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.

I recently wanted to buy an electrical item from a charity shop and asked if I could plug it in to check it was working - not allowed!

When we cleared my DMs flat, the furniture was in good condition, but no charity shops would take most of it because it was old and out if fashion. They don't want stock that is going to sit and their warehouses and not sell. We got rid of most if it offering it for free on Marketplace. I think most people collecting wanted it for themselves, not to sell on. We also found some of the charity collectors quite rude though.

£10 isn't 'better than nothing ' if taking that item has meant that you have to get it PAT tested and you have to turn down 3 much better quality fridges whilst you are waiting for it to sell. There are also reputational costs incurred if you start selling subpar items. Charity shops have to be run as businesses or they cost the charity more than they raise.

There are charities that specialise in rehabilitation of offenders but they will make clear in all literature that this is what they are doing and it’s highly unlikely that they would be employed in roles requiring entry to a person’s home.

Employees and volunteers of major charities are subject to the same pre employment screening as in any other sector.

Having volunteered at a couple of large charities recently I’ve realised how frequently they are used as an alternative to disposing of waste properly. As an individual there’s no charge for taking multiple items to the tip, charities stock pile unsellable items and then pay specialist companies considerable amounts for their disposal.

while the op was, unfortunately, upset by the refusal to accept her goods, in taking them the drivers would’ve knowingly been incurring costs rather than making money for their charity.

Sounds like they could’ve handled it better but it’s not personal.

Give me a tenner then.

Only if you give me a quid for the PAT testing, the money to take it to the dump and the £200 in lost revenue because other fridges couldn't be accepted due to space.

Oh do they? That does make a difference then, I agree.

Pat testing isn't rocket science, you don't need any qualifications to do it. If they sell it, and clearly someone wanted to buy it, they won't need to take it to the dump. Have you any evidence that other people are queuing up to donate freezers? All the charity shops I pass have begging signs up for donations.

In my charity it is done by an outside contractor. Again, the market who come into a charity shop is vastly different to the market who go on FB marketplace.

I'll give you an example, we got two identical couches donated. One sold for £100, we found a small tear on the back of the other, nobody would buy it even for £5. Customers are very picky about what they want to by.

"I don't understand" would have been quicker to type.

The evidence is that the person who came to collect it on behalf of the charity felt it wasn't worth bothering with.

In the US If we buy a new fridge or freezer we put the old 1 in the garage.

I would put it on Freecycle or Freegle. Some people will be more than happy to take them.

Most houses in the UK don't have garages. And iirc the OP lives in a flat so is unlikely to have any private outside space.

@EmptyTheFrickingBins

The mattress is a hygiene thing. I once tried to donate a VGC mattress to the Salvation Army. It doesn't matter they help the homeless, if it isn't proven new they won't accept.
Accepting second-hand electrical white goods is also tricky. They don't have electricians on site to certify your electrical goods as safe. You're getting rid of your old electrical goods for a reason. They don't want to end up being sued or people using them as a free collection or dumping service.
Your best bet is to advertise on nation-wide "Freecycle". People who want your stuff will come pick it up at no cost to you or them

this

Excellent. Christie’s are well meaning but can be incredibly frustrating.

I had this issue a few years ago with the British Heart Foundation. Ironically, the item they refused was one that I had bought from them 18 months before! It was a chest of drawers which was a bit old fashioned in style and when I got it, the top had faded a bit from exposure to light. I didn't mind - it was cheap and it did the job. In the 18 months I had it, it remained in the exact same condition, and then I moved in with my partner and didn't need it anymore, so decided to donate it back to BHF. The driver who came to collect it rejected it immediately! He didn't believe me that I had bought it from them 🤷‍♀️

Similarly, my Mum and Dad have used BHF to donate and buy furniture, and have noticed that they're a lot pickier now. I do understand that they have to make sure they're selling stuff that works and is of decent quality. But it's such a shame when you've got perfectly usable stuff and can't find a home for it. I use Freecycle a lot now, it's so useful.

He wouldn't even look at the email that shows exactly when it was bought and that's what upset me most.

I've been called all sorts on this thread too which is lovely.

You're oversensitive. No one called you 'all sorts', it's the internet - people have different opinions and are allowed to express them freely.

Charity workers shouldn't be rude, but hey ho. You meet less than friendly people every day. Irritating sure, but you move on.

When I moved in my current empty house, it was empty. Not much £££, so I sorted out all that I needed on the cheap online. Got myself a fridge/freezer all in one, with all the parts present, clean and in fully working condition for £50. Not a famous brand, but whatever. Worked fine for a long time, and was replaced with bells&whistles one much later. £50 for both fridge and freezer with all the shelves, etc. Clean. So no, I wouldn't buy yours. And it might not be dirty, I don't know what those marks at the bottom are, but they are there, visible in your pics.

Your mattress looks fine though. I'd buy that if I needed one. Charity didn't take it, so you sold it on Facebook. Good. Now time to move on.

As OP found, if you hate tipping things which have life left in them (as I do) it's best to cut out the middle man and sell /give away direct to a person that's looking for that item on FB, local groups, ebay etc.

I think the model charities are using will become obsolete due to this. Online hunting is easier than traipsing around charity shops. You can check out many different sites to find what you want for free or low cost. It's also less stressful for the seller as items are more likely to be taken and you can set a deadline for yourself before deciding to tip things.

I understand the argument being made that charities don't have space to store goods they may not sell easily. Wouldn't they'd be better off buying/renting large warehouses and selling online than having high street shops? Maybe sell some of the eye-wateringly expensive real estate in London, that many seem to have HQs in, to fund it?

No excuse for being rude to a donor, especially after accepting the items over the phone and expecting someone to wait in for the pick up.

Of course you can.

But I wouldn't buy one with two thirds of them missing.

I think we must frequent the same Sue Ryder shop.

I had the same experience with a certain hospice charity. They came and picked sniffily over everything in my mother's home. Her clothes were all "old lady designer" like Windsmoor, an collection of "wedding" hats and expensive shoes, and many were worn once or still had new tags in. They took a nearly new electric recliner, but when the gift aid came through, they told me they had made just £25!

A lovely local charity came just after, and I wish they had come first. They took everything else, including the umbrella behind the door, and said thank you. They told me that things would be sold or donated on. That even the old tea towels and bedding would be sold for recycling, but they had washing machines and the sheets and towels would be resold for a few pennies to those in need, and that was a win,win for both.
Guess we just picked the wrong one.

I had the exact same problem! I wonder if it was the same charity?