Charity packers at supermarkets

Ann Elk

Is it just me or does anyone else out there hate getting their shopping packed by charity collectors. I mean fair play to them for volunteering - many young people wouldn't, but let's face it, they couldn't really give a **** about your shopping could they?

I think that every supermarket should hav a number of 'packer-free' checkouts and just leave a bucket there - what do you think.

DaisyDuke

I'd rather not have my eggs pegged into a bag with bottles of coke by a 12 year old either.
I've no problem giving them a few quid though - maybe we could pay them *not* to pack our stuff.....
Hmmm...

Gurgle

Ann Elk wrote:

I think that every supermarket should hav a number of 'packer-free' checkouts and just leave a bucket there - what do you think.

Oh please, I wish they'd all just f`uck off and let me do it myself. I really dont like food poisoning.

And in my local supermarket they give the job to the people who just aren't capable of anything else.

apples - raw steak - onions - washing powder - eggs - all in the same bloody bag.

Sifo

personally i'd rather they did it than me!!

Chavster

I hate shopping and all things associated with it. So when i see the guys packing bags I fall on my knees and praise the lord.

If they don't pack bags to your liking then just say something to them. eg 'just do the tins', 'keep the frozen stuff together' or maybe even 'here's a couple of quid, why don't you have a wee break and i'll pack these..'

Endurance Man

They are just trying to make a bit of money, i have found there packing skills to be perfect, better than mine infact.

Mossy Monk

if you dont want them packing your bag just tell them. its not that hard

BizzyC

Well, I have done this before, when I was younger, and never had any complaints, because I actually packed them properly.

I'd never let young lads do it for me know though, most of them dont have a clue. Better off doing it yourself and throwing money in the basket.

projectmayhem

maybe they pack the eggs with the 2litre of coke to remind you that the starving children of africa don't have the privilege of eating eggs and drinking coke

segadreamcast

BizzyC wrote:

Well, I have done this before, when I was younger, and never had any complaints, because I actually packed them properly.

I'd never let young lads do it for me know though, most of them dont have a clue. Better off doing it yourself and throwing money in the basket.

Congratulations - you're officially old.

"I did it fine, but these youths these days, by gum, they don't know what they're up to - with their hippin' and their hoppin'" etc etc.

Ann Elk

Mossy Monk wrote:

if you dont want them packing your bag just tell them. its not that hard

Fair point, but the fact is that sometimes you feel awkward asking them not to pack the shopping, I have nothing against donating to charity, especially in cases like this where people are actually making an effort to do something (however menial), i just don't think that it should be thrust upon me especially in a supermarket where i'm going to spend my hard earned cash - surely I deserve a choice, leaving a bucket at the end of a few tills would give me this. Furthermore, i wouldn't mind if it was occasional, but it seems to be every weekend and 2-3 nights a week as well.

whiskeyman

Charity Packers..... Chackers?

Chackers or Chuggers.... who do you hate more?

Dont mind them myself. Dont usually have a big shop done, so it doesnt really matter. Might throw 'em a few shillin's if they packed it.

Guess it's different for those with a big trolley shop.. mightnt be too happy if they squashed the bread and lashed in the bleach with the fresh fruit....

Do Superquinn still have people packing your bags anymore?
I mean people actually employed to do it?

Stephen

Chuggers. The bag packers don't follow you out of the supermarket trying to get you to give them your bank details

Oral Slang

I normally don't mind them but as BizzyC said, I won't let young lads do it after the last time I was shopping!
We went shopping about 3 weeks ago & bought a full trolleys worth. I brought tons of bags with me & couldn't understand how we ran out of them yet again. Ended up having to buy a few..
We realised afterwards that he'd used 1 bag per item - thankfully I packed most of it myself, or we'd have had to buy another 20 bags...

jrey1981

In my experience they are fookin useless...my Mum doesnt think much of them either. If you politely tell them that you will do the packing they are usually ok, although once a woman got into a bit of a strop with my Mum about it.

Despite this, we usually chuck some change in the bucket anyway.

I think they should be a bit more innovative in their fundraising efforts myself, but the supermarkets get bags packed for their customers at no cost to themselves and its good for their community relations, so it aint going to stop any time soon.

Bamboozled

Cant stand when they do it when I'm a customer. It's not as bad as it was before the government duty on bags, but most of them aren't told not to pack firelighters and smellies with food. Even being told something as basic as that would make a huge difference. I'd just rather the bucket.

I cant stand it either when I'm on the checkout working. You get into your own routine of putting food down one side and smellies and toiletries on the other, with soft/squashable/breakable stuff up near the register (well a few others and I do) and they insist on putting the bucket on top of the shopping ... so as to make sure the customer sees them. They'll take the smelly stuff from one side and put it in with fruit and veg on the other side... leading to irate customers and me on the receiving end while they're paying for the shopping.

Just leave a bucket!

deisedevil

Ann Elk wrote:

Fair point, but the fact is that sometimes you feel awkward asking them not to pack the shopping, I have nothing against donating to charity, especially in cases like this where people are actually making an effort to do something (however menial), i just don't think that it should be thrust upon me especially in a supermarket where i'm going to spend my hard earned cash - surely I deserve a choice, leaving a bucket at the end of a few tills would give me this. Furthermore, i wouldn't mind if it was occasional, but it seems to be every weekend and 2-3 nights a week as well.

You put your stuff on the checkout, you say the the packer " that's ok i'll pack em myself,thanks anyway" then you pack em and throw money in the bucket if ya want to. Jaysus it ain't that big a deal.

I agree with ya that some shops seem ta always have em,i worked in a supermarket when i was younger and they're policy was that there would only be a certain amount of days a year allowed for charity packers,most shops apparently do the same.

Hobbes

Ask them to pack it in alphabetical order and be done by the time the woman gives you the change or they won't get their money.

Ann Elk

I like it Hobbes - I could tell them that I have a rare complaint with my inner ear which throws my balance out of sync, if you don't achieve perfect 50-50 weight distribution i'll fall over and sue the shop, you and your hockey/camogie/rugby/football team/charity etc.

Pet

Tell them that if they want a donation, they'd better pack your ****ing groceries properly and with care. And if they don't, smite them.

Squirrel

I have to do this at Christmas every year in Cournelscourt if you're ever there, we're the athletics club. And tbh I'm appalled by the way some people pack their own shopping, firelighters, bleach etc. in with fruit and veg. I know that there are people who pack like that when bag-packing but now everyones tarred with that brush.

And if you don't want your bags packed, say so, bag-packers appreciate a break

Gazza22

I don't really do shopping though i have no problem with the little 'chackers'. They are volunteering. But they should only allow teens to do it, not little 11 year olds that haven't a clue how to pack a bag!

whiskeyman wrote:

Do Superquinn still have people packing your bags anymore?
I mean people actually employed to do it?

Afaik, yeah they do. Though this may be cut out now with the take over and all that. It's actually part of their policy that they pack your bags. Lol if they have nobody available they give you free scratch cards as compensation!

beanyb

whiskeyman wrote:

Do Superquinn still have people packing your bags anymore?
I mean people actually employed to do it?

Yeah they do, but they're the same as the people working the tills, they just swap over every half an hour.

After a while packing bags it just gets easier to pack them well rather than just chucking everything in, so most of the packers in superquinn will do it properly. Though obviously there's still people who just dont care.

rubadub

I never do a big shop and nearly always have a back pack, they never even try to grab it, I wouldnt let them near it since it always has stuff in it already, mp3 player, wallet etc.
Since the bag tax, more people prefer to load their shopping themselves to get the most efficient space out of bags. As mentioned, the fresh loaf in the bottom of a bag squished by tins and a 2litre of coke twin pack really pisses people off.
If you are going to volunteer your time you are better doing it at something you are good at, e.g. just work 3 hours overtime and give the money to charity rather than stand on the street for 3 hours harrassing people for pennies, probably make far more.
BTW whatever happened to bob-a-job scouts?

Ann Elk

rubadub wrote:

BTW whatever happened to bob-a-job scouts?

Christian Brothers?

Blisterman

I like the bag packers. I hate packing bags myself.

What I really hate is the fact, that all the major supermarkets refuse to give out paper bags, and make you pay for their crappy reusable ones.

butters scotch

i hate them i don't want to get food poisioning from putting my bread in with my bleach and bathroom cleaner. they need to learn how to pack bags properly. although it is for charity so you'll still give them the money, you just won't appreciate the service.

replytohere2004

These bag packers are always in Dunnes Stores Rathmines.

I always try to avoid them and go to the "10 items or less" checkout. However so does everyone else(who has a basket). Then there's massive lines at the basket checkouts.

As someone else said they should leave some checkouts without the packers. Perhaps every second one.

Also, I notice they collect using "open" buckets: isn't this illegal?

Bamboozled

Yeah, as far as I know, open collections were "outlawed" years ago and only closed collections are permitted. Which leads to another question, how can they go "open" when supposedly obeying the permit. We used have one for collecting in town and it stated that it had to be a closed box or container that others were unable to open unless tey were the treasurer. And we had to carry it at all times. Each person had to carry one - it wasnt one among many.

I used ask them not to pack my bags, and i did it politely. Sometimes the kids were delighted to be able to stop and just chat amongst themselves but the older they were, the more withering their looks got including the "adult" helpers that were with them. Packers are there to help, while the buckets are on the checkouts. If they really want to help, then a better attitude to those that dont want/need/like the help would be greatly appreciated. It would make me more willing to throw more in the bucket than they make me now with their sighing and tutting.

dimerocks

some of them were never trained by there Mammies when they were young fellas!

de5p0i1er

DaisyDuke wrote:

I'd rather not have my eggs pegged into a bag with bottles of coke by a 12 year old either.
I've no problem giving them a few quid though - maybe we could pay them *not* to pack our stuff.....
Hmmm...

You said it, most of them don't have a clue what there doing.

Our man in Havana

I hate the little GAA jersey wearing scrotes. :mad:

Dunnes in Thurles is a particuarly bad for them, almost every week. Thankfully Aldi and Lidl don't allow them at all.

RLJ

Bond-007 wrote: »

. Thankfully Aldi and Lidl don't allow them at all.

do aldi and lidl actually have an officially no packer policy? might go there

Our man in Havana

They have a no packing policy full stop.

ArmaniJeanss

The actual bucket itself annoys me.
Its always about 2 foot high and a foot and a half wide, basically perfectly designed to take up enough space to make packing as awkward as possible.

Having said I tend to always give my loose change, as most of the collectors are local underage sports teams who need the money.

kelle

I bring my own bags. I place all the chilled/frozen stuff in the cool-bag, the non-perishable food in the main shopping bag and the rest I just place in the trolley and bring to the car.

I was p'd off last time I encountered packers, I tried to do it myself and they were helping. I left a few euro in the collection box. Only when I got to the car I realised (without asking me) they had acquired 5 plastic bags from the checkout and I was charged for every one of them! I felt like going back and taking the cost of the bags out of the box!

neilled

I've done it many a time myself and its always been a policy in the organisations that I've done it for not to have every till covered - it gives people the choice. As for packing - I do all my shopping on a bicycle so I know the importance of where you put stuff...........

Nightwish

I'm part of a group that does a bag pack once a year, and we do teach the kids how to properly pack bags and to offer to carry bags to the customers car. That said, not all groups are like that. I do agree that there should be a free checkout for people who do not wish to go near the bag packers. I can totally understand their reasoning.

giggsy664

Was doing a bit of bag packing last year, and a woman spent €80 on Cadbury's chocolate items. And this was before Stephen!!!

tony1kenobi

RLJ wrote: »

do aldi and lidl actually have an officially no packer policy? might go there

If they do they probably updated it since 2005.

Jesus Wept

BizzyC wrote: »

Well, I have done this before, when I was younger, and never had any complaints, because I actually packed them properly.

I'd never let young lads do it for me know though, most of them dont have a clue. Better off doing it yourself and throwing money in the basket.

You're better off doing it yourself and not throwing money in the basket.

Scawgeen

Nightwish wrote: »

I'm part of a group that does a bag pack once a year, and we do teach the kids how to properly pack bags and to offer to carry bags to the customers car. That said, not all groups are like that. I do agree that there should be a free checkout for people who do not wish to go near the bag packers. I can totally understand their reasoning.

Who protects the kids when they're hauling the shopping to the cusomer/stranger's car in the car park. I don't think it's a good idea to send kids off with complete strangers, as a parent this would alarm me.

Maddison

Ahhh I love seeing the bag packers but there was once a time that the check out staff would assist in packing your bags but most of them nowadays seem to preoccupied with catching up on the goss with the other staff member beside them....now that p*sses me off especially when theres a huge queue.:mad:

Rabies

wow... back in 2005 I'm even sure if there was a plactic bag tax.

Zombie threads hurt me. But in this I'll leave it open. Its a common enough thread topic

mikemac

I remember when shops employed people to pack for you.
It's never done anymore, possibly due to the plastic bag tax but more likely a cost cutting measure by supermarket management.

Saibh

I just tell them I'll pack my own bags.

Merch

I say , I'll pack my own, I usually throw in a few small coins but dont make it obvious its mostly copper.

I dont like the GAA or football team bag packers, if it was the scouts or even a genuine charity, look if your kid is in a team why the hell should I pay?
why dont you just buy the bugger a jersey yourself, maybe cut back on something. I was never in a sport that insisted on making other people pay for my kit??
I put money in cans to get the sticker or pins for charity to blind dogs, or medical research or support a medical condition type of thing, but is there some exceptionally high cost of running a football club??? insurance maybe, regardless, If someones Jonnie or Joan wants to kick a bag of air around, great but why dont their parents pay for it?