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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Charity shop donations

55 replies

sbshannon · 18/08/2015 14:26

Just reading some comments posted about a year or so ago on donating to charity shops. BHF do free collections; however they can be very picky. I have waited in all day for them to collect a mattress; about 2 years old, good condition, no tears, etc. The van drivers were not particularly friendly, and refused to take the mattress due to 'stains'. Apart from it not looking brand new, there were no stains, so not sure what standard it has to be for them to take it. Personally, as I live in a flat, I wonder if they didn't want to bother lugging it down the 3 flights of stairs!
Anyway, I wouldn't bother with BHF unless the item in question is 'nearly new'.

OP posts:

Coconutty · 18/08/2015 14:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

voluptuagoodshag · 18/08/2015 14:37

I no longer hand books into Oxfam because of their attitude. Was told that some weren't in good enough condition to sell. They were used obviously but perfectly readable. The woman then went on to say that she would put them in a box under the counter and sell them to her regulars for 10p but it was shop policy to not sell really used books. As this was a policy from higher up the ladder I wrote to Oxfam to express my disgust and that people would be happy to pay less for poorer quality books but at least give them the choice as all the money could be going to charity. I never got a reply. I give my books to other charities now.

TheFallenMadonna · 18/08/2015 14:38

I took some stuff to Oxfam today. Everyone was perfectly polite. And I wanted to get rid of the stuff.

Nabootique · 18/08/2015 14:45

I've never had a bad experience myself, but that all sounds really disappointing, especially the books! I love old books.

I did once have a woman working in one ask me if I was sure I was going to fit into the top I was buying as they didn't do returns! The top was a size 10, and I was a size 10, and she said it in a very rude tone, implying I was far too big.

voluptuagoodshag · 18/08/2015 14:48

Oh the woman in the shop was polite enough and actually seemed embarrassed at having to spout forth the charity policy, hence the box under the counter. I just thought it was a crap policy and crapper still that they never replied.

RedDaisyRed · 18/08/2015 14:48

Old books can be the really valuable ones.
I don't normally have trouble. I took some clothes into Barnados a few days ago and they just pointed. Usually people thank you.

Floggingmolly · 18/08/2015 14:49

I've had the same with BHF. Refused to take two cabin beds because they "wouldn't fit in the van", despite having filled in the dimensions on the fecking website (which they insisted upon, wouldn't take details over the phone).
Ended up giving them to a neighbour down the road who happened to be passing instead.

MitzyLeFrouf · 18/08/2015 14:53

I've stopped giving my books to my local Oxfam bookshop too. They always act as though they're doing you a massive favour by taking your hardbacks, selling them at a ridiculously inflated price, and making a nice profit out of them.

Now I donate them to Barnardos and Marie Curie both of which are closer to my house and staffed by less snooty individuals.

With regards to the mattress they probably didn't take it as they thought they'd have difficulty selling it on. I've bought lots of furniture from the BHF in the past but would never have bought a used mattress.

Original poster

sbshannon · 18/08/2015 14:53

Looks like it could be a bit hit and miss as to whether your donated goods are received with thanks or not! Charity shops have come a long, long way in the last 10/15 years, and considering the recent negative publicity surrounding charities, you'd think they'd at least be polite, friendly and show a bit of gratitude. Perhaps they need to up their game a little bit, after all if they didn't get donations where would they be!

OP posts:

MitzyLeFrouf · 18/08/2015 14:56

Having said that I do look at some of the sofas for sale in the BHF shop with the grimy outline of their previous owner and wonder who the hell would by one of those.

voluptuagoodshag · 18/08/2015 14:57

Also stopped donating to Oxfam because when I made a larger than normal contribution after the Boxing Day Tsunami, they called and pestered me for weeks asking me to sign up to a regular contribution.

LavenderLeigh · 18/08/2015 14:59

We had the same treatment from BHF re furniture, fully described and then on arrival of the van, refused.

I used to regularly donate books to Debra, but the last time the manager turned us away without even enquiring what the books were. Three of them were quite rare, at least a dozen were first edition hardbacks in almost perfect condition. She was so rude I've boycotted the shop ever since.

I used to love browsing for old/ out of print books in charity shops. I hardly bother now as they mainly stock best sellers only.

BlueThursday · 18/08/2015 15:04

Aw that's a shame we've always found the BHF good and they took a divan from us at the end of last year. Their only stipulation was it still had its fire tag on it

Shelter on the other hand were horrible and refused to take clothes (which were mine) from my DM as they were convinced "this person is deceased"

JeanneDeMontbaston · 18/08/2015 15:09

I volunteered at Oxfam a few years back - one of the things they did back then, was to have volunteers who were adults with learning disabilities. Some people would say that you should focus on just one thing as a charity, and if you're set up to be Oxfam, you shouldn't also be worrying about giving people opportunities to work for you, if they won't be perfect at customer service. But I think that's a real pity.

Some of the people I worked with might occasionally have sounded a little bit odd, but you could easily realise it wasn't deliberate and it doesn't really do anyone any hard not to receive effusive thanks for donating things they don't want, does it?

voluptuagoodshag · 18/08/2015 15:10

Not getting the "this person is deceased"

MitzyLeFrouf · 18/08/2015 15:11

I don't want effusive thanks, I just don't want to be made feel that I'm putting them out by donating books to a bookshop.

BlueThursday · 18/08/2015 15:12

Neither did my DM

She guessed they didn't want the clothes of a dead person (which I wasn't but why not?). What made them think I was we have no clue!

Think she put them in the Salvation Army bottle bank type thing at Tesco

voluptuagoodshag · 18/08/2015 15:12

I feel sad for charities. They do such great work but the bad media publicity and the chuggers in the high street do not help their cause.

voluptuagoodshag · 18/08/2015 15:14

How odd Blue!!! My mum donated my late dad's clothes to a local charity shop and got a letter of thanks for it!! Why on earth would someone not accept deceased's clothing. That's as barmy as 'not in mint condition' books.

JeanneDeMontbaston · 18/08/2015 15:14

YY, mitzy, I do get that - I'm just commenting on the way some people see it.

LarrytheCucumber · 18/08/2015 15:15

Sorry to be ignorant but what is BHF? Also Debra?

MitzyLeFrouf · 18/08/2015 15:17

BHF - British Heart Foundation

Debra - medical research charity for Epidermolysis bullosa, a horrific genetic skin condition.

isseywithcats · 18/08/2015 15:18

i work at yorkshire cat rescue charity shop in halifax, when people bring donations in we always take the boxes or bags off donators without looking at the contents and always say thank you, the only things we dont take are videos in huge quantities as they are hard to sell nowadays, our manager loves books coming in, the only ones that dont go on sale are really bad condition ones, some of the donations dont make it on sale because sometimes a bag of clothes when we sort them really are rags ( but then we make money from rags but would be nice if people marked them as such) and sometimes toys etc they dont work or there are parts missing, but if we think something is sellable it goes out in the shop or really good stuff goes on our ebay page

MitzyLeFrouf · 18/08/2015 15:20

I'm sure charity shops must get lots of people palming off black bags full of worn/torn tat that no one would ever want to buy and I can see that would get really irritating.

Original poster

sbshannon · 18/08/2015 15:20

From everyone's comments today it seems that it's about 50% good service and 50% bad. It is definitely a shame as charities do some great work. I certainly felt kind of humiliated as the van driver inspected the mattress as though he was doing me a favour by taking it. Not a good feeling when you're trying to do a good deed.

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