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Original poster

Charity shops - why don't they say thank you for donations?

44 replies

flobbleflobble · 01/05/2006 15:00

I am really annoyed with my local charity shops. The 2 that I give things to almost NEVER say thank you.

I donate a great deal of stuff, and not rubbish either - the duff stuff goes in my bin instead. Last time I went amongst other stuff I took a box of re-usable nappies and was made to feel like a dirty scumbag - we can't take these they are a health hazard. Me: "Oh, that's a shame - just recycle them then" "No, we can't put them in our bin because the council charges us for our rubbish". And all said in an unpleasant tone. So I take them home again to my own bin...

And now I think why waste petrol and time delivering things to a charity shop, makes more sense to bin them. But as I said, the stuff I throw is good stuff! Modern, clean, branded/designer clothes, books and videos and toys that are new or as new...

Sorry - just needed to offload really! Anyone else have this problem?

OP posts:
ProfYaffle · 01/05/2006 15:48

I posted on another thread recently about my experience trying to donate books. They were all in good nick and well known titles but the 1st charity shop i went to reacted as if I were trying to palm off dog sh!t, the 2nd one would only take them after inspecting to them.

As I had quite a lot I split them into 3 lots, the 3rd and 4th shops (british heart foundation and Barnardos) were lovely and very grateful.

I think in your shoes, i'd find another shop to donate to.

Original poster
flobbleflobble · 01/05/2006 15:50

Thanks Prof. It's hard finding one where you can park close by, that's my main problem!

i should really talk to the shop managers about it as they probably annoy a lot of folk and don't even realise it...

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 01/05/2006 15:55

I was just going to say complain to the manager, but you said it yourself!

Is there a local office for the charity? If there is, ring them. They often don't realise what the shop staff are like. Most shop workers will be volunteers and often inexperienced in 'customer service'.

Also ask if they have a collection service.

ProfYaffle · 01/05/2006 15:57

Same problem with me, I only went to the 1st cos it has a car park and I had tons of books, the 2nd one has a car park sort of nearby. If they hadn't taken them I would have gone straight to the tip.

WelshBoris · 01/05/2006 15:58

Because most of the women who work there are prude, uptight cows who need a damn good seeing to

They think their precious little shop deserves much better than the tat tahe comes through the doors

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 01/05/2006 15:59

Off handedness and unpleasant tones are, of course, unacceptable but I don;t think you can blame them for not recycling/disposing of stuff they don't want - especially if it is going to incur costs. Similarly you can't blame them for for only taking stuff after inspecting it. Again - if they don;t do that they will end up with things they can't sell and incur costs for disposing of them. I have had similar difficulties with books - they are very difficult for charity shops to shift - it's not their fault - it's the lack of interest in buying them. You could always put stuff on ebay and donate the money to charity. or put them on freecycle.

TwoToTango · 01/05/2006 16:00

I have had this problem. There are 2 near to me. I regularly take in decent stuff - clothes, toys. Most times when I go in they leave me standing there while they finish their conversation in the rear of the shop and these are middle aged women who I would expect to have better manners. Half the time they just take the bags and practically throw them into the rear of the shop and don't always say thank you!

Original poster
flobbleflobble · 01/05/2006 16:04

I don't need grovelling gratitude from them...just a thank you very much would be more than enough! And bringing stuff they can't use isn't a crime, is it?

Sounds as though this is a common gripe then!

OP posts:
seriouslystressedspacecadet · 01/05/2006 16:05

By WelshBoris on Monday, 1 May, 2006 3:58:20 PM

Because most of the women who work there are prude, uptight cows who need a damn good seeing to

sorry but that made me piss myself laughing!

WelshBoris · 01/05/2006 16:05
Wink
expatinscotland · 01/05/2006 16:07

I just put everything in a Bernardo's bin.

Original poster
flobbleflobble · 01/05/2006 16:07

where do you find these bins?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 01/05/2006 16:09

There's one in the ScotMid/CoOp right by our flat.

seriouslystressedspacecadet · 01/05/2006 16:09

tesco usually have them, as do waitrose.

arfy · 01/05/2006 16:10

yes I now put anything I can in the shoes/textile bins and the book bins at the recylcling place. have seen charidee shop workers turn their nose up at offerings far too often. I do understand why they get pissed off as people do sometimes unload a load of old crap on them (and also leave the bags outside to be opened by foxes etc.) but it doesn't take much to say thank you does it! It's true lots of them have no real training and don't know what they're doing, but I bet lots of them are ones that grumble how rude the 'youth of today are', but it's quite OK for them to do what they like.

I don't know if everywhere has the charity bins, but we have them all over the place here in Richmond/Twickenham

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 01/05/2006 16:11

funny - wb's comment didn;t make me laugh. I thought it was really unpleasant. I agree that bringing stuff they don;t want is not for one second a crime, and no-one should be made to feel bad for doing so. But don;t agree they should be expceted to recycle/dispose of it. I think SG is probably right about customer service and training etc. If they would smile and say thanks and explain carefully why etc, there wouldn't be a problem. the other side of the coin (and I don;t mean anyone on this thread) might be that sometimes they get a bit fed up with people who do bring tat, and get fed up with being treated with a lack of respect themselves - especially when they are volunteers.

arfy · 01/05/2006 16:13

Yes - I am friendly with most of the people in the charity shops in my high street and they do get fed up with being expected to get rid of other people's tat BUT if you are bringing in decent stuff they should at least smile and say thanks.

seriouslystressedspacecadet · 01/05/2006 16:13

just because i laughed at the comment, doesnt mean i think its actually the case.

mosschops30 · 01/05/2006 16:14

dont you have charity bags put through your door. I have given up taking stuff to the shops because they are as you say often uninterested. Wouldnt mind but bag is always full of new title books and good quality clothes.

Now I keep it all in the garage and when we get a bag through the door (usually cancer research or british heart foundation) then it all goes in there and they collect it from the door...much easier

Original poster
flobbleflobble · 01/05/2006 16:23

I have NEVER had a bag through my door although I remember this when I lived at home. I think I will ask at my local shop - and ask them what they really want while I'm at it!

Don't have any oil paintings in the loft though Sad!

OP posts:
Original poster
flobbleflobble · 01/05/2006 16:24

"lived at home" meaning with my parents of course!

OP posts:
WelshBoris · 01/05/2006 16:34

I said "most", and I get this impression from the shops that I have been into and the posts that I have read on here about the bad attitudes people have encountered in various shops around the country

Yes it was a broad generalisation, hence the wink and the "most"

brimfull · 01/05/2006 16:40

A word in defence of the charity shops.Having rubbish removed from a business premises is not cheap.We have in, one of our shops, the same size bin as the local oxfam and it costs £40 /month to have it emptied once a week.Dh thinks that the oxfam gets theirs emptied more than that so there costs will be higher.
I'm not condoning the bad attitude but some people tend to see them as a dumping ground and dumping rubbish is expensive.
We're lucky in that we're always getting charity collection bags through the door/

MadamePlatypus · 01/05/2006 17:35

Usually I would agree with you, but the last time I went to Oxfam in Kingston I got thanked once on the way in, once by they guy sorting the stuff and again on the way out. Just try somewhere else next time.

ellceeell · 01/05/2006 17:35

We get the bags, probably every three or four weeks. So I fill them up with some good stuff - and then no-one collects them! So I ring and they say "someone will come" - and then no-one comes. This has happened to me tfour times in a row, so I've stopped doing that now, too.