Charity clothing collection bags...

[Maz]

...we seem to get these charity clothing collection bags every other day. Are these charities genuine? Is this a scam? What do you think?

 

[ianrauk]

the bag should have a registered charity number & phone number on them. I call them up and ask them to ask their driver to knock and collect. That way they can show ID and other scrotes wont knick the bag if left outside.

 

[Maz]

This latest bag said they donate £50 to the designated charity per tonne of clothing collected. That must be a helluva lot of clothes to weigh a ton.

 

[661-Pete]

It may sound mean, but chez-661 these bags all find a use - they make good bin-liners. There are better-targeted ways of supporting charities.

 

[bauldbairn]

Five years ago a local fraudster(entrepenuer) round my way brought a team of approximately 50 Lithuanians over(from Lithuania).

They collected the donated clothing from houses for him, worked in an industrial unit for him, distributed the processed clothes for him and rented accomodation from him - living 7/8 to a two bedroom flat.

The perfectly good clothing was being cut up into rags and sold on to industries in my area.

I only know this because I used to meet a couple of the Lithuanians whilst out and about cycling and got (chat)friendly with them. I'm alway's interested in why people choose to come to Scotland.

Their full story came out when they appeared at my work place at the time - an industrial workshop, selling these rags. Apparantly they'd been promised real jobs to leave their homes. They were paid so little they could only just pay the rent and feed themselves(and buy occassional booze).

I don't know exactly how/why it all ended - but the business closed after about two years(probably when the fraudster thought his luck was going to run out).

I still see two of the guys as they managed to get work as welders(their original trades) and stayed on in Scotland, living nearby. I regularilly see one of them walking his dog when I'm out on my bike.

Point is - I only give old clothes to Oxfam or Barnados now because I know and trust(hopefully) them.

 

[Plax]

I regularly get bags from the same 2 charities. I always chuck them at the bottom of the stairs and forget about them. I'm surprised they still bother to post any bags through my door as I never remember to put the unused bag on the step on the designated day. Make good bin liners.

 

[brokenbetty]

Most of the bags we get imply they are for charity but do not explicitly say so, and say in the small print that the clothes will be sold at cheap prices in developing nations.

There is an Oxfam study that shows in some areas this is displacing local textile industries. On the other hand, it promotes reuse and provides cheap clothes. There is no black and white answer.

Either way, it's a business not a charity.

 

[longers]

Most of the bags we get imply they are for charity but do not explicitly say so,

I get a few and they all do the same, only a rare couple are genuine.
I buy more stuff from charity shops than I donate.

 

[Spinney]

I assume that the ones marked with the name of a specific charity (e.g. Help the Aged) are for that charity - but I will check in future! +1 on the others being a scam!

 

[snakehips]

I'm alway's interested in why people choose to come to Scotland.

I often wonder about that too.

My old stuff goes straight to the charity shops , there are plenty near my home , and as others have said , these plastic bags make good bin liners.

Snake

My Library

 

[XmisterIS]

Once (and only once), I filled a charity bag with old clothes.

On the side of the bag, it said "place outside in plain view of the road. Your collection day is Friday".

So, that's exactly what I did, first thing bright and early on Friday morning, then went off to my girlfriends for a long weekend.

... came back on Sunday eve and the bag was still there, had been rained on all weekend and was now full of dripping wet clothes, weighed a tonne and got me soaking wet as I hoiked it up and into the wheely bin.

If they want my clothes in future, they can bloody well knock the door!

 

[Campfire]

I very rarely donate to these. I give my things direct to the charity shops or to a lady who rescues cats and finances it herself with car boot sales and attic sales. All my friends and neighbours give me their bric a brac and I take it to her. She's a STAR! Cats everywhere and all of them loved.

 

[theboytaylor]

Just to move this on a bit - I dropped some clothes into my local Oxfam shop today and if you fill out a form they can even claim Gift Aid on the proceeds they get from selling the gear you donate.

Even more £££s for the charity you choose to support!