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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

..re. charity bags posted through doors?

59 replies

HubbabubbaT · 21/10/2019 11:57

We seem to receive on average 3-4 a week of these.. from a variety of charities. I've tried filling a few of these and leaving out on the days noted on the bags .. but they've never been collected. In the 3 years we've lived here we have accumulated hundreds of these bags! They've been used for storage in the attic, bin liners, to take items to charity shops etc, but it seems a monumental waste of time and plastic to keep posting these through doors ! This morning we had one delivered very carefully and quietly halfway through our letterbox at just after 6am... AIBU to think there's something suspicious about the whole thing...?

OP posts:
CautiousPractice · 21/10/2019 13:25

My mum uses them as bin liners. She gets loads of them as well, so rather than paying for bin bags, and then chucking the bag in it, she just uses the bags. As its just the 2 of them, and they recycle a lot, it saves a few pennies

onemouseplace · 21/10/2019 13:29

I use them for bin liners now as well - I had the same experience as others have had of filling a bag and it never being collected, so wouldn't bother now.

StinkyHedgehog · 21/10/2019 13:29

I resent the fact that the actual charity isn't getting the money that we assume it's getting, and just a very small percentage. I use the bags to take my charity items direct to a local hospice charity shop.

FionaOgre · 21/10/2019 13:32

They're very rarely real charity bags. They're private companies who collect something like £1000 of clothes and donate a small percentage to the charity named on the bag. £20 if you're lucky!

I use the bags for rubbish or grass cuttings (we're not in a recycle area so single general wast bins and that's all)

Original poster
HubbabubbaT · 21/10/2019 14:28

MintyMabel our letterbox is a metal one in a wooden door that normally makes a big bang when anything is put into it - I just thought it was a bit strange that they popped it half through quietly and left half hanging out...

OP posts:
Original poster
HubbabubbaT · 21/10/2019 14:30

Thanks everyone for the info.. I had a look on this morning's one and it says they only make a donation to a charity.. didn't realise it was such a scam... As pp suggested I've tried leaving just the bags outside for them to reuse but they haven't collected them either and I've had to retrieve them from blowing into the hedge/road/neighbours garden Grin ... I guess binbags is the best way forward...!

OP posts:
Suze1621 · 21/10/2019 14:38

Mine go straight in the recycling bin. I take any donations straight to charity shops and full in a gift aid from which increases the value of anything sold.

Original poster
HubbabubbaT · 21/10/2019 14:38

@FionaOgre that link is worrying! Shock

OP posts:
MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 21/10/2019 14:44

I always take donations to my local charity shop. The bags are a complete con.

I welcome them as we use them to put our shredding in. The council recycling will collect our shredding if bagged. I work from home so use approx a bag every 2 weeks.

girlwhowearsglasses · 21/10/2019 14:45

Some of them aren't scams but I went into it a while back - even genuine ones are giving something like £1 a ton and then paying it to the charity. Not a great use of probably quite useful clothes. If you have 'nice' cast offs I'd take them straight to a charity shop where they sell them on to someone who wears them rather than shredding them for recycling

rainingallday · 21/10/2019 14:52

@FionaOgre thanks for posting that link!

I rest my case. Most of them are a scam!

AthollPlace · 21/10/2019 14:58

They’re either scams, or genuine but the scammers steal the bags. Either way the charity isn’t getting the money. I take my clothes to be weighed in and give half the money to charity and put half in DC’s money box. It gives me more choice of who I donate to as well - the charities who put the bags through are rarely those I’d prefer to support.

FionaOgre · 21/10/2019 18:35

Check your local primary schools and fire stations for collection points. Our Primary gets quite a lot of money into the PTA's funds from the "rag bag" collections every term. The fire service have a collection point too which helps with funding.

Ticklemeelmo · 21/10/2019 19:11

I take anything sellable to a proper charity shop, and put textiles or shoes that aren't into a recycling bank.

H&M also do a good scheme where you get a £5 off £25 spend voucher per bag of old clothes, which they recycle or give to charity.

The main goal is not to let anything go to landfill.

coconuttelegraph · 21/10/2019 19:19

What a meal people are making about nothing, read what's written on the bag and use your common sense, if you don't mind a pittance going to a charity from someone selling your clothes by weight fill that one, if you want your stuff to go to a genuine charity shop fill that one.

It's not a scam, it's pretty transparent.

DontCallMeShitley · 21/10/2019 19:54

I won't put stuff outside because the 'gardeners' steal things. I don't use the bags for collections for the reasons mentioned above, theft, not going where you are supposed to think it does etc.

However I do fill the bags and take them to the charity shop, I also turn them inside out so the name doesn't show. I donate to the Hospice shops and they are not bothered about what bags are used, they are always grateful and polite, unlike some of the others.

Idontwanttotalk · 21/10/2019 20:03

"If you can't fill the bag, you're supposed to leave them outside anyway on the date."
I used to leave the bags outside when I hadn't filled them but....no-one ever collected them, irrespective of which charity it was for.

Bluerussian · 21/10/2019 20:05

That's weird. I occasionally fill a bag and leave it out on the specified day (it's usually after 9am or 10 am), and it's always been collected. I could do with one right now, would save me a trip to charity shops. I don't get them that often, not as much as you do.

Teenagemaw · 21/10/2019 20:16

Free bin bags i love them.

Samcro · 21/10/2019 20:29

I. Love them, i use them when i have a clear out and then take them to the thing at the supermarket.

Doje · 21/10/2019 21:02

I've tried leaving them out, full & empty, and no one ever collects them!

I now just use them as bin bags.

Original poster
HubbabubbaT · 21/10/2019 22:19

Thanks! @DontCallMeShitley good idea turning them inside out...I often have a clear out and need to get rid of a whole load of stuff! I'll try the Hospice shops - there's one not far from us . And @Bluerussian how strange.. I guess it depends on the area you live in.. having tried a few times I'm afraid I had given up.. the bags we get through our door aren't ever from any of the big charities (BHF, Oxfam, Air Ambulance etc) but always from ones I wasn't aware even existed really, hence my reasons for asking. Grin thanks for the comments!

OP posts:
Lanurk · 22/10/2019 09:51

We get ones for a heart charity I’d never heard of. Looked up the charity number and peeked at the money in vs money out. They were spending £2500 a year but took in something like £500000! Needless to say I don’t fill their bags for them.

ginghamstarfish · 22/10/2019 10:05

These are well known to be a scam, just private companies or individuals trading on the name of a charity, who no doubt do not give permission for their name to be used, and get no money from it. I would report to the police if they were in my area, seems somewhat fraudulent to me. Use the bags to take stuff to a charity shop of your choice, if you can't get there just ring them, some of them will collect and you know it's legitimate. Use the bags as bin liners.