charity shops that turn away/dump donations

WolfSong2000

I donated some stuff to a charity store a few years ago...they were so rude I never bothered again. A few years later I spent the summer working at a British Red Cross store...was interesting, but I do agree with the other poster about being sent broken/dirty items, etc...sometimes it really wasn't pleasant to go through bags of donations. When someone dropped off donations, I always made a point of thanking them, though, as it really does make a difference!

LADYCASSANDRA

I am shocked that charity shops do this.

I have recently had a massive clear out, binned a lot of stuff but kept the good stuff for the charity shops. Phoned the 4 that are nearby - none could accept donations as they were full. So now i have a big box of stuff sat in my garage, i really can't be bothered with ebay to sell something for 99p then have to pack it and wait in the always long line of people in the post office! I currently have a dress on there worth a lot of money and its really stunning - it wont sell for even £9.99. Ebay seems to be going the same way - people don't want to pay much for anything. I am going to have a look of freecycle though to get rid of little boys baby clothes.

Thats my rant for today too!

merdoom

Lady Cassandra - if you have baby stuff its worth asking your HV if they need them.
My Hv's will collect up clothes and baby bits at weigh in's and distribute them to needy familys in the area - that way you can be sure they will go to a good home.
Also i think our local sure start centre does something similar and there is a young mums baby charity near me that can always use bits too, might be worth a quick google!

cheryldon

Sometimes I've donated women's and children's clothes to the local women's refuge. They have always been VERY grateful.

borders_dude

The charity shop round the corner from me often fills up a big blue bin outside their shop with unwanted/unsold stuff.

There are always people raking through it taking stuff out to take home.

Charity shops are so ungratful now a days.

slummymummyof3

If you have unwanted clothes/textiles/shoes/soft toys - contact a local school and see if they organise 'bags2school' collections. Basically the school is paid money for each kg of these items that they collect. Collections are made once or twice a year and the items are sold overseas with the school pta then receiving additional important funds to go towards subsidising school trips/additional equipment etc.

elephant-astic

LADYCASSANDRA wrote: »

I am shocked that charity shops do this.

I have recently had a massive clear out, binned a lot of stuff but kept the good stuff for the charity shops. Phoned the 4 that are nearby - none could accept donations as they were full. So now i have a big box of stuff sat in my garage, i really can't be bothered with ebay to sell something for 99p then have to pack it and wait in the always long line of people in the post office! I currently have a dress on there worth a lot of money and its really stunning - it wont sell for even £9.99. Ebay seems to be going the same way - people don't want to pay much for anything. I am going to have a look of freecycle though to get rid of little boys baby clothes.

Thats my rant for today too!

I think it's partly just the way that bigger charities are being forced to run these days; if they aren't super efficient they get slammed in the press for wasting donated money, so they have to be a bit more hard nosed and business like than one might expect at first glance- at the end of the day they are in the business of raising funds for their choosen cause.
Still, from a PR point of view it wouldn't hurt some of them to be more polite about accepting, or refusing, donations, but at least the shops you phoned were honest enough to say they didn't have space for your stock, so you could try and donate it elsewhere, much better than them accepting it and then binning most, or all, of it.

sweet_baby_cakes

slummymummyof3 wrote: »

If you have unwanted clothes/textiles/shoes/soft toys - contact a local school and see if they organise 'bags2school' collections. Basically the school is paid money for each kg of these items that they collect. Collections are made once or twice a year and the items are sold overseas with the school pta then receiving additional important funds to go towards subsidising school trips/additional equipment etc.

i now do this as my local primary school and pre school have 4 collections a year and are about 3 mounths apart (very handy).
i am so feed up with rude charity shops !!!:mad:

chocdonuty

There is no excuse for rudeness but I have to mention that a a volunteer for a charity shop we get a heck of a lot of stuff in, generally dumped on the door overnight and by the morning it's been rifeld through and rained on!
We really have no time to ebay/freecycle stuff thought it is a good idea in theory, I do hate seeing so much stuff chucked away, although unwanted clothing and books are recycled again and we get money for this.
We do also get many customers handing us a bag and saying
"it's all good/there"
"it's brand new"
"it's never been worn"
over and over, when it simply isn't true and we know all too well what strange and dangerous stuff can be lurking in amongst the donations (rusty stanley knife, dirty nappy, half a burger!!) So we never take the customers word for it, just smile politely and thank the customer, we open the bags once they have left the shop!

Davey2009

We always take saleable unwanted things (usually the wifes clothes) to the RSPCA who are always consistant & usually say thankyou - we did try another animal charity but it was like we disturbed their chip eating break I realise they are volunteers who probably do a good service but it doesn't cost anything to be polite does it ?