Non-profit collection tactics

[Rapscallion]

It's their PARENTS, who get personally offended that you actually might not want to buy a box of overpriced sugar from their offspring. If you offer a simple "No thanks" to the kid, the parents come stomping over in a screaming fit that you "don't care" about the kids and this and that and buy the fucking cookies blah blah blah.

Try the word 'diabetes'. It's an invisible disability, so they have to take your word for it. If they have any shred of humanity, they'd feel embarrassed.

Rapscallion

[Dreamstalker]

There is a particular cult leeching around in my area that gets my hackles up something fierce because they're a pack of bastards who think that if you don't believe their crazed rhetoric, then you're fit to be verbally and possibly physically flayed alive. The only way to deal with them is a pre-emptive swift and violent brush-off...not necessarily physically, but being threatening enough to make them aware you AREN'T afraid to get physical if they push it.

Not the Scientologists...? There's a big Scientology church downtown and I'll see them every so often trying to sucker people into their "happiness tests". One year during a particularly horrid blizzard I saw them "using" little kids (standing out on the corner in the snow in weather which no human should be out in) to draw people in.

[MystyGlyttyr]

Not the Scientologists...? There's a big Scientology church downtown and I'll see them every so often trying to sucker people into their "happiness tests". One year during a particularly horrid blizzard I saw them "using" little kids (standing out on the corner in the snow in weather which no human should be out in) to draw people in.

Nah, not Scientologists. I'm not going to specifically mention the guy's current name, but he's been known as Bernie Hoffman and he's also known for carting his first wife's dead body around with him everywhere thinking that she'll be resurrected. I've spied on his little compound quite a bit and there's some weird-ass shit that goes on there. Needless to say, they aren't the type of people I care to speak with.

[Saydrah]

Cult? Scary!!!

Seshat- I think you've handled your particular need to avoid canvassing/telemarketing/door to door sales appropriately. If you want to avoid the non-profits, too (not required to abide by no soliciting signs, as they're not sellign things), a sign that tends to be effective is: "Delivery persons and friends welcome. Family by appointment. All others, please leave." I saw a few of those when I was a canvasser and they always made me giggle a bit.

Boozy- You're Canadian, right? Do you not have a no-call list in Canada?