AIBU to object to a £1 charity entry fee at car boot sale?

[TightwadTilly]

My local car boot sale has been running for years, apart from a Covid hiatus.

As it's now reaching the time of year when getting up early on a Sunday morning is a pleasure, I was planning to start going again. However, I've found out they are now imposing a £1 entry fee for buyers. Apparently this will go to charity - I haven't found out which charity or charities, however that isn't greatly material to my point.

I want to be clear that I could afford a £1 entry fee, but I really object to the principle of it and - this might sound odd - the fact it is a charity 'donation' is even more annoying. I could live with it better if it was a case of the sellers having their pitch fees reduced by £1 to 'share the costs'.

It also puts me off selling there (which I have done in the past) as I'm sure there will be others deterred from going in by this fee, either on principle or because they go to car boot sales to get things cheap that they couldn't otherwise afford.

Quite prepared to be told I am tighter than a gnat's arse, hence name change, but AIBU?

Genuinely - why? What would it achieve? They're not running the car boot sale. They'd either agree or disagree - it wouldn't change the situation.

Crikey you don't want to go to the many we go to in a North east from £1-2 entry on all

You should ask them if they'll take 20p for it.

Cynical me. How do you know it's going to charity?

I... just don't understand the fuss about a quid. How much does your fuel cost to drive to it?

I want to be clear that I could afford a £1 entry fee, but I really object to the principle of it

Vote by not going then. Find another way to buy people’s old junk and move on with your life.

In case it was outing, owing to the recency and amount of the fee, and that people know I like car boot sales, charity shops etc.

The name also comes from a vintage girls' comic that I avidly collect so I saw this as a golden opportunity for a homage name - that probably no one will recognise, but if they do it might bring back happy memories.

I would certainly want to know what charity it was for before deciding whether or not to go. There are some charities I would not be willing to donate even a pound to

I've never been to one of these type of events where the donations were for anything other than a well known or local charity

If the event is held in a church or school the donations usually are for the church or school

Otherwise they're usually for a hospice, RNLI, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Cancer Research or something like that

There's usually something included in the publicity about the charity being supported . . . I'm sure OP could easily find out

I've already said that's probably what I'll do, unless they update their publicity and it turns out to be a charity I already support.

I wasn't asking what to do, I was asking whether people thought my opinion was reasonable.

Thoughts and Prayers

"Outing" 🤣

This sounds like the tight fisted whingers in my village who are up in arms because the previously free car park now charges £1.

I dont object to a small entry fee but if they claim it's for charity that needs to be clearly displayed with the charity involved

Yes they are, but you put your thread in AIBU so you need to adjust your expectations accordingly.

I haven't either (or is it neither 🤔 😀) .car boots usually have an entrance fee, op can you not ask what the charity is ?

I would probably pay a nominal entry fee if asked, but I have never been to a Car Boot Sale which made such a charge.

Surely you realise that it's possible to out yourself by means of people comparing your posts over a period of time and putting together the little details?

I'm a pretty regular name changer, and always change if I start a new thread about something that's happening in my life (as opposed to, e.g. something on TV) because being the thread OP attracts attention and people might start comparing other posts.

I know you are a regular user, I'm surprised you're not aware that can happen.

I don’t go to Boot sales or anywhere that charges to buy things. Totally get what you’re saying, it’s the principle. If I go to a boot sale it’s for a wander, not because I’m shopping for something particular but being charged to enter a place where I might be a buyer puts me right off.

£1? I pay £5 for mine

Sounds like where I am in the NE England. It’s a pound. If you can’t afford that then you can’t afford a car

In my experience a buyers' fee isn't usual - this might be a regionally varying thing.

I will keep an eye on the publicity and see if they update it to name a charity, I'm not going out of my way to research it.

Of course I know it can happen. I don't post anything that I'd feel would necessarily warrant a name change - particularly since you indicated in the OP that it was because you might get some unfavourable responses.

I don't think a pound is an event being 'taken over'.

But I do think they should make it clear who it is going to. That's a legal obligation I thought? It may be they will give it to a selection of local causes, that change every week type thing. Bit should be made obvious, otherwise it is just the organisers sneaking in a bit of profit under the radar.

I'd want to know the charity and how I was to be informed how the money was to be given to the charity.

Let's face it people just squander money at cat boots so a quid is neither here nor there.

Not the point of the thread, but I don't actually have a car 😆