Money Moral Dilemma: Should I go back and pay for the mirror I broke in a charity shop?

G_Cam

Hadenoughofitall said:

Charity is one of the biggest scams known to mankind. The people at the top pay themselves a fortune and expect the workers to work for nothing. I tried to donate a television, blu ray recorder, desktop computer and some printer inks. They had the nerve to ask me for a £15 collection fee. I sold them on Ebay and made £300 which i spent on a weekend in Devon. Pay them nothing.

I agree... for the BIG charities it is just a big business.
IIRC the CEO of Guide Dogs For the blind gets paid around £175k Basic! While trainers and shop workers give their time for free.
Smaller more local charity shops etc are usually different in that everyone is a volunteer.
I raised a large amount of money many years ago. Over £4500. I took it in to a Charity shop who were running an appeal for a major disaster and I got zero thanks! All I got was a moan from the two people in the shop saying it was in 'small change' and how were they supposed to have time to count it!
Since then my work with charity has continued but I choose to spend time and money only where it makes an impact and is not swallowed up by marketing campaigns, TV adverts and big executive pay!

I would donate time or goods for the mirror to the value of any markdown .. ie if it was £100 but had to be sold for £50 I would work to that value. People are all too quick to write things off as worthless these days!

codyjane

I find now if you go to a normal shop their cheaper than a so called charity shop charity shops are getting too greedy offer too pay a fiver they got it for nowt 

newkitchenfund

My understanding of the law (I'm not a lawyer) is that if it's a genuine accident, you are not obliged to compensate the shop. It's their responsibility to take reasonable care to display goods so that things aren't accidentally knocked off shelves or knocked over. But if you damage something through negligence or deliberately, it's a different matter - you have to compensate to the value of the wholesale (not retail) price, and if deliberate, could also be prosecuted for criminal damage. Charity shops have to abide by the Sale of Goods Act like everyone else. So in this situation, if you want to make a donation to make up for it, it's entirely your choice. If they persist, give your details and suggest they pursue through the small claims court! If you'd damaged through negligence, you'd have to pay them whatever compensates their loss - not the price a new one would retail for. 

jegs

This is just one of the hazards of owning / running a shop, also as in Pubs with glass breakages.  Has anyone heard of a Pub charging their customers for accidental breakage of a glass  ?   Accidents are bound to happen and whilst many shops display a sign "Breakages must be paid for" (or similar), there is no onus upon the customer to pay for any item that is broken purely by accident.  However, malicious damage is totally different and the Police will probably be involved.  In any event, the shop's insurance should cover any breakages for them.  Just forget it.............and move on  !!!!

Adastra7

I used to work at a charity shop and the manager had a great philosophy that all breakages on the premises were nobody’s fault.
So therefore I think you did the right thing by walking away. 

Drds

Absolutely not! Genuine accidents are just that, 'accidents'. The mirror had no absolute value and cost them nothing in the first instance, and for it to fall so easily suggests it was not safely displayed so actually posed a danger to customers. Still, no harm done, you don't sue them or report them to HSE, neither to do you pay them for their purported 'loss'. However, I would go back to the shop, explain why you left so suddenly, and give them your contcat details. If they really think they've got a case they can issue a smalls claim against you.... but they wont.

kagorsa

I have bought most of the items in my apartment from charity shops, some of them charge way too much for items they got for free. If you still feel guilty about the mirror, I would suggest you take a look at the charity on the Company's House website, if it's a large charity you might well be in for a shock when you see where a large portion of that money goes.

Mangold

It may depend on how it was displayed and whether it was 'health and safety' compliant. If, for example, a child could have walked into it or pulled it down on top of him/her, then that is down to the shop and they would have been lucky that no-one was injured. If it was an 'accident' that you feel you might have contributed to, ask to speak to the Manager and negotiate a fair settlement based on an independent valuation. I doubt they would want to go down this road. If it was an indisputable accident, it could not have been displayed securely and you have no obligation to recompense them.

thegentleway

I think if you break it, you should pay for it. £100 seems excessive but a donation to the charity would be a good idea

RichShadwell

Whether you pay or not you've earned yourself seven years bad luck!