Haggling/robbing from charity shops

Robsweezie

i've worked in them, and its somewhat surprising how much it can happen. sneaking stuff in pockets, ripping off tags, getting kids to steal etc. all caught on camera.

haggling...i think its stingy in cases where the item is cheap enough as it is and you're getting a bargain anyway. but if its defective in some way then i can understand, say a hole in a shirt, a chipped teapot etc. you can reach an agreement.
you hear a lot of ''gis a fiver for that'' when its a tenner and its a good as new, quality brand item.

is it ever acceptable to you to haggle? and have you robbed?

The Raptor

I found my favourite pair of jeans from a charity shop, €10 for a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans. They're normally over €100. Really no point haggling over that.

Steppenwolfe

Only takes a few minutes to suss out if a charity shop is well managed or not. I don't bother haggling. If the stock is over priced I just walk out.

4ensic15

Haggling is part of trade, unless you are in a supermarket. If people just wanted to contribute to charity, they could do so without buying anything. A person is entitled to try and do the best deal they can when spending their money on someone else's rubbish.

learn_more

Robsweezie wrote: »

i've worked in them, and its somewhat surprising how much it can happen. sneaking stuff in pockets, ripping off tags, getting kids to steal etc. all caught on camera.

haggling...i think its stingy in cases where the item is cheap enough as it is and you're getting a bargain anyway. but if its defective in some way then i can understand, say a hole in a shirt, a chipped teapot etc. you can reach an agreement.
you hear a lot of ''gis a fiver for that'' when its a tenner and its a good as new, quality brand item.

is it ever acceptable to you to haggle? and have you robbed?

I think it's pretty despicable. There are a percentage of stingy types that frequent those establishments, where the difference between a tenner and a fiver would make no difference to them ie they are not poor , but they are hell bent in handing over no to as little as possible money.

I personally know someone who told me he made 35,000 last year net and he gets ALL his clothes in charity shops. They are not buying those clothes because they are good quality going cheep , they just buy every item of clothes from there as a matter of course.

I went into a charity shop just last week and I got a really rather good quality small cafetiere for 3 euro. First thing I ever bought in a charity shop in my life. When I left I felt a bit bad that I just didn't give her the fiver that I had, instead of accepting back the change from the fiver I gave her.

Temptamperu

Dead easy to steal from them , all you need is 11 partners working together in a timed shenanigan.

Mam of 4

4ensic15 wrote: »

Haggling is part of trade, unless you are in a supermarket. If people just wanted to contribute to charity, they could do so without buying anything. A person is entitled to try and do the best deal they can when spending their money on someone else's rubbish.

The thing about is , if it was rubbish , you wouldn't want to buy it ,would you ?

Most Charity shops are fair in their prices , often brand names are a fraction of the price you would pay new. And if the clothes aren't in excellent condition, they usually recycle them instead of putting them up for sale.

Many a bargain to be had , without haggling , imo

4ensic15

Mam of 4 wrote: »

The thing about is , if it was rubbish , you wouldn't want to buy it ,would you ?

Most Charity shops are fair in their prices , often brand names are a fraction of the price you would pay new. And if the clothes aren't in excellent condition, they usually recycle them instead of putting them up for sale.

Many a bargain to be had , without haggling , imo

Any purchase of such items i8s discretionary and I might be only prepared to make such a discretionary purchase if it was within budget. If they don't want to sell at the price I offer, well and good. maybe they will get some other poor sucker, maybe they won't. All the items they sell have been donated and have already been paid for so there is no such thing as a "fair price".

Darkglasses

4ensic15 wrote: »

Haggling is part of trade, unless you are in a supermarket. If people just wanted to contribute to charity, they could do so without buying anything. A person is entitled to try and do the best deal they can when spending their money on someone else's rubbish.

Well you're entitled to try, but I'd agree with a flat-out "no" in most cases. Sure if something is defective or hasn't sold in weeks, but I think it's bloody stingey otherwise.

Darkglasses

Robsweezie wrote: »

i've worked in them, and its somewhat surprising how much it can happen. sneaking stuff in pockets, ripping off tags, getting kids to steal etc. all caught on camera.

haggling...i think its stingy in cases where the item is cheap enough as it is and you're getting a bargain anyway. but if its defective in some way then i can understand, say a hole in a shirt, a chipped teapot etc. you can reach an agreement.
you hear a lot of ''gis a fiver for that'' when its a tenner and its a good as new, quality brand item.

is it ever acceptable to you to haggle? and have you robbed?

I also worked in one for a while, it was pretty surprising how many people will rob stuff yeah. Those people usually don't care about anything, least of all ethics.

Mam of 4

4ensic15 wrote: »

Any purchase of such items i8s discretionary and I might be only prepared to make such a discretionary purchase if it was within budget. If they don't want to sell at the price I offer, well and good. maybe they will get some other poor sucker, maybe they won't. All the items they sell have been donated and have already been paid for so there is no such thing as a "fair price".

Ok. let me re-phrase my "fair price" wording to a "reasonable price" , but then again , as I said at the end of my last comment , it was just in my opinion.

What I consider a reasonable price, you may not, or vice verse , so we all only end up buying what we want if it's considered a fair price , in our minds, at that time . That's all.

kylith

4ensic15 wrote: »

Haggling is part of trade, unless you are in a supermarket. If people just wanted to contribute to charity, they could do so without buying anything. A person is entitled to try and do the best deal they can when spending their money on someone else's rubbish.

You'd wonder would they try that in Dunnes though.

I've gotten designer jeans for a fiver and recently a stack of bangles for 50c. It's hardly worth the effort of robbing or haggling.

4ensic15

kylith wrote: »

You'd wonder would they try that in Dunnes though.

I've gotten designer jeans for a fiver and recently a stack of bangles for 50c. It's hardly worth the effort of robbing or haggling.

Dunnes Stores is a supermarket with fixed prices. If you have money to throw away fine, otherwise haggle when you can.

SEPT 23 1989

I buy me bukes in charity shops and one day I was standing behind a gentleman who was haggling over a pair of child's shoes

They were only a fiver but he claims he could only stretch to three the tension was mounting the old lady behind the counter held her ground

there was a wad of notes that would choke a donkey in his open wallet

He walked away

suicide_circus

You'd need to be a sociopath to haggle with a charity shop.

maryishere

I sometimes see well off people haggling or trying to haggle in shops and it strikes me as just plane mean. I know a doctor and his wife a solicitor, saw them picking someones brains in a shop for 10 or 15 minutes once and then haggling. I wonder if they haggle over the price of a meal with a waitress in a restaurant. As someone else said you'd need to be a sociopath to haggle with a charity shop.

Peregrine

I worked in a charity shop for a while and I don't remember anyone haggling or being caught/noticed stealing. We had price tags on everything like a regular shop though.

kylith

4ensic15 wrote: »

Dunnes Stores is a supermarket with fixed prices. If you have money to throw away fine, otherwise haggle when you can.

If you think paying 10% of the RRP of a piece of clothing to a charity is throwing your money away you either need a shrink or the SVDP.

People steal from charity shops? That's even worse than the wans you see being caught shoplifting in Penney's.

I know all theft is wrong, but jesus, at least show some ambition.

Penny Tration

I wouldn't haggle from another shop, so i won't haggle from a charity shop either. Haggling from a charity shop seems beyond stingy, though, they're generally dirt cheap!


You're getting everything there at a fraction of the RRP, why would you bother?

If you think the Wranglers at a tenner aren't worth it, don't haggle like a cheap git, go elsewhere (though you won't find them for less than a tenner elsewhere!).

Robsweezie

Penny Tration wrote:

You're getting everything there at a fraction of the RRP, why would you bother?

You would wonder, and +1 to those who mentioned sociopaths.

A lot of the hagglers have these shifty eyes, the charity shops bring out the opportunist in them. They eyeball and manipulate you until they come away with what they want.

kona

Your moaning about people haggling in a charity shop when the ceo is taking away 100k+ from it?!

Bizarre.

Robsweezie

kona wrote:

Your moaning about people haggling in a charity shop when the ceo is taking away 100k+ from it?!

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Penny Tration

kona wrote: »

Your moaning about people haggling in a charity shop when the ceo is taking away 100k+ from it?!

Bizarre.

CEO's do an awful lot of work for the charities. Should they work for free?

What happens then? They work for free, and can't claim any benefits because they're not available for work.

riclad

Haggling in charity shops makes no sense,
all the money goes to charity ,and the prices are usually low .
Since all shops pay vat and the items are priced on the computer system
the practice of haggling is pointless unless you are buying at a market
from the stall owner .
where all sales are in cash.If you want to save money wait for a sale
or buy online adverts,ie or ebay.
i find it strange are there actually people who steal second hand clothes from
charity shops ?

kona

Penny Tration wrote: »

CEO's do an awful lot of work for the charities. Should they work for free?

What happens then? They work for free, and can't claim any benefits because they're not available for work.

They are fairly good at claiming benefits to be fair.

I think it's just as ****ty taking obscene wages from a charity as it is from haggling in one.

How many of these ceo would do it for say a average industrial wage?
The whole charity sector is rotten.

wakka12

Whatever about stealing from a chain shop, stealing from a charity shop is low! The workers in there are usually unpaid arent they, just seems like a really ****ty thing to do . The stuff in there is always so cheap for what it is anyway

learn_more

suicide_circus wrote: »

You'd need to be a sociopath to haggle with a charity shop.

I love that way you just sum it up in one sentence. Made me laugh : ) Thread closed : )

riclad

The managers are paid, the workers are usually unpaid volunteers ,
if you need to rob at least go to a shop
thats not a charity shop .
Most charity shops are run as like a business ,
they needed to be run by paid professionals who have expertise in the retail
trade .

Nekarsulm

If the amount for a number of items comes to, for example, 31 Euro, i'd say "will you take 30" or something like that. Usually things are good value so you wouldn't bother, but there are a few shops that are actually selling ex Dunnes stock for more than the new price in Dunnes (or tesco, Pennys etc)

And very few have computer systems for stock control. A hard backed a4 notebook is about it.

riclad

IF the price comes to 8 euros, i give them 10 euro and say keep the change ,
i like to give to charity anyway.
charity shops have to pay insurance and rent like any other shop .

bobmalooka

riclad wrote: »

IF the price comes to 8 euros, i give them 10 euro and say keep the change ,
i like to give to charity anyway.
charity shops have to pay insurance and rent like any other shop .

Sound, you're covering the discounts for people who want to haggle.

The world is in equilibrium and we can all sleep soundly tonight.

4ensic15

riclad wrote: »

IF the price comes to 8 euros, i give them 10 euro and say keep the change ,
i like to give to charity anyway.
charity shops have to pay insurance and rent like any other shop .

If you want to give to charity, why don't you give it to the people who really need it. Why should the volunteer on duty in the shop get a tip? This do-gooder attitude of "look at me, I give extra money in the charity shops" sickens me.

Polka_Dot

4ensic15 wrote: »

riclad wrote: »

IF the price comes to 8 euros, i give them 10 euro and say keep the change ,
i like to give to charity anyway.
charity shops have to pay insurance and rent like any other shop .

If you want to give to charity, why don't you give it to the people who really need it. Why should the volunteer on duty in the shop get a tip? This do-gooder attitude of "look at me, I give extra money in the charity shops" sickens me.

The worker's not getting it, it'll go into the till/donation box.

Robsweezie

Polka_Dot wrote:

The worker's not getting it, it'll go into the till/donation box.

Exactly how it was done in my case. Everything in the poor box.

_Brian

I wouldn't spend anything in these shops because they're a total scam.

I work with a local charity and they along with some other charity got the name removed from the local "charity" shop.

What the charities receive is a tiny % of the revenue, a mere token gesture to get the name above the door. Aparrently the owner, who owned a number of these shops was paying herself a staggering salary before donating anything. Bold as brass about it too, in excess of €40k, and if there was anything left over it went to charity.

It's a useful tool to get good worn goods back into use, but as a revenue stream for the charities that's laughable.

4ensic15

Polka_Dot wrote: »

The worker's not getting it, it'll go into the till/donation box.

Who has the access to the donation box? The same worker, that's who!

meeeeh

I actually do wonder if those shops are there mostly to keep charity name in public domain and to give volunteers something to do. With prices as low as they are it can't be that easy to cover cost of management, rates, rent and so on. Does anyone know what would be the takings in a week?

Anyway I really don't see the purpose of haggling. You actually waste more time doing it than you actually profit from it.

As for stealing I think it's probably more the thrill of doing it. There is a lot less likely one will be prosecuted for small amounts and people still get kick out of it. That is the only way I can explain it.

RobbingBandit

Kleptomania is a curse...

Nekarsulm

Wife volunteered in a local Animal welfare shop. As newest volunteer, she didn't have the same "seniority right" to first dibs on the stuff coming in.
For example, a store in town donated several boxes of Pampers (Damaged packaging, so not suitable of sale in regular shop) and two of the "ladies" volunteering nearly came to blows over them, for their grandchildren.
Designer wear also coveted by the workers.....

L1m1tless

I'm a manager of a charity shop. The shop is owned by the charity and 100% of the profits go to the charity.

I have barred lots of people for stealing. It's funny because most of the time the things they steal are €1 or €2. I think its the thrill of stealing rather than needing the item.

If someone really needed some clothes, sure I would just give it to them, no need to steal.


It does cost the charity money when items are stolen, All clothes have to be processed, steam cleaned, tagged and priced, which costs money.

We do get people haggling every day. Some are resellers who are trying to squeeze out the extra money. Some people are just cheeky.

We would give a small discount if someone was buying a lot of things but mostly things are so cheap to begin with.

I like to keep the stock moving quick so I keep the prices extremely low, much lower than the other charity shops. Some of them are getting out of hand with their prices. They think they are Brown Thomas!

The Backwards Man

If I give money to charity, I give money to charity, I don't want or expect anything in return. A charity shop is just a second hand shop with a Pecksniffian sign above the door.

If I'm buying aomething I'll always haggle, if you don't ask you don't get, and if you don't want to sell to me I'll go somewhere else.

Cabaal

4ensic15 wrote: »

Haggling is part of trade, unless you are in a supermarket.

So you haggle in your local corner shop when buying milk?
Do you also haggle in the cinema when buying tickets?
:rolleyes:

BrokenArrows

Scumbags rob, end of!

Nothing wrong with haggling if you think the item is over priced.

Lollipops23

I dropped off a bag of stuff to my local Oxfam on Saturday. I noted that there was a sign behind the counter asking customers to please respect Oxfam's no discounts policy. Must be an issue to address it like that!

Tordelback

I'm still trying to get my head round the idea of stealing from a charity full stop. Seriously, when is that ever okay.

Also, the idea expressed in a couple of posts that buying stuff in a charity shop is somehow stingy. I make a point of buying as much as I can from charity shops, especially books. When I'm done reading them, I drop them back to the few that will take them, or to whatever school/parish sale is on next. It's environmentally friendly, it throws a few quid at deserving causes, and I get to read stuff I wouldn't otherwise try without the hassle of a library return date. Ditto toys and clothes for the kids.

I've developed a huge respect for the way some charities run their shops: good stock, regularly refreshed, decent prices. I can see how those ones make a profit. Others... more of a mystery.

murpho999

What's the difference between stealing for a charity shop or a normal one?

It's all stealing at the end of the day.

meeeeh

Tordelback wrote: »

I'm still trying to get my head round the idea of stealing from a charity full stop. Seriously, when is that ever okay.

I don't think it's OK to steal from any shop.

Robsweezie

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I buy me bukes in charity shops and one day I was standing behind a gentleman who was haggling over a pair of child's shoes

They were only a fiver but he claims he could only stretch to three the tension was mounting the old lady behind the counter held her ground

there was a wad of notes that would choke a donkey in his open wallet

He walked away

he did what?!!!!! :0

BrokenArrows

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I dropped off a bag of stuff to my local Oxfam on Saturday. I noted that there was a sign behind the counter asking customers to please respect Oxfam's no discounts policy. Must be an issue to address it like that!

Well its a store full of used goods where things are priced according to who happens to be working there that day. Sometimes things are over priced, sometimes things are under priced but at the end of day people go in there to get a good deal, not to be charitable.

I happily buy books from them regularly and occasionally other stuff.
I saw a used computer keyboard there (i needed a new one) but it was priced very high. Only a few quid off the new price. So i made a reasonable offer to the woman for the price i thought it was worth. Jesus, you could have sworn i had called her and all her ancestors whores with the way she looked at me. "Its a charity shop", she says. "Its for a good cause". I obviously didnt buy it and its still in the shop months later.

I dont know why anyone would rob from a charity shop. Moral issues aside, why not just steal a brand new product!!

Robsweezie

Tordelback wrote: »

I'm still trying to get my head round the idea of stealing from a charity full stop. Seriously, when is that ever okay.

Also, the idea expressed in a couple of posts that buying stuff in a charity shop is somehow stingy. I make a point of buying as much as I can from charity shops, especially books. When I'm done reading them, I drop them back to the few that will take them, or to whatever school/parish sale is on next. It's environmentally friendly, it throws a few quid at deserving causes, and I get to read stuff I wouldn't otherwise try without the hassle of a library return date. Ditto toys and clothes for the kids.

.

absolutely, better than paying 15 -25 for the same book in easons.