Scam "Charity Collectors"

diamond_dave

Has anyone else in the SW come across the scam of bogus charity collectors.
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oldtoolie

In a similar vein:

I was in my local Coop last Saturday and noticed a fellow collecting for animal rescue. He wore a badge saying official collector for animal rescue with no address or organisation named.

There was a laminated sheet about an animal rescue centre 50 miles away and a message attached to the table (obscured by the nearly full collection pots) saying, we promise to give £300 per month to the animal rescue centre and use the rest for administration, transport, etc.

The collector claimed to be a volunteer and acknowledged that the animal rescue was not a registered charity. He said he didn't know anything else and I should call the animal rescue.

I told the Coop manager who agreed that he should not be collecting unless he was representing a registered charity.

The animal rescue is according to their website, an unregistered home-based operation. My guess is that a commercial operator has promised them a bit of funding and then takes everything else.

The scam is in a a grey area and is probably not against the law as not untruths are told.

daisyf_2

Also watch out for the clothes bags that come through the door - we regularly have ones to help children centres in other countries - and they are not a charity but an illegal business.

Jenna_Appleseed

daisyf wrote: »

Also watch out for the clothes bags that come through the door - we regularly have ones to help children centres in other countries - and they are not a charity but an illegal business.

yeah, we get loads in this area (SW), there's also a dodgy Cancer one that my mum keeps getting, uses a clip art knock off of the pink ribbon.

HappyMJ

They are legitimate but just how much goes to charitable causes needs to be questioned. Sometimes it's only a few percent of the full donation. There are better charities that use a much higher percentage and it's up to you to find them. I'd say check out the annual reports before donating.

meggsy

Same problem here, (SW) loads of charity bags put through the letterbox.

Helpmates should be avoided, recent bags from gt-recycling for PACE, cancer research UK, childrens aid foundation, and 3 from ClothesAid for NSPCC. As I don't know if any of these are genuine I'll take donations to a local charity shop.

ricky9

This was advertised on the jobcentre

Thank you for showing interest in the Self Employed Driver role.

Our Company:

We raise vital funds for charities by delivering charity bags to households
then collecting them once filled with Clothing, Footwear, Curtains,
Blankets, Towels, Handbags and Belts; we have 7 years experience in the
sector and have raised over £200,000.00 for good causes in the last 5 years,
we are wishing to expand our service across the country. To be successful
we need hard working individuals who can add value to our brand and increase
our charitable donations through providing a professional service.

Your Role:

Monday-Thursday: Each day collect filled charity bags between 8-11 then post
600 bags which will take around 4-5 hours.
Friday: Collect filled charity bags between 8-11 then travel to Head Office
to unload and collect stock for the following week.
Saturday Morning: 4-5 hours to post 600 bags.

Please note the following points:
You should be collecting around 40-45 bags each day to hit the weekly target
of 840kg.
You only see us once a week so you need a SWB Transit size van, or larger,
to collect then store the filled bags in during the week.
The hardest part of this job is the distribution, it is hard tiring work all
year round as we work in all weather conditions.
Each and every day requires the same high level of commitment, it's a case
of head down to get the job done - there are no short cuts!
To excel in the role excellent map reading skills and good regional
knowledge would be beneficial.

The Benefits:

Fantastic opportunity for those who like to be in control of their own
destiny, the more effort you put in the more you should earn.
If your hitting targets you should earn £714 per week, minus the Running
Costs below, the targets are achievable and are the minimum level we expect
you to be working at to ensure we raise vital funds for the charities we
support, your pay is determined by the weight you collect, we pay one of the
best rates in the industry at 0.85/kg. You are paid weekly on a Friday, a
week in arrears.

Running Costs:

As this is a self employed role, you are responsible for all your own costs,
approximate weekly costs:
Weekly Stock (Bags to Distribute) £163.08
Weekly Fuel Costs £100-£125
Van Hire/Maintenance £Variable

To Get Started:

You need a minimum of a SWB Transit size van, due to the bulkiness of
charity bags not the weight
You need £326.16 to pay for initial bags to distribute (This covers your
stock costs until your first pay day)

How To Apply:

If you are still interested in the role you can apply over the phone,
Freephone: 0800 169 4538. If you are successful after the telephone
interview you will be invited to collect initial stock and fill in the
required paperwork, we usually see new starters each Thursday at: DBH Tees
Valley, Belasis Hall Technology Park, Coxwold Way, Billingham, TS23 4EA.

Good luck, hope to see you soon.