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?

You've misunderstood me. I meant I was calling myself 'tightwad' in anticipation of others calling me that. It was nothing to do with getting unfavourable responses. I've started threads under current usernames that have had a good chance of receiving unfavourable responses - you're welcome to check that with MNHQ - but not threads that refer to things in my locality or activities I'm known to enjoy.

All our local car boots charge a fee to get in, and not often for charity either

But you don't need a car to attend a car boot sale.

Sellers usually have a car but not always. I've seen people take stuff out of bags and spread them out on a mat on the ground at our local ones.

My local weekly carboot charges 50p entry. Its always busy

A whole pound? For charity? That’s just naked profiteering.

Much bigger problems to worry about than a measly quid to enter a car boot sale😫

Your point is you don’t want to donate £1 to charity, we all get it.

I think the OP is more of the opinion that they don't want to donate to a charity that is not of their choosing, I know I have charities I wouldn't choose to support.

It's a QUID.

S'truth...

Yes - thank you. It's the imposition of an unknown charity into the situation. I don't begrudge giving to charity per se; I donate to charities of my choice and I spend a lot of money in charity shops, as well as donating unwanted items back to them.

I don't like someone else deciding that to enjoy an activity I have enjoyed for a long time, I have to give money to a charity of their choice. The amount is not material, the specific charity isn't particularly material although there are some charities I wouldn't give 1p to - it's the lack of agency.

Anyway, clearly the opinion of the vast majority is that I am living up to my self-imposed username, so I take that on board.

I will see if I can find out where the money is actually going and if it's a cause or causes I'd be happy to support.

I will not be objecting, haggling or complaining to the local paper - that was never my intention - I will either pay, or not go.

Thanks for taking the time to comment, everyone.

Agree with this. Usually the entry fee goes to the organisers or owners of the field.

£1 doesn’t buy you a 5p sweet these days! Meanness isn't an enviable personality trait OP.

It's £2.50?for ours at Brighton racecourse and I think £10 before 7am, I never ge5 there that early to check.

Get over yourself. Hiring a public area for a car boot sale costs hundreds of pounds and if it's for charity they need to be sure they cover that and make some profit.

I wouldn't waste £1 on sweets, either.

Personally I think it's nice they're trying to use the event to give back to their local community. There's a chance for that to make a real impact especially if they are a well established group that gets a good footfall. The charity sector is literally on its knees at the moment so I'd personally be making a point of going to it to support that.

It would be interesting if they waived the £1 suggestion and asked for a donation to see if people would actually give more.

It's in a council car park. My council tax has just gone up significantly - I'm paying more than enough already to a council who are frankly a load of rubbish in the way they operate! That's a topic for a different thread, though.

If it was a voluntary collection bucket, I'd chuck in whatever loose change was to hand, so it might be more or less than £1.

Honestly it is a £ it isn't that deep.

... assuming it was for a cause I considered worthwhile.

I don’t think any of our local car boots charge buyers.

Id object on the grounds of not knowing what charity.

I’m also one of those people that doesn’t always buy something either so I’d just not go as I’m not paying to basically window shop and not see anything I like.

Optional donation like to have a wonder maybe buy something or not and chuck in some money as we left if it was the right charity.

I don't know how often I have to say it, it's the principle, not the amount.

I don't mind donating to charity in shopping situations if it's my choice. I will 'round up' in charity shops, if it's genuinely rounding up and not them asking me to pay £5.50 instead of £5 - I object to that on grounds of logic - but it's optional.

We sometimes have charity collectors offering to pack bags in the supermarket. I prefer to pack my own bag, but I give them some money anyway if it's a good cause - the difference is no one is making the donation a condition of shopping there, or forcing me to have my bag packed.

Same. There are some charities that should be shut down, IMO.