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

[flobbleflobble]

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?

WB had you made a generalisation, based on this thread and from your experience - that the people in question were rude, or similar, I wouldn't have found it particularly noteworthy, it was rather the misogynistic and offensive concept - the idea that when women err they can somehow be "sorted out" by a "seeing too" - that I thought unpleasant. Possibly you didn't intend offence but it's a phrase/concept that makes me shudder.

WB - you missed out the wink in the original post

I thought it was funny - and my mother worked in a charity shop.

I have seen it from the other side having worked in a charity shop, I was 17 and not a prude old cow but a young person who wanted to get some retail experience.

There are many people who volunteer for many reasons and some are rude as in any other shop. Some have special needs, some need work experience, as they are not getting paid there are many reasons why they work there.

Unfortunatly charity shops are trying to run as a viable business and have to turn stuff down that they can't sell. The one I donate to regularly has a massive skip they fill very quickly, and I am sure it must cost a lot to get it emptied.

It seems that some people use charity shops instead of going to the dump or to feel better about themselves.

Of course there is no excuse for rudeness or unpleasentness. Donate to a place where you feel your stuff is appreciated unfortuatly it might not be the one with the handy carpark.

I agree that there should be basic courtesy in dealings between shop staff/vlounteers and donators.
However, I thought the whole idea of donating was to help the needy. This should not require the gratitude of a volunteer who is in turn donating their own time and energy.

Put them in one of the those bins - the nice stuff gets given to those in needs or sold for a profit, and the ratty stuff gets sold by the kilo to factories to wipe down machines etc. Everything that can be used is used.

we give most of our stuff via 'freecycle' ..we get tons of emails wanting the things we offer and i give to the person who sounds like they need them most.
i recently gave a huge bag of newborn clothes and a baby bath to a woman who'd unexpectedly gotten pregnant..she was immensley grateful.
plus this way they collect from your house so you don't have to take them anywhere..

I have to say I didn't have any problem with the 2nd shop i donated to. I fully understand that some people try to palm off tat, the lady I spoke to was polite, reasonable and said thank you for my donation.

The first shop I went to was a different story, the staff could barely be bothered to speak to me and when they did they were sneering and rude, I'd object to that in any shop.

Yes charity shops have to run as a business but as that business depends on people bringing stuff in they're being shortsighted in being rude. I certainly won't be making any further donations to the 1st shop.

What is freecycle btw? I've seen it mentioned on here but never heard of it before.

Local Red Cross Shop - I always get a nice cheery thank you. Local Oxfam - a sullen "OK". I think it's fair enough for charity shops to refuse to recycle items they can't sell though.

Lol at WelshBoris

Now that is the reply I needed when I was sneered at in a charity shop last week. I just couldn't think of a good enough comeback at the time! Do you think I gould get away with going back now, 'And by the way...'

freecycleis a yahoo group..theres one for all differenttowns/regions in the u.k..in fact it's worldwide..
people post stuff they don't want or 'wanted' ad's for things they need..and it all gets given away in a lovely big community way.
unfortunately there are some tossers taking advantage who post 'laptop, psp wanted' etc but it's easy to ignore them..lol
ours is great as it covers the whole of london so there are 300ish items offered every day.

check www.freecycle.org for your local group

"However, I thought the whole idea of donating was to help the needy. This should not require the gratitude of a volunteer who is in turn donating their own time and energy. "

Tend to agree YummiMummy. What's more valuable? Things that you don't need anymore and need to get shot of anyway, or hours of someone's unpaid time? Perhaps you should be thanking them for taking unwanted stuff off your hands??? Especially when you think that it will still all need to be sorted out and may need to be chucked away.

Having said all that, simple politeness dictates that they should say thankyou even if they don't mean it.

BTW I didn't think the comment about uptight prudes was particularly funny either...with or without the wink icon.

If the volunteers don't say a polite thank you for the donations then pragamtism would dictate that there will be no more donations!

Clearly if the volunteers want to help the charity then donating their time is NOT enough - they need to say thank you for donations as well. And if they don't then the charity should probably say the same as they should have said to me about my nappies - thanks for your offer of help but it isn't a help.

I do give in order to help worthwhile causes and yes, it does make me feel better about myself to help others - and I don't get what is wrong with that exactly?

I give a lot of high quality stuff which would sell well on ebay or at a car boot sale...but even if it were rubbish, if I had bothered to bring it in to the charity shop shouldn't they at least say thank you for taking the trouble?

There seem to be several posters who think people who donate stuff are having a favour done to themselves by the charity shops which I find a bizarre idea.

interseting..i just mentioned these issues to my friend on the phone..her flatmate manages the 'oxfam originals'charity shop on oxford street and gets £21'000 per year..plus commision on anthing sold for over £40

best is to ask friends/family if they want your unused stuff (we got a £800 cot from my aunt..and recently gave a friend 100+ videos we don't want but he did )...or if not..as i said before..frecycle..

Whenever I donate anything to a charity shop, I am always thanked (sometimes profusely ).

My local Charity shop takes all the rubbish clothes and material and sells it by the tonne - not great money but quite a bit over the year

plugging frecycle yet again..
i just took a load of mac cosmetics(unpoened) and mac skincare stuff, as they were gifts but react badly with my skin, to a lady just around the corner from us
she gave us a heap of tots bots nappy wraps up to toddler age and a stairgate..i didn't expect anything in return but more than welcomed these things!
and also the lovely chat over cups of tea we had....
i love it!

freecycle it will be then!