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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Selling stuff from ‘Dump Runs’

124 replies

RealhousewifeofStoke · 22/05/2021 10:34

Interested in opinions after seeing drama unfold on a local FB selling page. Couple advertise ‘Dump Runs’ where they charge £20-30 to take a van load of household stuff to the local dump/recycling centre.
I’ve used them myself once just before a house move and it was hassle free and really was stuff only fit for the dump such as old tins of paint, garden stuff etc.
It’s now emerged that they sort through the stuff they collect and are selling some of it on so things like sofas for £30. Amongst the listings are more valuable items like Wedgwood pottery etc.
I don’t think they’re doing anything wrong. But many people do. My thinking is if you’re happy to dump it, you shouldn’t be annoyed. Be a different story if they claimed to be taking stuff to a charity shop and THEN selling it? They advertise the dump runs AND the stuff for sale on the same page.

OP posts:
ThinWomansBrain · 22/05/2021 12:39

I initially assumed illegal, but if they have a logo'd van would need a licence to use a council tip.
As long as they aren't fly tipping - did you check their licences when you used them?

Selling on what they can is a good way of recycling the stuff - the people dumping could have sold or free-cycled, but presumably couldn't be bothered to - and will subsidise what they need to charge for the dumping service.

Probably well hacked off when they turn up to a job like yours that is purely "tip worthy" with no re-sale potential.

Minesril · 22/05/2021 12:39

@Artesia

People are very odd about stuff they are throwing away. I was at the tip once and saw someone about to throw away a little plastic kids’ table and chairs in perfect condition. DS’s nursery was looking for similar so I explained and asked if I could take it, rather than it go to landfill. He called me a cheeky bitch and told me to fuck off, before throwing the perfectly usable things away.
God that's sickening. Stupid stupid man.

I paid someone with a van to clear my garage of crap, no idea what he did with it all! He had a licence which is all I cared about.

ThePlantsitter · 22/05/2021 12:42

I don't know why you're being so defensive on the licence thing. It's not accusing you of a moral defect it's just saying, factually, that if you pay for someone to take your rubbish away and they are unlicensed and do it in a way that's not legal you will be held responsible and fined if it is discovered. So you should check. Selling things on is a different thing and fair game I reckon.

NavigatingAdolescence · 22/05/2021 12:44

What makes you say they don’t have a licence?
Have you seen their licence??*

Confused No.

You’re supposed to ask to see it. The waste remains your responsibility. If it is fly tipped and traced back to you it’s you that will get fined.

nimbuscloud · 22/05/2021 12:45

No.
But I haven’t seen my GPs licence and the certificates my dentist has on the wall could be fake. Should I ask for the beautician to show me her licence next time she waxes my tache

Don’t be silly.
There is a huge environmental issue with illegal dumping and fly tipping and it’s your responsibility to make sure that whoever you pay to dispose of your waste is licensed to do that.

Mustreadabook · 22/05/2021 12:49

They are recycling/up cycling it much better than than going to landfill. I believe sometimes people who work at the dump are allowed to do this anyway.

tentosix · 22/05/2021 12:53

It's recycling, what's wrong with that? So much better than in land fill.

However our local freecycle group recently kicked someone off for selling on free items!

ForThePurposeOfTheTape · 22/05/2021 12:55

No different to a house clearance company doing it imo.
As long as they don't claim it's donated them absolutely fine imo

Gingernaut · 22/05/2021 13:04

A lot of waste disposal people do this.

Metal is particularly lucrative - especially old copper and aluminium.

No probs with this at all.

GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 13:09

Artesia
People are very odd about stuff they are throwing away. I was at the tip once and saw someone about to throw away a little plastic kids’ table and chairs in perfect condition. DS’s nursery was looking for similar so I explained and asked if I could take it, rather than it go to landfill. He called me a cheeky bitch and told me to fuck off, before throwing the perfectly usable things away.
Well there's a piece of garbage that should have climbed into the bin himself.

Utter cretin Angry

CounsellorTroi · 22/05/2021 13:12

@LIZS

Our dump takes furniture etc to resell or recycle. Is this really any different?
Yes because you know that's the conditions of leaving stuff there.
GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 13:16

Who needs conditions attached to where the rubbish they're happily disposing of ends up?

Such nonsense. Surely all any normal person would care about was that it wasn't flytipped in the street.
If you want to make a profit on your old toot, sell it yourself.

UrAWizHarry · 22/05/2021 13:16

People are weird about this kind of thing. As long as the company are upfront about it, far better to save as much as possible going to landfill.

And Grin at all the armchair detectives assuming they don't have the proper licences based on absolutely fuck all information.

TheGumption · 22/05/2021 13:17

Not sure why you're so confused by the suggestion to check their license. If you dont use a licensed waste removal service and they fly tip your crap, you'll get fined if it is traced back to you.

Blossomtoes · 22/05/2021 13:26

Where we live, they’d have to be properly licensed. Every non licensed vehicle is entitled to two free tip visits a year, you have to pay after that and they use number plate recognition to monitor it. If they’re using a branded van, there’s zero chance they wouldn’t be licensed.

Our dump takes furniture etc to resell or recycle. Is this really any different?

No, it’s exactly the same.

NeedNewKnees · 22/05/2021 13:31

@TwoAndAnOnion I found this site today, because I also inherited a pile of Wedgewood
www.chinasearch.co.uk

Chloemol · 22/05/2021 13:33

Good for them. If those moaning about it are upset they can sell the stuff themselves

SchrodingersImmigrant · 22/05/2021 13:37

Ffs people. They are openly advertising, bug and sell and have vans with business details on it. That's not what you do when you don't have a licence.

Mn at it's best with running away from topic. This is commercial version of "must be other woman"😂

No, OP, they aren't doing anything wrong. It's so much better if things get repurposed.

Deadringer · 22/05/2021 13:40

You said you want opinions op but you clearly don't want any that disagree with yours. I would be delighted with a service like this personally but clearly some people have an issue with it. In your op you describe the people who do this as a couple and make it sound like a casual arrangement, you don't mention vans or logos or receipts until after, which i think is a bit of a drip feed.

IhaveMyMoments · 22/05/2021 13:42

Why not fair play to them..

RealhousewifeofStoke · 22/05/2021 13:49

@Deadringer

You said you want opinions op but you clearly don't want any that disagree with yours. I would be delighted with a service like this personally but clearly some people have an issue with it. In your op you describe the people who do this as a couple and make it sound like a casual arrangement, you don't mention vans or logos or receipts until after, which i think is a bit of a drip feed.
And the MN award for overthinking and over analysis goes to..... Grin Interested in opinions. Fascinated that in true MN LTB fashion we have unscrupulous criminal gangs stealing wedge wood from little old ladies whilst I should be waiting for the Mets major crime squad to rock up soon to arrest me for failing to check the man with the vans licence.

As an extra drip feed ( watches @Deadringer s head explode) our local dump has numerous well signed, manned ‘stations’ for various categories of waste including old paint/oils, electronics, etc. It’s not exactly Stig of the dump territory Grin

Thanks for the sane answers Grin

OP posts:
GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 13:50

What a dickish reply, op.

BarbaraofSeville · 22/05/2021 13:50

@Deadringer

You said you want opinions op but you clearly don't want any that disagree with yours. I would be delighted with a service like this personally but clearly some people have an issue with it. In your op you describe the people who do this as a couple and make it sound like a casual arrangement, you don't mention vans or logos or receipts until after, which i think is a bit of a drip feed.
Well the signed van wasn't mentioned in the OP. The impression was given that this was just 'a couple on Facebook'

My council charges at least £60 a load to accept trade waste so anyone collecting waste as a business either has to charge a lot more than this to make money, or sell a good amount of the waste.

Otherwise they've just got a strange and expensive hobby, or they're breaking the law. And this latter option does apply to a good percentage of people in this business.

RealhousewifeofStoke · 22/05/2021 13:51

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Ffs people. They are openly advertising, bug and sell and have vans with business details on it. That's not what you do when you don't have a licence.

Mn at it's best with running away from topic. This is commercial version of "must be other woman"😂

No, OP, they aren't doing anything wrong. It's so much better if things get repurposed.

Get away with you coming over common sensical Wink
OP posts:
DynamoKev · 22/05/2021 13:54

@ThePlantsitter

I think they deserve the money if they can be arsed to sell it on. But I would never use their service because so many people I know have been fined for not using a licensed waste carrier! They have ways of finding you.
Only if the carrier flytips it somewhere.