I'm hoping to get some feedback re: a situation that I have found myself in. Last yr I donated money to both the Salvation Army and the March of Dimes. Over the past few months I have been absolutely inundated with solications from every well known charity known to mankind. I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else & if someone knows of a way to get my name removed from whatever source they are getting this info from. It has really taken the joy out of my original donations! Obviously one of these charities (or maybe both of them) sold my info to the rest and this just really offends me. This yr I plan on making a donation to my local PBS station and I sure hope this doesn't open another floodgate of solications. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately if you gave your telephone # when donating even if you add yourself to the do not call list any company that is an affiliate of the company you donated to or do business with can still legally call you. Trust me I researched this. I finally started telling people I make no donations via phone solicitations. If a request is sent in writing I will consider if otherwise please remove me immediately from your calling list. They cannot sell your info with the next data list. I can tell you from experience that it takes years. Try caller ID and just don't answer.

I even have an answering machine that says" if your a bill collector hang up. If I had money you wouldn't be calling me. If your asking for money then you don't know me well enough and if you're selling something I have no money to buy." I have never had anyone leave a message other than friends and hte same # rarely calls back.

when making the donation ask that your info is not sold given away or shared in any fashion

Love your phone message.

I write on the request ( or if they hace a phone # or fax # on the form) to remove my name from their listing.. Legally they are supposed to do so, if u verbal or in writing to remove ur name... some do , some do not...
More, than likely u will again be on everyones list..... one reason, if we choose to donate cash.. we do so in cash..... we can not afford to donate enough to tax deduct so we do not need a recp't

"NO" is a perfectly good answer. With federal and state funds down across the board, every 501C is scrambling for $$. Yes, we get inundated with calls and I stopped taking ANY and ALL calls from numbers I don't recognize. One 800# has been calling up to 8 times in a day and they won't leave a number. I want to see how long they will play that game.

When I do end up talking to an agency I tell them that they are not on my list of charities I support and wish them good luck.

I have caller ID and don't answer any #s I don't recognize. One time I answered a call from "private caller" thinking it was my daughter. It was a solicitor, so my reply was, "Do you want me to donate to you or pay for my medications, I can't do both?" He hung up on me. I found that works wonders, have since used it a couple times. I also have call blocking and can block a certain # of #s.

I have the 800#s calling often too. They have been doing this for 2 years now.

I honestly do not think one of those charities sold your info. After all, THEY want your donations, they don't want you giving it away to others, not in todays economy.
I DO believe that even your cable company could have sold it.
BUT in all fairness, times are REALLY hard all over, and donations are really down while the list of those needing is really growing! It might just be somebody going through the phonebook, or you got on a telemarketer list and they just doing "computer generated dial-ups".

Go to the national DO NOT CALL registry and get your numbers on there.
THen if you get a call, do not say anything, but instead push the * button on your phone 3 times quickly and hang up.
That sends a "BAD LINE" signal to the computer that placed that call!

I donate to PBS and have NEVER had any soliciting calls after wards!

I even have an answering machine that says" if your a bill collector hang up. If I had money you wouldn't be calling me. If your asking for money then you don't know me well enough and if you're selling something I have no money to buy." I have never had anyone leave a message other than friends and the same # rarely calls back.


I am SOOOOO putting that on my machine!