Chuggers
It might appear to be tightwaddery to have a go at these people, but it's not. They are exploiting a legal loophole (you can't solicit money without a licence but you can solicit direct debits) in order to make a fortune. At least the first year of donations, and often the first two, goes to the chugging company, and since people often cancel the direct debits after a year or two the charity only sees a fraction of the donation.

So here's what you do. When you see the chugger ensnaring a victim, just walk up and ask the victim, politely "Has s/he told you what commission s/he gets for this yet?" Watch the chugging bastard squirm.

Oh, and try taking their photographs. Many of the ones in Edinburgh at least are fiddling the dole and get extremely upset if you point a camera phone at them.
(ubergeekian, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 15:55, 4 replies)

Isn't the average chugger just some poorly off student or such, trying to earn a crust
Perhaps a better tactic would be to suggest the 'victim' phones the charity to enquire as to how what proportion of the DD revenue they see from chugging?
( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 16:00, closed)

Layers of commission
Maybe, but they're getting a cut and their employers are getting a cut. It seems only fair to ask them, directly, how much that adds up to.
(ubergeekian, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 16:32, closed)

.
One of my friends (student) did that for a while, and was paid about £6/7 an hour, so I guess the first 3 months or something?
(Not him., Tue 28 Oct 2008, 22:16, closed)

charity and charitable organisation
chuggers get about 25%, the boss gets 65% and the charity gets 10%
(knackerz is skinning up, Wed 29 Oct 2008, 8:58, closed)