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?
Ours charity shops are the same - I once called ahead to check they were taking donations and it took the lady who answered almost a minute to list all the things they no longer accept. Another time, when I dropped the bags off, they made me wait while they picked out what they wanted then tried to hand the rest back. All of it good quality and clean items. As for books... none of them will take books and even our library is getting picky about them. I cannot bring myself to throw them in the bin!
Most of our local supermarkets have a charity book stall, nobody asks questions you just put your on the table and away you go. There's always people having a good rummage through them too, they ask for a donation to the charity they're supporting that year. As we have a nearby ferry port and are a holiday destination people are always looking for something to entertain themselves on a journey and these stalls do well.