Topic: A sad little crime

[Melbourne12]

Popped into Pinner yesterday late afternoon (about 5pm) to post a letter.  Just to explain, Pinner is a most respectable (posh, even) suburb of north west London.  As I returned to the car, I saw several people rifling through the bags that had been left outside a St Lukes Hospice charity shop.  They were carefully sorting through the clothes and discarding anything they didn’t want, before sauntering off down the high street carrying bin bags full of swag.

Thinking they were perhaps recently arrived east Europeans who didn’t understand the nature of charity shops, I approached them.  But no, they were local people, very respectably dressed young women plus one elderly gent.  I’m afraid that I used the word “contemptible”, but they clearly didn’t give a d**n.  Presumably they would sell the things at car boot sales, but it seemed such a despicable thing to do for the sake of a very small gain.

I didn’t report it to the police, of course.  They’d probably have prosecuted the charity shop for leaving a mess on the pavement.

But if anyone asks, "Who would stoop so low as to steal from a hospice?", I can now answer that question.

[star]

Gosh, if thats happening now, I wonder how its going to be when things get really bad :(

[cambourne7]

thats been going on a long time, charity shops usualy have signs saying dont leave things outside.

Sad but true.

[Lauren S]

I have two friends who run different charity shops. They have both told me how much gets stolen. You would be amazed.
I think it is the lowest of the low.  :'(

[Kea]

What about the fake charity collectors?  i Put a bag out on my drive for one charity a few months ago then had to stand guard over it because a suspicious unmarked van came round 'collecting' he kept away from my bag because I was standing there and also my nearest neighbours. The the 'real' van turned up marked with the charity name and reg...so I told him what had happened and he said it explained why there wasn't much for him.

The fake charities stick a leaflet thru the door asking for stuff but if you look closely there is no charity number.

However I got caught out one day outside the local supermarket, a guy was collecting and i happened to have some change in my hand so I put it in and as i did i read the name of the supposed charity and thought i've never heard of that one...looked it up when I got home and it didn't exist! The guy was collecting for himself and doing well because his label mentioned 'Children' and 'cancer'.

[rosebud]

We drove into Tesco one afternoon to see a van pull up by the Scope charity bin , open the side door of the van and pile all the left bags into it then pull some that were hanging out of there bin. DISGUSTING.

[Borlotti]

I worked in a charity shop and on a Monday could not open the shop due to all the bags left outside over the weekend.  My 'boss' just binned the lot.  We also had to clear up the mess when people had looked through the bags.  Normally found that anything worth having was brought into the shop.  We even had a notice saying we had a video camera (which we didn't) saying don't dump rubbish outside the shop.  I do put bags outside for charities but only if it is clothes that are not worth a lot of money.  If I have anything good to give away would rather try and sell it privately and then give money to a registered charity.  I have found my local hospice charity good as I take the goods in, tell them what they are.  A lot of stuff given to our charity shop we used to throw away, but made sure the people who brought it in didn't see us do it.  People get very offended when they bring stuff in you have to say 'no, we cannot sell it'.  When I worked there two lovely wicker baskets were thrown away, and I took them home (put a donation in) and they made lovely cat baskets, even though the cat baskets I paid a fortune for were hated by the cats.  They went to the cat charity shop.  I must have been the only volunteer that bought twine, a propagator and various other garden related things.  I think charity shops have got greedy and would not pay £2/£3 for a second hand tee shirt when I could buy a new one.  Have got some lovely bargains in childrens toys for the grandchildren when they visit.  I suppose what I am trying to say is that if stuff is left outside the shop it is probably not too good and if people want it let them have it otherwise it would end up being binned by the shop.

[SamLouise]

Whilst talking about sad little crimes, how about this gem I've just read on the BBC news website?

Military Cross taken by burglars
 
Burglars have stolen a Military Cross awarded to a World War I hero from a house just miles from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Police said the medal was taken from a house in Deepmore Close, Alrewas, during the weekend.

It was given to Sgt William Houghton who crossed enemy lines to save a wounded comrade in July 1918.

Hundreds marked the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I on Remembrance Sunday at the memorial in Alrewas.

Sgt Houghton, who was in the King's Liverpool Regiment, was the father-in-law of the house's owner.

Jewellery and a 42-inch television were also taken during the burglary.

"This was a callous theft which has left the family devastated," Pc Wayne Rogers, of Staffordshire Police, said.

"The medal is only given for exceptional acts of bravery and I would appeal for anyone with information about the theft to contact police as a matter of urgency."

Officers think his medal may have been offered to a collector or a second-hand dealer.
 

[cambourne7]

What about the fake charity collectors?  i Put a bag out on my drive for one charity a few months ago then had to stand guard over it because a suspicious unmarked van came round 'collecting' he kept away from my bag because I was standing there and also my nearest neighbours. The the 'real' van turned up marked with the charity name and reg...so I told him what had happened and he said it explained why there wasn't much for him.

The fake charities stick a leaflet thru the door asking for stuff but if you look closely there is no charity number.

However I got caught out one day outside the local supermarket, a guy was collecting and i happened to have some change in my hand so I put it in and as i did i read the name of the supposed charity and thought i've never heard of that one...looked it up when I got home and it didn't exist! The guy was collecting for himself and doing well because his label mentioned 'Children' and 'cancer'.

Gosh did you call the shop?? It might be worth mentioning it as there bound to do it again especially as Christmas is approaching

[Kea]

No, Cambourne...I didn't think of doing that. he was quite assertive and in your face and right outside the only exit door. i usually only give to specific charities...so i must have felt intimidated in some way.
Next time I'll do that though he would have been long gone before I'd checked him out.

[debster]

we often get the bags delivered to leave outside but the other day we did get a letter to say that there have been bogus collectors in the area and not to let our bags go to anyone other then the van with the logo for the charity on. it is a sad world.
i believe they sell clothes they cannot sell to the rag man and make some money that way.
i buy lots of books and some young childrens toys from charity shops. the toys i buy are like wooden blocks, rattles etc as my parrot loves them and its far cheaper then paying full price and if as can happen he hates it ive not lost anything and the charity gained, if it is safe for a baby it is usually safe for a parrot and it is cheaper then the stuff specially designed for birds.
however i have found that stuff in our local charity shop is getting dearer then ever, especially books i can often buy new ones cheaper.
after reading the books i pass them on to a friend who sells them to raise funds for her parrot rescue so they continue helping charity