Pet peeve - phone call solicitations

[Edwina's Secretary]

When I donate to any non-profit I tell them if I receive more than solicitation a year I will not ever contribute again. Sometimes it works...

But what really concerns is...my parents are elderly. My mother is a sucker for non-profits. Especially ones that send her something - like these nasty little blankets (good for donating to animal shelters though..!) or the cards.

My sister goes to visit them twice a day - they take care of her dog while she works. She offered to get the mail for them each day (mail box is at the bottom of the hill.) She then screens out all the solicitations.

When I visited last month I did it with her. "This is our third request!" shouted one mailer. Sounds rather frightening if you are elderly!

[Cinder & Smoke]

"This is our third request!" shouted one mailer.

"Only" three?


One very important point to remember with the telephone solicitors >>>

I never - ever donate over the phone.
Usually those are just phone banks and they get a percentage of what you donate
if you do donate over the phone.

Rarely, if ever, are the phone solicitors "employees" of the charity ...
they work for third party solicitors whose only business is to call folks
and beg for money in the name of the charity who hires them.

And you won't believe just how LITLE of your donation is sent to the charity;
nor how MUCH of your donation is pocketed by the soliciting agency.
Just ASK 'em next time --- they're required to tell you if you ask ---
ASK what percentage of your donation is passed to the charity.
You won't like the answer you hear.

The real Cake Frosters are the law enforcement scams ... If I have time I ""play"
with them for as long as they'll fall for it ...

Usually starts with "HI, this is (slurred last name) "WITH your local police dept ...
"WE're" calling for (some project I never heard of - like ballistic shields for
the patrol car tires) and NEED your help."

He's already in trouble, but doesn't know it ...
I ask just WHICH 'local police dept' is he calling for?
* Oops1 "YOUR local police dept"
> What's it's NAME?
* Oops2 "Uhhhhhh ... BCPD" (We have NO local PD - only the County Sheriff)
> That's interesting ... when did that department form?
* Oops3 "Uhhhhhh ... let me check on that ..."
* Oops3 cont'd: ""Uhhh, they're working with the 'local sheriff on this".
> Cool - WHICH 'local sheriff'?
* Oops4 "Uhhh, the sheriff in Ma, Maa, M, 'Moaning' county"
> Are you trying to say "Mahoning" county?
* Oops5 "YEAH, that's it ... moaning county ... We just talked to "your sheriff"
> What's his name?
* Oops6 "Uhhh, well, *I* didn't talk to him; but "we" check with him most every day."

After about 5 minutes they start to get the hint that bucks are gonna be tight ...
one guy just blurted out "Are you going to Donate or not?"

I laughed and said I'd give him 2 cents for the entertainment value of his call;
then asked to be removed from their call list.
"Already done that!" was the reply - followed by **CLICK**!

[phesina]

Oh, that's a good one to keep in mind for the next time I get one of those "cop" calls!

[gini]

I never thought of having "phun" with them - but usually these are during work hours - and I just don't have the time or inclination.

I love the way they act like "you" have taken up "their" valuable time if you won't donate.

There is always the "give me your phone number and I will call you back"
that usually gets a quick hang up of the phone.