Forum Topic

Warning - Charity bag thief!

(Tried to post this yesterday but it didn't appear on the forum, trying again)The NSPCC (who I support as much as I can) asked for clothing donations to be left out to be picked up. I specially chose some nice labels to donate and left the printed-labeled NSPCC bag in clear view of the gate.Watched this woman (light blue anorak, short hair, ciggie in one hand) walk up to our driveway, look the bag over. She read the many NSPCC/Clothesaid/Do not steal labels on it. Then she coolly grabbed it and walked away!! By the time I put down my toddler and ran out, she was too far to hear me calling after her (or chose to ignore me). I couldn't leave my toddler to chase after her.This morning, at about 5am, I see her skulking by our house again in case there were more bags! What a menace!So, a lesson for Ealing residents: Its no longer safe to leave things in your driveway to be picked up.

Des Pointer ● 5920d14 Comments

Ok, I'm assuming from the lack of replies that this is very common. How sad.

Des Pointer ● 5920d

very sad. I know someone who works in a charity shop where they have a lot of good stuff donated - needless to say both the shop manager and most of the volunteers have their snouts in the trough

Viv Ellis ● 5920d

I did voluntary work for nearly ten years, "snouts in the trough" is a good way to put it.  In this case it was more like "bank balances and ego to feed".When I first moved to Ealing, I left my old fridge freezer in the drive ready for collection by a well known electrical chain who were delivering a new one, by morning it had gone!

G Lord ● 5920d

The convention round our way is that if you leave stuff out by the front gate, it is expected that anyone who wants it will take it...often there are signs to encourage just that.I don't mean expressly left and marked up charity donations but certainly fridges and furniture. Seems quite sensible to me - better than dumping or paying someone to take it away.

Sara Nathan ● 5920d

I had paid them to take the fridge away.There is a bloke who collects bits of metal from the rubbish, I assume to sell for scrap.  Kind of like Freecycle without the hassle of advertising and waiting for no-shows!

G Lord ● 5920d

I am having a bathroom refit and as the builder was taking out the old bath to the drive, 2 guys appeared from nowhere to take it ! It was scary how quickly things went from the rubbish pile too.........not that I minded. But, I had a lot of slate tiles on the drive waiting to be laid and I was paranoid that someone would take them too but they didn't !

Penny Crocker ● 5920d

Its called Totting and you should have a license to do it, but like you say Penny, you don't really mind if it saves you from disposing of it. I saw it a lot when I was getting a friends building firm back on track.  Its an honest enough living, but not something I'd like to do all day....

G Lord ● 5920d

These forums are very useful for promoting local organisations' jumble sales and second hand sales and don't forget that many voluntary organisations desperately need...  volunteers!

Philippa Bond ● 5919d

Re    shop manager and most of the volunteers have their snouts in the trough             xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        and it is not only them, I personally know two persons who regularly several times a week are invited by the charity shops to look through the goods that have recently been donated in order to value them. These " experts " ie antique dealers do just that but are allowed to put aside items which they want for themselves, for which they are expected to pay, but which is by no means what the items are worth. So a good source of stock for antique dealers. The items which make it to the shelves for the public to buy, have been well and truly sifted and anything any good extracted by those who have been given the opportunity.

Tony Price ● 5919d

Do you need a license to have a garage sale in your driveway? (Not selling the garage, just the stuff in it.)

Charles Campbell ● 5919d

Why not sell whatever you have that you feel is worth something and give the proceeds to the charity of your choice?  Ebay have a special section.  It seems everybody always wants somebody else to do all the hard work all of the time and...for nothing!

Philippa Bond ● 5917d

Lol. I see there was no point posting here. For the record, the charity sent me their branded bag and said they would send their van, ok? And, I still think it is absolutely criminal to steal something obviously labelled and left to be picked up by a particular company (which is not the same as leaving out unmarked white goods).

Des Pointer ● 5917d

Well I can tell you a similar thing that happened to me a few years ago. I was in the process of selling my flat and was having a bit of clear out in the clothes department. Most of it was not suitable for a charity shop, so I put a lot of the stuff in a black sack and left it out for the rubbish men. A few hours later i was looking out of my window when I noticed a lady come along, pick up one of the bags I'd left out and take it away with her. A few hours later she brought it back emptier than it was when I put it out.

J Smith ● 5916d

Re  brought it back emptier than it was when I put it out.         xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    She was honest then having no doubt realised the bag was out for collection by the Refuse Collectors.  We must bear in mind some people have very little in this world, often no more than they have with them. I remember many years ago a shopping trolley containing old clothing etc was left at the back of the church, so I took it away. Next day morning there was this dear old lady asleep where the trolley had been, so I woke her, calmed her down as she thought she was in trouble, took her into the church, made her a cup of tea with biscuits etc and fortunately not having disposed of the trolley of belongings was able to reunite them with her. If one stops and ponders what we take for granted and what dear souls like her do not have. Never saw her again and prayed she never came to any harm.

Tony Price ● 5916d