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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get anoyed with charity bag packers at checkouts.

107 replies

Geekster · 05/02/2013 13:55

I know I sound horrible from the above, but I get fed up of all these charities wanting to pack my bags for me. I would rather do it myself thanks so everything doesn't end up squashed. I usually ask them not to do it now. Don't get me wrong I know charities are struggling these days and they are usually for local ones like the scout hut or kids rugby club. And I always put some money in their bucket but it drives me mad sometimes.

OP posts:

MrsDoomsPatterson · 06/02/2013 12:43

I can spell uncomfortable, really I can

atthewelles · 06/02/2013 12:47

It's not my or anyone's 'fault' MrsDooms. Some people just feel that way and are entitled to have those feelings considered ie just make some of the tills packer free.

seeker · 06/02/2013 12:48

Out of interest, how often does this happen? I go into one of our 3 supermarkets most days-I don't think there's been a bag pack at any of them since well before Christmas. The supermarkets are very aware of not wanting to piss off mean spirited customers, so don't let it happen too often.

And it doesn't have to be a handful of change. 10p's fine. As is "no thank you"

PuffPants · 06/02/2013 12:49

Why do people need help packing shopping into a bag? Is it hard? I don't get it...

MrsDoomsPatterson · 06/02/2013 12:52

OK, looks like that's the system in your particular supermarket so what's the alternative? Walk out? Say "No ta" - You takes your choice.

MrsDoomsPatterson · 06/02/2013 12:57

PuffPants, it's just suposed to be an easy way to make a little contribution to whatever the cause you support is (ours is sport related) - Actually my husband really enjoys it when he takes our son, a bit of banter with the customers, happy chatter etc, says most customers are lovely, only a few not interested, (which is absolutely fine!)

DreamsTurnToGoldDust · 06/02/2013 12:59

God, some people will just find anything to moan about. How on earth people cant say no thanks is beyond me. Moaning about youngsters doing something that offends no one is a new level of miserable a ness.

WorriedMummy73 · 06/02/2013 13:01

I usually just say 'no thankyou' and no one seems unduly hurt or upset. What's all the fuss about?

jeee · 06/02/2013 13:06

I have never seen supermarket bag packers collecting for anything other than holidays - nice, obviously middle-class children who want their trip to Peru or Cambodia funded. I pay for my own children to go on holiday, and I give money to charities that I choose to, not just those that happen to get a slot at the local Morrisons. I have no problem saying no, though.

PuffPants · 06/02/2013 13:14

I've never encountered this. I would find it really annoying. Surely it just slows you down? Perhaps it's a regional thing. I don't want strangers fingering my groceries and making small talk with me.

I don't think Waitrose would allow begging at the tills anyway

MrsDoomsPatterson · 06/02/2013 13:21

Begging

MrsDoomsPatterson · 06/02/2013 13:23

Waitrose do not allow it, PuffPants, because they have their 'Community Matters' scheme.

atthewelles · 06/02/2013 13:32

Seeker it happens regularly at my supermarket. And one of the things that bugs me is that you actually have to ask the kids what they're collecting for. The boxes always have some vague title on them that could mean anything. Why can a sign not be put up saying 'today our bagpacking are packing for (insert clear description)'. A friend of mine was telling me a while ago that her daughter's school were bagpacking for a skiing trip. They were instructed by the organisers to be 'a bit vague' if customers asked questions as they probably wouldn't want to give to something like that. That story has made me very dubious about kids collecting for unclear causes.

seeker · 06/02/2013 14:19

You know something? In a few days there will be another thread bitching about how outrageous it is that people have to pay £3 for their kids to go to Scouts.

higgle · 06/02/2013 14:24

I really dislike their presence. If it is a"real" charity i put something in the bucket but at our local supermarket it is usually either 6th formers collecting for their trips abroad ( my son can't afford to go) so I don't give to them. The second group I find really upsetting, and that is the air force and army cadets.
We are very anti military in our family and seeing young people being encouraged through fun activities to think about singing up to kill or be killed is pretty disgusting. I usually feel like saying "will your mother like it when she welcomes you home in a body bag?" but it doesn't seem quite right to, so I just think it.

atthewelles · 06/02/2013 14:24

No one's 'bitching' Seeker. Some of us have just explained the reasons why we don't always welcome seeing bag packers at the checkouts or why we wish supermarkets might be more selective about the causes they ask their customers to support or give shoppers reluctant to say 'no' the option of going through a packer free checkout.
It's all about compromise really.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 06/02/2013 14:29

I'm also bamboozled by the need for CRB checking. And the attitude displayed when being asked to clarify.

Nowt as strange as MN posterd.

cumfy · 06/02/2013 14:33

Haven't seen these.

Why are supermarkets so keen to facilitate this ?

Seems they must be raking it in with every other customer "gratefully" paying them not to pack their bags.

HecateWhoopass · 06/02/2013 14:34

I have been wracking my brains trying to work out why people who stand at the end of the aisle when you're doing your shopping would need a check to make sure they have no criminal record.

I can't think of a single valid reason.

I mean, the checkout assistants don't have to have one. So it can't even be about the possibility of working out what your PIN is or something ridiculous like that. Or perhaps it's some idea that if you're collecting money you have to have a crb? or a DBS as it's called now. The leaders will be, because they work with children. But the children don't need to be and they're the ones at the end of the aisles. Not that you can check kids anyway. The minimum age is 16. DBS is about protecting children and vulnerable adults. I think the old one used to include people who worked in finance? But I may be wrong on that. But that wouldn't apply here anyway.

I'm really baffled.

Unless it was some sort of play on the letters CRB. erm. carrier, rubbish, bag?

I don't let them pack my bags. I chuck a quid in and I'm fairly sure they don't care that they don't get to pack my bags.

seeker · 06/02/2013 14:39

Sigh.

Because it's it's a good way for youth organizations to raise some cash.

In our case, uniformed Scouts ask politely "Would you like some help with your packing?" And the person says yes or no. If they say yes, the scout helps with the packing. If they say no, the scout doesn't. And there's a bucket the person can put 10p in if they want to. This enables our unit to carry on offering sail training to kids from a very disadvantaged area for £3 a 2 hour session.

Unfortunately, there are people who appear to consider it an infringement of their human rights to be asked.

atthewelles · 06/02/2013 14:46

And there are some people who feel uncomfortable having to say 'no' and would like if a couple of checkouts could be left packer free. Where's the problem?

SPBInDisguise · 06/02/2013 14:49

Lurking for the crb explanation...

MrsDoomsPatterson · 06/02/2013 15:09

You need to take that up with the supermarket really, atthewells, nowt we can do at this end!

BigBoobiedBertha · 06/02/2013 15:18

YANBU although I don't care if they want to offer or not. I just say no thank you. I have a system and take my own bags so they would not be helping and I pay them to keep out of the way.

I do find it a bit irritating when they don't stand back and let me get on with it though or worse still, their mates come over and start chatting but it doesn't happen that often.

WRT to the frequency of charity bag packers being in store, about once a month I would say. We have definitely had one lot since Christmas.

atthewelles · 06/02/2013 15:20

I didn't ask you to 'do' anything MrsDoom. I am trying to explain to sighing posters that some people don't feel comfortable saying 'no' and that is one of the reasons why people don't welcome seeing regular bag packers at their supermarket.

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