BHF donations

[AlexaAmbidextra]

I want to give them some furniture. Why do they make it so bloody difficult? When my Dad died last year I contacted them to donate some furniture from his house. I phoned three times, each time I was promised that the manager would call me back. Nothing.

I’m now trying to donate a piece of my own furniture. Filled in the online form days ago only to get an e-mail today telling me to apply again as they have been trying to call me with no success. No missed calls on my phone. ? I have now been calling various numbers for the past half hour to be met with answerphone messages every time.

They want donations. I’m trying to make one. It would help if they were a bit more responsive. I’ve now given up and donated elsewhere.

A couple of years ago BHF fucked up my collection of a dressing table, wardrobe, mirror and solid wood table & chairs. They told me on the phone that my collection was booked in for the morning of the day of my move. I asked if they could send me confirmation to put me at ease. Was told they didn't do this.

Then on the day and allotted they didn't turn up. I phoned & they told me they don't even pick up from my area so there couldn't be a booking for a collection from me?!
I was in the middle of a stressful move & I cried down the phone to them (not my finest moment) so they said they would send the van at the end of their round that day. I wasn't in but a friend of mine stayed at the house to let them in. They claimed one door on the wardrobe didn't open (it bloody did!) & just left it!
In the end I had to pay £75 for scrap collectors to collect it & get rid of it as new tenants were moving in a day later.

It really put me off donating anything to BHF ever again. They acted like they were doing me a massive favour, when I was just trying to do a nice thing and donate decent furniture which I could have sold for my own profit.
They are probably staffed by volunteers so I guess I should cut them a bit of slack, but they seemed extremely disorganised and it made an already stressful time worse.

allotted TIME

Glad it worked for you. I’d like to be able to donate but they won’t let me. ☹️

I had similar when clearing the family home. After not hearing back I donated to a Scout group as they were able and willing to come get it all, I heard from the charity about 3 weeks later after the house was empty and sold.

Not only that, instead of flowers my mother asked for donations to BHF which were duly forwarded. I was then pestered non-stop for more money. I wouldn't give them anything again, ever.

They're a charity who rely heavily on volunteers and it's the summer holidays, so I suspect they are working with a skeleton staff at the moment. They're probably doing their best, really.

We gave a bed and some bookshelves to them last year and they were really good. Arranged to collect it and came round when they said they would.

I was then pestered non-stop for more money. I wouldn't give them anything again, ever.

We gave a donation to them when my FIL died and we certainly weren't 'pestered non-stop'. I think we got a quarterly newsletter from them or something which included appeals, but nothing personal or pushy.

All you have to do if don't want to hear from them again is ask them to take your details of their database. though.

Mt friend donated a valuable item to them - delivered it to the shop (after calling to ask whether they'd like it and them being very enthusiastic). She heard nothing about how much it raised, so went in a week or so later to enquire - there was no record of the item ever having arrived at the shop, and no evidence that one of these items had been sold in the last month...
My friend is NOT happy

My first port of call for furniture donation is Woman's Aid. In my area they will collect.

Not sure you can ask for updates on a donation. Charity shops don't keep records of donations or they didn't when I volunteered in them.

I feel your pain! We were clearing my DFIL home after he passed and they turned up with a large van to take three wardrobes and sofa. My OH went into the kitchen to offer then a cup of tea and noticed the milk on the side and fridge gone.... they had loaded the 3 month old fridge freezer!! I explained that was not on the list and house had been sold with white goods included (agreed with buyer). Mood soured and they argued that the item would be better off making money for charity.... I reiterated we wanted the item back and they huffed and puffed they had to take the wardrobes and sofa back out to get to the f/f..... left it on the kerb with rest of furniture and drove off. Astounded at the time but giggle now... turned a stressful situation into a bigger headache. OH rang three times to complain and were told we would get a call back.... never did! BHF was my DFIL charity of choice and they do fantastic work.... but the whole incident left a sour taste.

They are terrible. We've tried to use them twice and each time the booking has gone smoothly but then the people who have turned up to collect have argued the toss that they don't take certain items/colours (previously agreed and described in detail on their manifest), stuff is broken (when it isn't, it has been disassembled following their own instructions, screws in an envelope), no room in the van, etc etc. Last time they were also hugely late and then tried to not take anything heavier than a side-table - I honestly think that if we hadn't rung the central store to ask about them they would have never come and said they did but it was all unsuitable. Never again.

I tried using them once for some very good quality furniture.

They were a complete nightmare and couldn't have been less interested so I called the local air ambulance shop who were delighted with the donation and picked it up the same day.

Same set up, charity shop that sells furniture staffed by volunteers...however the experiences were massively different.

I found them less than enthusiastic too so my donation went to a charity who help ex-homeless people when they move into their new home.