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Original poster

Charity shop rant

220 replies

blubkins · 05/03/2017 19:18

Took a donation into the local charity shop over the weekend. The guy at the till told me to take the donation to the back. The door to the store room was open so I put it in there. Another lady came along and put a huge donation in there. Not a second later, a woman who worked in the shop came rushing to the back, shouting at us and lecturing us in a very patronising tone about not going into the back and putting our donations outside the door "because of health and safety". She was extremely rude and said to the other lady "can you please get out" tutting and in the most angry teacher type voice. I explained that the man had said to take it to the back and since the door was open I had just popped it inside (where there were loads of other bags). She insisted on explaining to us why we shouldn't have been in there and I told her back that she needs to explain that to her colleague not us as his instructions were not clear.

The other woman leaving a donation was great, she simply said to the charity shop worker that it was "fine, but please can I have my donation back". At this point the worker realised what a mistake she had made and tried to halfheartedly apologise but the other donator took her bag, left the shop and gave the donation to the other charity shop a few doors down.

I was so shocked at how rude the shop worker was and I pointed out that we were donating items and she shouldn't be so rude. It's a shame because it is a small shop that needs support and I imagine the other lady won't donate there again (and I will reconsider now).

AIBU to think that if you receive a donation you should be thankful and not abuse the people giving stuff in (wealthy middle class area where people tend to donate high quality stuff)?

OP posts:
slithytove · 07/03/2017 00:11

You might have a point flogging if the equivelenf hours resulted in the benefits being the living wage, as opposed to around £2ph

LilQueenie · 07/03/2017 00:32

you are not shoved in charity shops by the jobcentre. You get asked what kind of work you are looking at and if it falls within retail then you will be given pushed in after a certain time of not working and claiming. Its not like those there have not said yes ok to that type of work.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 07/03/2017 02:16

Lil

Consent given by someone whose choice is do this or don't eat, is not consent at all.

And hand clap to Molly as always bravo for getting in a benefit dig it's been a few hours since your last one

salsmum · 07/03/2017 04:16

I find a lot of these volunteers have no interest in the particular charity they are working for but are doing it either to show they are a do-gooder or do it purely to get themselves out of the house/for social reasons.

Or, in many cases, they'll lose their disability benefits, otherwise. Pickachew why chose this particular benefit to bash? My DD would like be to be able to work but because of her severe physical disabilities cannot so for you to make that statement about that particular benefit is highly offensive !

mathanxiety · 07/03/2017 05:11

Floggingmolly Mon 06-Mar-17 22:03:16
Why do you think people shouldn't have to do anything in return for benefits?

Do you think it is 'doing something in return for benefits' if you put in a 35 hour week and receive £70, or is this a case of out and out exploitation?

Would there be more people actually employed or able to get a start in employment if government was not subsidising employers by sending them a stream of people to work at no cost to the employer?

MrsTrentReznor · 07/03/2017 06:29

I worked with someone once that made a fortune selling stuff at boot sales.
I saw her a few weeks later being an arsehole to someone dropping off some donations in the back of our local hospice shop.
I'd be inclined to agree that not all charity shop workers are there out of the goodness of their hearts.
OTOH I also know a chap that wanted to give back to the charity that helped his mum. He worked Saturdays in their shop for years. He was grateful for every tiny donation that came through that door.

Floggingmolly · 07/03/2017 08:16

Needasockamnesty, I genuinely don't get your point; I have to work or I don't eat. What's the difference?

CactusFred · 07/03/2017 08:54

I've got a few bits to drop into a charity shop today and now I'm nervous! Wink

Will the be able to take swim suits?

BretonRose · 07/03/2017 10:06

The point is that forced labour at below legal and/or market rates is cannabalistic on real paid employment Hanging Judge FloggingMolly.

Now get back to swinging your cat o'nine tails, or is it keel hauling you have on this morning?

Floggingmolly · 07/03/2017 10:13

No, dear. I'm in actual paid employment.

BretonRose · 07/03/2017 10:25

And there was I labouring under the misapprehension that keel haulers were only paid the king's shilling Flogging, so just the standard workfare rate.

Oh, you mean your work with dead horses don't you! Sorry, didn't realise...

TinfoilHattie · 07/03/2017 10:32

Will the be able to take swim suits

Our charity shop doesn't sell on used swimsuits or underwear, but we can send it for recycling and make money on it that way.

honeyroar · 07/03/2017 10:43

How upsetting. I thought my experience yesterday was a one off, sounds like it wasn't.

I used to do an online auction for a charity, but have recently stopped. I had a big box of items that would have gone on the next auction, and would have raised around £300, plenty of new items. I took it to the local charity shop for a similar cause (animal rescue, lots of animal ornaments and items in the box). They were really snotty with me, told me off for banging the door too much when I opened it (I had a large heavy box in my arms), couldn't take books, bla bla, just made me feel a nuisance for leaving them a couple of hundred ££ worth of stock. I won't be going back, which is a shame as the charity is a good one.

Gwenhwyfar · 07/03/2017 10:46

"Its not like those there have not said yes ok to that type of work."

Never heard of the Poundland case? That person did not want to work in Poundland for no wages, but the Job Centre forced her to anyway. I know that some charity shops also use workfare.

problembottom · 07/03/2017 10:57

I'm shocked by all this rudeness. I donate to my local Mind charity shop and the women are always lovely when I take my bags in. And I love the emails I get saying how much my stuff has made. There are nice ones out there!

honeyroar · 07/03/2017 11:00

True Roblembottom, and to balance my post, I then took the books that the charity shop rejected to another charity shop, who were delighted to have them and very polite.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 07/03/2017 11:25

I genuinely don't get your point; I have to work or I don't eat. What's the difference?

If you would work full time hours for £70 a week with no employment rights at all fully in the knowledge that if your employer took the fancy you could end up sanctioned for up to 3 years.
Then you are not quite as bright as you think you are

Floggingmolly · 07/03/2017 11:32

Of course I wouldn't do that Hmm. maybe I'm bright enough not to? Why is it seen as a viable, unavoidable alternative to actually working directly for an employer, though? Nobody can prevent you getting a job and avoiding working for slave wages?

NeedsAsockamnesty · 07/03/2017 12:07

Because for some people at various points in their life it is unavoidable.

frankiedog · 07/03/2017 12:12

Simple.

If a 'volunteer' is rude to you when you donate or visit a charity shop, just politely ask for their name. When they ask why, say that you will be writing to their 'area manager ' about the disgraceful way that you have been spoken to. You would not for a second tolerate that level of rudeness in any other shop so why should you in a 'charity' shop?

I know exactly what you mean about the rudeness, but often the shop manager is at fault, as they would be in the commercial sector, as it is their job to ensure that customers and donators are treated with courtesy and respect. It is the charity shops, whose staff are pleasant and polite, that are properly managed.

By the level of response to this thread it seems to be a common problem, just complain !! And don't just threaten to do it, do it. It is not enough for management of these shops to say' well they are volunteers' they are your staff, paid or unpaid, and as such they represent your organisation. It is the managements role to manage !!

fairweathercyclist · 07/03/2017 12:27

I hate donating to charity shops, the staff (volunteers) always sigh and act as if they are doing you a favour taking the items.

I use the donation boxes at recycling centres. They can't moan or ask me to sign giftaid forms.

LagunaBubbles · 07/03/2017 12:28

I had to complain about a volunteer once to the manager, had such an uncomfortable experience. Big charity shop at my work that Im in most weeks, always picking up something. Was buying some plastic toys and the woman said to me " oh are they for your daughter?", I said no, they were actually for my husband who was a childminder. She looked at me in horror and then started going on about how it was ridiculous men were allowed to look after children, how they were paedophiles etc. It was horrible, especially since there were other customers there. Felt a bit shook up to but complained to their head office, I know the manager of the shop to say hello to and the next time I was in she apologised and said the volunteer had been spoken to. I like the shop too much to boycott it!

mathanxiety · 07/03/2017 13:16

Why is it seen as a viable, unavoidable alternative to actually working directly for an employer, though? Nobody can prevent you getting a job and avoiding working for slave wages

Why would an employer hire someone and face paying actual wages when he could get people from the job centre whom he doesn't have to pay?

A job involves work and being paid. Not just work. How many jobs are taken off the market when people are basically working for free?

This is the economic argument against commercially viable work being done by prisoners and by slaves - roadwork, making parts, agriculture, etc. It undercuts wages and reduces the number of real (i.e. paying) jobs available when work can be done for free.

ArcheryAnnie · 07/03/2017 13:41

Nobody can prevent you getting a job and avoiding working for slave wages?

This is the sentence that has now given me permission to permanently discount everything and anything that FloggingMolly might ever say. She can write what she likes, of course, but from now on I am spared the effort of trying to decide if it's sensible or not.

Catlady1976 · 07/03/2017 18:59

Workfare is crap. My dsis had a friend who volunteers with her at a charity shop. She does 20 hours per week but only works out the back. Her friend is doing an BBQ and learning the till etc. They are both on JSA .
However a year ago he was told he had to go on workfare program. The city ship in which they volunteer in don't participate do he was moved to another shop.
He was made to do more basic tasks for 35 hours per week for his 72 quid. Slave labour imo.