Do you think this is OK (Collecting Clothes)

[girlfriend44]

I've noticed a couple of people have set something up where they go round collecting unwanted clothes that people have given them

They sell the best on vinted snd give the rest to charities, so they say.
They've given themselves a business name.

Just wondered would you be comfortable giving your unwanted clothes to them?

Yes, if they came and picked them up from my house. But only because I don't drive and can't carry much so keep not being arsed to go to the charity shop. In an ideal world I suppose I'd rather 100% went to charity rather than the person making a profit. But it wouldn't put me off.

Nope. I'd rather give my clothes directly to a charity shop.

If they can be bothered to list stuff in vinted at a couple of quid a pop, then they should have the energy to get a proper job and not sponge off people's good will.

I see no difference between this and the rag n bone man.

There's nothing from the charity that says they are going there.

I’d be happy to do this. It’s pretty hard to give stuff to a charity shop round here as they’re picky about donations, and I think a lot ends up in the bin anyway as they change their stock over frequently.

Do I get a cut of whatever they sell? I’d love it if someone did that.

There were people stealing the bags people had put out for charities, this doesn't sound much different.

We had a shop that did that, if things sold you got a percentage, I assume some people got something, but not a lot!

Will this lot take things the charity shop wouldn't?

No I wouldn't because Google is full of proper companies that will collect from your doorstep and you get to choose from a list of charities.

Also, the fuckers round here end up fly-tipping what they don't want.

Hmmm, not sure.

if I give away stuff and people decide to sell it on, that’s up to them. And I don’t care. If people are actually saying that they are donating money to charity, and perhaps they’re not… That’s different.

I’m very lucky, as where I live, there are lots of organisations that take unwanted clothing and donated for free to people that need it. There’s also a charity that has supported my child in the past, so anything that is worth a bit more. and saleable, I give it to them. I’ve also met some lovely people via Freecycle and contact them when there’s anything that I have going to see if they want it.

If people think that they are effectively donating to charity, and they are not, well that’s a different story.

My charity shops sometimes have a blanket no on women’s clothes (for example) even if I wanted to donate pristine designer clothes they won’t even look…

I think it’s fine. I took two bags of clothes to the recycling centre this week assuming there would be somewhere to put them and the bloke told me to throw them in general waste with the rubbish. So then I had to go and park on the high street and take them to the charity shop.

It would not bother me if someone was selling things I don’t need anymore. As long as things aren’t going to landfill.

I'd probably prefer to donate directly to a charity, but if they're honest about what they're doing (not pretending they need the clothes themselves, but planning all the time to sell them instead), I don't see a problem with it.

They’re being upfront about what they intend to do with the clothes rather than pretending they’re all going to charity or being donated to starving orphans, so I’d be fine with it. I find giving clothes to charity shops a lot of bother often: I go to the trouble of making a special trip to donate only for them to say they aren’t taking donations anyway, or only want certain brands at least half the time. Somebody collecting from me and finding them a second home is doing me a favour, with things I don’t want.

If they are upfront about it and dispose of unwanted things properly, I have no issue with it.

Absolutely! They’re being upfront about what they’re doing and I don’t want the clothes anymore, or the hassle of selling them, or taking them to a clothes bank. This sounds a great idea.

It's completely different. Nobody is taking donations that have been given to somebody else; they're upfront about what they do and are only taking things that have been specifically given to them.

If you just want rid of old clothes for re-use and you don't care who ends up with them or if somebody makes a few quid from it, then give them to them.

If instead you want them to go directly to the end user without any payment or profit being made, or to be sold in aid of a charity, don't give to them.

They're being completely honest and it's 100% your choice.

No, they put their costs towards their petrol and time collecting things.

Yes, I can't imagine they end up with a lot of profit at all based on their hourly rate.

For all we know, their main motivation may just be to keep good clothes out of landfill - and they figure that, if they can cover all of their costs and also make a few extra quid for their trouble, all good.