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Reading the small print

(13 Posts)
FarNorth Thu 27-Jul-17 19:28:41

devongirl I don't think that can be it, as that money has actually gone to the charity which then uses it to pay the call centre. It should appear in the charity's accounts as 'fundraising expenses' or somesuch.

Swanny Thu 27-Jul-17 18:17:17

I donate stuff to charity shops since reading those big bins and finding the small print. It really annoyed me that someone other than the named charity was getting most of the proceeds. Especially after I'd lost my job with a charity due to lack of finances angry

Ana Thu 27-Jul-17 18:10:04

I could never do that! I like to start at the beginning and proceed until the end (boring, I know). Surely you wouldn't read a book from back to front?

Elegran Thu 27-Jul-17 17:47:30

I havenm't bought a magazine in ages, but I used to hold it in my left hand and let the pages fall past my thumb one by one, starting at the back - that way the right-hand page (where interesting items seemed usually to be) was in view as each page fell.

Auntieflo Thu 27-Jul-17 17:16:12

Grannyqueenie, I wonder if I read magazines back to front is the same reason as you. Thinking about it, I do love a problem page, and /or readers letters, and they are usually at the back. Course, now someone's going to say, no, they are at the front, or middle. Didn't realise that I was not alone, how nice smile

BBbevan Thu 27-Jul-17 15:30:15

I always read magazines from the back. My mum told me it was because I was left handed and found it easier to hold that way .

MissAdventure Thu 27-Jul-17 15:05:48

I read back to front too. I always find the back pages more interesting, and usually shorter little snippets, so I can dip in and out.

grannyqueenie Thu 27-Jul-17 14:39:39

Well, it's a relief to know I'm not the only one to read magazines back to front. I've done it for as long as I can remember. I think it all began when trying to
sneakily read the problem pages in my mum's magazines without her knowing! She was forever attempting birds and bees conversations which I would nercilesdly thwart! Poor mum, I had my own ways of finding out what I wanted to know. Stubbornly independent then, hmm still inclined to be stubborn singleminded now!!
Sorry about the diversion down memory lane. I hadn't noticed the small print on charity bins either, but usually give directly to the charity shop.

rosesarered Thu 27-Jul-17 14:11:03

Well, so nice to know that am not alone in this ( reading mags back to front) it just seems a natural thing to do, although DH laughs at it.
I take clothes to a charity shop, but like to give things on freedycle as well.

devongirl Thu 27-Jul-17 14:08:47

My vore for back-to front too!

I had no idea about the comments on %s, always assumed it all went to the charity.

Made me think though, my DD has been working for a call centre which is commissioned by charities to contact donors who have given a phone no. and agreed to be contacted. The organisation is paid by the charity, because the alternative obviously would be for the charity to pay to employ people of their own to do this - outsourcing, in other words. Maybe that's what is going on when the charity only gets a percentage from bag donations?

M0nica Thu 27-Jul-17 14:07:07

Yes, I read magazines back to front. I have just read this week's New Scientist that way. When I get to the beginning I then read the magazine again from front to back.

I use charity clothing bags as rubbish bags. All decent clothing goes to a charity shop and anything else goes into the textile recycling skip at the tip.

grannysue05 Thu 27-Jul-17 13:46:37

Auntieflo I am so glad that someone else reads magazines back to front.
I always do. Have done so for as long as I remember. Love it.
As for small print on charity bags ...well I was shocked recently by the exact same thing as you.
We have bags put through our letterbox every 4 weeks for used clothing collection.
It says on the bag that proceeds are for Help the Aged.
On checking the small print recently, I found the line ' At least £250 per year is given to this charity by this company'.
I now take all my stuff into town to the charity shop of my choice.

Auntieflo Thu 27-Jul-17 13:39:26

I love reading, and am never happier than when I have a pile of unread books awaiting my attention beside the bed, but I have been known to skip read some unimportant things. I slow down when reading a good book, so that it doesn't end too soon, and I often read a magazine back to front. I don't always read notices on charity collection bins. Today I took a bag of clothes to one of these in Waitrose car park. I have put donations into an Air Ambulance bin before, but this morning I actually saw, and read a notice affixed to the front. It clearly states that ''a percentage of the value of the bags collected'' would be donated to the charity. In my innocence I had thought that the whole of the proceeds would go to the Air Ambulance, but evidently not. So my donations went into The Salvation Army bin, where it says that 100% of the proceeds go to them. I didn't realise this before, did you?