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I am writing to address an issue that has, as of late, gotten really out of hand. I wanted to hear if any of you felt the same way… Perhaps if enough of us voice our opinions on the matter something will get done.
Recently, various organizations, in an effort to obtain the public support, or raise awareness regarding various fundraising events, etc., have been calling our homes at all hours of the day to solicit their fundraising events, raffles, etc. This has become very very annoying to most of us. (Personally, I have seriously considered disconnecting my landline phone, as my contacts all know my cell phone number, in order to avoid having to pick up calls that are 99% of the time not calls I want to receive.) I speak for myself, as well as many of my friends & family that I have discussed this issue with. This problem becomes even more aggravating when young mothers like me are trying to put their kids to sleep but keep having them wake up because the phone keeps ringing at 8:00pm, 9:00pm and sometimes even as late as 10:00-10:30pm! It’s also really frustrating when you run across the house to answer the phone that’s just another recording. And they don’t just call once with their particular recording, whatever that may be, but call 5-10 times to solicit the same thing over an over again. It is just not fair! Our privacy is not being respected!
I am unsure how to solve this issue, though. I’m hoping that perhaps one of you out there might have an idea, or know of someone that can. Maybe, we can sign a petition of some sort to raise awareness of just how annoying this has become. I would love to hear your feedback!
Are these automated recordings, like I’m getting?
BTW, charity org’s are exempt from the Do Not Call Registry.
The do not call registry does not apply to charities.
Whenever I get a call from I charity I’m not familier with, I ask for a copy of their IRS form 1023 and for IRS form 990 for the previous 3 years. Additionally, I never commit by phone and the checks for my Maaser account do not have my address or phone number printed on them.
This is from the FTC website.
4. What types of calls are not covered by the National Do Not Call Registry?
The do not call provisions do not cover calls from political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors, or companies with which a consumer has an existing business relationship.
5. Do the do not call provisions of the TSR cover calls soliciting money for charities?
Charities that are calling on their own behalf to solicit charitable contributions are not covered by the requirements of the national registry. However, if a third-party telemarketer is calling on behalf of a charity, a consumer may ask not to receive any more calls from or on behalf of that specific charity. If a third-party telemarketer calls again on behalf of that charity, the telemarketer may be subject to a fine of up to $16,000 .
Solicitations for charitable contributions:
I am unsure how to solve this issue, though. I’m hoping that perhaps one of you out there might have an idea, or know of someone that can. Maybe, we can sign a petition of some sort to raise awareness of just how annoying this has become. I would love to hear your feedback!
like all those tzedakah orginizations mailing envelopes?
Why not get caller I.D. and if it’s unknown, dont pick it up and when you hear it on the answering machine delete it right away
Any call from 732 (Lakewood) I send to voice mail.
Next time someone calls, tell him you’ll donate a billion dollars. It will be one penny per year over the next one hundred billion years. Ask them to send one hundred billion envelopes to your house so you can mail out the pennies to them.
and don’t you also love it when you get an envelope that says “as per our conversation” when no such conversation took place.
Next time someone calls, tell him you’ll donate a billion dollars. It will be one penny per year over the next one hundred billion years. Ask them to send one hundred billion envelopes to your house so you can mail out the pennies to them.
c’mon lets not be mean here, they’re trying to do a job (albeit an annoying one) you have to have a lot of self control to be a telemarketer, so maybe if you just pick up the phone BE NICE ABOUT IT
(Personally I try to listen to their pitch, and if I don’t like it I say sorry I’m not interested and if they say I’ll just send something out, I say no thank you, If they don’t get me maybe someone else, why waste their time)
frankly i have very mixed feelings when i get the calls-I wish that telemarketing had not hit the frum world – i don’t like the billions of chinese auctions, the phone calls, the ninty letters per day-i even find it very hard when i am downstairs doing laundry to run upstairs three times because the meshulachim think they will do better if they come separately. and then of course i remind myself – we are am yisroel, we are here to give, hashem doesn’t send us anything more than we can handle, and i end up smiling and saying – thank you Hashem that i am the one giving and not receiving –
Lately, they have become less aggressive, for example if you say “I cannot commit right now but you can send me an envelope” it used to be that they would respond with “..so can I put you down for __”.. now they say “OK” and verify my address.
I did come up with an interesting idea. My first name can be kind of muslim sounding, so I can put on that kind of shpiel and see the reaction.
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When it comes to the telephone, I can understand not wanting to receive certain calls at certain times. However, it cuts both ways. Its your fault for answering the phone when it is not convenient for you. If you are serving supper, putting your kids to sleep or just want to relax, ignore the phone. If the yetzer hara of the ringer is too much, then turn off the ringer. If the call is important, the person will try again, or leave a message.
Ignore the phone. Ignore the door. You are allowed to, really.
Put yourself in thier shoes and then talk! Realize what a hard time these people must be going thru.
We just stopped picking up the phone for any number we didn’t know, or any call that had the caller ID blocked. That pretty much took care of any phone solicitations.
APY has an excellent point and we often do that, even when caller id shows that it’s family trying to call in. Sometimes bedtime/etc. trumps all.
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The Tzedokas have the legal right to call. Personally, I call back and waste their time. The store that call are calling with total disregard for the Do Not Call list. I am going to ask a shailah if I can take the business to secular court(small claims) and get a judgement against them. They will stop pretty fast.
There are some legitimate tzedokkos which call, and although it can be annoying, “seeallsides” has a great point about how we should look at it. But when I get calls reminding me about the pledge I made to some organization which I never heard of (and I make it a point never to pledge over the phone), I can’t help but get frustrated.
“(Personally, I have seriously considered disconnecting my landline phone, as my contacts all know my cell phone number, in order to avoid having to pick up calls that are 99% of the time not calls I want to receive.)”
you took the words right out of my husband’s mouth!! now we let almost all calls go to voice mail after just 2 rings. we figure, if it’s a personal call, they’ll leave a message. if we can identify the caller as someone we want to speak with, we pick up.
it’s really very disturbing to have the phone ringing all day long :/
greatmom is right- I find the constant phone ringing to be very annoying- one call from an organization is Ok, but its never just one and with some of these computer calls if you don’t pick up- they just keep trying until you do- Sometimes the answering machine or voicemail gets totally clogged up from these calls. Computer calls are annoying, but talking to the telemarketers is even more frustrationg- they won’t take NO for an answer. We help our kids with tuition and have very little funds left for general tzedaka- I wish we had more, but if you are told that this year its not possible to give- say thenk you for your time and STOP ARGUING- I just hang up on these people and refuse to even have them send an envelope for the future. Ten dollars may not seem like a lot to you, but for some people its just not possible.
whats about stores advertising their sales, I got such a call today while trying to get my kids to bed, and I’m on the do not call list.
Put yourself in thier shoes and then talk! Realize what a hard time these people must be going thru. “
Please — they are not collecting for themselves most of the time? Many of us also are going through hard times, these days. I have to be selctive in my choice of tzedakas to support.
Re: the Do Not Call List – if it is a business (not a tzedaka or political call), then they are breaking the law, and you can tell them that and inform them that of they call again you will take legal action against their company.
Feif un-
Don’t promise a billion dollars because remember that promising money to tzedakah is too much of a serious thing to play around with.
i think it builds character when u run across the house and its a tzedaka. i dont think there is a real way to solve the problem unless every person in klal yisroel takes it upon himself to research tzedakas and donate without people having to call and ask for money. The mosdos need the money and people dont give without being asked so this is what they have to do. Sorry
If there’s the option to “press 1” to donate, then I press one for the chance to give the rep some little speech….
To Whom This May Concern,
Due to the current economic strain on all of us the yeshiva’s and the other valuable organizations have been hit the hardest with financial burdens like never before. A few years back Yeshivas Shor Yoshov started a raffle for $100k. They headed the raffle and sold tickets at a lower price depending on how much that yeshiva does purchase to other yeshivos/organizations to sell to the chashuv’e yiddin that do support that institution(s). Due th the success of this campaign the institutions that are larger have since made their own raffle’s. I do believe that most of the yeshivas participation in Shor Yoshov’s raffle are actually calling you personally because you have some connection to their organization or have previously given to them for any reason a friend was honored or a neighbors son was there and he/she solicited funds from you. Due to the widespread reach of the internet once you have a persons name you can find out their listed phone number in around 60 seconds. As a bochur in a yeshiva that does participate in this campaign which does raise a great sum of money i have made phone calls to my contacts, and to people on a list that my yeshiva gave me. I can assure you that all “telemarketers” who are only calling you to try to express hakaros hatov to their institution would rather not call you multiple times, and in my particular situation they print out all donors on a card and if that person says “we are unable to pledge at this time” that card does get thrown out. But even then some people get called twice due to some typos so their card got printed twice etc. If you say I’m sorry but we don’t pledge over the phone in turn you might get asked can we send you a envelope ( which might have written on it as per your phone conversation which you did have just you said you don’t pledge over the phone. In summation if you are able to help you should and if you aren’t their are ways to politely inform the person(s) calling that you cant help out. (providing they are polite to you) If you don’t answer your phone they probably will still call as they go over the same lists till all names get crossed off. These people would rather hear a no then can you call back or I’ll get back to you so just be honest and imagine you were the “telemarketer” how would you like the person on the other end of the line to treat you. In my particular yeshiva they only allow calls by bein hasdorim so as not to affect the z’manim of the yeshiva which is why the campaign was held for in the first place.
Recently I got a call from a Yeshiva in Monsey. It was the bachurim calling trying to solicit tickets for their upcoming raffle and they were so nice I just couldn’t resist donating some money.
Simple Jew- Please remember that your Yeshive is only ONE out of about 50 organization to Call our homes….it is so annoying.
look at the positive there are probably 500 instituitions that need money and only 50 call
SmartCookie, I’m glad to hear that you are involved in 50 institutions….. I dont know if your married and/or have kids but I do think that they would be in some Yeshiva which of course you should support before all others or some organization which you feel is “doing the right thing” but could you please explain to me what your problem is with taking a few phone calls and if you aren’t interested in helping that institution just say so.
Simple Jew- thats exactly it. I have my own causes to give to. If I have Any extra money to give, I have many organizations to donate to before those unknown organization who call me.
& yes, when I get close to 10 such phone calls EVERY day, it is very annoying.
But what i am saying is to just tell them that nicely, they understand. You also don’t gain anything by not answering because they will just call back.
Simple Jew- there’s some limit to how much patience one has to keep saying-“sorry I cant give anything now…”
They should stop calling. They should only Call their close people.
I don’t even know who half of those organizations are.
I’m sorry to say this but obviously they aren’t getting enough funds from there close people alumni and or parents and therefore call other people. Maybe some people who aren’t paying full tuition and are instead driving a Lexus or going on vocations should pay that $ to the yeshiva/school their kid(s) is(are) in instead.
Maybe their should be a rule that they dont call during supper/bedtime when we try to feed and put to sleep our young kids while at the same time doing homework with the older ones.
Simple Jew- if someone is hardworking & earns enough to afford some luxuries, he should definitely have some luxuries.
We are Mechiyuv to give 10% of our earnings to charity, the rest is ours to keep.
Of course it’s beautiful to give more. But it doesn’t mean Yeshivos should come down people’s throat & bother them non stop about donations, donations, donations….
unfortunately, it’s rarely just giving a simple ‘no’ & that’s the end of the call. it’s ‘can you give $36?’ ‘no?, then can I write you down for chai? ‘no?, then $10?’ ‘okay, we’ll send you an envelope for when you can send something’. .. or worse– when the calls start: ‘we see you made a pledge for $___ last year, or ’09, or ’08…’: rarely do I even remember giving all these organizations a donation… I’m sorry to say that half the time I don’t believe them. also– when my husband tries to call back the numbers of calls we didn’t pick up, the numbers aren’t even viable!
btw- I’m never rude, but how many times can I say “I haven’t worked since 2001, & my husband hasn’t worked in 3 yrs”?! believe me– it doesn’t make me feel very good having to say that over & over.
sorry, but everything goes to voicemail these days. :/
Always here- thats another reason.
My hub & I are very giving people. We give lots of Charity.
When we have to keep telling callers- sorry we cant give, it just makes you feel like some Bad person after a while.
Smart cookie I wasn’t telling you to give more $ to maiser nor was I necessarily refering to what I said was the people that DON’T pay full tuition shouldn’t have a lexus or go on unnecessary trips and instead should give the $ to their kids tuition because many multitudes of people do not do this and they have “fancy cars” or go on trips the yeshivas are so desperate and in the financial situation they are in, which leads them to call people who aren’t alumni parent body relatives friends etc and use these so called “lists” which you shouldn’t be on!
There are typically 2 types of callers. Someone from a tzedaka calling for that tzedaka OR someone from an outside company calling “on behalf” of a specific tzedaka. I have found (I ask when they call) that those professional telemarketers who call don’t know when to stop, to the point of badgering you. It is their parnassah and they make a cut of every dollar pledged. Of course they want you to give something and sometimes won’t stop until you literally have no choice but to hang up on them. I think it is those types of calls that has gotten under peoples skin and unfortunately all “tzedaka calls” are lumped together.
I want to apologize to any telemarketers who read this thread. I know it’s a living for some people (my own sons did it for awhile). But you have to understand that when I can, I’ll give… and when I can’t, please accept that response without further pressuring conversation.
When I used to answer our phone calls, I’d end the conversation by saying: “I hope you’re matzliach with your next call.”
A Pushatayid very well written.
One thing to keep in mind is that often these callers are calling from Eretz Yisroel as parnassah. Chances are you are talking to some mother of 4, who made aliyah 3 years ago, living in Ramat Beit Shemesh, who is calling at 1:30 in the morning E”Y time, and is “working” to support her family.
Yobwej- maybe it’s time to look for a new job if she has a problem with it.
If the caller is working (not sure why you have it in italics) for a telemarketing firm I still see no reason to allow them to badger you to the point where you want to wrap the phone cord around their neck, even if they are calling for tzedaka. If a sales person in a store badgered you, you would walk out, you have every right to hang up on a person who badgers you. The problem is all tzedaka calls and callers have gotten a bad rap because of a few bad apples.
If you DO feel you are being badgered, call the organization they called for and let them know.
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