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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed the charity shop would not accept my donation

643 replies

Bearbehind · 21/01/2018 13:49

I've had a bit of a clear out and had some stuff to take the the charity shop.

I checked on line it was open today then took the stuff into town.

You can't park right outside so I carried the stuff, in the snow, to the shop only to see a sign which said they no longer open on Sundays.

Oh well, I thought but, all the lights were on and I could see at least 3 people inside so I knocked the door and someone opened it.

He said they were shut and I explained I didn't want to come in, just drop these donations off.

He outright refused to accept them, because they were shut, and I'd have to go to another branch of theirs that was open today or come back tomorrow.

AIBU to think that if someone has made the effort to bring a donation to a charity shop and if there's are people there, they should accept them.

I'll be buggered if I'm taking stuff to them again.

OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 21/01/2018 14:23

If it was a Saturday, I'd say YWNBU, but it's Sunday and you knew there was a good chance the shop would be shut.

mydogisthebest · 21/01/2018 14:24

CuriousaboutSamphire, Bags are certainly not immediately inspected in all charity shops.

I work in one and, depending how busy we are, bags can sit for several days before anyone starts looking through them.

I think the staff were rude and out of order. They could easily have taken the bags into the shop

wrenika · 21/01/2018 14:24

They must have some daft rule...seems rather stupid to answer the door but refuse to take the bags. I must admit that the general attitude of charity shops puts me off and generally I don't bother anymore. I just chuck stuff out. The only pleasant charity shop I've donated to was the oxfam bookshop!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 21/01/2018 14:25

cods You do know that the workers will know what sells and have every right to refuse any donation? They haven't got unlimited space! How weird that you feel they should take what they are given and be grateful!

Tarraleah · 21/01/2018 14:25

perfectly good prams (can't be sold by charity shops)
Pretty sure my local ones do sell them.

TheProvincialLady · 21/01/2018 14:26

Its a charity shop with the purpose of raising money for the intended charity. Not a charity shop with the purpose of providing a free disposal service for the benefit of those who want it, at the time they want it. They can accept or decline anything they want, whenever they like.

Original poster
Bearbehind · 21/01/2018 14:26

it's Sunday and you knew there was a good chance the shop would be shut.

Which is why I’d specifically checked online if the were open and it said they were

It’s only this year they’ve stopped opening and they haven’t updated their website

OP posts:
CuriousaboutSamphire · 21/01/2018 14:26

I work in one and, depending how busy we are, bags can sit for several days before anyone starts looking through them. I work in one too... and that is what happens here. We don't leave bags to sit, ever!

I've worked in a few different shops locally, and they all do the same. Maybe we just have truly disgusting donators Sad

mummaCL · 21/01/2018 14:27

I don't expect charity shops to fall over themselves to thank me for donations. I only donate clean, undamaged, useful items
(sometimes new).
I've had snotty attitude from some shops before - their loss

frasier · 21/01/2018 14:27

Personally I think that items that go directly to source (like a women's refuge, homeless shelter, animal charities often want clean towels and bedding) is a more satisfactory way of donating.

I once knew of a fundraiser for a well known charity who raised less than her salary per annum. Confused

CuriousaboutSamphire · 21/01/2018 14:30

Pretty sure my local ones do sell them. I am sure some must, just as BHF shops sell far more electrical goods etc. They have a different set up, can PAT test etc, some will have an 'expert' who can check prams over. But there has been a general shift towards not selling them, blame H+S or people making complaints!

Gingaaarghpussy · 21/01/2018 14:30

I live above a charity shop, the amount of people who leave stuff on the pavement astounds me. They even have a sign on the door asking people not to do this.
I always take the stuff in and give it to them when they are open. If they can't take it I wander to the next charity shop and give it to them.
There are somewhere in the region of ten charity shops in my town, so I'm spoilt for choice. None open on a Sunday and all have been polite when refusing.
On a Monday morning every single one has stuff outside. Its like the dodgems and an open invite for a rummage.
I wouldn't go anywhere near your shop because of the rudeness. Its their loss

Gwenhwyfar · 21/01/2018 14:30

"Which is why I’d specifically checked online if the were open and it said they were

It’s only this year they’ve stopped opening and they haven’t updated their website"

Sorry. Then it's their fault. They should have accepted your items after you made the effort to get there on a day when they were supposed to be open.

Cindie943811A · 21/01/2018 14:31

OP I think the workers were unreasonable in not being flexible considering the fact that the website is wrong and the weather conditions. I have observed that many people in this country are very inflexible when accommodating customers, members of the public, etc would be neither here nor there, be a loss to no-one and would generate goodwill.
The attitude that the donee is doing the donor a great favour is news to me.

ButterflyOnTheWindow · 21/01/2018 14:34

They definitely should have taken it in. They could have left it sitting, they didn't need to do anything with it

The trouble with this is OP might not be the only one to rock up that day. There could be upwards of 60+ bin bags sitting there and pieces of donated furniture in a very small shop. It needs to be dealt with immediately it arrives or the shop floor and the sorters get swamped.
Once you are overloaded with donations it gets more difficult to sort them until you have to eventually close the shop on Sunday to sort it all out. Then somebody arrives with donations........

Blackteadrinker77 · 21/01/2018 14:34

I took a few bags in this week and they put a bar code sticker on the bags then scanned the bar codes on to the till.

They said it was due to gift aid?

Maybe your charity shop is the same and they can't do that when the tills are closed down.

diddl · 21/01/2018 14:36

I wonder if it would have made a difference if you'd told them that you had checked online?

Viviennemary · 21/01/2018 14:37

I think they should have took your donation. I wouldn't give them anything else and take stuff to different charity. I can see why charity shops don't want stuff left in doorways when they're closed. But you weren't doing that. YANBU.

barefoofdoctor · 21/01/2018 14:41

Really OP how frightfully ENTITLED of you to dare to donate items to a shop which relies upon donations and wouldn't last long without them. Hang your head in shame. ( Does anyone actually use 'entitled' in this context outside of the Mumsnet freakzone?).
The only chazzer in my town which doesn't allow fly tipping currently has a stock problem with no donations and basically bugger all to sell and this is after Xmas when the rest are over run with stock.
They need to steady on with the snooty attitude and making it as difficult as possible for people to donate or may well end up killing the shop off altogether. Oh and round here the only staff required in out of hours are the paid ones.

strawberriesaregood · 21/01/2018 14:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ruffian · 21/01/2018 14:46

Sounds very unreasonable of them especially after you've made the journey in the snow and at this time of year all the charities are exhorting people to donate their unwanted presents etc.

WitchIwasaWitch18 · 21/01/2018 14:46

YANBU. They were discourteous. Happened to a charity shop in my local town. The manager was rude, snotty and discouraging to customers and donating people alike. They closed down last year and a different charity shop took over. I use a local hospice one now. Beautiful furniture (of which I have bought and donated) and they take everything. Gave me my own gift aid card and my work now supports them as our Charity.

Nanna50 · 21/01/2018 14:46

Websites can often need updating, if I was making a special trip in the snow, carrying goods to a shop run by volunteers on a Sunday, with no nearby parking it would seem sensible for me to ring the shop first.

strawberriesaregood · 21/01/2018 14:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KindDogsTail · 21/01/2018 14:48

imo YANBU
I think they could have opened the doors and taken it in, ready to look at the next day.

I take a lot of stuff to about 3 different charity shops.
They don't say they need to sort through it first to decide whether or not they will take it. (Not all take electrical things though,)