For me it is when companies/services market themselves as donating to XYZ cause if I buy their product. If they want to donate, they should have already done that with the money they have. Asking me to give them profit so that they can donate is so obviously pretentious.
Stealing my time for nothing in return. Watching an ad to get content is a transaction. The door to door guy, or the guy who interrupts my shopping with “I’m not selling anything just asking you some questions” is annoying and I’m never going to use their product. The ones that persist after being told “not interested” can jump off a cliff.
I found a real easy approach to any undesired solicitation - zero contact, no reaction. Works on telemarketers, panhandlers, salespeople etc.
I have no shame about ghosting you publicly when the only thing you’re after is my money. If I’m in the home generator store, sure thing bro talk to me about my home power needs. If I’m walking out the supermarket and you slide around a booth to “help me keep my home safe during unrest” nah fam you can fuck yourself.
Cold open sales is parallel to pick-up “artists” imo. You want the transactional outcome for yourself, and my consent is the only thing you’re concerned about taking care of.
I fucking cannot stand when salespeople use basic human decency as an opening for a conversation. We made eye contact, I nodded and acknowledged your existence, I do not want to talk to you about how quickly you can remodel my bathroom. I can see your display, if I was interested, I would have asked you about it. Yes, I’m going to be rude to you because you abused my being polite to you. Fuck all the way off.
There’s a pest control salesman who goes door to door every year, who I can’t stand. Not only does he say outright incorrect things, but he can’t take no for an answer. Every polite refusal turns into, “You know what, we can knock 80 bucks off that right now” or “How about we just make the first month free.”
Next time he comes knocking, I’m going to be immediately upfront. I’m not interested in paying money to spray poison, that will end up in the canal and the river, to kill bugs that birds and frogs and bats could be eating.
One time a guy convinced us to spray for spiders. My wife hates spiders, and ants, and bugs in general. So the guy came and sprayed for bugs, and sure enough, all the bugs in our yard were gone. And so were the birds, the bats, and the squirrels and the bunnies. It took a long time for them all to come back, but now my wife tolerates bugs as long as they stay outside.
Next one that comes to the door, I’m telling him he can have $20 if he humanely escorts the Latrodectus Hesperus living in our cupboard out. Let’s see if he has any tricks up his sleeve other than poison.