Red Cross Cold Caller

[Seabird]

Had smooth talking guy at the door this evening my daughter answered the door. He had a redcross ID not that i know what their id looks like. He talked my daughter into filling out a direct debt form that had all her bank details. When i heard bank details from the living room i quickly steped in and in no uncertain terms said to her you do not give your bank details to people on the door step, took the form from the guy and sent him on his way. I tried checking the guy out with the phone number on what looks to be a genuine Red Cross direct debt form but the Red Cross number closes at 5pm.
Anyone know about this cold calling activity ?

[Colin Manson]

This page http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-No...rs-are-working

lists the following postcodes for this week

Highland Council IV1 3, IV10 8, IV12 4, IV12 5, IV14 9, IV15 9, IV16 9, IV17 0, IV18 0, IV19 1, IV2 3, IV2 4, IV2 5, IV2 6, IV2 7, IV20 1, IV21 2, IV22 2, IV24 3, IV25 3, IV26 2, IV27 4, IV3 5, IV3 8, IV4 7, IV40 8, IV49 9, IV51 9, IV54 8, IV55 8, IV6 7, IV63 6, IV7 8, IV9 8, KW1 4, KW1 5, KW10 6, KW12 6, KW14 7, KW14 8, KW9 6, PH20 1, PH21 1, PH22 1, PH26 3, PH32 4, PH33 6, PH33 7, PH36 4, PH49 4

Hope that helps.

[Seabird]

Thanks Colin, My post code not in your list. Even so giving bank details to anyone on the door step is so stupid. In this day an age with all sorts of people trying to obtain your bank details for illegal reasons an organisation sending people out knocking on doors asking for bank details for a direct debt seems to me to be the ultimate in stupidity. Any conman can forge id and other documents.
With your Bank details your name and address they are laughing all the way to the bank.
My apologies to this guy if he was geuine but i still would not sanction the practice of giving any bank details to anyone at the door.
If you wish to donate to the Red Cross you can do it on line, charities cold calling with dirct debits in my opinion is well out of order.

[appilihp]

hi I am a carer and work for the red cross did you get the gents name I will ask my boss plus notify her that someone is doing this if she doesn't know about it

[Seabird]

It seems there are Red Cross people in the area see post codes Colin Manson has posted. A friend of mine informed me she had one, again they were looking for bank details and not money She was more polite then i and said No Thanks.
They have also been working in Orkney.
I'm all for puting a few pound in a collection tin but giving out bank details to cold callers no matter if they have id, all of which can be faked. I think it is digusting that a charity is stooping to the level of cold caller sale people who were often confidence tricksters.
In this case they are selling First Aide training or asking you to set up a direct debit for a monthly payment.
ref name it was foreign i did look at his id badge but it was not very clear but it sounded like Aseed when he spoke it.

[bored2bitz]

My mum had a guy last yr or the yr before from the Red Cross same thing looking for folk to set up direct debits for monthly donations it was genuine but only thing I can say if u do do it make sure u check all the paperwork as that guy changed my mums donation of £3 to £8. He kept trying to get her to up the amount but she said that's all she cud do at the moment he obviously wisna happy we it as he changed it but my mum never noticed if I hadna been looking at the form she'd have been none the wiser. Her signature etc was in blue ballpoint pen and u cud see half the eight was in blue ink the other half was blk ink.We phoned number on form and cancelled the direct debit completely then as we were not happen. It made me think How many other oap's did he do this too?

[Seabird]

My mum had a guy last yr or the yr before from the Red Cross same thing looking for folk to set up direct debits for monthly donations it was genuine but only thing I can say if u do do it make sure u check all the paperwork as that guy changed my mums donation of £3 to £8. He kept trying to get her to up the amount but she said that's all she cud do at the moment he obviously wisna happy we it as he changed it but my mum never noticed if I hadna been looking at the form she'd have been none the wiser. Her signature etc was in blue ballpoint pen and u cud see half the eight was in blue ink the other half was blk ink.We phoned number on form and cancelled the direct debit completely then as we were not happen. It made me think How many other oap's did he do this too?

Just goes to show why you should never fill out a direct debit on your doorstep. You don't know how honest these guys are.
If you want to pay money to a Charity do it on line or in the case of a door step guy take the Direct debit off him/her and say you will post it direct, they won't like it because they wont get their commision £%.

[Seabird]

After reading bored2bitz post i asked my daughter how mutch she was going to pay each month to the Red Cross, she said "£2 a month". I checked the direct debit i removed from the Red Cross rep and surprise! surprise! it was made out for £10 per month.
An error on his part i'm sure he would say if she had queried it before signing.
I would suggest anyone having signed one of these direct debits to check them right away before the money is taken from your account at the 1st of the month.

[RagnarRocks]

I used to give a reasonable sum to a number of charities but having had numerous phone calls all asking for the £2 to go to £5 then £10 I started to feel uneasy, then fortune took me on a business appointment to one charities head office. Once I'd seen all the Mercedes,Audis arc all parked outside and the plush directors offices I stopped paying the national charities and only gave to smaller local ones. This is not saying all charities are the same but I tire of being bombarded by TV adverts people on high streets all trying to coerce money from me. I'm afraid a charity showing up on my doorstep means no donations from me as they don't appear trustworthy. Personally I'd never sign a direct debit to a charity as they seem to take it as an offer to constantly pester you for more !

[jimbo99]

Red Cross care service and the charity side are run by different people.

[barmar62]

I had a caller, but it was a young lady, looking for £2 a month ( I also live in Lybster) I wasn't sure if it was legitimate so I said no thanks.

[pirateeye]

If your daughter is under the age of 25 then she can't agree to give money over the door.
There was a man called Andrew, I am sure, asking me for £2.50 a week to help raise £1000000 per month for flooding etc. He was in his early thirties he told me. This was just two or three days ago.

[RagnarRocks]

If your daughter is under the age of 25 then she can't agree to give money over the door. There was a man called Andrew, I am sure, asking me for £2.50 a week to help raise £1000000 per month for flooding etc. He was in his early thirties he told me. This was just two or three days ago.

Where is the legal standpoint for a minimum age of 25 for doorstep donations as far as I know within the uk maybe Scotland is different the maximum age is 21 for just about anything legal or is this the charities standpoint ?I've even done a quick web search and non of the charities mention 25 for door step donations

[Kodiak]

If you get a Cold Caller then do this.

Invite them into your House, then sit them down in front of the Fire and wrap them in a warm Blanket. Give them a Nice Hot Cup of Tea and before you know it they will no longer be Cold.

[spittywillow]

Where is the legal standpoint for a minimum age of 25 for doorstep donations as far as I know within the uk maybe Scotland is different the maximum age is 21 for just about anything legal or is this the charities standpoint ?I've even done a quick web search and non of the charities mention 25 for door step donations

Not sure, a man from the red cross told me this, and because I am 23 he could not let me give money as he says they can't take it from younger people because they are 'impressionable'............but I have never known this before, perhaps it is just their policy...? No idea.

[pirateeye]

Where is the legal standpoint for a minimum age of 25 for doorstep donations as far as I know within the uk maybe Scotland is different the maximum age is 21 for just about anything legal or is this the charities standpoint ?I've even done a quick web search and non of the charities mention 25 for door step donations

I was told this by a door to door man but no idea how official it is

[RagnarRocks]

Well in all my years in financial services I've never heard of a contract which isn't legally enforceable by 21,the vast majority nowadays are 18 there are a few exceptions with trusts etc which may have legal binding till 25 but they would be the exception.Think about it you can sign a mobile contract at 18 buy a house, sign your life away with credit deals get credit cards so why would a donation not be able to be made until 25

[badger]

I used to give a reasonable sum to a number of charities but having had numerous phone calls all asking for the £2 to go to £5 then £10 I started to feel uneasy, then fortune took me on a business appointment to one charities head office. Once I'd seen all the Mercedes,Audis arc all parked outside and the plush directors offices I stopped paying the national charities and only gave to smaller local ones. This is not saying all charities are the same but I tire of being bombarded by TV adverts people on high streets all trying to coerce money from me. I'm afraid a charity showing up on my doorstep means no donations from me as they don't appear trustworthy. Personally I'd never sign a direct debit to a charity as they seem to take it as an offer to constantly pester you for more !

There was something in the news a while ago about the huge salaries paid to CEOs of some of these big charities and I'm afraid I would never give to the Red Cross as, like many of my friends, I'm tired of getting pens, coasters, book marks, cards etc. through the post. I recently complained to Cancer Research about the new design of their cards - new large logo printed on the inside as well as more on the back. I was told there had been so many complaints they were removing the inside logo. How much did that cost in terms of marketing company fees and more to redesign the cards again? Nothing wrong with the old logo and design. If I give money to charity I want it to go to a good cause, not to line someone's pockets or send out free rubbish.