To ask for discounts at charity shops

[GroaningGyrtle]

We have loads of really nice charity shops round where I live, and I shop there regularly.

However, there are a couple of shops that (IMO) massively overprice garments.

I picked up an unbranded top yesterday with a couple of loose threads at the bottom - took it to the till, and it was £9.50.

I paid it this time, but sometimes I have asked for discounts on the grounds of damage or things just not being sensibly priced.

Genuinely curious: is it better to ask for a discount sometimes, or to not buy the garment at all? Thanks in advance for opinions!

YABU: If you don't want to pay the price on the tag, leave it
YANBU: No harm in asking for a discount

i found a lovely monsoon dress, unfortunately ripped at the hem, they took it away for rags, said they can't sell it, i was gutted

They wouldn't sell it to you?! I've bought damaged stuff at a discount before because I've loved it enough to want to take it home and mend it. You must've been gutted!

You are literally taking money from a charitable cause.

If you don't want it leave it for someone else.

The items sold are not 100% profit as overheads need to be taken into account, and incorrect pricing by volunteers goes both ways with items being substantially underpriced.

I think there is no problem asking for a discount as long as you accept the answer if no especially if the item is fairly priced in the first place.

I'm literally not, but thank you x

I think it's crap to do it.

@GroaningGyrtle

By failing to pay the price asked you are taking money away from the cause.

Thank you x

Did you miss the bit where I give them cash money in exchange for items? I think you did x

@GroaningGyrtle

Did you miss the bit where I give them cash money in exchange for items? I think you did x

Less than what is asked.

XXX

I agree with this . The point if a charity shop is to raise money for the charity .
But also the volunteers working in the shop probably won't be able to offer you a discount anyway. The clothes will have been priced up by the manager who may have already taken into account the loose threads.
Would you ask for a discount in Marks and Spencer or John Lewis?

I wouldn't ask myself, think it's a bit tight.

If the item was damaged I wouldn't buy it, simple.

Your children won't always wear charity shop clothes so I suppose you're making the most of it while you can.

They're more than welcome to decline. As we've had a number of volunteers on here saying it's fine, I think I'll be grand x

If I've done anything right, I hope my DCs will carry on wearing preloved permanently, as I do.

I prefer to shop charity, but if they're not competitive, I'll just have to switch to Vinted.

Addressed all these points in previous comments.

Ultimately I think charity shops should go back to pricing everything for pennies - £1. It depends on the level of damage. I don’t think they should’ve sold a top that was coming apart at the seams for £9 but maybe they didn’t notice.

I volunteered in a charity shop as a teenager and I still remember a woman who came in looking for a last minute outfit for the races. She asked what I "could do " about a stain on the dress she was thinking of buying. I said that we had no cleaning facilities on site but that she might think about buying a broach to cover it. It didn't occur to me until years later that she was actually asking for a discount!

I think if the charity shops you go into are happy enough to say yes or no, then it's fine.

If you're not interested in defending your position, why have you started this thread. In AIBU too.

Just - why ??

You would find it difficult to get a teenage boy to wear charity shop clobber.

If your children don't continue to wear charity shop clothes you won't have done anything wrong.

My son sells his tracksuits when he's done with them.

It's fairly clear from the OP, I think - I was curious as to other people's opinions. I've now got them. I'm particularly grateful to have heard from women in the sector.

What I'm not interested in is wasting time fending off snarky comments about my morals. It's not required, and I'm not here to be a punchbag for posters having a bad day.

It's good that your son can get some money back on his tracksuits and doesn't just chuck them.

I don't have a teenage son (nor will I likely ever) but a lot of the lads round here have quite 'indie' dress sense - the charity shops in the nearby student areas are often quite busy with students and school-kids looking for their next eclectic item.

As long as I can encourage mindful consumption in my DCs, I'll be happy.

If I think a shop is overpriced, I don't go there.

If I see something has a major defect like a hole, I might ask about it.

The charity shop near me has a few families who are always pestering for discounts, it's stressful for the volunteers.

I managed retail for a small charity, as PP have pointed out they are there to raise money for the charity. I'd loads of issues with people claiming the prices need to be in line with what they want to pay rather than how much we need to raise to cover costs and fundraise effectively.

Some charities are fine with haggling others aren't as long as you ask nicely and accept the decision of the volunteer or manager staight away without argument it's not a problem but as this often happens, some vols do find it annoying and can get quite vocal about it even when they shouldn't

The pricing for some items comes from head office. Even if it was a cheaper brand you could find yourself looking at a higher price than it is at the shop simple because a blouse is always £4.50 minimum or similar.

Personally I'd never haggle with a charity because I know how much hard work it is to raise funds but if it's done respectfully fair enough.

My friend works in a platinum rated charity shop which means prices are higher due to the location. Lots of barely damaged items are put in the rag bin to keep the standard and prices high. No bartering allowed there.

No I'd never ask for a discount. We buy all our children's books&games from a charity bookshop, sometimes they seem a little overpriced but it doesn't bother me - more money for charity! I wouldn't buy something massively overpriced but for a couple of pounds I'd just think of it as an extra donation.

Charity shops are pricing things too high though they have dropped slightly in the last month or so) probably as no one was buying anything!).
There were tops in there that were bobbly and misshapen selling for a fiver!

Even the bric a brac started to increase a lot and I do like a browse of those things. Going from 50p or so to a couple of quid.