what's your moral view on this???

lazarou_true

Can you remember the thread on "Freegans"? It was in the arms I think after an episode of wife swap featured their lifestyle. That whole discussion got very heated from what I can remember. I personally see nothing wrong in taking the stuff that the charity shop has discarded as it's not taking from their profits. I think it is wrong to sort through the stuff before they have. Having said that OH used to live above Oxfam with his ex, he regularly used to take stuff that had been left on his doorstep. I personally don't think that's right though.

Little_Pickle

No I don't think it's right either... thanks for confirming that I'm doing the right thing!
LP
xox

rayday2

Quite simply its theft, who are you to decide that its ok. I wouldn't want people riffling through my rubbish. Do you donate the proceeds back to the charity or nip in and tell them they missed out on profits?

chappers

Its a difficult one this one I live within 100 yards of three charity shops and all haqve anotice in the window saying do not leave stuff on the doorstep.
On occaisions when clothing has been left in bags on the doorstep and people have been going through the bags and everything has been covered in dirt, I have seen the staff just dumping the stuff straight in the bin.

Personanlyy speaking I would declare the rubbish fair game but would have to look seriously into my soul before taking the donations, although one night I did take an out of print book, I had been trying to get, from a pile outside a charity shop, di intend to go back and make a donation but never got round to it.

Little_Pickle

thanks Rayday... I know where you are coming from - but rubbish is rubbish.
I'm quite happy with that... If they want to send this stuff to a landfill site then what's the problem with me resucing the odd book and selling it for a tiny profit?

If you read my earlier post re books, you'll quite clearly see that I'm not a bad person and actually bothered to do some good with thier rubbish - I even told the woman who manages the shop as I thought she'd be pleased... and she was!

I was just talking about the donations... which I've never touched... I was just wondering if you guys felt the same as me that taking the donations would be wrong... that's all...

*holds up hands*
please don't hurt me!
LP
xox

rayday2

If you think its perfectly OK why the topic?

It would be a "good" thing to go in and tell them they are missing out on money.

I have seen over my time several people in DFW that steal from charity bags, judging whether charities are bonified or not. This element of MSE really worries me that its ok to rob people of money in the name of money saving.

The manager would have been a lot happier with a donation or some time selling the items on her behalf.

Little_Pickle

thanks Rayday, but we have different opinions on this I'm afriad and I'm quite happy to leave it at that.

I'm not going to defend myself for taking a couple of things from a bin.

The reason for the thread was about the DONATIONS.
LP
xox

hev_2

Little Pickle - you have always come across as a lovely and honest person.

I think it is wrong to take stuff from donations, but you are not doing that. I suggest trying to do a deal with the charity shop - either you have first pick of their rubbish for a fee or that you have a crack at selling it and giving back a percentage. The shop gets the space, you get the benefit of helping out a charity and hopefully the charity gets a small boost of money it otherwise would not have. Result.

BTW I once worked at a charity shop and you would not believe what some people think is a good idea to donate - we once had an eiderdown covered in blood, yes, blood, donated :eek:

Gemmzie

Taking the donations is stealing, morally and legally.

Taking rubbish is actually illegal but morally I think it's okay

tyllwyd

My opinion on taking the donations before they have been taken into the shop ... if you had posted saying "The lady who works in the charity shop is a bit dozy, and sometimes leaves the shop unattended for a few minutes. Is it OK for me to help myself while she isn't looking, and walk out with goods without paying? My friends say that they have seen other people doing it, so why don't I?" ... there is only one answer to that, isn't there.

My personal feeling is that the goods have been given to charity, so even when they are thrown out as rubbish they still belong to the charity - and that you should ask before taking anything and donate any profit back to the charity. Just my opinion.