To think this charity shop was ridiculous?

[EmptyTheFrickingBins]

Have a fridge, freezer and new double mattress to donate to charity. The mattress is genuinely brand new and has never been slept on because I bought it and then was given a new orthopedic one which was more suitable for my poor bad back! I think I laid on it for less than an hour total.

They've just been and I've never had such an awful experience - they refused the fridge and freezer because "the door seals have gone" (they haven't - I've been using both up until last weekend and never had an issue. The freezer is also missing a couple of drawers (movers dropped and broke them but it's never been an issue)

He then called me a liar over saying the mattress is brand new - because unfortunately I snagged it on the door strip getting it out of the bedroom and it has a few small clicks on the cover.

It has really put me off ever trying to donate anything ever again. I don't have much money and could have sold them in Facebook. The fridge and freezer are a few years old so don't look brand new but do work perfectly well. The way he spoke to me made me feel really small and stupid and I hate being called a liar (I'm ND and not being believed is a massive thing for me.)

If anyone wants to know the charity name I'll share it via PM but it is a big name in the town where I live.

When we moved I sold our appliances on ebay with 100% of the money going to Shelter. Seemed to cover both bases tbh.

It "clicks into place". It's a metaphor.

Do you actually know they are paid? They might be volunteers.

I'm sorry they left a bad taste in your mouth OP. It's rubbish that they made you feel like this when you were trying to be charitable and not wasteful.

My DGM had a similar upsetting experience when trying to donate to a local animal charity.

The local paper ran a story saying the charity wanted old duvets, blankets etc, for dogs in their shelter to snuggle up in.

So DGM took in two sacksful of old but decent bedclothes and was sent away with a terrible flea in her ear by some snotty volunteer.

DGM was a very kind and gentle soul and it bothered her for ages.

I work in a charity shop and we know what does and doesn't sell, even items which are described to us as "perfectly good wardrobes" might not sell and have to be taken to the dump. We just did a run with black glass TV units which we couldn't even give away for free and yet people still complain if tell them we cannot accept them. People often overestimate the value of their donations (it's called the endowment effect).

Did the man actually call you a liar or just question the newness of the mattress?

I'm not familiar with 'clicks', but on fabric I've always called them snags.

The one near us charges £35 to collect one item, £55 for two items etc. This is the case even if you offer to show photos so they can be sure it's sellable.

They then charge the same again to customers to deliver it once it's been bought. So for a sofa they sell for £150, they receive £220. If you donate to them and buy something so there's only one trip to your house, there's still no discount.

I was flabbergasted by being asked to pay for the privilege of donating furniture.

They were quite right to turn you down.

They can't accept it cause they can't sell it on if it's not in good enough state if repair.

Try gumtree or eBay. People will buy anything there.

Below is a copy of the review I gave my local Sue Ryder charity shop. The staff were appalling, I dropped plenty of goods off at the back of the shop, and not one of them acknowledged me or even said a quick thank you.

I don't donate at all now, to any charity.
I take everything straight to the tip, regardless of it's new or hardly used condition (as most of my items are.)

"Rude and ignorant staff. I donated many household items this morning: a chair, 2 stools and 2 big boxes of bits. It took several trips back and forth from my car, and I carried them all the way through their shop to their office at the back - and not one member of staff even acknowledged me or said thank you, let alone offered to help! At least 2 staff members saw me (they were just outside their back office where I put the donations.) Total ignorance is a disgraceful way to treat someone who has gone out of their way to donate!"

I suppose charity shops have to be wary of mattresses, in any condition, due to the increasing bed bug problem of recent years.

No wonder local rubbish tips or fly tipping is so popular....

There's no excuse for rudeness.

However, these people's job is to filter out items that won't sell easily/quickly, and to only take items back that will make the most money for the charity from the limited amount of floor space that they have.

Your items were large and not in ideal condition. The fact that they are usable, or may eventually sell is not the point. The point is that the charity can make more money selling other better condition items from that space, rather than filling it with one or two large, damaged items that will take quite some time to shift, and will be expensive to dispose of if they don't sell.

Their only objective is to make the most money they can for the charity, they don't exist to save you the bother of selling or a trip to the tip. Your items are not what they want, and they are entitled to turn them down, regardless of whether or not they are "useable".

TBH you can't give away second hand non premium brand white goods where I live, let alone sell them, and especially if they are broken or missing parts. If they'd have taken them, they'd literally be paying to dispose of your unwanted items, which costs the charity money.

Words can have more than one meaning ! Im from N.E England and 'click' is the word used dor a snag or pull in fabric..also would say " Ahh shite...av clicked me tights"

Colloquial metaphor originating from very early era machinery mechanisms audibly clicking into place.

When I cleared out my DMIL's house after she died I took everything I could to local charity shops and they were a revelation. They were grateful for everything I took and said thank you.

Where I live they only take donations if you book in advance, on a full moon, while sacrificing a unicorn and even them they only want designer items. The difference as far as I could see is that the shops I took MIL's items to were in quite a poverty stricken area.

I feel your pain OP. I’m not usually a sensitive flower but I really hate having my perfectly good, clean and nice charity shop donations rejected! I don’t know why, it just really stings for some reason. We have one near us that’s the only one in the area that takes furniture and electricals. But the guy in there is so mean, he picks through your stuff and sneers at things and gives them back. Ugh I hate it.

I wouldn’t mind so much but the shop is full of tatty shite that’s worse quality and condition that my donations so it feels personal. I’m an idiot I know.

I'd be interested to know how much OP sold the items for.

They're not broken items ffs. There's not a mark on the mattress apart from the few clicks.

And like I said, I was using both the fridge and freezer until very recently with no problems.

All this! And imagine the fees they have to pay if they have to dispose

The fridge doesn't look in great shape tbh. If they think they can sell it , they will take it. They'll take a mattress with it's packaging on, second hand mattresses are a hard sell.

And like I said, I was using both the fridge and freezer until very recently with no problems.

That would be the freezer with 2/3 of the drawers broken?

He said. "Nah, no way is that a new mattress. Not a chance love."

Despite me having the purchase email on my phone.

It's going to tomorrow but I'll try to get some pics of it in good light. There's literally not a mark on it!

You know you can stack stuff directly on the shelves, right?

£10 each because I didn't particularly want any money for them. I just want them to be used and my space back!

I totally get it! He was so unpleasant and really made me feel horrible. I'm not even particularly sensitive but I was shaking when he left. Think it was worse because he was a very large man and I was alone with him.