View Full Version : Homeaid Shop, Thurso
scrabster view
11-Sep-09, 13:17
Hi
Has anybody been in this shop recently.
If so, what are your views?
I think its terribly expensive for the tat that they are selling and its a joke when they refer to the Argos catalogue for prices.
At the end of the day, its all second hand goods.
mums angels
11-Sep-09, 13:25
Hi
Has anybody been in this shop recently.
If so, what are your views?
I think its terribly expensive for the tat that they are selling and its a joke when they refer to the Argos catalogue for prices.
At the end of the day, its all second hand goods.
A friend and i were discussing that recently when she was thinking of donating a pram she needed rid of and hadn't managed to sell and she would rather give it of to someone that needed it than to put it in there just for them to stick a hefty price tag on and i would do the same . I was under the impression it was a shop to help people out that couldn't afford much themselves , i know they give things to people that qualify but they give them the Tat and keep anything half decent and sell it at stupidly high prices . They even sell things on ebay rather than bring down prices so that the locals can benifit from it .
I think the shop is a disgrace. The clothes are filthy the toys are broken, filthy and never complete. I am shocked at the prices they can charge. I know a lot of you will say if your not happy dont go there but the question is what is our opinion. Mine is it's a DISGRACE and a RIP OFF.
there was a thread previously about this and i feel the same, the shop is awful, things are well overpriced and as you say dirty
changilass
11-Sep-09, 14:16
Havn't been in for about a year due to the same complaints folks still seem to be having with the place.
Its a damn shame it aint run better cos they could make a bliddy fortune.
This is one of the reasons that I try to sell or give things away on the org and if not successful I take things to the tip. Most of the other charity shops are just to akward to try to get to carrying heavy boxes of stuff.
None of the charities make it easy to give stuff to them., but at least some of them take care when selling things on.
Couldn't agree more, the place is a disgrace and I haven't been in for ages.When they had the shop in Wick it was a bit better and the staff or volunteers were very helpful.
tonkatojo
11-Sep-09, 15:13
Couldn't agree more, the place is a disgrace and I haven't been in for ages.When they had the shop in Wick it was a bit better and the staff or volunteers were very helpful.
I havn't been in for yonks, but you folk are right the majority of the stuff is hacky dirty and tat over priced rubbish.
The principal of the shop was quite good but management has jiggered it I think.
ciderally
11-Sep-09, 15:20
isent this ruled over by trading standards? i would hope so.....
I know a couple who got a house and had nothing and the stuff homeaid gave them was better than nothing but absolute rubbish. I cant believe they keep the good donations to sell and give the junk to the needy. Something is wrong with that considering people think their donations will help people. What happens with the money they make? It seems the needy are actually their dumping ground for the rubbish they can't sell.
Murdina Bug
11-Sep-09, 17:33
Well, I was in there yesterday. The place was clean and tidy and the staff were helpful and friendly. The top floor was better organised than I have seen previously with the books having been put in genre/alphabetical order. You can't blame the staff if some of the stuff for sale is 'tat' - that's what they get to work with from 'us', the public and they have to do the best with it that they can. They probably get charged for any uplift of rubbish so people should be more discerning about what they give to charity shops.
As for the prices - it is a shop, they are trying to make money like any other business. Just because the item has been gifted to them does not mean that they should give it away for tuppence. If you don't like the price do what you would do in any other shop - walk away or ask them if they take an offer on it.
There was also a 50% sale on and I got an absolute bargain on a lovely jacket. So if you haven't been if for a while as most of you imply then maybe it's time for another look.
^^^^^^^^^^^ talks sense,well said;)
I've never understood the pricing here as some things are real bargains and others wildly overpriced. Their sales are usually good value but they would shift more if the prices were lower and the shop would look better.
I do have sympathy for them over the state of the stuff they're given, especially toys. Why do people donate what is obviously rubbish - broken and dirty? Or is it because they display this stuff that people think it's OK to give it. Maybe if more stuff went straight to the tip they wouldn't be given rubbish. It must be pretty horrible just having to deal with it.
ShelleyCowie
11-Sep-09, 21:50
I think it can be quite disapointing. Me and my OH donated a rather old large living room unit, still in good condition, when i walked past the next day it was in the window at £130! Its nowhere near worth that.
It seems to be shut half the time, open late on thursdays and mondays or whatever. The toys and things out the front get soaked in the rain and they still charge over the top for it! Its rediculous! [evil]
have never been in as the outside looking in is enough to put me of, it is full of rubbish that really should be put in a skip.
kwbrown111
11-Sep-09, 22:21
Even better than that they now charge YOU for picking up your donated items.
porshiepoo
12-Sep-09, 10:10
I think charity shops in general are a complete disappointment and rip off nowadays.
Students and such like used to be able to kit themselves out for less than a fiver at a charity shop, now you'd be lucky to find something in there for less than that.
Wick charity shops even sell the Caithness Glass stuff at full price - it's bizarre. The clothes are expensively priced too. You may find the odd bargain in them but not very often.
As for the Homeaid shop, well IMO it's a filthy hovel. The items in there are unfit for the local land fill, the place is always messy, the clothes look as though they've done the nationwide circuit and have ended up up here as a last resort and basically I avoid it.
Unfortunately Charity shops are pricing themselves off the high street. Tesco and EBay are cheaper and that's including the cost of p&p.
It's disgusting really when you think that all their goods are donated items.
Come on - it's really not that bad. I've bought some very useful bits of furniture there and have no problem paying £5 for delivery, which is efficient and careful and they come when they say they will - more than you can say for lots of shops.
Yes, many of the items are dirty but that's because the people who donate them can't be bothered to clean them first and that's not the shop's fault. Also think far more of the donated stuff should go straight to landfill - they need to be far more choosy about what's put out for sale. One vanload of rubbish from the shop would instantly make it look better. But in the end whose fault is it that they have rubbish to sell? The people who give them rubbish because it's easier than going to to the tip. The hospice shop two doors down is tidy with only quality items. Maybe they could give Homeaid some tips?
I agree about the prices. Maybe if enough of us told those in charge they would get the message.
The Highland Hospice shop is a good comparison as it is clean, organised, welcoming, etc. I always give things to that shop and also recently gave things to Blythswood in Wick, where the staff are also great.
Unfortunately both myself and OH found the same person at Homeaid management to be extremely rude about two separate things some years ago. OH went in with a fully operational fairly new fire-style heater and the lady was really rude to him. We have never been back since. I do feel sorry for the volunteers though because it's probably not their fault.
You better putting things on the org for free,than donating to homeaid,as they ask far too much for items that get donated,it is ment to help people out,i dont see how as you still pay that much for it,unless you know some of staff you can get it cheaper,me you wont catch me in it rather go hospice as lot friendlier.
kwbrown111
12-Sep-09, 13:29
"Come on - it's really not that bad. I've bought some very useful bits of furniture there and have no problem paying £5 for delivery, which is efficient and careful and they come when they say they will - more than you can say for lots of shops."
I wasn't saying the £5 was for delivery, They charge you to take something from your house for the shop
I wasn't saying the £5 was for delivery, They charge you to take something from your house for the shop
Oops - you're making a link when none intended. I wasn't referring to your post but simply stating that their delivery charge/efficiency compares very well with commercial outfits. There was a lot of complaint about this charge when it was first introduced but I think it's very reasonable.
Having said that, I don't see why they shouldn't charge to collect items. They are a charity and both delivery and collection costs them, could be quite a lot up here. I don't think any other charity shops collect or deliver do they?
There was also a 50% sale on and I got an absolute bargain on a lovely jacket. So if you haven't been if for a while as most of you imply then maybe it's time for another look.
Half the fun is rummaging and foraging through the bric-a-brac. On the odd occasion you might be fortunate enough to find something incredible. Was in Homeaid recently and found some real bargains, one of which was Encarta97.
Took my booty to the till and everything was HALF price. The staff have always been very courteous and helpful. :)
teddybear1873
12-Sep-09, 23:08
I could easily stirr the pot on this subject, but it's best I keep the information to myself. Put it this way I have no intention in walking in there, even though I'm on the other side of the pond.
I could easily stirr the pot on this subject, but it's best I keep the information to myself. Put it this way I have no intention in walking in there, even though I'm on the other side of the pond.
So why start a story? Spoilsport [lol]:lol:
scrabster view
13-Sep-09, 08:33
A friend and i were discussing that recently when she was thinking of donating a pram she needed rid of and hadn't managed to sell and she would rather give it of to someone that needed it than to put it in there just for them to stick a hefty price tag on and i would do the same . I was under the impression it was a shop to help people out that couldn't afford much themselves , i know they give things to people that qualify but they give them the Tat and keep anything half decent and sell it at stupidly high prices . They even sell things on ebay rather than bring down prices so that the locals can benifit from it .
Jee whiz, I cant believe they sell items on ebay??
scrabster view
13-Sep-09, 08:57
there was a thread previously about this and i feel the same, the shop is awful, things are well overpriced and as you say dirty
Does anyboady have a link to the previous thread regarding Homeaid?
http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=41625&highlight=Homeaid
This is one of them.
porshiepoo
13-Sep-09, 10:18
Come on - it's really not that bad. I've bought some very useful bits of furniture there and have no problem paying £5 for delivery, which is efficient and careful and they come when they say they will - more than you can say for lots of shops.
Yes, many of the items are dirty but that's because the people who donate them can't be bothered to clean them first and that's not the shop's fault. Also think far more of the donated stuff should go straight to landfill - they need to be far more choosy about what's put out for sale. One vanload of rubbish from the shop would instantly make it look better. But in the end whose fault is it that they have rubbish to sell? The people who give them rubbish because it's easier than going to to the tip. The hospice shop two doors down is tidy with only quality items. Maybe they could give Homeaid some tips?
I agree about the prices. Maybe if enough of us told those in charge they would get the message.
Ah yes but just because they're donated doesn't mean they are fit to sell, does it!
Homeaid prices (and charity shops in general) are high enough for customers to expect a basic level of cleanliness and hygeine. The shop is just full of tat at high prices and is dirty to boot.
I do like the large charity shop in Thurso high street though. You can still find the odd bargain there, it's very clean and the items look as though they're actually worth selling. So well done whatever your name is!
The Wick charity shops aren't terribly bad - Homeaid was awful and a rip off but thankfully it's upsticks and left (outpriced itself no doubt).
The little one next to the bookies is a bit small and hardly has anything in it anymore but the book sections OK.
The other two are OK but I very rarely visit them anymore, you can buy brand new stuff for the same prices so there's no point.
porshiepoo
13-Sep-09, 10:20
Half the fun is rummaging and foraging through the bric-a-brac. On the odd occasion you might be fortunate enough to find something incredible. Was in Homeaid recently and found some real bargains, one of which was Encarta97.
Took my booty to the till and everything was HALF price. The staff have always been very courteous and helpful. :)
Grief, hope your tetanus was up to date. The place should hand out breathing masks for those that want to "rummage". :lol:
porshiepoo
13-Sep-09, 10:21
I could easily stirr the pot on this subject, but it's best I keep the information to myself. Put it this way I have no intention in walking in there, even though I'm on the other side of the pond.
Oh please do...... Stir away!!!!!!!!!!!! You know you wanna!!! lol
Kevin Milkins
13-Sep-09, 11:21
If I had time on my hands and felt as if I would like to donate some of it to charity work, I would now think twice about charity shops.
I am sure there are many good folk that donate a lot of there time and effort to charity and read what is being said on the org about charity shops in general and would feel very deflated.:confused
I di believe that "HomeAid" like so many Charity Shops have been watching too much television.
Programmes like "Mary Queen of Charity Shops" where Mary says that Charity Shops need to put up their Prices Greatly. This might all well and good in places like London where they do get Designer Clothes donated but here in Caithness this does not happen very often.
She also forgets that all Items are donated and no matter what price an item is sold for it is still 100% Profit for that Charity.
HomeAid really do need to get their act together as they will start to lose customers and money if they keep on going the way they are.
Charging to Uplift Donated items is Daft as they lose lots of good items as people will not pay to donate a TV, Bed or a Couch etc, they would rather Dump it.
This is why a lot of the quality items that you ued to get in the shop are no longer available and so their takings must be going down.
So to counteract this what do they do? They put up their prices and this is not the way forward as less and less customers are willing to pay higher prices for items of a lesser quality.
HomeAid this is a Message for you.
Rethink your Policies otherwise very soon there will be a new Charity called "Aid-HomeAid", A Charity to help stop HomeAid from going Bankrupt.
littledog
13-Sep-09, 15:29
i know that when a donation has been made they put it to one side untill management have had a look and guess what they are looking at the quaility of the goods so that they can take the best of it down to the shop for sale and yess put a high price tag on it but what we should all be asking ourshelves is where in gods name is all this money going because the unfortunate families of the surounding areas are not benifiting from this[evil][evil][evil]
to be fair,rental costs for buildings and paying employees.....where do you lot expect the money to come from?
and as for items being 'dirty' when i was in on friday 1 person hoovering,1person sorting stock making it neat and tidy, and another general cleaning.........
teddybear1873
13-Sep-09, 15:57
Oh please do...... Stir away!!!!!!!!!!!! You know you wanna!!! lol
Nice try porshiepoo lol. It is tempting but I can't.
Bill Fernie
13-Sep-09, 15:58
There is quite bit of information on the HomeAid web site http://www.homeaid.org.uk/
It would be good if they also published their annual accounts on the web site. Anyone can ask for accounts from a charity if they have questions about how money is used.
Running a charity is always a lot of work for managers and the committee and volunteers. Grants are usually one way of staying afloat but these need to be constantly chased.
Overheads rise for any perosn or organisation that has a building with bills to pay. As they say on the web site some goods are sold to help with running costs.
Unfortunately many people do not know about the seven eighths of the iceberg below the serface. That is the case with charoty shops too. There is a large cost in building, insurance, ect and so charges have to be made to pay for that. If you look at the accounts of many of the big national and international charities, which many of your support and are probably not complaining about, you will find they too have quite large expenses before they can start to benefit those they target.
Home aid do a good job in removing unwant materials from society and targetting it at the needy. The shop has hug range of items from what is close to junk to som very good quality items. My grandchildren buy some of the junk games and toys for pennies!!! But it keeps them amused, and often helps with their education, for more time than they could get for the same price from a toy shop item.
Charging to Uplift Donated items is Daft as they lose lots of good items as people will not pay to donate a TV, Bed or a Couch etc, they would rather Dump it.
I agree. This is silly, but aren't the council charging for uplifts now?
I agree. This is silly, but aren't the council charging for uplifts now?
Why is it silly - they have to pay the costs of uplifting items. I think the council charge £15 to remove large items and presumably they just go to landfill. I'd rather pay £5 and hope they might be of use to someone else.
Kodiak - if people would rather take items to the dump than have them uplifted for a small charge this assumes they have the transport to take them so why not to the charity shop?
Porshie - I think you're agreeing with me. Not all items donated are saleable. That's why I said they would do better taking a vanload to the dump occasionally instead of filling the shop with rubbish. Even this costs them in diesel etc. and they shouldn't have to because people shouldn't give rubbish.
I wouldn't want to have to sort through smelly clothes and filthy broken items trying to decide what to sell and what not but I do think if they raised the standard of what they sell maybe they wouldn't get so much rubbish. A large notice stating only clean, unbroken items accepted might help.
Mrs Bucket
13-Sep-09, 16:51
I believe staff at charity shops cherry pick the best things pay a pittance or get for free. Yes most of them are volunteers but that word means unpaid helper.
Why is it silly?
Because not everyone is like you. Many people would object to paying a charge to donate their items to a charity shop. The shop is bound to be losing out on items that they could sell and would almost certainly make more on the sale than they are losing on the uplift cost.
Because not everyone is like you. Many people would object to paying a charge to donate their items to a charity shop. The shop is bound to be losing out on items that they could sell and would almost certainly make more on the sale than they are losing on the uplift cost.
Just as well!
Having said that, if you don't have the transport to take large items to the charity shop yourself, it's still cheaper to pay their small charge than to pay the Council to take them away - isn't it? If you can take them yourself then there's no need to get them to uplift. Am I missing something here?
supernova
13-Sep-09, 18:37
I believe staff at charity shops cherry pick the best things pay a pittance or get for free. Yes most of them are volunteers but that word means unpaid helper.
I knew someone who worked at HomeAid for a while and know that staff pick the best items and pay a pittance for it, i.e. a few pounds for a decent T.V!
I had regular dealings with a similar establishment in Wales who were more interested in serving the community than making a profit. Needy customers could buy decent furniture and electrical goods for up to £40 and several of my clients kitted out their entire homes for less than £100. They only wanted to make enough money to cover running costs and employed people with disbilities, learning difficulties and mental health problems who thrived at being given the opportunity to work. The only time that items were overpriced were if donating customers insisted on their items being sold at a certain price. They were a fine organisation and HomeAid should take a leaf out of their book.
Just as well!
Having said that, if you don't have the transport to take large items to the charity shop yourself, it's still cheaper to pay their small charge than to pay the Council to take them away - isn't it? If you can take them yourself then there's no need to get them to uplift. Am I missing something here?
Yes you are missing something.
The reason you have to pay the council to uplift items is because it costs them to uplift them.
It does not cost HomeAid anything to uplift items. They get 100% Profit when they sell an Item Plus £5 which they charge for uplifting it.
I was actually told that homeaid were made to charge by the council, don't know if that is truth or not though.
I was actually told that homeaid were made to charge by the council, don't know if that is truth or not though.
HomeAid is a Limited Company and nothing to do with the council. The Council could not tell HomeAid to Charge to uplift items.
Don't homeaid get funding from the council?
Unless they have started in the last few months Blyswood does not charge to uplift.
No they get no funding from the Council. They do get from Funding several other organisations including grants. ie grants for the Vans, running costs. wages for staff, buying of property etc.
But the running of the Company is decided solely by the Directors and no one else.
Oh well disregard that comment then and I stand corrected. Thanks for that ;)
Yes you are missing something.
The reason you have to pay the council to uplift items is because it costs them to uplift them.
It does not cost HomeAid anything to uplift items. They get 100% Profit when they sell an Item Plus £5 which they charge for uplifting it.
So are you saying the cost of diesel, running the van, employing a driver (I don't know if the driver is employed or a volunteer but they do employ staff) is all subsidised somehow? The cost of diesel alone could be quite a bit up here if it's a long journey.
If they weeded out all the broken/dirty/went out of date with the ark/items missing bits it could be a nice earner.
Its a shame the way its run at the moment means that all the general rubbish is haphazardly dumped in big piles around the shop and you cannot see if there are any gems of a find amongst the yuck!
Also if stuff hasnt sold within a certain time frame (some stuff has been hanging around for months if not a year) it is time for it to go to the big wheelie bin in the sky!
If set out nicely with space to walk around without all the clutter and consistant pricing it would make it a good shopping/browsing experiance which would make it a place to return to more often which would increase sales, rather than the attitude at the moment which is pile the stuff up as high as it will go and randomly price it.
So are you saying the cost of diesel, running the van, employing a driver (I don't know if the driver is employed or a volunteer but they do employ staff) is all subsidised somehow? The cost of diesel alone could be quite a bit up here if it's a long journey.
You have hit the nail on the head. The running cost of the vans is funded by a Grant as is the wages. So they in fact incur no cost to uplift a dontated item.
They do employ staff and quite a few of these have worked for HomeAid for quite some time. These memebrs of staff are very hard working and do a great job. They can do nothing about a charge to uplift donated Items for this was decided by the Directors.
This was a bad decision by them and If I had been a Director when this was on the agenda I would have voted against it.
According to the Homeaid website they have (or had) funding from Highland Council and various other public bodies.
According to the Homeaid website they have (or had) funding from Highland Council and various other public bodies.
It is, but is not at the same time. It is through the Council but not from the council. Complicated I know but that is the way it is.
HomeAid is still an Independant Limited Company and the Council can not tell them what to do.
You would think that these people could at least give the correct info on their website !. In any event if funds are 'through' the Cooncil then that must surely be public funds of some kind.
In my limited experience of public funding the body providing said funding can certainly impose conditions on the recipient, be they plc or not.
You would think that these people could at least give the correct info on their website !. In any event if funds are 'through' the Cooncil then that must surely be public funds of some kind.
In my limited experience of public funding the body providing said funding can certainly impose conditions on the recipient, be they plc or not.
The only thing that any condition could be put on would be for the use of the money that they grant.
There is no way that they could dictate what to charge or not charge Customers.
I do know what I am talking about here for I have read the Grant Application Forms and restrictions etc.
cuddlepop
13-Sep-09, 20:33
They're will be conditions attached to the money that the council donate.
You would have to look out Homeaid accounts and see from the HC grant award if they are stipulate conditions.
If they're providing money they'll want to pull the strings.;)
As to the shop, have they not got a committee you could complain too.:confused
If you don't have the transport to take large items to the charity shop yourself, it's still cheaper to pay their small charge than to pay the Council to take them away - isn't it? If you can take them yourself then there's no need to get them to uplift. Am I missing something here?
Yes, badger, you are missing something.
Say someone has a item that they want rid of, which HomeAid could sell for £35, then the person has a number of options, including:
1. Pay the council to uplift it.
2. Pay HomeAid to uplift it.
3. Advertise it for free in Somerfield, Tesco and the Co-Op, as free to anyone who can collect it.
4. Advertise it for free in the above places at a price tag of £25.
Option 1 means that they are £15 out of pocket and no one benefits from the item.
Option 2 means that they are £5 out of pocket and HomeAid make £35.
Option 3 means that they spend nothing, someone benefits, and HomeAid lose £30.
Option 4 means that they make £25, someone benefits and HomeAid again lose £30.
(Options 3 and 4 assume that HomeAid waive the £5 uplift charge.)
They're will be conditions attached to the money that the council donate.
You would have to look out Homeaid accounts and see from the HC grant award if they are stipulate conditions.
If they're providing money they'll want to pull the strings.;)
As to the shop, have they not got a committee you could complain too.:confused
Shop does not have a committee as HomeAid have a Board of Directors.
There is not a condition from any grant organisation to force HomeAid to charge £5 to uplift Donated items.
Are you on the board of directors then Kodiak as you seem to be in the know?
Are you on the board of directors then Kodiak as you seem to be in the know?
Until I became too ill to do my Duties I was on the Board of Directors for quite some time. Unfortunately I had to resign due ti ill health.
Before you ask all Directors are Volunteers and do NOT get any form of Payment.
I looked at the website to see who the directors were but did not know how to contact any of them as it seems to me there are many sensible suggestions on this thread and it would be good if some or all of them had a look. They would also see how people felt about the shop. It didn't seem fair to use the email address on the website as it goes straight to the shop and would be pretty discouraging. Also if whoever is in charge there can't see for themselves what is wrong I think a bit more involvement from the current directors might be more effective.
If you think this is a good idea, Kodiak, could you send someone a link?
Unicorn, you're absolutely right. What happens to the money they make? It must make a fortune. They will certainly have overheads - staff/rent/rates/electricity/van to run but what happens to the rest of the profits? It's a very busy shop.
I have already done so but since they know my views on what has happened these past few months I would be surprised if my e-mail was even opened.
Unfortunately HomeAid has gone downhill just recently and since I am no longer involved I have no say what-so-ever.
Bobinovich
13-Sep-09, 21:13
I would imagine that the sales in the shop subsidise the warehouse and office up in the Ormlie Industrial Estate
As Kodiak will know the Homeaid organisation has had a large turnover of Directors over the past few years, for whatever reason.
Like lots of these organisations the original concept was purely a charitable set-up but as the organisation expands so do the overheads rise and eventually these costs outweigh the charitable nature of the thing.
Bottom line is that the original idea becomes secondary to paying salaries and expenses for the management. Even if directors provide their services for free and the shop is staffed by volunteers there is still a 'management structure' somewhere in the background and that is where the money goes.
Mrs Bucket
13-Sep-09, 21:29
Unless they have started in the last few months Blyswood does not charge to uplift.
The price they charge for their furniture is very OTT the stuff is second hand and usually pretty well worn out
I looked at the website to see who the directors were but did not know how to contact any of them as it seems to me there are many sensible suggestions on this thread and it would be good if some or all of them had a look. They would also see how people felt about the shop. It didn't seem fair to use the email address on the website as it goes straight to the shop and would be pretty discouraging. Also if whoever is in charge there can't see for themselves what is wrong I think a bit more involvement from the current directors might be more effective.
If you think this is a good idea, Kodiak, could you send someone a link?
You can have a list of the Homeaid Directors from Companies House for £1 online. They also provide Annual Accounting Information etc but that costs £18 !.
teddybear1873
13-Sep-09, 22:04
You can have a list of the Homeaid Directors from Companies House for £1 online. They also provide Annual Accounting Information etc but that costs £18 !.
I wonder whose pocket the £18 goes in?
They do also give jobs to people on jobseekers I think it is.
teddybear1873
13-Sep-09, 22:10
They do also give jobs to people on jobseekers I think it is.
Yes they do, and far as I'm aware they work you to the bone, for very little in return.
I wonder whose pocket the £18 goes in?
Companies House is part of UK Government
teddybear1873
13-Sep-09, 23:13
Companies House is part of UK Government
That will certainly go in someones pocket then lol.
I looked at the website to see who the directors were but did not know how to contact any of them as it seems to me there are many sensible suggestions on this thread and it would be good if some or all of them had a look. They would also see how people felt about the shop. It didn't seem fair to use the email address on the website as it goes straight to the shop and would be pretty discouraging. Also if whoever is in charge there can't see for themselves what is wrong I think a bit more involvement from the current directors might be more effective.
If you think this is a good idea, Kodiak, could you send someone a link?
I was in Homeaid two weeks ago, and agree with all the comments on this thread. I am going to print of these pages of comments, and the pages to the previous link (Feb 08), and give them to one of the Directors who is on the Homeaid Board.
I recently queried as to why a mug was £2, the reply was "that it was a large mug"!!
Look at what Johanna Geddes did to the Hospice Shop - she really turned that around with her determination and hard work.
cuddlepop
14-Sep-09, 09:00
I was in Homeaid two weeks ago, and agree with all the comments on this thread. I am going to print of these pages of comments, and the pages to the previous link (Feb 08), and give them to one of the Directors who is on the Homeaid Board.
I recently queried as to why a mug was £2, the reply was "that it was a large mug"!!
Look at what Johanna Geddes did to the Hospice Shop - she really turned that around with her determination and hard work.
Has the shop guidelines that they have to charge for goods.£2 for a mug is expensive,you'd get a new one for a £1.00 in Tescos:confused?
I volunteer in a charity shop that has a paid manager and our prices are no where near as high as homeaids.
Goods are picked up and you donate what you can if anything.
If you charge too much you just wont get the custome.
You can have a list of the Homeaid Directors from Companies House for £1 online. They also provide Annual Accounting Information etc but that costs £18 !.
As I said, they list the directors on the Homeaid website but with no contact details. The only email addresses etc. are for the shop and warehouse. I feel this needs to be dealt with by the directors and am pleased to see KCERINN is taking action in this direction.
Maybe the directors should spend a couple of days in there with the staff clearing out all the rubbish so they can start again.
I have always supported this charity as for me one of the worst things that could happen would be to be homeless so feel it's sad their reputation has become so bad. The pricing is crazy. There was a rather tatty plastic child's bike outside the other day for £15 - it was worth about £2. On the other hand some furniture items are real bargains. There seems to be no logic.
Kind of reinforcing what Badger has already said - Homeaid is after all a charity and by their very nature these organisations are seldom perfect but generally they do their best in whatever situation arises.
Just maybe instead of moaning on the .org about their shortcomings we should be in there volunteering to help where we can.
porshiepoo
14-Sep-09, 18:00
Kind of reinforcing what Badger has already said - Homeaid is after all a charity and by their very nature these organisations are seldom perfect but generally they do their best in whatever situation arises.
Just maybe instead of moaning on the .org about their shortcomings we should be in there volunteering to help where we can.
With the amount of money they're no doubt making I don't think there's a need for volunteers at all!
I have volunteered help during times of crisis in charity shops and have seen first hand exactly how the donated goods are "sorted". And let me tell you, the prices that the staff pay (if they actually do pay at all) are nowhere near the prices that customers pay.
My hubby and I were recently saying that if they lowered their prices back to what people expect of a charity shop then their stock would sell much quicker and wouldn't be left hanging around in there.
If they sell more stock due to a price reduction then I don't think it will in any way stop them from paying whatever over heads they have.
Charity shops simply charge themselves out of the market, they've become stagnant with their pricing policies and ignorantly believe that they can charge full whack for second hand items. Even if an item is in fabulous condition the fact is that no one expects to walk into a charity shop and pay £300 for a sofa that was donated.
Turn around would be much quicker if they dropped their prices.
What they have to remember is that they are competing against the likes of Tesco (a one stop shop), Ebay (often cheaper than charity) and local notice boards.
Charity shops could actually do a hell of a lot toward getting people back into our high streets if they made it worth us doing it.
There have been many attacks on the staff and the cleanliness of HomeAid, Thurso, on this thread. I have personally found these claims to be without merit or foundation.
The staff of this shop are doing a great job, and are always helpful, friendly and polite. The store is clean and tidy, and they even have a late night on Thursdays.
Pricing policy is far superior to, say, Blythswood (where the full-salaried area manageress drives around in a new BMW), and the only thing that I remain uncertain about is the uplift charge (since it may be possible to plan their uplifts to fit in with their delivery schedule - which would allow them to remove the uplift charge I would imagine).
Keep up the good work, HomeAid !! :D
There have been many attacks on the staff and the cleanliness of HomeAid, Thurso, on this thread. I have personally found these claims to be without merit or foundation.
The staff of this shop are doing a great job, and are always helpful, friendly and polite. The store is clean and tidy, and they even have a late night on Thursdays.
Pricing policy is far superior to, say, Blythswood (where the full-salaried area manageress drives around in a new BMW), and the only thing that I remain uncertain about is the uplift charge (since it may be possible to plan their uplifts to fit in with their delivery schedule - which would allow them to remove the uplift charge I would imagine).
Keep up the good work, HomeAid !! :D
The uplift is never removed............but I am happy to pay them.;)
Mrs Bucket
15-Sep-09, 11:50
There have been many attacks on the staff and the cleanliness of HomeAid, Thurso, on this thread. I have personally found these claims to be without merit or foundation.
The staff of this shop are doing a great job, and are always helpful, friendly and polite. The store is clean and tidy, and they even have a late night on Thursdays.
Pricing policy is far superior to, say, Blythswood (where the full-salaried area manageress drives around in a new BMW), and the only thing that I remain uncertain about is the uplift charge (since it may be possible to plan their uplifts to fit in with their delivery schedule - which would allow them to remove the uplift charge I would imagine).
Keep up the good work, HomeAid !! :D
Another exampble of the peasants taking the blame for problems at the top.
scrabster view
30-Sep-09, 08:06
[quote=KCERINN;594579]I was in Homeaid two weeks ago, and agree with all the comments on this thread. I am going to print of these pages of comments, and the pages to the previous link (Feb 08), and give them to one of the Directors who is on the Homeaid Board.
Just wondering KCERINN did you ever get a reponse from the Homeaid Board?
thebigman
30-Sep-09, 11:19
Turn around would be much quicker if they dropped their prices.
What they have to remember is that they are competing against the likes of Tesco (a one stop shop), Ebay (often cheaper than charity) and local notice boards.
Charity shops could actually do a hell of a lot toward getting people back into our high streets if they made it worth us doing it.
Hospice shop prices seem ok to me, paperbacks 3 for £1 for instance.
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