Published on 12, July, 2020
I went to take some clothes to a charity shop yesterday, the first one I tried don't take donations on a tuesday, the other one asked me if I had an appointment, I was confused and asked why I needed an appointment to drop a few clothes off? The woman went round the back and asked another woman if they could "fit me in to take the clothes", the second woman came out and told me she'd have to see if they had an appointment space available, I told her I'd never had so many problems giving stuff away before and that I had other things I needed to do that day, she went off on one told me I was rude and that they have to have appointments for donations as all the other charity shops are full and they're the ones who get dumped on. I walked out, I don't want to give them stuff if thats their attitude, which is a shame because they're the local hospice.
All these charities go on about wanting donations and yet they seem to be getting ever fussier about what they'll take and when. It all seems to be the givers fault too, for not knowing thier rules, I was chased after by one charity shop worker because I'd donated some cutlery and they no longer take knives, I thought you could of done more damage with a teaspoon than the knives as they were just normal eating stuff. I've seen clothes sold more expensively in charity shops than they are new and many of them are no longer taking books, even though they sell well.
It's really peeing me off that it's easier to throw good stuff away than take it to a charity shop and they seem so ungrateful and rude, I don't expect a medal, just a thank you.
What's your experience of charity shops?
How weird! I wasn’t aware of this. Although many years ago we had a huge collection of Lego that we wanted to donate/give away and that was very difficult - so many issues that in the end we gave to a relative because we couldn’t find anyone to give it to. Our relative is quite well off (and we’re not) and we wanted to give it to an organisation/charity instead - but we couldn’t find anywhere that would take it. This was pre pandemic btw. It is frustrating.
I guess some chairty shops are afraid of being accused of enabling small children to put small lego bricks up thier noses or gouge each others eyes out with teaspoons, or have jeans brought back because the purchaser didn't know they were artfully ripped and splattered by fashion shops. I think people need to take a bit more personal responsibility, especially for what thier children get up to in shops. I've had people come into a salon and expect us to entertain thier kids and get stroppy with us because we didn't, a salon is a place where there are lots of dangerous things, sharp objects, chemicals etc. I like the sign behind the till of one of my favourite shops 'Unaccompanied children will be sold to the circus!'