Monday, May 5, 2008

More Rants

Sorry, I guess I am on one today but, here's another one. We have been on the Do Not Call List for quite some time but somehow this exempts various charities. One time I consented to send letters to my neighbors to collect money for one of the foundations as I thought it would be a good way to do some community service. Well, since them I get about 6 calls a week asking for money, asking me to do mailers again, etc. I get bombarded with letters from the American Heart Association, The Cancer Society, The Breast Cancer Society, the Diabetic Foundation, Easter Seals and the Veteran's Administration. The VA sends me address labels constantly (enough already) as once about ten years ago, we sent them a contribution.

Sucker Hot Line to Our House!


After pondering this and getting annoyed by it I have decided that I will no longer contribute to anyone that calls or solicits by mail. When they call I am going to say that, " I do not send contributions to foundations that spend all my hard earned contributions for research and cures on trying to get more $ from us. Just the postage alone they put out just on our address could cure something!

Is anyone else bothered by this? Maybe I am just getting too old and crotchety but this totally bugs me. I love contributing to the church where I know the funds are not misappropriated. I have no problem contributing to people like our niece, Erin, that will be walking in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk this summer in L.A. That is a different matter altogether. But now I just say "No!" to the rest. And I guess I am just mean and nasty but I also do not say, "Thanks for calling," like Jim does! He is the nice one around these parts.

5 comments:

mandy* said...

I totally agree with you. I especially hate the ones with return address labels. I used to feel guilty and "return to sender" or shred them. However, after I saw my mom using them I figured, why not? They are printed anyway. The foundation isn't losing any money whether I use the labels or not.

Bonnie said...

You are right they are not losing any money but the Veterans are...that is my beef with the whole thing in a nutshell. They have misappropriated the funds donated for the veterans. Blatant craziness.

V and Co. said...

you could always ask them for their home phone # and then say that you will call them back when they are home with their family during dinner time, see what they say to that. or even better just ask them to hold on, set the phone down and then proceed with your day for about an hour, at least then you would have a nice little break from the phone calls. just some suggestions... :)

Jen Stewart said...

I agree that it's shameless! I don't even speak to them anymore, as soon as I realize it is a solicitation, I hang up. No 'good bye', nothing...just a click and a dial tone!

Bonnie said...

So true, the thing that totally irks me is they will not take no for an answer. You give your version of no and they have "yeah, but" out of their mouths in a nano second! They leave you no options for being nice about it at some point after that. One clean flix type of company would get to a certain point..the yeah but..and actually turn on a recorder so you literally could not get a word in edge wise. No more...I am so done.
That company called back a few days later and I really let the guy have it..I told him never to call here again and why! What could he say at that point?