How Do You Feel About Being Hit Up for Donations at Check-Out?

[Anonymous]

I always say "no." I think my enthusiasm for these efforts matches the bored, detached attitude of the person at the register.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that it can be a bit much, but the Macy's one is just rounding up to the nearest dollar.

So like, if your total was 57.68, it is only 32 cents you are giving. The salesperson was wrong for rolling her eyes, but I cam see why she may have done one internally...

Is that what they're doing? Interesting. See what happened? As I was reading the screen to figure it out (what's this? a charity?), she quickly said press "yes" - which pressured me, and made want to press "no." IF she had kept her mouth shut, I would have had time to read the screen, saw that's what they were doing, and would have rounded up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those donations are a tax write off for the company. In other words, if they collect $1,000 in donations that day at the check out register, that amount is used to lower their taxable income by $1000.

So basically they are using you to get a tax benefit for themselves. Just donate directly if you really care.

Really? I don't understand how that works. You can use $1000 in donations to offset $1000 in revenue from sales?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those donations are a tax write off for the company. In other words, if they collect $1,000 in donations that day at the check out register, that amount is used to lower their taxable income by $1000.

So basically they are using you to get a tax benefit for themselves. Just donate directly if you really care.

Really? I don't understand how that works. You can use $1000 in donations to offset $1000 in revenue from sales?

OP here.....and OMG. Is THIS what they're doing? They are using customers to offset their own tax obligation? Sounds unethical at best, and illegal at worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those donations are a tax write off for the company. In other words, if they collect $1,000 in donations that day at the check out register, that amount is used to lower their taxable income by $1000.

So basically they are using you to get a tax benefit for themselves. Just donate directly if you really care.

Really? I don't understand how that works. You can use $1000 in donations to offset $1000 in revenue from sales?

OP here.....and OMG. Is THIS what they're doing? They are using customers to offset their own tax obligation? Sounds unethical at best, and illegal at worst.

Yeah. It's like if I were to knock on neighbors' doors, tell them I'm running a campaign for Goodwill, collect $1,000 worth of clothes from them, and then take the write-off MYSELF. What a scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - who tips at Panera?

That aside, I agree with you op. The whole "charity as a business" things drives me nuts. Those cashiers are probably incentivized to get more donations, that's why she told you to press yes. Very, very annoying. For the record, I'm GenX.

No one. But they're trying to get you to tip at Panera.

Panera is exhausting. The line. The pick-up order. The spot to get your drinks. The bussing your own table. And then they ask for a tip?? Let Panera pay their employees appropriately, and take it out of the revenues.

Where/when do they ask for a tip? I don't think I've seen this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - who tips at Panera?

That aside, I agree with you op. The whole "charity as a business" things drives me nuts. Those cashiers are probably incentivized to get more donations, that's why she told you to press yes. Very, very annoying. For the record, I'm GenX.

No one. But they're trying to get you to tip at Panera.

Panera is exhausting. The line. The pick-up order. The spot to get your drinks. The bussing your own table. And then they ask for a tip?? Let Panera pay their employees appropriately, and take it out of the revenues.

Where/when do they ask for a tip? I don't think I've seen this.

If you use a card, it asks if you want to leave a tip, and then has a number of different options - like $1, $2, $3, etc. I wish they'd get rid of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - who tips at Panera?

That aside, I agree with you op. The whole "charity as a business" things drives me nuts. Those cashiers are probably incentivized to get more donations, that's why she told you to press yes. Very, very annoying. For the record, I'm GenX.

No one. But they're trying to get you to tip at Panera.

Panera is exhausting. The line. The pick-up order. The spot to get your drinks. The bussing your own table. And then they ask for a tip?? Let Panera pay their employees appropriately, and take it out of the revenues.

Where/when do they ask for a tip? I don't think I've seen this.

If you use a card, it asks if you want to leave a tip, and then has a number of different options - like $1, $2, $3, etc. I wish they'd get rid of that.

Ah, I usually pay cash. That's why I haven't seen it.

[Anonymous]

I hate it. I say yes every time. Because I'm a terrible planner, I go to the grocery store usually 5-9 times in a week, so it adds up. And that's just the grocery store. Home Goods, etc. they all do it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - who tips at Panera?

That aside, I agree with you op. The whole "charity as a business" things drives me nuts. Those cashiers are probably incentivized to get more donations, that's why she told you to press yes. Very, very annoying. For the record, I'm GenX.

OP here. The thing that struck me was that as I was figuring out the screen (what's this? a charity?), she said "press yes." Very often, I'm hit with a different version of a PIN machine (aren't we all?), and it takes a second to figure out what/where to press. Often, the cashier will "walk you through it." I could very well see that if I were in a rush, or preoccupied, I would have just hit "yes," figuring she's taking me through the check-out steps.

I don't know if the stores think the whole thing is great PR (lookie what we're doing for the community!), when in fact it is annoying around half their customers. (Even some of the GenXers, like you.)

It isn't that new OP. Grocery stores have been doing this for years. Just hit "no" and proceed. I suspect though that you started the thread so you could throw out your line about "illegal school children" and being asked to support them.

Nope. I did not start the thread to throw out the line about the illegals' schoolchildren. I was explaining why this particular episode bothered me more than others - ones that ask for donations for places run strictly on contributions. The county schools are already getting thousands from me, and everyone else, in taxes. MACY's should have picked a true charity - not the county government.

Are you the single lady in her 50's who posts frequently about going to the opera and cruises, and wanted everyone to say she was rich? Your style of writing sounds very similar to hers. The cheap shot at the illegal schoolchildren totally makes sense if you are her. I am completely opposed to illegal immigration, but seriously, that was a cheap shot.

[Anonymous]

Not gonna lie, this is a pretty Loudon County post...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - who tips at Panera?

That aside, I agree with you op. The whole "charity as a business" things drives me nuts. Those cashiers are probably incentivized to get more donations, that's why she told you to press yes. Very, very annoying. For the record, I'm GenX.

OP here. The thing that struck me was that as I was figuring out the screen (what's this? a charity?), she said "press yes." Very often, I'm hit with a different version of a PIN machine (aren't we all?), and it takes a second to figure out what/where to press. Often, the cashier will "walk you through it." I could very well see that if I were in a rush, or preoccupied, I would have just hit "yes," figuring she's taking me through the check-out steps.

I don't know if the stores think the whole thing is great PR (lookie what we're doing for the community!), when in fact it is annoying around half their customers. (Even some of the GenXers, like you.)

It isn't that new OP. Grocery stores have been doing this for years. Just hit "no" and proceed. I suspect though that you started the thread so you could throw out your line about "illegal school children" and being asked to support them.

Nope. I did not start the thread to throw out the line about the illegals' schoolchildren. I was explaining why this particular episode bothered me more than others - ones that ask for donations for places run strictly on contributions. The county schools are already getting thousands from me, and everyone else, in taxes. MACY's should have picked a true charity - not the county government.

Are you the single lady in her 50's who posts frequently about going to the opera and cruises, and wanted everyone to say she was rich? Your style of writing sounds very similar to hers. The cheap shot at the illegal schoolchildren totally makes sense if you are her. I am completely opposed to illegal immigration, but seriously, that was a cheap shot.

No, not sure who you mean. (And I'm not rich, by any stretch. I do OK, though, but hey....I shop in MACY's, so that should tell you something!)

But on the illegal immigration, my point was that raising money for the county school system was a poor "charity" for MACY's to choose, since it is a political hot issue - and it's not a true charity. It's bad enough when it's a "safe" cause, like MADD (are they still around??), since who is "for" drunk driving (LOL). They need to steer clear of indicating that the county schools are short on money. And why are they collecting for a county that's not even where their store is located? (This happened in Loudon County, and they were collecting for Prince William County.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate it. I say yes every time. Because I'm a terrible planner, I go to the grocery store usually 5-9 times in a week, so it adds up. And that's just the grocery store. Home Goods, etc. they all do it now.

OP, me too. I'm there every other day, and I used to give $1 each time. Then I stopped to add it up, and it comes to $150 a year at that rate. I'd rather save that and donate it to a charity of my choosing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those donations are a tax write off for the company. In other words, if they collect $1,000 in donations that day at the check out register, that amount is used to lower their taxable income by $1000.

So basically they are using you to get a tax benefit for themselves. Just donate directly if you really care.

Really? I don't understand how that works. You can use $1000 in donations to offset $1000 in revenue from sales?

OP here.....and OMG. Is THIS what they're doing? They are using customers to offset their own tax obligation? Sounds unethical at best, and illegal at worst.

Yeah. It's like if I were to knock on neighbors' doors, tell them I'm running a campaign for Goodwill, collect $1,000 worth of clothes from them, and then take the write-off MYSELF. What a scam.

I would actually be okay with you knocking on your neighbor's door, collecting donations, and claiming the donations. The write off is payment for the work you've performed (going door to door).

I don't think it's appropriate for companies to be soliciting and profiting from donations in the manner described by OP. How shitty.

[Anonymous]

I just say politely "No thanks, not today" and I never get a guilt trip or dirty looks. Maybe that's a little less harsh than a stern "NO" to which someone can react.