collections - Metropolitan Police Service
content.met.police.uk › Home › Contact Us › Licensing
A permit / licence is required by anyone collecting for charitable purposes within the Metropolitan Police District. It is an offence to hold a collection without one.

And, on the same website I found a list of charities that have had licenses issued.


http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Ho ... 0012685915

Also, it looks like a license is needed.


http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Ho ... /charities

If I remember correctly, I think the chap who offers a key ring in return for a donation is collecting for a cleft lip charity. I think it might have been 'Smile' or 'Operation Smile'. And since I learnt that many of the charity door knockers are getting a sizeable proportion of the donation I can understand why we are so plagued with them. I much prefer to donate via websites.

Yes, I agree with Denwand. Give via the charity's website, send a cheque, call them up and donate, etc. because the "chuggers" do get a big percentage of what they collect on the street and, as others say, it's next to impossible to tell if they are truly going to give the cash, or your direct debit details, to the charity.

The chuggers for registered charities are not, however, doing anything genuinely wrong and charities do choose to use them sometimes.

Some charities do use their own volunteers to collect funds (e.g. RNLI on Lifeboat Day) and 100% of the funds collected then do go to the charity. Again, difficult to know so best to donate online, etc.

This same man has come to my door 2 x in the last 6 months. He asks for a donation in exchange for a keyring. Last time he came I just told him I don't open the door for anyone after dark. He seems a bit annoyed but wasn't rude or anything- just turned around and left.

I have had this "trainspotter" chap in his '50s / '60s asking fo a donation in return for a cheap key ring.

I fell for it once but never again.

We have also had Red Cross "chuggers" trying their luck...

Basically after I read that these 'chuggers' (a name for 'Charity muggers" - those folk who stop you on the street or shopping centre with an over friendly attitude an a clipboard) get around 35% of your donation and that's before the charity's own admin costs,

If you want to give to charity - give direct - don't encourage these botherers.

I have recently seen 'charities' setting up in Southside purporting to help servicemen and many OAPs signing up ... There is little indication of who they are and none about how much money actually reaches our ex servicemen,

Any charities that resort to this tactic should be shunned.

Is he asking for cash?

I had someone collecting last night for a legitimate charity and he said that as of last year it is illegal for them to take money at the door, and he would lose his job if he took any money from anyone. They do it by getting you to sign up to a direct debit.

I have to say though I don't feel comfortable with giving any of my details to a random door knocker, even if they do seem very nice and legitimate.

We keep getting a charity raffle ticket seller who looks less than legit

Is the charity something like 'Save a Child'? They have come to our house the last few years and I did check them out as they looked a bit dodgy. From what i recall the charity existed but maybe not in this country. I also saw a policeman talking to one of the 'charity collectors' a few years ago so I think they are probably collecting for themselves rather than a charity! I think we may have had the same 'representative' last night - scruffy man in his 50s or 60s. I don't think he was very impressed when I told him we weren't interested as he called me a 'f***ing b***' under his breath as he left so I am pretty confident in saying that he was a fraudster !!

Yeah as I recall he wears a yellowish anorak and offers you a key ring if you make a donation. I was about to but when I googled the charity I couldn't find the registration number so I feel he is probably not bona fide. He seems pretty harmless but I agree it is so annoying being bothered in your own home (either that or I have become SW London "intolerant")! I do tend to answer the door if its before 7pm but I now have a standard response that I never buy or donate from the door.

Our street is in a 'no cold calling' area so if anyone calls more than once I just quote that and say I will call Lambeth Trading standards of they come again. Do Wandsworth have this too?
If it is bath or bedtime and I'm not expecting a delivery, I just ignore it.
When my husband is not here I don't like answering the door to unexpected callers, particularly on these dark afternoons. I am probably a wimp though.