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AIBU?

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Original poster

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:
Deadringer · 22/05/2021 14:02

Thanks for the sane answers
In other words, ones that agree with you.

Blossomtoes · 22/05/2021 14:03

@Deadringer

Thanks for the sane answers In other words, ones that agree with you.
Well that’s 97% so it would appear to be the sane view.
Cowbells · 22/05/2021 14:07

I don't see a problem with it. I know a woman who comes to pick up pretty much everything I put on Freecycle and she flogs it. She can be bothered to, I can't. Not a problem.

But I know people who get angry when strangers help themselves to stuff from their skip. I'd be delighted if a stranger half emptied my skip so I could put more stuff in it at no extra cost but a friend of mine who I'd have thought was quite laid back went chasing after a skip dipper shouting 'Thief'. Thief of rubbish? Weird.

Crankley · 22/05/2021 14:09

Do a household clearance company or 'man with a van' do any differently? I think it's good if use can be made of an item.

Years ago I used to have a stall in a local antiques/bric-a-brac market. The stallholder who made the most sales/money every week was a bin man.

viques · 22/05/2021 14:09

@ThinWomansBrain

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.

My local tip takes a note of license plates. You also have to show your council tax bill so they know you are local. I think if the same van turned up every day they would cotton on that it was a commercial transaction and not a householder clearing their garage.
flippertygibbit · 22/05/2021 14:34

It's actually theft.

Blossomtoes · 22/05/2021 14:44

@flippertygibbit

It's actually theft.
You might want to check what the word theft actually means. Here’s a nice link for you.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft

GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 14:47

Theft 😂

StopPokingTheRoyalTitDear · 22/05/2021 14:49

Good for them! I’d say they’re doing the opposite of a bad thing- they’re selling items on to be reused so less for landfill. I’d be thrilled personally if I’d paid them to take stuff away and it was being reused by someone else and wouldn’t bat an eyelid at them making some extra money for it.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 22/05/2021 14:49

@flippertygibbit

It's actually theft.
I don't think this would go by any court as theft. Judges do use common sense sometimes too
CounsellorTroi · 22/05/2021 14:52

Having looked at my council's household recycling centre pages - vans are only allowed 10 visits a year or one a month. There is a commercial tip for small/medium sized businesses. The minimum charge at the commercial tip for general waste is £37.50.

You have to book visits on line so they would know if you were exceeding your annual allowance of visits.

SleepingStandingUp · 22/05/2021 14:58

@flippertygibbit

It's actually theft.
If I pay you £30 to take my stuff away, if you then sell it, you haven't stolen anything from me. You've sold me those items.
CounsellorTroi · 22/05/2021 15:04

If I pay you £30 to take my stuff away, if you then sell it, you haven't stolen anything from me. You've sold me those items.

Eh? How does paying someone to take something away equate to selling it to them? You are giving them money. If someone gives you money for something it is of course theirs to do with as they please.

GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 15:05

Bought it from them. You know what she meant.

UrAWizHarry · 22/05/2021 15:08

@flippertygibbit

It's actually theft.
Don't be daft.
LadyTrieste · 22/05/2021 16:54

There's something wrong about picking (some would say snooping) through other people's rubbish. Whether there's sellable stuff in it or not is a different issue.

SleepingStandingUp · 22/05/2021 16:59

@LadyTrieste

There's something wrong about picking (some would say snooping) through other people's rubbish. Whether there's sellable stuff in it or not is a different issue.
They're loading it onto and out of a van, 8ts not like they can do that with closed eyes. If your rubbish is that private, don't pay someone else to come and move it
SleepingStandingUp · 22/05/2021 17:00

@CounsellorTroi

If I pay you £30 to take my stuff away, if you then sell it, you haven't stolen anything from me. You've sold me those items.

Eh? How does paying someone to take something away equate to selling it to them? You are giving them money. If someone gives you money for something it is of course theirs to do with as they please.

What greyhound said, I got my me's and you'd muddled but if you buy something you didn't steal it.
skirk64 · 22/05/2021 17:17

They're wrong for doing this. If I pay someone to take my belongings to the dump then that's what they should be doing with them. As the OP states: Couple advertise ‘Dump Runs’ where they charge £20-30 to take a van load of household stuff to the local dump/recycling centre. That makes it clear where my stuff will go.

It's different of course if they didn't specify what they would do with them. If they said they'd take it off my hands and dispose of it, they could legitimately dispose of them by selling them. But if they say they will landfill it, that's where it should go.

Of course this shouldn't be a problem because the licence that they must have will show me what they are able to do with my rubbish, and the waste transfer note will show me what they actually did with it.

GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 17:30

Who could seriously demand their stuff goes to landfill rather than sold in for re use? What on earth is the matter with you? Engage your fecking brain Hmm

Blossomtoes · 22/05/2021 17:36

the licence that they must have will show me what they are able to do with my rubbish, and the waste transfer note will show me what they actually did with it.

You’d go to all that trouble over rubbish? What waste transfer note? I’ve never heard of such a thing.

ThePlantsitter · 22/05/2021 17:44

I feel like it probably depends where your council is and therefore how likely you are to get prosecuted because you were shafted by rubbish handlers as to how anal you are about checking you get a waste transfer notice!

UrAWizHarry · 22/05/2021 17:45

@skirk64

They're wrong for doing this. If I pay someone to take my belongings to the dump then that's what they should be doing with them. As the OP states: Couple advertise ‘Dump Runs’ where they charge £20-30 to take a van load of household stuff to the local dump/recycling centre. That makes it clear where my stuff will go.

It's different of course if they didn't specify what they would do with them. If they said they'd take it off my hands and dispose of it, they could legitimately dispose of them by selling them. But if they say they will landfill it, that's where it should go.

Of course this shouldn't be a problem because the licence that they must have will show me what they are able to do with my rubbish, and the waste transfer note will show me what they actually did with it.

If you are paying for someone to take what you deem as rubbish away why would you care where it goes?
ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere · 22/05/2021 17:49

@Blossomtoes

the licence that they must have will show me what they are able to do with my rubbish, and the waste transfer note will show me what they actually did with it.

You’d go to all that trouble over rubbish? What waste transfer note? I’ve never heard of such a thing.

She’d go to that trouble to avoid getting a criminal record. Seems worth the effort of a quick search on a government website to me - although asking for the actual WTN is probably OTT for a single domestic job.

This article explains the issues pretty well.
www.wandsworth.gov.uk/street-care-and-cleaning/keep-wandsworth-clean/use-a-private-waste-collection-contractor/

FWIW I think the OP INBU about the actual AIBU - if a waste removal company wants to flog stuff instead of dumping it then good on them, and maybe that’s the only reason why they’re unusually cheap. But maybe there’s another reason.

Blossomtoes · 22/05/2021 17:53

Seems worth the effort of a quick search on a government website to me - although asking for the actual WTN is probably OTT for a single domestic job

Did that, it says they only apply to commercial and business waste. So I reckon she’d be asking for a long time. Or they’d tell her where to stick her rubbish.

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