Charity Shops getting cocky with their prices.

Idiophreak

Pollycat wrote: »

It costs nothing to be pleasant.

No, indeed...this is what bugs me about it...they don't seem to really *get* their business model. People bring them stuff for free, they sell it. Without the people bringing them stuff, there's no profit = no money for the kids/animals/whatever.

Let's also be frank, everyone likes to feel like :A, so saying "thanks very much - your wonderful donation will make a difference to someone's life!" would probably put a smile on my face, make me feel like I'm such a great person - and probably make me want to donate more stuff to them...which they can then sell...and make more money...and it wouldn't cost them a penny.

hollydays

It's because not all people who price are " sensible".

SpammyTheSpammer

trukdiver wrote: »

If something was faulty, we would have to take it to the back room and have it repriced. We couldn't just knock something off at the till.

Hmm, I and many of my family have regularly haggled in charity shops, usually on the line of:-

"This £5 item is a bit battered and worn, I will offer you £2.50. Do you want that?"

or:-

"This £2.50 game has no instructions and is missing a few pieces, will you take £1?"

This often succeeds where the person on the till has some sense. When they refuse, we say OK and walk out of the shop. Everyone should be happy with this approach, the shop gets money and the customer gets what they want at the 'correct' price. It is a shop after all, even if a charity shop, much of whose take still goes to pay rent, managers salaries etc. However I have noticed that many of the items, whose offers were refused, are still on the charity shop shelves months later....

Buellguy

Of course this:


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/city-pay-culture-has-spread-to-charities-union-says-1817725.html


could be part of the reason people get a bit anti with charities these days

LordHolland

Peter, I recently visited London and went into an Oxfam and OH MY GOODNESS.. I spotted an old bitty scarf for £35!

I do agree with you however, things these day's are getting overpriced. I do understand and appreciate that they are using the money for good causes but when they are putting prices higher than the actual worth it is silly.

I bet that the overpriced items only gather dust on the shelves, It should be a fair price to encourage a returning customer.

hollydays

Oxfam + London= high price

rash161

Peter333 wrote: »

Myself and my wife like to peruse the charity shops when we visit the small market town 10 miles from us, and she saw a few nice ornaments she fancied buying. One was an owl, about 3.5 inches high, and they wanted FIVE POUNDS for it. Another things we spotted was a set of little side plates, there were 5 so it wasn't even a set, we were just getting them for spares. They wanted £4.50 for them. 5 odd side plates. And my wife saw a nice vase about a foot high; featuring a myriad of glittery blues. Six pounds!

Don't buy from them then?

It's up to them how they set their prices, nobody is under any obligation to sell you anything and if they do choose to sell you something then they can set whatever price they want for it, it's up to you if you buy it or not.

I don't see why it's such an issue? Lots of things are overpriced in the world, just don't buy them, if enough people do that then the sellers will have to lower their prices or go out of business.

SevenOfNine

Charityworker wrote: »

Volunteers are not reliable or knowledgeable enough which is why the majority cant get paid jobs.

Interesting and particularly ignorant sweeping statement.

I spent a few months doing some unpaid voluntary work a couple of times, IN BETWEEN being gainfully employed on reasonably healthy salaries.

Made clear from the start it would be short term (redundancy gave me unexpected time on my hands), & would keep me out of mischief. In return I was both reliable and knowledgeable, using skills I had to the best of my ability just as I would if they had been paid jobs.

If the volunteers within your remit lack reliability, knowledge and can't get paid jobs, perhaps you need to hone your staff management skills. Clearly having no respect for the volunteers efforts isn't likely to encourage the best from them is it.

Pollycat

rash161 wrote: »

Don't buy from them then?

That's exactly my motto.

I usually look at something in a charity shop and have a price in mind that I'm willing to pay for it.

When I look at the price ticket, if it's over what I'd pay it goes back on the rail/shelf.
If it's within what I consider a reasonable price, I'll try it on.
If it fits & I like it, I'll buy it.

Same with ebay.

If I see something I want to buy, I'll put in my maximum bid and (almost always) leave it until the end of the auction.
If I've won, I'm happy & pay up.
If I've been outbid, I just shrug and think "It was too expensive for what it was".

Only if there's something that I really, really want will I follow the last few minutes of the auction.

But - this is the Praise, Vent & Warnings board and the OP is just having a vent about pricing in some charity shops.

hollydays

SevenOfNine wrote: »

Interesting and particularly ignorant sweeping statement.

I spent a few months doing some unpaid voluntary work a couple of times, IN BETWEEN being gainfully employed on reasonably healthy salaries.

Made clear from the start it would be short term (redundancy gave me unexpected time on my hands), & would keep me out of mischief. In return I was both reliable and knowledgeable, using skills I had to the best of my ability just as I would if they had been paid jobs.

If the volunteers within your remit lack reliability, knowledge and can't get paid jobs, perhaps you need to hone your staff management skills. Clearly having no respect for the volunteers efforts isn't likely to encourage the best from them is it.

Well said.