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Original poster

Charity shop refusing refund

238 replies

BlazeMonsterMachine · 01/05/2021 05:35

This is such a trivial thing I realise, but for some reason it's annoyed me....

I needed a new pair of jeans, so popped to the local charity shop. With covid restrictions, you can't try clothes on at the moment, so when paying I asked about what to if they don't fit.

They told me to keep the receipt and I can exchange them. I queried whether there could be a refund, but apparently not - exchange only.

Now we're talking less than £10 here, and I realise it's charity, but it just doesn't sit right....

Are they allowed to do this? It feels like I'm just throwing money away / making a donation rather than shopping. It just strikes me as bizarre that I have to guess as to whether something fits and tough luck if it doesn't (as there's no guarantee that they'll have anything I want to exchange for).

Just wondering if anyone knows if this is the correct procedure as annoyingly the jeans don't fit.

I'm not planning on kicking up a fuss when I go back, but if they don't have a pair of jeans I could swap for, it would be good to know if i could push for a refund.

OP posts:
ichundich · 03/05/2021 19:11

Sorry, but I don't buy the argument that 'it's a charity shop and not there for people to buy things cheaply but to raise money'. How would they raise any money without people shopping there? Around where I am, it's not uncommon for one piece of clothing in a charity shop to cost £7-10 or more. I donate plenty of money to charity, but I'd like decide where and when, thanks.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 19:32

Charity shops are supposed to be a two way thing. Money for the charity and cheaper clothes for those in need of inexpensive items.
I personally like them because i can find some unusual makers I've never heard of.

ShanghaiDiva · 03/05/2021 19:55

I disagree. I volunteer with BHF and the goal is to raise money into research into heart conditions. I am not going to price a boden dress at a low price for people that need inexpensive clothing. It would be a disservice to those who donate items for us to give them away. , I also volunteer at a community cafe where we do give away clothes to those in need, but our objective is different: the goal is to support people in need in our community.

slashlover · 03/05/2021 20:11

The jeans weren't £10. A later post clarified that they were £3.50.

I work in a charity shop where all clothes are less than £2 except coats, people still shoplift. We do refunds (although we sell electrics too which can be £50+ each depending.)

Ddot · 03/05/2021 20:18

Obviously if the item is an expensive make you have to charge more, that goes without saying but everday clothes from chain stores are good for those who are in need. I've just bought a derick lam shirt dress and it cost alot.

Ragwort · 03/05/2021 20:56

dDot - what do you mean 'charity shops are supposed to be a two way thing'? Hmm - are you CEO of the Charity Retail Association? That may be your personal opinion but the sole aim of a charity shop is to raise funds for the charity it represents.

I manage a charity shop, we do give refunds, no quibble, the OP has not clarified whether she made her purchase from one of the 'High Street' charity shops or a smaller, independent charity, I find it hard to believe that the 'big name' charity shops don't offer refunds.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 21:18

So second hand clothes are not sold to help the needy and the charity in question. Well I will take it all back.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 21:19

We certainly dont want to help the poor do we

RaspberryCoulis · 03/05/2021 21:36

@Ddot

So second hand clothes are not sold to help the needy and the charity in question. Well I will take it all back.
No, second hand clothes are sold to raise money for the charity cause. Obviously second hand clothes are cheaper than buying the same thing brand new. If people on a limited budget want to use them to save a few Indus the. Of course they can, but In my experience people who are very short of cash would prefer to have brand new from primark or the supermarkets.

Most of our customers just want a bargain, or something a bit different from the high street, or they're worried about the impact of fast fashion on the planet.

The idea that charity shops are for people who can't afford to shop elsewhere is very outdated.

kowari · 03/05/2021 21:44

In my experience people who are very short of cash would prefer to have brand new from primark or the supermarkets.
I don't have a Primark in my town and supermarkets are useless for smaller sizes in my experience. There are many charity shops, or I buy from h&m and return what doesn't fit.

ChekhovsWorkshoppedShooter · 03/05/2021 21:48

The thing is ddot is that charities are set up for a specific purpose, whether that’s researching cancer or caring for terminally ill children or rescuing donkeys or whatever, and there are very strict rules making sure that they focus their aims on those given objectives. If they decide to sell things for a moderate price and/or lay themselves open to fraud when they could make more money by other legal means then that’s not doing the best for their defined cause. Also, whilst some charity shoppers are poor, a lot aren’t. Approaches which give a break to poor shoppers will also benefit comfortably off shoppers who choose to go to charity shops for a wide range of reasons and could afford to pay more.

That said, they’re a shop like any other and if they do offer a refund for unsuitable goods I don’t see why anyone should have any qualms about taking them up on it, especially if the money is a significant part of their budget.

PerspicaciousGreen · 03/05/2021 21:52

@ichundich

Sorry, but I don't buy the argument that 'it's a charity shop and not there for people to buy things cheaply but to raise money'. How would they raise any money without people shopping there? Around where I am, it's not uncommon for one piece of clothing in a charity shop to cost £7-10 or more. I donate plenty of money to charity, but I'd like decide where and when, thanks.
@Ddot Obviously they wouldn't raise any money if no one shopped there, but not would they raise money if they sold everything for 1p and let people shoplift as much as they like. They set their prices and policies to what the local market will bear to make them the most money. If they don't get enough custom, they change their prices and policies or close the shop. They obviously feel they make more money selling fewer items at a higher price.

Please, do find me the bit in Oxfam or Cancer Research's mission statement where they talk about the excellent work they do selling cheap clothes to impecunious people in the UK, and how it really makes the whole charity worthwhile.

Charity shops are a business . Not run according to the same economics and company structure as a normal shop, but they are a business proposition for the charity. They reckon they can make more money off them than, say, employing a few more chuggers. If it wasn't financially worth it for them to operate as they do, they would close.

RaspberryCoulis · 03/05/2021 22:03

I also think it's worth pointing out as I always do on these threads that in the big chains at least the manager get SO much information to help them maximise sales. Figures broken down by department, by week, compared with last month, last year, against other shops in the area, figures showing how much each area is making compared with the space in the shop it takes up, average basket price, average selling price per item broken down by department - honestly it's pages and pages and pages and pages.

These figures help a canny manager quickly spot where they are struggling. Our DVD sales have slumped over the last year, so we've moved them to a more prominent place in the shop and put them on a buy one get one free. If all of a sudden you notice your clothing sales are dipping then you either look at the pricing, or the quality of stock.

Very rarely is lowering the price the right move. Unless it's the end of the season and you need to shift summer dresses and shorts rather than pay for storage.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 22:13

I personally donate my unwanted things because I hate waste and I want to save my planet. I'm not saying I should be able to buy designer gear cheap second hand, I expect and pay for good clothes that are different and wierd. Times have changed the majority of charity shops are quite expensive now. In my town we have a good selection one is very cheap most middle ground and one which specialises in designer clothes, so something for every pocket.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 22:23

I like boden and a shop I know gets photo shoot samples, some of which I can fit into 🤫 not cheap but cheaper

alexdgr8 · 03/05/2021 23:00

you can get really cheap clothes in primark, brand new, and try them on.

Happycat1212 · 03/05/2021 23:04

I had this with a sofa I bought from a charity shop, when it arrived it didn’t fit into my living room (wouldn’t go through the door) charity shop refused refund and said they would instead allow me to buy something else, what exactly was I going to buy from a charity shop for £70 when I was in desperate need for a sofa (Single mum and had just moved to a new place and had no sofa) I had to kick up a fuss to get my money back which I eventually did. Would never shop at a charity shop again after that. You have more rights in other shops

TheFutureDoesntWork · 03/05/2021 23:41

It's been the case for decades now that charity shops aren't for poor people. Leave them to the middle classes working themselves into a froth about fast fashion.

MissMaple82 · 03/05/2021 23:45

Yes they are allowed to do this. Any shop has the right to refuse a refund

StressMagnet · 03/05/2021 23:58

Charity shops in my area are expensive. You cant get a adults dress for less than £7. That would be for a bog standard dress. I'm only tempted by the more expensive brands and kids clothes. I know in the seaside town it's all a lot cheaper and you can buy everything for 50p.

If they was £3.5 I would risk my luck on losing it, but at the same time, if £3.5 was a lot to me I would rather spend £7 in primark or Asda where I can get a refund or swop sizes. It's a false economy if you cant get refunds or try on during the pandemic. It's a bit like buying kids shoes during covid times. Unless I'm absolutely desperate I dont need the hassle of buying shoes.

Oldsu · 04/05/2021 06:40

@Happycat1212

I had this with a sofa I bought from a charity shop, when it arrived it didn’t fit into my living room (wouldn’t go through the door) charity shop refused refund and said they would instead allow me to buy something else, what exactly was I going to buy from a charity shop for £70 when I was in desperate need for a sofa (Single mum and had just moved to a new place and had no sofa) I had to kick up a fuss to get my money back which I eventually did. Would never shop at a charity shop again after that. You have more rights in other shops
But why would it be the Charity shops fault it didn't fit through your door, didn't you think to measure it first? , so you kicked up a fuss to get a refund on something that was sold to you in good faith, that was not faulty that was legally fit for purpose and then have a moan about it when you actually got one, BTW you wouldn't have more 'rights' in another shop, DFS etc would not have been legally required to refund you because it wouldn't fit through your door, they might (as experts) have advised you to check things like that, given you dimensions to take home so you could check and I would also imagine they have a policy in place that their delivery drivers follow in situations like that, but a 'right' to a refund in that case, actually no
AbsolutelyPatsy · 04/05/2021 06:51

why would you want cheap falling apart primark clothes when you can get second hand M & S for example from a charity shop.?

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 04/05/2021 06:55

Quite honestly I'd never demand a refund from a charity shop, I'd just consider it a donation. It's for charity.
It's morally bankrupt really.

kowari · 04/05/2021 07:20

@AbsolutelyPatsy

why would you want cheap falling apart primark clothes when you can get second hand M & S for example from a charity shop.?
Yes, I'd rather buy second hand decent jeans than pre-destroyed new ones that won't even last the year. I don't think charity shops are just for the middle classes, working class people care about quality and environmental impact too. The only issue for me is not being able to try on clothes right now.
Ddot · 04/05/2021 07:22

Nice that you can do that but not everyone can