To be a wee bit narked with charidee shop lady?

[Iklboo]

We had a clear out at weekend of DS's old clothes & toys. Filled a bin bag with toys & 4 carrier bags of clothes - loads never worn, all washed & in immaculate condition etc.
Took it to the charity shop yesterday. As soon as we walked in the door the woman looked up from talking to her friend and said "put them in the stairs".
"OK - it's some baby clothes & toys" said DH
"Yeah - I told you put them on the stairs" she replied and tutted, rolling her eyes at her friend.

NOW - I wasn't exactly expecting her to prostrate herself at our feet and proclaim us as gods, but I think a "thank you" would have been nice

Especially since today my mate at work has just come back from a volunteer stint in Mombassa and told us how stuff sent from Oxfam etc is bought en bloc by people in Africa and then SOLD at a profit to the people it's supposed to be being donated to!

I feel now I should have held onto the stuff and got work to post it all out to the specific orphanage she was at

Still....doing that would deprive the British Heart Foundation, who need all the money they get.

Sigh

[GreenandBlackOtter]

iklboo - please do get hold of that orphanage address ....we could send stuff!

[GameGirly]

You did the right thing and someone will benefit. What would you have done with it otherwise. I can't believe that woman was so rude and ungrateful. But I suppose she's doing it for nothing and perhaps she was having a Very Bad Day?!

[cupcakes]

She probably thinks she's doing you a favour by taking it off your hands.
Even if it wasn't for charity a few manners couldn't have hurt.

[Miaou]

oH gRRRR !!

I HATE it when people are so rude like that. A lot of charity shops are desperate for stuff, as they lose a lot to ebay and the like. THey can't afford to be rude. My local charity shops fall over themselves with gratitude when I take stuff in - especially when I say "it's all washed and ironed" - but that's the Highlands for you - everyone is lovely here.

[singingmum]

We had a charity shop with same prob.We now give stuff to another shop where volunteers are polite and friendly.Complain.
I know it sounds harsh but people have about our local one and the person involved has been told to buck up her ideas.Ater all if people don't donate how can they raise money?
There is never an excuse for rudness no matter what is happening.

[Iklboo]

G&BOtter - I've asked her for the address and will post it tomorrow.
It's an orphanage for AIDS orphans - exactly like the one Ant & Dec visited for Comic Relief. All the children are HIV positive. The orphanage is run independently by a lady in Mombassa who is 75 and spends all her time fighting for funds.
My team at work have adopted it as our personal charity (since our company holds registered charity status itself it won't get involved) so every bit will help.
Thanks ladies!!!

[Iklboo]

My friend is showing us all her photos. We're all in blimming tears now
Poor little souls!

[KittyLetteMeEatAnEasterEgg]

im sorry but i wouldve picked it all up and took it to another charity shop!

[warthog]

i would have walked out tbh.

[Caligula]

LOL why are nearly all the charity shop volunteers I've ever met insane?

I've very rarely met a normal well-adjusted person volunteering in a charity shop. They all seem extraordinarily mad in one way or another.

I'd complain about her - if she's rude to everyone, she might be discouraging potential customers from coming in the shop and spending money and if that's happening, her volunteering isn't doing the charity any favours. (I have recently had to sack a volunteer, so believe me, although they're like gold-dust, they're not always an unmitigated Good Thing.)

[raspberryberet]

I'd have picked it up and taken it to another charity shop as well.

Then I would have complained to the manager of the first shop.

You have the right to be treated politely in a charity shop, just as in any other; the fact that it's a charity concern doesn't excuse rude behaviour.

[warthog]

i think what happens in some volunteer work is people give up their time to help out. initially the work itself is it's own reward, but after a while it isn't enough. she's probably expecting YOU to say thank you to HER for working in the shop!

by no means am i suggesting that this is always the case...

[NineUnlikelyTales]

Caligula

I used to run a volunteer organisation and had 60 of the feckers. I would have cut off at least one limb if I could have fired the really appalling ones (or indeed just cut off one of their limbs). What offences did the volunteer commit? It must have been serious.

[LilRedWG]

Iklboo - haven't read the whole thread, but if you can get a private address rather than the orphanage address that would be better. We were told when we were out there that corruption is rife in the post office too and anything marked for a school, orphanage or charity is likely to be stolen and sold on the black market.

[kittywaitsfornumber6]

Iklboo, did you ever watch any "league of gentlemen,"?
They had a a pair of awful charity shop workers, very true to life though. If you ever get to see it it might bring a smile to your face .

[ipanemabunny]

iklboo that would really irritate me as well, it's not good enough is it?

[Iklboo]

I think my friend had the address of the lady who runs the charity as well as the orphange address. I'll get it off her tomorrow.

Kitty - I'd forgotten about LOG. HILARIOUS and spot on

[Caligula]

Nineunlikely - she just kept not turning up for the event (letting clients down and sending the group organiser doolally). I suggested to her that the commitment was too much and as we couldn't run the group on the basis of not knowing if one of our volunteers was going to be there or not, I couldn't really use her anymore!

She was astounded and furious, but what can you do? Just because you're not being paid, volunteering's still a commitment...

[JanH]

Bethany Place of Safety - someone called Rosie used to post on MN asking for clothes for this place, which she used to visit regularly so clothes (and some toys) could be sent to her in the UK and she would take them with her.

I don't know if she is still visiting but her details are on the contact page.

[JanH]

(The website is 12 months out of date though...)

[scatterbrain]

Oh yes - I have given up taking stuff to charity shops now - I put it in the clothes skip for charity instead ! Or sometimes freecycle it !

I have probably told this before - last time I took charity stuff I had some toys/books in one of those collapsible plastic crates - the woman said "put it there" in a rude way - so I explained that I would like to empty it and take my crate home ! She said she was far too bsuy to do it now - she was having tea at the time - so leave it there - so I said OK I'll pop in after I've had my hair cut ! So I came back an hour or so later and asked her for my crate and she said I can't have it as she's using it to store coat-hangers in ! I explained I was not giving the ctate - just using it to trasnport stuff and she started screaming at me to stop being so selfish ! There were several people in the shop - all of whom obviously thought I was in the wrong - so I left my crate and scuttled away !!!

Never again !!!

[Glassofwine]

Look up the charities website and email a complaint.

[inanidealworld]

Kittywaitsforno6 - Would you like that in a bag?

[RTKangaMummy]

DH aunt used to volunteer for Heart foundation shop

They have league tables of how much profit they make and the shop she was in would always try to be friendly etc and would activley want stuff

cos the more they got in the more they could sell

When she died we gave all her stuff to the shop to sell cos it was what she wanted

so see if you can find out where the shop is in the league and complain deffo

[kittywaitsfornumber6]

inanidealworld