Charity Clothes Collections? @ 4.30am

jajjay

At 4.30am woke to the letterbox been banged closed... looked at watch to check the day and thankfully it was Sunday.... decided to go and look for the leaflet dropper as I am only at the enterence to an estate. Finally found him, but then a few more appeared! Just told them to not go near my house at such an early hour as we have small kids who are easily awoken...... to which the reply from these 'Eastern European' people was basically go 'and F**K yourself you nosy B*star*.

Should there be a law introduced to make it an offence to have anybody approach your house or go near you letterbox between 9pm and 8am the following morning?

etymon

and who is going to enforce that law? and has Alan Shatter not got better things to do than introduce the 'Offences Against the Letterbox Act 2011'?!

edit: maybe get the Garda Reserve onto it

MagicSean

Close your gate and put a No Unsolicted Deliveries notice up.

Wolfe Tone

I used to deliver these things at around 7am in the morning, its the handiest time to do it at tbf.

jajjay

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Close your gate and put a No Unsolicted Deliveries notice up.

Unfortunately, don't have a gate

Elmidena

Step 1: Buy/scrounge around for a few white tshirts
Step 2: Buy a fabric pen
Step 3: Scribble everything you thought at 4:30am on them. Doodles add bonus marks.
Step 4: Donate them to the cause they just HAD to tell you about

The Internet Explorer

What do you mean by " Eastern Europeans " ?

ronaneire

jajjay wrote: »

go 'and F**K yourself you nosy B*star*.

Sound like nice people!

MagicSean

Fill the bag with rubbish and put some clothes in the top. Free bin collection.

Very often these aren't even real charity collections, I wouldn't be expecting them to care about charity, let alone noise pollution.

Maybe put a strip of foam on each of the two parts of your letterbox that meet and make a clatter.

Unfortunately, you can't expect the rest of the world to sleep when you do.

January

All the clothes that are fit to be put in the bin go out with those charity stickers... if I have clothes that are perfect enough to give away they go to the local charity shop not to these con artists.

krudler

save up your jocks and leave them unwashed, then give em those, keep the change you filthy animals.

What's the earliest time binmen, milkmen and postmen do their rounds?

Wolfe Tone

January wrote: »

All the clothes that are fit to be put in the bin go out with those charity stickers... if I have clothes that are perfect enough to give away they go to the local charity shop not to these con artists.

Not all of the groups that go door to door are scam artists, I used to do it for a legit charity.

You should still give your crap clothes to charity, most of the stuff they get gets recycled and not sold in the shop so they still will get decent money for your rags.

alwaysadub

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Not all of the groups that go door to door are scam artists, I used to do it for a legit charity.

You should still give your crap clothes to charity, most of the stuff they get gets recycled and not sold in the shop so they still will get decent money for your rags.

What happens round my way is when you leave the clothes out even for a legit charity, the bags will be robbed before the charity collects them.

Wolfe Tone

alwaysadub wrote: »

What happens round my way is when you leave the clothes out even for a legit charity, the bags will be robbed before the charity collects them.

Yes, Ive caught the fcukers at it, been threatened and even had them pretty much try to hold up the van... For clothes. They do that all over the country.

The garda do fcuk all about it to, despite the fact its blatant theft.

All the legit guys will have ID.

Pandora2

I understand that the most dangerous job at present is milk delivery, in Crumlin/Drimnagh...heard tell of one guy, with 2 14/15 year olds helping him.....at 4.30am, a strange young fella running up your drive.......one woman ran out with an axe and another set off her own alarm...heard he is delivering the milk after dawn now!!!

x_Ellie_x

You should buy a 'no junk mail' sign. And you could buy a wall mounted letterbox and drill your letterbox on your front door shut if you really hate people banging it & walking you up.

mikemac

x_Ellie_x wrote: »

You should buy a 'no junk mail' sign.

And OP, you probably need to put a few foreign languages on it

MagicSean

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Yes, Ive caught the fcukers at it, been threatened and even had them pretty much try to hold up the van... For clothes. They do that all over the country.

The garda do fcuk all about it to, despite the fact its blatant theft.

All the legit guys will have ID.

How is it theft? If someone leaves a charity bag of clothes outside it is effectively rubbish so it's fair game.

landsleaving

This happened in my area a week or two ago as well. It was about 4am, I was just getting to sleep after arriving in somewhat tipsy and watching a movie while drinking the only alcohol left in the house - cheapo Dunnes rum. Cue an unimaginably loud banging coming from downstairs.

'Calm down' I told myself, clutching the sheets tightly, 'it's just something falling in the kitchen'. I got out of bed, crept downstairs with all the courage a drunken fool in an empty house can muster, and looked around. Nothing, no one there, nothing had moved.

I was spooked, to say the least, until I checked the front door - remember, when utterly terrified, always check the most likely source of danger last. A leaflet was jammed awkwardly through it offering some sort of 'clothing collection' clearly the work of an organised crime ring. There was to be no other explanation. I retired to bed and re-read the leaflet in the morning, then rang the phone number on it. Which wasn't in service...

Tl:dr: charity my ass, scarin' me at 4am lookin for my old t-shirts, buncha crooks!

landsleaving

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

How is it theft? If someone leaves a charity bag of clothes outside it is effectively rubbish so it's fair game.

Not if it's on your doorstep, and so still on your property, and even if not, if it's marked for charity and it's stolen I could give a f**k how fair it's game, what kind of scumbag steals a bag of clothes for charity?

A scummy one, that's who.

MagicSean

landsleaving wrote: »

This happened in my area a week or two ago as well. It was about 4am, I was just getting to sleep after arriving in somewhat tipsy and watching a movie while drinking the only alcohol left in the house - cheapo Dunnes rum. Cue an unimaginably loud banging coming from downstairs.

'Calm down' I told myself, clutching the sheets tightly, 'it's just something falling in the kitchen'. I got out of bed, crept downstairs with all the courage a drunken fool in an empty house can muster, and looked around. Nothing, no one there, nothing had moved.

I was spooked, to say the least, until I checked the front door - remember, when utterly terrified, always check the most likely source of danger last. A leaflet was jammed awkwardly through it offering some sort of 'clothing collection' clearly the work of an organised crime ring. There was to be no other explanation. I retired to bed and re-read the leaflet in the morning, then rang the phone number on it. Which wasn't in service...

Tl:dr: charity my ass, scarin' me at 4am lookin for my old t-shirts, buncha crooks!

Some of them are dodgy and use the leaflets to check out houses. Some of them are not as dodgy and sell on the clothes for cash. I'm sure a few of them are involved in charities too.

Wolfe Tone

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

How is it theft? If someone leaves a charity bag of clothes outside it is effectively rubbish so it's fair game.

The bag is labeled and remains property of the charity, in addition people leave them in their porches/on their doorstep.


I've dealt with the garda loads of times over this, it is theft, they have come out a couple of times and made them return the bags they took, and have asked me and others to take the reg numbers etc and report them. More often than not nothing happens beside "we will look into it"

Its not fair game.

landsleaving

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Some of them are dodgy and use the leaflets to check out houses. Some of them are not as dodgy and sell on the clothes for cash. I'm sure a few of them are involved in charities too.

Yeah I've had the legit charities drop the bags off too, and given them clothes, but I always call the number on the leaflet and check first. I like feeling that my old, unusable tat that I no longer want or need is making someones life better.

MagicSean

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

The bag is labeled and remains property of the charity, in addition people leave them in their porches/on their doorstep.


I've dealt with the garda loads of times over this, it is theft, they have come out a couple of times and made them return the bags they took, and have asked me and others to take the reg numbers etc and report them. More often than not nothing happens beside "we will look into it"

Its not fair game.

It's not theft. It is not the property of the charity company until it is picked up. It is not the property of the householder once they throw it out. It doesn't matter what label is on it. There should be some legislation introduced for this stuff to sort out these problems but as yet there isn't. The only thing Gardaí can do is make sure they are not collecting without permits. If they are they can be prosecuted by the council I think.

landsleaving wrote: »

Yeah I've had the legit charities drop the bags off too, and given them clothes, but I always call the number on the leaflet and check first. I like feeling that my old, unusable tat that I no longer want or need is making someones life better.

Ringing the number isn't always enough. You should make sure it is a properly registered charity if you want to be 100%.

Wolfe Tone

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

It's not theft. It is not the property of the charity company until it is picked up. It is not the property of the householder once they throw it out. It doesn't matter what label is on it. There should be some legislation introduced for this stuff to sort out these problems but as yet there isn't. The only thing Gardaí can do is make sure they are not collecting without permits. If they are they can be prosecuted by the council I think.



Ringing the number isn't always enough. You should make sure it is a properly registered charity if you want to be 100%.

You are wrong, I know for a fact the Garda, at least the ones I have dealt with, regard it as theft. Opening someones porch and nicking clothes is theft.

They are not thrown out.

Kevin Duffy

jajjay wrote: »

At 4.30am woke to the letterbox been banged closed... looked at watch to check the day and thankfully it was Sunday.... decided to go and look for the leaflet dropper as I am only at the enterence to an estate. Finally found him, but then a few more appeared! Just told them to not go near my house at such an early hour as we have small kids who are easily awoken...... to which the reply from these 'Eastern European' people was basically go 'and F**K yourself you nosy B*star*.

Should there be a law introduced to make it an offence to have anybody approach your house or go near you letterbox between 9pm and 8am the following morning?

Basically go fúck yourself, or actually go fúck yourself? What exactly did they say? What exactly did you say to him first?

four18

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia

Toby Take a Bow

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Close your gate and put a No Unsolicted Deliveries notice up.

This doesn't work. At least not in my case. I live in a house, and despite the sign, the leaflets still arrive. The sign stopped leaflets from pizza/fast food outlets, though. I'm never quick enough to catch them at it (and judging from the OP's experience, it's probably for the best).

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Some of them are dodgy and use the leaflets to check out houses. Some of them are not as dodgy and sell on the clothes for cash. I'm sure a few of them are involved in charities too.

How does dropping a leaflet allow them to check out houses?

Needler

alwaysadub wrote: »

What happens round my way is when you leave the clothes out even for a legit charity, the bags will be robbed before the charity collects them.

Dublin or Galway?

landsleaving

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Ringing the number isn't always enough. You should make sure it is a properly registered charity if you want to be 100%.

Good point, the few I've gotten though have been the Irish Cancer Society and Enable when they were (I assume) legit, and when not so much so it was something I didn't recognise so I think, not sure now mind, but I think I got it right!

alwaysadub

Needler wrote: »

Dublin or Galway?

Dublin.
I live in the middle of nowhere in Galway, don't get anyone going door to door thankfully!

Wolfe Tone

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

How does dropping a leaflet allow them to check out houses?

They leave them hanging out the letterbox, if they are still there after a while they know the owners are away.

Toby Take a Bow

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

They leave them hanging out the letterbox, if they are still there after a while they know the owners are away.

Very interesting. Thanks!

phasers

The other day one of these guys was around at about 7AM. He pulled the flap (slat? opening? Letter-door?) from my letterbox off it's hinges and then fcuked it in the porch with a ton of crappy leaflets. One of them was for my Local TD. I sent her an angry email but she didn't reply!

I had to stick it back on with duct tape and superglue, there was a fierce draft coming through it.

January

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

They leave them hanging out the letterbox, if they are still there after a while they know the owners are away.

That or they try the door (especially if it's one of those uPVC doors) handle and see if the door has been left unlocked.

phasers

January wrote: »

That or they try the door (especially if it's one of those uPVC doors) handle and see if the door has been left unlocked.

They tried this when I was at my Sister's house alone babysitting my Nephew one night at about 1am, I was bloody terrified.

MagicSean

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

You are wrong, I know for a fact the Garda, at least the ones I have dealt with, regard it as theft. Opening someones porch and nicking clothes is theft.

They are not thrown out.

Have you ever heard of anyone being prosecuted for it?

Wolfe Tone

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Have you ever heard of anyone being prosecuted for it?

I know a few have been arrested over it, prosecuted, idk, I'm not involved with the charity anymore.

They had solicitors advising them over it, and we even had a garda in one of the days to talk to us about it as a group and what to do if we caught someone stealing the stuff (dont confront them, call the Gardaí, take the reg of their vans, and take pictures too if it was safe to do so)

LighterGuy

Many of those clothes charity pick-ups are a scam.
You think you doing something good by getting rid of any old clothes so that perhaps they may help somebody less fortunate.

In reality, you are only helping scammers or someone of "ill conscience" to put it lightly. But then again all charitries are a business.

Those plastic envelopes asking to donate your old mobile phone were the best. they were being sold on in african countries.

Wolfe Tone

LighterGuy wrote: »

Many of those clothes charity pick-ups are a scam.
You think you doing something good by getting rid of any old clothes so that perhaps they may help somebody less fortunate.

In reality, you are only helping scammers or someone of "ill conscience" to put it lightly. But then again all charitries are a business.

Those plastic envelopes asking to donate your old mobile phone were the best. they were being sold on in african countries.

Rule of thumb for "charity" clothing collections:

If its a sticker, its a scam.

LighterGuy

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Rule of thumb for "charity" clothing collections:

If its a sticker, its a scam.

agreed.
but sadly, rule of thumb also .. if its a charity... most likely its a con too. I dont want to make a bold statement of saying all charities are a con/money racket etc. But i'd be foolish to say the majority werent at the same time.

Cantona's Collars

I know a guy who left his workboots in his porch and caught one of these guys trying to take them at 6.30am,he confronted him and asked for id-cue yer man heading for his van and scarpering.
The legit guy's by coincidence turned up a few minutes later and said they have huge problems with scam artists stealing clothes that are left out.

LighterGuy

Its definitely a way to make money isnt it :pac: sure, albeit dishonest.
No wonder they put them in around 5-6ish in the morning. So no one asks questions or sees who.


No money to be made in recession? .. not exactly lol.

MapForJ

landsleaving wrote: »

Good point, the few I've gotten though have been the Irish Cancer Society and Enable when they were (I assume) legit, and when not so much so it was something I didn't recognise so I think, not sure now mind, but I think I got it right!

sometimes the scammers use the name of legit organisations on the bag or sticker. i once got one with a sticker from a dublin based organisation which i cannot recall and on phoning them was told it was a scam and had been reported to gardai

biko

Most if not all are scammers but they usually don't lie. They don't mention anywhere that they are a charity.
They just promise "new life" for old clothes. The money goes to "poor people".

Apparently they also go around looking for bags for real charities and steal them

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054933493
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=66902598


How charity clothes line Lithuanian pockets
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1569695/How-charity-clothes-line-Lithuanian-pockets.html

Bags of used clothes intended as donations to help the needy are instead being shipped to former Eastern bloc countries to be sold at a profit in street markets.

Beware scam charity clothing collectors
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/sep/21/beware-scam-charity-clothing-collectors

jajjay

Make sure you lock the cars in your driveway, man told me tonight that he often sees these leaflet dropers checking car doors and ALSO FRONT DOORS...... SO LOCK UP!!!

efb

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

I used to deliver these things at around 7am in the morning, its the handiest time to do it at tbf.

What messages did you deliver at that hour of the morning? :eek:

LighterGuy

Is it really wrong to do this?
As Biko said, most people doing this never say charitiy. A technicality we know. But is it really wrong?

If there is money to be made, people are willing to give stuff (lets be honest, foolishly) .. is it really that wrong?

dog eat dog world.
get what you can.
life aint fair.
etc.

Wolfe Tone

efb wrote: »

What messages did you deliver at that hour of the morning? :eek:

Charity clothing collection bags