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AIBU?

To ask people who leave 'donations' outside Charity shops during lockdown

20 replies

Oldsu · 26/05/2020 16:10

actually believe that they are doing a good thing by donating, surely it must be obvious that if all non essential shops are shut and staff not allowed to work then Charity shops will be the same, if you leave a bag outside a closed shop (with posters on the door asking you not to do so) what do you think will happen to the contents of that bag, do you honestly believe that its going to make money for the charity, does it actually occur to you that that bag will be stolen, rifled through and the contents strewn down the road making a mess that other people have to clear up - or do you just not care.

I am asking because DH is a charity shop manager and walking past one of shops today I was horrified how much stuff has been left outside his shop despite notices telling people its fly-tipping, he is furloughed not allowed into his shop to take anything in.

Does anyone who has actually done this like to explain their actions because for the life of me I don't understand why people do it

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Pukkatea · 26/05/2020 16:11

I don't understand it either. Our high street is an absolute tip from all the charity shop stuff strewn everywhere.

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Sparklingbrook · 26/05/2020 16:13

People want it out of the house I think. And they think their conscience is clear because they have flytipped 'for charity'. Arseholes.

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Quarantino · 26/05/2020 16:14

You'd have to be incredibly stupid to do this when they are normally open, given all the signs up explaining how it costs the charity when you do it.
To do it during a pandemic when they are closed is a special kind of idiocy. Or selfishness.

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BarkandCheese · 26/05/2020 16:14

Out of sight out of mind I’d assume. It’s an absolute arse of a thing to do though.

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amijustparanoidorjuststoned · 26/05/2020 16:15

It is nothing less than fly tipping and should be reported.

We all knew charity shops would legally be closed for the forseeable future at the end of March. There are several notices on the doors saying "please do NOT leave donations at this time". Yet people somehow find it in their hearts to dump a load of old shit outside the doors. Hmm.

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Sparklingbrook · 26/05/2020 16:17

@Oldsu all my donations are mounting up in the garage. Will charity shops want them when they reopen or will they be a deluge?

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Oldsu · 26/05/2020 16:31

Sparklingbrook hopefully yes but according to DH there are going to be a lot of restrictions including quarantining donations for 72 hours, he has 2 shops one can happily do that, the other can't no room at the back to do it so may have to restrict donations it will depend on the size of the shop amongst other things, maybe phone the Charity first before bringing stuff in

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Sn0tnose · 26/05/2020 16:32

Our local Sainsbury’s has lots of those big recycling bins in their car park for glass, card, etc and one is a clothing bin. It’s been taped shut and there are great big signs saying the bin is closed. People have still left loads of bin bags full of clothes in front of it. Selfish beyond belief.

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allfacepalmedout · 26/05/2020 16:32

The manager in my local charity shop told me that they have to heave the whole lot straight in the skip, and it then costs the charity money to have it disposed of.

If it's been lying around outside, there could have been rats going through the bags and contaminating them, drunks on the way home late at night enjoy peeing all over the stuff as well. She also said that they can't unpack the bags in case people have hidden used needles etc in them.

Another charity shop near here suffered a fire one night because somebody thought it would be fun to burn the stuff in the doorway.

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bookmum08 · 26/05/2020 16:33

If these people are traced they should have to do six months full time volunteering at a charity shop.
Even in normal times charity shops cannot sell anything just left outside when the shop is closed.
It has to go in the bin.

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jimmyhill · 26/05/2020 16:36

This behaviour has always been flytipping and always will be flytipping, lockdown or no lockdown

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Gingerkittykat · 26/05/2020 16:52

People can advertise their stuff on FB groups as free for collection which can be done in a socially distanced way. I know a lot of people are crying out for kids clothes right now.

My local Covid support group has been inundated with donations of clothes and also people wanting to offload toys and books and now they have so much they can't take any more.

I've got piles of stuff in my house too which I just need to live with right now.

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AJPTaylor · 26/05/2020 16:59

It's because people are just plain thick.
The couple of charity shops in my little town had the foresight to empty them completely and whitewash the windows. People still dump their stuff there. I have bags and bags of clothes I am storing but will Just take to the tip for recycling if not wanted or needed.

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MrsFogi · 26/05/2020 17:04

It is ridiculous, particularly because it is so easy to post on local FB pages to give stuff away free at the moment.

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icansmellburningleaves · 26/05/2020 17:24

It’s not being charitable it’s being lazy and just binning a load of crap that they don’t want in their house.

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PixiKitKat · 26/05/2020 17:27

I've seen this in my town, it's fly tipping and the people who have done it are lazy pricks who should be fined and made to clear it up.

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CuriousaboutSamphire · 26/05/2020 17:30

Yep. It has to be skipped and the charity has to pay for it to be removed

We have signs about fly tipping, the cost of the skips is painted on its side, we point it out in our signs.

And we get constant complaints about us being too picky, unhelpful etc.

Some people just see charity shops and bins as a convenient dumping space. Sad really.

But they are well outnumbered by those who use us well Smile

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MrsMoastyToasty · 26/05/2020 17:39

I have a friend who is a charity shop manager. She says that they have a room full to the ceiling of donations from before the closure to sort, then the winter stock to take off the rails and the window displays to redo before they open. They have absolutely nowhere to take in any more.

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Ragwort · 26/05/2020 17:45

I also run a Charity shop and am very concerned about the level of donations we are going to receive. Even before Covid at least 50% of donations are unsaleable - why do people think we can sell their rusty old saucepans, items which 'just need a bit of attention', grotty paperbacks that have been on their shelves for 20+ years - and of course we have to be gracious and accept everything politely. Even if we can recycle responsibly (and not everything can be) there is limited space to store all this stuff.

It doesn't seem to be a major problem in our town at the moment, I did see a couple of bags left outside my shop but the next day they had been moved so either the refuse collectors took them or someone stole them Grin.

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Brightermornings · 26/05/2020 17:52

I think it's disgusting. Peoples attitude they don't want it so no my problem. They just want it gone from there house.
It's rude

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