To get cross when people offload their old junk on charity shops?

[LifeHope11]

Where I live there are quite a few charity shops & I regularly see things left outside when they are closed, that look like junk - shabby clothes, rusty old buggies, broken toys etc. This despite many of the shops having notices requesting no donations left outside 'because they may be stolen' (or maybe the real reason is 'because we don't want to have to dispose of all your old rubbish').

Yesterday I was walking home from work & outside one shop was a big old computer, it looked like a vintage 1980s model so big that people were practically tripping over it in the street. Who knows if it even worked....anyway it was being rained on so probably wouldn't be working by the time the shop opened. Surely it must be a nightmare for the staff (volunteers?) to have to deal with 'donations' of this kind?

I think the people do this are selfish and thoughtless, maybe they have had house clearouts and can't be bothered to dispose of all their junk properly....so instead of donating good quality, usable things (which they maybe flog on ebay) they dump their rubbish at charity shops and go away feeling all virtuous. However they are too embarrassed to hand the stuff over when the shops are open.

yOu can't put textiles in your normal rubbish? Shit. Just half filled my Wheelie bin with old towels and bedding. They've emptied it though

I have dumped stuff outside charity shops before, no where to park during work hours where I can lug heavy sacks from, so pull up, leave. Have done it when someone in shop but its been shut, but knocked on the window.

I don't dump Crap though

I volunteer in a charity/thrift shop and have come across some stinky tatty stuff but a few weeks ago I came across my first pair of period pants that were swiftly followed by a pair of skidded pants. Both Calvin Klein but rather grey and fraying.

OMG how I boaked. The other volunteers could name the person who donated it and when I checked they were right.

This has been the most shocking thread I've come across on mn.

After reading this I can only say I've got the greatest respect for the volunteers who've got to put up with all this shit (literally and metaphorically). Have people no shame?

Oh. My. God. I really can't believe (but do, IYKWIM) that people do these things. And I feel bad about giving clean, but unironed, things to charity shops. Or slightly tatty paperbacks.

One question, for charity shop volunteers... I have some perfectly good bras, worn a handful of times, but have lost a lot of weight, and therefore don't fit any more. Is there any charity which will take these to be used, and not just sent to pulp/rags? It seems a shame for £30 bras just to be chucked. I really am very clean! :)

I used to manage a charity shop. First day back from maternity leave i got a bag with someone's old false teeth. Lovely. Also had the contents of bathroom bins before, think soiled pads and condoms, obviously got mixed in with the donations by mistake (you would hope).

Worst thing? Perhaps a live snake (it had escaped and hidden in the bag).

@Jenstar, yeah bras DO sell in charity shops

DailyMailSpy: what has not volunteering got to do with anything? Yes I do just tut at the bin bags, so what? I have a full time job, disabled DC & support my DH in his work for a local charity.....so overall we do our bit, we can't volunteer for everything & take on commitments we can't meet.

Anyway I fail to see what relevance this has.....I said I objected to people effectively dumping rubbish in the street, this would still apply whether I worked in a charity shop or not.

It just seems like you do an awful lot of judging and complaining about it but you're not willing to actually do anything about it...

To those who work in charity shops, would it help if you were handed a bag of resaleable stuff and a bag with rags in it. do you want the stuff for rags? For example in my charity bags at the moment, I have wearable shoes, some H&M stuff with tags still on, some hardly worn french connection/Hobbs stuff, some barely worn childrens clothes (Gap, M&S) including coats and nice stuff and some new costume jewellery that isnt my thing.

However, I also have old baby vests, sleepsuits, t-shirts socks etc that I assume you wouldnt want for anything but rags. Would you have to sort them again anyway?

I always feel guilty handing over the rags stuff (although I promise you its all clean)

DailySpyMail: I volunteer at a charity shop, and lazy people like you who think you can bully people who complain about this lazy practice are wrong. You don't have to volunteer to know this is sheer laziness and shows what a sense of entitlement some people have.

Spy - I really don't see the point of that. What do you propose I 'do about it'? Patrol the shops and stop people about to dump things there from doing so? Like most people I take care of my own affairs and expect others to take care of theirs, so yes I get cross when people are thoughtless and inconsiderate and I don't think I am alone in this, it has nothing to do with being 'judging'. As I have already explained I am not in a position to do more than I already do in the community, but everyone needs to play their part.

Ugh. I had no idea people were so disgusting. I never know what to do with clothes that are too scruffy to sell, I recently put a bag in one of those bins with a note at the top saying they were rags. They were clean though!

The point in your op is that you're complaining about the way some people are donating, I've explained that some shops still get money for even the worst donations, and it is hard for some to find the time to donate so maybe leaving bags outside is the only way they can donate, but that's still not good enough, so what else do you propose other than offering your time to help out?

lurking, I'm lazy and a bully, please explain more?

You mentioned you dump stuff. Lazy.

You were (IMO) bullying the OP because she doesn't work in a charity shop. That has nothing to do with anything and IMO you are deflecting your bad behaviour onto her. That's not fair.

No I've never mentioned I dump stuff, I've read over my post too and I can't see where I said that either, could you show me?

If I have you confused with another poster, you have my deepest apology. :)

And for clarification lurking, I dont dump stuff, but as my previous posts have explained, when I volunteered we'd still get money from people dumping even the worst stuff, and we'd still understand that not everyone can make it during opening hours.

What bad behaviour am I deflecting onto op exactly?

Crossed posts, it's ok :)

Like I said, I may have confused you with someone else. If so, I do apologise.

AHH double cross post! Lol

Spy - I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this. I do see your point that money can be made even from some apparent rubbish but if so that is incidental. Other posters have confirmed that sometimes it actually costs money to take stuff away.

If a donor isn't sure if a shop can use the stuff they should ask....I don't accept people can't make it during opening hours or ask spouse/family member/friend to do it for them if they are really too busy.

I just believe that when the shops display notices requesting no donations be left outside, they do it for a good reason & should be respected.

I have never really donated clothes. Didn't know that they could get money from those that aren't sellable. My clothes tend to either get bleach stains, come away at the hem, ripped, got holes in etc same with the kids, paint stains, grass stains, rips etc so never thought to donate them not knowing they can still get money for them. I shall have to ask them next time when I pass.

I have donated bigger things, like DS1 barely used trike as it was bought for him a bit late and he grew out of it before he had chance to use it. Also donate books whenever I have finished reading them, the PS2 went once we got PS3, etc. I always make sure they look newish, so that they will sell for them.

I do wonder what the hell goes through some peoples minds sometimes.

Not everyone can ask family/friends. I live 140 miles away from my family. I only have two close friends here who I could ask, but mainly (one is now on Maternity Leave) they are at work too and can't drop things off for me. Plus my partner leaves home at 6.30am and doesn't return home till 5.30pm, so can't ask him either. I don't work however, so not a problem. But for those who do, I can see how their only option is to leave them outside the Charity.

We get charity bags shoved through our letterbox at least once a week, asking us to fill them with a variety of clothes / toys / shoes / books / bric-a-brac, and then leave by the kerb on such and such a day.

Most of our local supermarkets have clothes banks and book banks, and our local post office has a shoe bank.

Most local charity shops are open 6 days a week, so most people would be able to get to one to donate in person if they really wanted to.

All alternatives to leaving bags outside a closed charity shop.

I'm shocked to hear that some people think it's acceptable to 'donate' textiles covered in poo, piss etc, and all sorts of other rubbish.