Well easier said than done…just you try finding a well known local to you charity furniture pick up collection van…I have tried several, one came to my home and said in a not to polite tone " they were too grubby to take " even though they had the required fire label attached…another charity on two separate home collections, the second collection being yesterday, the charity of which Richard died of and monies was donated to them, well they would have taken the identical armchairs as they were but because they never had a batch label they couldn’t take them…Here i am trying to donate two good armchairs that we only bought three plus years ago when we moved home but no one is wanting them…I have now exhausted all recommended charities and not one is wanting them, even told by one charity that they prefer taking sofas rather than armchairs or a set of armchairs and matching sofa…This beggars belief when good items that these so called charities are crying out for monies get turned down…I cant even donate these armchairs to homeless charities yet i am sure a homeless person would give anything for an armchair or a double bed, oh yes, if a mattress has stains, the dont want to know, even if i mention of fitted covers for the chairs and mattress, they still dont want to know…just how fussy these charity warehouses have now become…My only option left is our local councils bulky goods, and this is at a price…I have to pay them to take them away, recondition what they can, then sell them on…
Oh Jackie, we had exactly the same experience when we tried to donate 2 single divans, we had replaced them with a double bed. I was mortified that our stuff wasn’t good enough for charity. In the end we had to pay for someone to take them away. Stan was alive at that time. x
Jackie
Ive got sue ryder coming next week to collect a bookcase and a glass display cabinet of mums that I dont want.
They are immaculate just not my taste and sue ryder have already told me the driver will refuse them if they find a single scratch on them!
Cheryl x
Cheryl…
… oh what an insulting thing to say to you…
…I too was insulted by one of two Sue Ryder van men six -seven or eight months ago, who one said to me in such a blunt-rude tone…" we aren’t taking them, they are too dirty…" I would not have minded so much if he had spoken in a polite tone or with more warmth, especially that one of these chairs was the one my Richard had died in, i had told him this but he was very cold and blunt, and i felt disrespectful… not even an apology, of " sorry but we cant take these, we only wish we could…" well that would have been the way i would have spoken to a bereaved elderly lady who had just lost her husband-partner…
If i had my way all stuff i donate would go to an animal charity, a dog charity, in-fact a whole lot of my Richards clothes including some household items i did have collected by one of our Dorset well known dog charity, their elderly van collecting driver came direct to my home on two or three occasions but, unfortunately they dont take large furniture items otherwise they would be the one i would continue donating to…i think i have now got my home sorted, i am soon to take delivery of replacement furniture…it is jut getting the timings right…
I could take them to the tip but they are in perfect condition and someone would love them.
I’m not one for having books on display or collectables in glass cabinets like my mum was but someone who likes that sort of thing would love these items.
If the van turns them down next week I will have to.
I wouldn’t mind but I walked past sure ryder in maidstone yesterday and they had a really grubby sofa and a cabinet with scratches all over it in the window for sale!
unfortunately, these days, charities have so many donated goods, they now only take goods that are readily saleable items. they are now in the position of identifying goods that the people who frequent their shops will purchase. it doesn’t matter to them how long we’ve had them, or their sentimental value, they must be readily saleable goods. unfortunately, by law, even charity shops are not permitted to sell items of upholstery without the fire retardant label firmly attached, regardless of how good the quality and condition. we have always made sure the fire retardant labels are left intact. our preferred charity for larger household goods is always Emmaus they are local homeless charities and are often overlooked.
hope today has been an improvement on yesterday and tomorrow will be an improvement on today
Jen…
…my two chairs have the fire retardant labels attached but they are still not interested in taking them…thank you for tip on the charity you use, one i have not contacted yet but will if one covers my area…
Just done a quick check and no, they dont cover anywhere near Dorset…Cornwall and Bristol seems to be my closest…
Jen…
…back home in Bedfordshire we had several donating household items, large and small furniture items…places available to us for donating shoddier furniture which they repaired on site then sold to the public, we had bought a sofa from one at one time which had a slight tear in one corner which was pointed out to their buyers…
I believe that not all these warehouse type household donating warehouses dont have onsite repairs so i can only assume this is the reason some have become so fussy in what they will or will not take…as my late father once would have said…" beggars cant be choosers…" well seems many of these so called charities have just become that…far too choosy for my liking…
There is so much unnecessary waste these days. I have seen furniture outside a house with a notice saying it’s free but in your case this wouldn’t be possible. I had a similar experience with our luggage. I decided that I would never go on holiday again and we had matching luggage which I couldn’t use anyway, too many reminders of holidays gone. I contacted one charity and they wouldn’t come and collect (I wasn’t well at the time) There wasn’t enough to be bothered was the excuse. There was six cases and to get to our nearest shop they have to pass my road a diversion of a few minutes. Someone from the local shop said she would come and collect but never turned up, so I rang another charity and they appeared withing the hour and was delighted. So don’t give up. Can you not give the chairs a quick scrub up, they surely can’t be that bad and give them another call. You might get a more responsive driver. A few years ago we wanted to get rid of a cupboard the driver said he couldn’t take it as it was too heavy to move. Funny that because we got it from the same charity only a couple of months earlier but then changed our minds about it.
Have you tried a local ad.
Pat
Stan was alive at that time. x