General Chat

Congratulations on making a stand Barbara.

Hi Barbara. Just to say you did the right thing. Well done. :-))
x

Thank you to everyone who posted on here, I have read all the comments and thank you for your support.

It wasn't nice to go back into that shop, but at least that woman will no longer be there stealing and I hope she is thoroughly ashamed of herself .

Thank you for your support, I will let you all know what happens.

Barbara xx

Barbara,
Just wanted to say well done on making a stand!!
Also, this morning I went into the charity shop where I work and I told all the other Friday volunteers about what had happened to you and they were all angry and dismayed. We had a big discussion about it and there were a couple of points that they asked me to pass on with regard to a couple of comments posted on this thread (apologies but I can't remember who made the various comments).
Donated goods sometimes take several days to be sorted so if you go back to the shop in the next day or so, your item may not be visible simply because it hasn't been sorted yet. Anything that looks like it may be worth a bit more is set aside and is independently priced for us before going into the shop.
Also, clothing items are examined for tears, marks, missing buttons etc before being priced and put on hangers. They then go onto a rail to be steamed before going onto the shop floor. Again, this process can take a few days.
There are strict regulations with regard to electrical goods (all ours get sent away to be tested, before they go on sale in the shop).
We also exchange goods with other local charity shops of the same name (ie if we have a lot of jeans/trousers but are short on coats/jackets)
So there are various reasons why you may not see an item you donated.
We agreed though, that there are always going to be people who take advantage of the system if they can.
As with every charity we do get a certain amount of unsaleable items - chipped/broken crockery, electrical goods that don't work, etc. We also get bags of unwashed clothes and various other items that I wouldn't mention on here. We happily take 'rags' and old books as these can all be recycled. We get a bit of money for the 'rag bags' so hardly anything gets wasted.
I can only reiterate that we do our best to ensure that the majority of items that are donated to us do get into the shop.

Edit: Just read Rach's post (~ to Rach!).
We also get the occasional customer who waltzes off without paying for items and we also had a gang changing price labels but in the main we have a fantastic bunch of regular customers, (some of whom come in on a daily basis) helping us keep a good cause going.

THIS IS DISGUSTING. BUT I'M AFRAID IT HAPPENS. I KNEW PEOPLE WHO DID VOLUNTARY WORK IN A CHARITY SHOP, AND THEY GOT THE FIRST PICK, AND NOT MUCH OF IT, IF ANY, WAS PAID FOR.

AN OLD BOSS OF MINE NOW WORKS AS AN ASST MANAGER IN A CHARITY SHOP, AND SHE SAID THEY GET FIRST CHOICE, BUT NOTHING CHEAPER THAN THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.

I NOW PUT MY STUFF INTO RECYCLING BINS IN SHOP SUPERMARKETS, AS I WAS SICK OF PUTTING BAGS OUT FOR COLLECTION, AND THEM NOT BEING COLLECTED. THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS EVER COLLECTED WAS THE ONE FOR CANCER CHARITY.

Hi Barbara ,
i'd just like to say well done ,
it must have taken a lot of courage for you to
go back to the shop and complain .
Lets hope you get a response from head office .
Hazelx

Well done for that, it must have been difficult, but if you hadn't had the courage to go in it might have continued, now it should stop xx

Speak later Rach, my nephew has just arrived

Barb xx

I know Rach, I've never had a problem taking stuff in before, I think that woman must have noticed how glam I am and made a quick dash for my bags, lol. I'm the first one to know the world is not perfect, some people never miss a trick do they, but it's a damn shame for all the hard working folk out there and for the poor people who benefit.
I don't want to put people off from donating but this just made me mad.

Barb x

Believe this or not Julia, I too buy jigsaw puzzles from charity shops, I love doing them, I have found a few Gibson or Jumbo puzzles in good condition and only yesterday found a wasjig, brand new, for £4.00, that's usually why I go in and also second hand books are always very reasonable. I usually keep mine upstairs in the wardrobe and then every year do a car boot and sell them.
Hi Rach,
I knew you were manager of a charity shop, Taff told me, I don't want to take this too far because the manageress of the shop was rather nice and very upset about this so I will wait and see what their head office says. When I put the thread up, I really didn't want to upset the good people out ther who give their whole for these charities, but just wondered if anyone else had had the same experience.

Barbara xx

Barbara2 - Have not had time to read all the posts on this thread, as I have only just seen it. However, we, that is my OH and myself had an experience a few times,which got up our noses.Let me explain. We are avid jigsaw puzzlers, and usually pay around the £9.99 price each,as they are the top quality ones, and have at least one a week/10 days. A couple of years ago, we decided to have a clear out and took about 20/30 to a charity shop, about £200/£300 worth. Within a couple of days, when we went to take somemore,'our's' where not to be seen,only very old one's in tatty boxes. So where were 'ours. But when I thought about it, the only ones we have been able to buy have been in old tatty boxes. So where do the newish/used only once ones go,that is what I would like to know. There is something wrong here,not only with our jigsaws,but with other donations people give in good faith.
Having said all of that, and I will stick by what I have said, a couple of winters ago,I got a lovely short winter Cashmere, yes Cashmere, coat for £8. Best buy I have ever had from a charity shop
Julia in Derbyshire

Well done Barbara

I know how hard it must have been for you but you had every right to voice you opinion. I do hope it stops now that you have pointed it out to them.
A nice Stiff Brandy will calm you down lol

Take Care
Jackie

HI Ann
Thanks for that.
Things have probably changed a lot now here also. This took place about 19 years ago I think. My niece is 27 now and she was 8 at the time.
Well I hope things have changed now. But I guess wherever you work there are a few Perks here and there. Some bigger than others

Barbara, I am sure that was unpleasant for you but on behalf of all struggling charities (and we all are in the present climate), thank you for being brave enough to go forward with it.

Ann
Glos

I am not sure about this Jackie but in the UK all charities come under The Charity commission which is very strict as to the way things are run. All funds have to be audited and presented at the AGM of the charity. The bit i am not sure about, but I am sure if you google Charities commission you may find out, is if the head office accounts are open to the public. My feeling is that they probably are. A lot of the big charities are known for a good proportion of the funds going into administration, but to be fair I suppose they are run as big businesses and could not operate without experts running them at the top.

Hello everyone
Thank you all for contributing to this thread, first I am appalled at some of the stories, but now I am not shocked.

I've just come back from the shop and feel a bit hot & bothered.
When I walked in the woman was behind the counter again, so I asked to see the manager, I told her I wanted to speak to her in private and, so she took me in a room at the back, and I told her what had happened. At first, she was a bit uppity and tried to tell me it never happens in her shop, but in the end she called the woman in and told her what I'd said, of course she denied it and said she had paid for it, and it was my word against hers, but I pointed out I had no reason to be there if not to tell her why I was so angry, and in the end the woman just grabbed her coat and rushed out. I now have the address of their head office and when I calm down I will send them a letter.
The manageress was very upset and said she had never known it happen before, but I pointed out that the woman said it was 'a perk' of the job, so she had obviously done it before, she became very upset then and has taken my name and tel no. and we are going to wait to see what response I get from head office. She said she will tell this woman to stay away and she will warn all the other volunteers to make sure they take nothing from the shop, until this has been sorted.
They should apparantly make a record of what they have in a book and make sure one of the other staff takes the money, but she did say sometimes there were only two staff in the shop, it's only a small shop!
I will let you know what happens.
Going for a strong cup of coffee.
Barbara x

Barbara
My sister and I was working for a Charity which I won't name but a very well known one all over the world. My niece entered a Miss Money Bags competiion for this Charity and had to raise funds. For a couple of hard earned months we did all sorts of Variety Shows at shopping Centres to raise money for it. Money out of our own pocket was used to put on these shows. At the end of it all my sister and I was invited to a Committee Meeting at Head Office.
I was aphalled at the amount that goes in Administration Fees etc.
They put supper on for us and My goodness it was a banquet. I refused to eat anything as I felt I was stealing. By all means put Supper on but what happened to a few Sandwiches and Biscuits. All this came out of money raised by the way. It was a Catered affair and you know what they charge.
My sister and I was that upset abouit it we refused to work with them ever again. My niece had raised $5000 for them that year. We told them in no uncertain terms that we were not happy. Of course we never found out where the $5,000 went.

I work as a Volunteer for a Non Profit Amature Theatre Group I have been with them for 21 years and because we are Non Profit Organisation we had to raise funds for Charities throughout the year. I was President for a few years and I can honestly say that every cent we raised went to the Charity we had nominated.
Committee Meeting Suppers were provided by the Club Itself or one of us would bring a cake biscuits etc.

I am sure there are some good Charities but I know from experience that some do not do the right thing.
I suppose it would be hard to check unless you ask to see their books which I am sure they are not going to let you look at.

Can't wait to hear what they say to you Barbara when you confront them.

Please let us know
Regards
Jackie

Ime afraid thats the way it goes, in my local pub thre are three of these so called Charity people, almost every night,that come in dressed to to nines in clothes that I simply couldnt afford, full length leather coats leather boots jewelrey fantastic tops & dresses etc, and they openly brag about it.

On the other hand there is a wharehouse/open yard that has bales 3ftx4ftx5ft full of clothes that come from these shopsthat are supposedly going to 3rd world countries. They sit there for months often they are set on fire then put into skips. Its absolutely disgusting.

Bob Peters.

I've often wondered whether this happens when I've seen staff rummaging in the new bags and crowing over what they find. Also, I don't know about you, but sometimes when I've given some nice items, I've gone back in the shop over the next few days to see what they've charged for my items......guess what I've never ever seen any of them!! Now I know why! Some shops only seem to have really tatty stuff....no wonder if the best is being creamed off by the staff!!

Do write to the charity and say that it is putting people off donating...they won't want that.

I worked in an office a few doors away from a charity shop in the centre of Cardiff, at the back of the shops and offices we shared a large secure area used for parking etc. As we were selling property we were open on a weekend and one Sunday i wasnt feeling very well and went out the back walked around to where they had skips which i thought was full of rubbish but when i investigated further i was amazed to see at least twenty packets of brand new babies bibs which had been donated by Asda, there was mens pyjamas again new still in the cellophane packets, althought a bit old fashioned i am sure someone could have made use of them, there was childrens toys, electrical items, in fact someone i worked with at the time did interior design and she helped herself to a load of vases, lamp shades and other various items. I was so annoyed at this stuff being skipped that i photographed it all and sent a letter with the photographs to the head office. I also held the bibs and pyjamas for them to see, which they later did when they came down to investigate. Obviously they did have a new manager but i was told that they get so much stuff that they have a time scale for any item and if its not sold within that time then they have to dispose of it. I am sure if thats the case then why dont they just put the stuff on display and advertise it for free. I would certainly complain. A relation of mine works in a charity shop and she said if they want to buy anything it has to go in the shop first and a record is kept of all staff transactions but they do get a discount.

Mazzy