I got a nice speedy response from Oxfam today following my complaint yesterday. Apparently their door-to-door fundraisers are supposed to avoid calling at houses with notices requesting no cold-calling, so I got an apology and they’re going to make sure their fundraisers know this. They will also apparently take on board my feedback when determining the success of the current campaign.
Consider myself mollified (even if they don’t actually do any of that).
I have a politely worded notice next to my front door asking that door-to-door salemen/fundraisers/etc don’t ring the bell and bother me (in a household where both inhabitants work from home whilst having other commitments such as uni and undercat heating I don’t feel this is unreasonable, even without that it’s rude to contact people when they ask you not to). Today I had an Oxfam fundraiser ring the bell. I asked if they had seen the notice (it was still light when they rang) and they confirmed that they had “but were not selling anything”. The sign specifically mentions charities as one of the groups not to ring the bell. I tried to take his name but he held his thumb over the details. I have reported him to Oxfam as a matter of principle based on the name he verbally confirmed.
What happened to being able to enjoy the privacy of your own home without being asked for money? I have supported Oxfam in the past, but ignoring a notice (if he hadn’t seen it I’d have just pointed him to it, I have had other charities honour it) goes too far. Sorry Oxfam, no money from me now. It’ll go to people like Macmillan who apologised as they had rung the bell before reading it.