Charity Shops Making Donations Uncomfortable

No I’ve not found this in our area. It’s a bit rude!

My friend went in a charity shop and got an armful of clothes to buy.
The woman behind the counter spoke to her colleague through one side of her mouth, in a loud whisper and said "Watch this one, she brings a lot of stuff back..."

I have found that, I think a thanks would be nice, just an acknowledgement that I've brought some things in for them to sell. I haven't had that and always leave a bit deflated.

Shop assistants everywhere vary, some friendly and pleasant, some so rude and disinterested in customers you wonder they don’t find another job doing something they prefer.
If I find any shop, charity or otherwise which has rude staff I go elsewhere with my custom.

A lot of charity shops are closing down so maybe that is why staff are feeling disgruntled.

Anglo Doorstep Collection.
Just put stuff into bin bags ( separately ofcourse) - and leave the bags by your doorstep.
I have just got rid of 2 bin-liners full of books , another bag of clothes. Excellent service.
Just Google them. You will see how easy it is

Here it is 👇🏼

Just checked Anglo Doorstep Collections, looks like a great idea but unfortunately they don't operate in Northern Ireland.

Please don’t judge us all by one, we have lovely welcoming staff and are always very grateful for the thousands of donations, good and bad that we get.
Unfortunately ‘miseries’ can serve in any sort of shop
We have about 30 volunteers and for the most part we get on with our customers extremely well and get some great remarks about our friendliness.
It’s like saying all dentists are butchers or all doctors are useless

BlueBelle

Please don’t judge us all by one, we have lovely welcoming staff and are always very grateful for the thousands of donations, good and bad that we get.
Unfortunately ‘miseries’ can serve in any sort of shop
We have about 30 volunteers and for the most part we get on with our customers extremely well and get some great remarks about our friendliness.
It’s like saying all dentists are butchers or all doctors are useless

I agree, some charity shops are lovely it just seems that recently some have adopted the attitude that people making donations are a bad lot to be treated with suspicion or indiffence.

I think some of them get given a lot of junk which they have to dispose of so I suppose that makes them suspicious. We have a lot of clothing bins for donations round shopping centres where you don’t need to see or speak to anyone. In the shops they seem to be reasonably pleasant mostly but there are always exceptions!

Marg75

I have found that, I think a thanks would be nice, just an acknowledgement that I've brought some things in for them to sell. I haven't had that and always leave a bit deflated.

Seems to be the norm.

A charity outlet I used to use - but definitely no more - was increasingly staffed by what appeared to be bored-looking students who couldn't/wouldn't make eye contact and barely managed "what?" or "eh?" by way of verbal communication.

The overall impression was that customers were just another of life's irritations!

Yes/no. Depends on the volunteer behind the counter.
My really bad experience was, when moving house, we took a carload of really nice things, clothes, etc., only to be really aggressively asked to gift aid the items. When I said that I didn’t pay tax, I was given the eye, then ignored. Not even thanked. They must have made a mint. Never shopped there again.

We have, or had, seven charity shops in our little market town.

I noticed the other day that one had closed.

I tend to donate at two in particular, they always seem to be pleased with stuff. But I don’t take in bin bags full, just a few items a time. Everything freshly washed and ironed. And clean bags of rags, clearly marked as such.

I bought a couple of pairs of shorts at one of them last week, M&S and Maine. Very pleased with them, and they can be taken back if not suitable as long as you have the receipt.

Not necessary, I soon washed and wore them this hot weather.

I had some beautiful wooden toddler toys and puzzles to donate all in immaculate condition. I took them to a local charity shop but they said the didn’t have room as the toy shelves were fully stocked.

Fair enough, except they were full of brand new plastic tat the shop had bought in!

The next charity shop I took them to were so pleased they displayed them in the window.

Not all shops are the same.

I have had mixed responses to donations to charity shops. Mostly they just smile, say thank you and take the goods.

In one Oxfam shop an officious old woman made me take out the items one by one to be inspected. She screwed up her face in disgust at most of the items and said "We don't want that." Then without saying another word, she took the few items that passed her scrutiny into the back room and after an uncomfortable few minutes I realised that she wasn't coming back so I left.

I don't take a huge amount to charity shops, but I have always received what I think are genuine thanks for donations.
Perhaps the 'uncharitable' staff were overcome by the heat; charity shops all have that smell of dry-cleaning about them, intensified in this hot weather.