We're having a blood drive at work today. I unfortunately will not be participating today, or ever again, because the American Red Cross refuses to stop calling me.
This is a strange predicament for me because I've been a fairly loyal donor for about 15 years. But due to the Red Cross' refusal to remove me from its calling list, I'm really not that interested in donating again.
Just to be clear, I've asked not once, not twice, not three times, not four times, not five times, not six times, not seven times but eight times to be removed from the list. After the fifth request, I began explaining to the caller that I would stop donating if I were ever called again. Since the last (eighth) time I threatened to stop donating, which was last week, I've received two voice mails "thanking" me for my donation and asking for more.
Of course, I gave the Red Cross the benefit of the doubt the first couple of times because I understand the importance of the charity and the need to make some phone calls. But I don't understand the importance of treating people who give you stuff so terribly.
If you're wondering how many calls I receive: It's a lot. The most I received in one week was eight. The most I've received in a day in three. I can't easily ignore them because they come from 888 and unknown numbers.
Sometimes, they leave a message, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they call right back. Sometimes they call at 9 p.m. ... and sometimes they call at 7 a.m., even when I'm on the West Coast.
Surely I'm not the only one they do this too, right? Yes, I have O positive blood, which is a universal donor, and is one of the main reasons I've given a couple of times a year for so long.
But until I receive no calls from them for an entire year, they can just cross me off the list.
Comments5
Ditto
Hello! I am dealing with the the same annoying problem and it is so unfortunate because I too have made the decision to refuse to donate blood because they do not stop calling. I receive calls up to 9:40pm on a weekly basis. I receive anywhere from zero to eight calls in a day. In some cases, I receive calls back-to-back. I intend to continue refusing to donate blood. There are other things that I can do to help people. It is just unfortunate that an organization such as ARC is losing me because they cannot accommodate my request. Frustrated, AMJ
Re: American Red Cross, please stop calling me!
Universal Donor is O-, not O+. But you're nearly universal. :)
Dude, I've been harassed by the Red Cross for nearly 10 years now. (I'm O-.) First it was the Potomac Area chapter calling me several times per day, even after being asked to stop. I then moved across the country so the calls stopped for a while, but when I (foolishly) decided to give them another chance in my new home state the calls started again.
I feel like a jerk for hating the American Red Cross as much as I do, but honestly, years of daily phone calls will do that.
Re: American Red Cross, please stop calling me!
FYI: I've written about it here
http://www.eddieoneverything.com/articles/american-red-cross-wont-stop-…
Re: American Red Cross, please stop calling me!
Me too! I am tired of receiving these phone calls at all hours of the day and night! I will not donate to them again. They are really give this organization a bad name. I have asked them again and again to stop calling me, they will not. I think I'm going to report them to the better business bureau!
Followup
I meant to write a followup note to this story. A couple of months after I published this, I received another phone call from ARC. I told them I was never donating again because they kept calling, and I hung up. ARC called me back an hour later. I thought possibly they were going to apologize, but no ... the woman asked me again to donate. I asked her for her home phone number, and she said "why?" I told her that I was planning to repeatedly call her like ARC does. I haven't received a call since, so we'll see how long that happens.