This Is Why I Prefer Not to Answer the Phone
Generally, I try to avoid answering my land line at all, because hardly anyone calls me on it except my mother and telemarketers or people asking for money for various charities. But on a recent Sunday, I was expecting a call and I answered the phone, thinking I was safe because most people asking for money don’t bother you on Sundays, it being the Lord’s day and all. It was the Policemen’s Benevolent Association calling, wanting money. I find this particular charity a bit sketchy. They ask for me specifically by my first name (tricking me into thinking it’s someone I actually know for a few seconds, long enough to get me hooked), and they know my full name and address. My phone number is unlisted. I assume they are getting my info from the voter registration lists or the DMV, and I have to wonder why the hell the police are allowed to access that information for money-gathering purposes. I assume that the people that call are hired specifically for this purpose, as they are pushy as all get out and really good at squeezing money out of you. Once a few years back, I got a call from one guy who just wanted to send me some info about their programs so I could look it over and see if I wanted to donate. I agreed since it sounded harmless enough. Big mistake. A few minutes later, I got a call from one of their operators wanting to confirm my $50 donation. A few months back, I actually agreed to donate a small amount of money because the guy basically browbeat me into it and I would be supporting the wives and children of officers slain in the line of duty, and what kind of person wouldn’t want to support them? Anyway, back to the most recent call:
Bloodsucking caller: Hello, Ms. Tiara. We’d like to thank you for your generous support in the past. We’re asking for your support at the $55 level this time.
Me: No, I can’t afford to give again at this time*.
Bloodsucking caller: Ok, well, I’ll just put you down for $40 this time.
Me: As I said, I can’t afford to give again at this time.
Bloodsucking caller: Well, I’m sure you can donate $35, can’t you.
Me: No.
Bloodsucking caller: Well, last time you gave $27, so I’ll just put you down for that.
Me: How many times do I have to say no?
Bloodsucking caller (completely ignoring me): So, $27 it is.
Me: Arrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh. How many times do I have to tell you I’m not giving you any money. Leave me alone.
Then I hung up the phone.
I’m fully expecting to get a note in the mail saying that they are expecting my $27. And I imagine that donor list has a big black mark next to my name, because clearly I’m an evil bitch who hates the widows and children of officers slain in the line of duty and wants them to starve. Sigh.
posted by Lady Tiara @ 10:50 PM
6 Comments:
At 10/3/06, 5:25 AM,
Cupcake Blonde said…
Be careful, this may be a scam. We just covered this last week in our newscast. Police organizations never call you asking for money and if they do, always ask for them to send you something in the mail to confirm their story. If they refuse, it is not a legitimate charity. A lot of sleazy people use the police as a cover because most people would give to a police organization...it really is sick.
At 10/3/06, 1:17 PM,
JordanBaker said…
Scam or not, that's soooo annoying. Charity should not be bartered for like blankets in Nogales.
At 10/3/06, 3:18 PM,
Frankly, Scarlett said…
Telemarketers are the devil.
Does DATING police offers count as a form of charity to the cause?? Well it should!
At 10/3/06, 7:49 PM,
bryc3 said…
it's an old trick. a fundraising company contracts with an unsuspecting (or fictitious) police organization to raise money. they then take a cut, in some cases up to 80%, of the money they raise for 'expenses.'
the use of the police is deliberate. compassionate citizens feel guilty, and the less-educated or uninformed often feel outright coerced. imagine if you're a non-native speaker and 'the police' call you and ask for money. wouldn't you be scared?
next time they call, do this: ask for supporting information about their cause. ask how much of your donation goes to mission, and how much to fundraising expenses. ask to see a copy of their financial statements, as all 501(c)3 charity organizations must make them publicly available. then listen to them squirm.
if they get really pushy, ask the person on the other end of the phone how serious they are about the cause. when they tell you how near and dear it is to their heart, say, 'then why are you getting paid instead of volunteering?' they'll take you off their list, trust me.
there are a number of charity watchdogs, including www.guidestar.org, that help you sort the good guys from the bad guys. but a good rule of thumb is that if they call you on the phone and you don't know them by name, they're probably lousy.
At 10/3/06, 9:41 PM,
Anonymous said…
I work for a 501(c)3 charity that does in fact help the families of officers killed in the line of duty. We NEVER solicit on the phone and generally I would say to be very wary of those who do.
Charities that do hire telemarketers usually only receive a very teensy tiny fraction of your money. If the telemarketers raise 5 million dollars of the public's money, generally the charity will see less than 1 million. It's just sad to think of peoples hard earned money going into the pockets of telemarketing firms when they think it is going into the pocket of a deserving charity.
I second everything Bryc3 said...and another good charity rating website is www.charitynavigator.com . They judge non-profits on fiscal management which includes the amount of money they spend on fundraising (telemarketing is considered a fundraising cost).in relation to the amount of money spent on actual services to those in need.
At 10/5/06, 11:13 PM,
Lady Tiara said…
vp: i think they're legit, although the last time, they wanted me to give my credit card # over the phone, and i was like, ummh, yeah, no. they did send me stuff through the mail. so they're legit, but just sleazy.
jb: it just felt sleazy.
ir: that's a great form of charity.
bryc3: wow, great info.
anon: thanks for this info. this whole operation seems so sleazy.
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