Proper way to solicit donation from public for the less fortunate

There should be a proper way to solicit donation for the less fortunate, but going to people's home at dinner time to ask for help in buying a merchandise in which only a portion of the profit goes to the handicapped (or less fortunate) is not proper.

The manufacturer, if indeed sincere in helping the less fortunate or disabled should think of a socially acceptable means to sell their products and at the same time channel portion of the profit to the right people, without having to ask these less fortunate people to knock/ring bells of homes to solicit a purchase. That is the most despicable act of manipulation! For all I know, there could be a syndicate involved in misusing the less fortunate for their own profit.

Recently, a partially blind (or visually handicapped) "salesman" came to my home at late evening and asked for my help in buying a collection of watches from him, starting from SGD 10. I was shocked and certainly not impressed.

You see, I have firm believe that the proper way to contribute help or donation is by

1. Directly visit a centre and make a contribution on the spot, in terms of money, pledge, or groceries and other necessities.
2. Alternatively, you can write a cheque payable to the targeted centres, e.g. animal shelter SPCA, Salvation Army Singapore, Alzheimer's Disease Association (ADA),  Singapore Association of visually handicapped (SAVH), Nature Society Singapore (NSS), among others.

Never in my mind would I want to part my money for something which I don't really know closely, such as having a "handicapped salesman" knocking on my door asking for help. The company or organization involved in the above mentioned case is lucky to escape because I wasn't able to catch the name, or else...

It's not that door-to-door sales are bad, but due to some abuse of the practice, they are not welcomed anymore. Most of residents will try to dissuade the practice by not striking a purchase with them. With less sale, there will be no risk of seeing this trend of door-to-door solicitation which can be a nuisance in HDB (but not at private properties where they can't gain access). Unfortunately, if residents start falling into the gimmick by salespersons visiting their flats at inconvenient hours (e.g. dinner time, where most working adults would be home), the door-to-door sales/solicitation/scam will make a come-back. It is all up to residents and the general public to either put a stop or motivate such trend. I for one don't encourage this type of sales/solicitation.

Just a thought.

Reference

1. Teen vendors using sob stories to sell overpriced ice cream
2. Guard Against Contractors On Door-to-Door Sales
3. 'Fund-raising' scams creating confusion 
4. "Ex-convict" going door-to-door sales (Hardwarezone forum)
5. Mendaki donation scam alert (13 Oct 2014)
6. Two youths sentenced to probation, community service for charity scam (31 July 2013)