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on my way to pick up the wee one from nursery and realising i was wee bit early me and my sis went in a look in homeaid, how on earth are they allowed to sell the things they are selling, they are overpriced and dirty, its disgusting, the cancer shop and red cross shop sell things that sometimes can be over priced but at least there clean
on my way to pick up the wee one from nursery and realising i was wee bit early me and my sis went in a look in homeaid, how on earth are they allowed to sell the things they are selling, they are overpriced and dirty, its disgusting, the cancer shop and red cross shop sell things that sometimes can be over priced but at least there clean
I assume you are talking about the Thurso Homeaid shop. If you are I am surprised. I think it is a great shop and well orgainsed. While things may sometimes be well worn that does not mean they are dirty. We love going in with the grandchildren and they have great fun chosing a toy or two and paying with their own money and this is despite the fact that they have mountains of good games and toys at home.
Not a cause I support otherwise but I think the shop is good.
I agree with Ash. Find most of the kids toys are dirty, overpriced and mostly broken. Same with the prams etc upstairs and dont get me started on the clothes. I have however complained and I think anyone else who feels the same should as well. Things may never change if people don't say it like it is.
yes i am on about the one in thurso, they are selling things that should be allowed to be sold, the toys and second hand prams they have outside are disgusting, how can anyone be expected to buy these things
No one is forcing you to buy them, so stop bothering to go in there and then come on here and moan.
I would put £100 on it that you would not have the cheek to say what you just said to the staff in the shop.
I think my money is quite safe [lol]
NickInTheNorth
13-Feb-08, 15:38
no-one is forced to buy anything from there. If no-one does buy then things no doubt will change.
If people choose to buy the presumably they are happy enough with what they are getting at the price they are paying.
No one is forcing you to buy them, so stop bothering to go in there and then come on here and moan.
I would put £100 on it that you would not have the cheek to say what you just said to the staff in the shop.
I think my money is quite safe [lol]
its like 2nd time ive been in there, i can come on here and write what i please
NickInTheNorth
13-Feb-08, 15:48
its like 2nd time ive been in there, i can come on here and write what i please
It's also the second time you've then posted negative stuff about the place. If you don't like it don't go in.
It is a charity shop. It's role is to make money for a good cause. They do a lot of good for the less well off in the area. As you keep telling us that you are on a very low income I would of hoped that you could maybe have a little more compassion for a charity which sets out to help those even worse off than yourself.
It's also the second time you've then posted negative stuff about the place. If you don't like it don't go in.
It is a charity shop. It's role is to make money for a good cause. They do a lot of good for the less well off in the area. As you keep telling us that you are on a very low income I would of hoped that you could maybe have a little more compassion for a charity which sets out to help those even worse off than yourself.
i am on a low income and i wouldnt buy anything out of there, especially seeing as its very overpriced!!!! very overpriced, they charge ridicolous prices for things
NickInTheNorth
13-Feb-08, 15:53
i am on a low income and i wouldnt buy anything out of there, especially seeing as its very overpriced!!!! very overpriced, they charge ridicolous prices for things
The shop sells things to raise money to fund the charitable work they carry out. As said before no-one is forcing you to buy stuff. But why do you always expect them to sell everything at bargain prices? They need to raise money for the items they give away to those in genuine need.
If you don't like the place don't bother going in!
I think they would probably raise more money if their goods were both not so overpriced nor so overcrowded. It's a shame because they have wonderful premises and every so often they have to have a grand sale to clear stuff out but somehow it all builds up again. If they charged lower prices they would have a much quicker turnover.
Much of the blame for broken toys lies with those who donate and I was talking to someone in another charity shop about this. They tend to be used as rubbish dumps which is not fair on those who run them. If a toy is broken or has bits missing it's useless so why give it to a charity shop? As for them being dirty - I agree, some toys are filthy but it's not the job of the shop to clean them. They should be washed before being donated.
Margaret M.
13-Feb-08, 17:41
Much of the blame for broken toys lies with those who donate and I was talking to someone in another charity shop about this. They tend to be used as rubbish dumps which is not fair on those who run them. If a toy is broken or has bits missing it's useless so why give it to a charity shop? As for them being dirty - I agree, some toys are filthy but it's not the job of the shop to clean them. They should be washed before being donated.
If the public is using the charity shops as a dump, I think the problem lies with the volunteers -- they should be putting garbage where it belongs. Is there a sign in the shop stating that donations should be clean and in good working order? If not, they need one. If they have one, the volunteers need to be firm and decline donations that don't measure up. Keeping the surroundings clean does not take much effort.
teddybear1873
13-Feb-08, 19:17
Think i will keep my trap shut on this topic. I could open up a can of worms here. Damn its so tempting to.
No one is forcing you to buy them, so stop bothering to go in there and then come on here and moan.
I would put £100 on it that you would not have the cheek to say what you just said to the staff in the shop.
I think my money is quite safe [lol]
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and if u dont like what u read then dont participate in the thread rather than give a grumpy reply
Penelope Pitstop
13-Feb-08, 19:43
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and if u dont like what u read then dont participate in the thread rather than give a grumpy reply
Well said Eddie.
I've not been in the shop....so cannot comment.
However, I've had friends who have been changing furniture, televisions, etc and from what they've said Homeaid were very fussy about what they accept as donations (BTW I'm not talking about getting rid of old tat here. lol)....I've certainly heard on the bigger home items that they're quite particular....but there again it's not my personal experience.
On the subject of their premises in Princes Street ....I think it's because they are a "charity" that they can afford the large high profile premises that they occupy in Thurso.... doubt alot of businesses could. :confused They also occupy a couple of buildings in Ormlie Ind Estate....
thebigman
13-Feb-08, 19:56
I know that the other charity shop not a million miles from HomeAid are particular when it comes to sorting the wheat from the chaff before putting stuff out for sale.
The best thing that a shopper can do is to take their money elsewhere.
I think they would probably raise more money if their goods were both not so overpriced nor so overcrowded. It's a shame because they have wonderful premises and every so often they have to have a grand sale to clear stuff out but somehow it all builds up again. If they charged lower prices they would have a much quicker turnover.
Much of the blame for broken toys lies with those who donate and I was talking to someone in another charity shop about this. They tend to be used as rubbish dumps which is not fair on those who run them. If a toy is broken or has bits missing it's useless so why give it to a charity shop? As for them being dirty - I agree, some toys are filthy but it's not the job of the shop to clean them. They should be washed before being donated.
If the public is using the charity shops as a dump, I think the problem lies with the volunteers -- they should be putting garbage where it belongs. Is there a sign in the shop stating that donations should be clean and in good working order? If not, they need one. If they have one, the volunteers need to be firm and decline donations that don't measure up. Keeping the surroundings clean does not take much effort.
I have to completely agree with both of you, I regularly donate to charity shops and for me it's important that anything I do donate is clean and presentable as the sheer amount of donations that charities such as Homeaid receive is huge, they can't possibly go through every bag and clean anything that's grubby.
I do think however that a lot of old tat is just dumped on them whether they want it or not, it's probably a lot less effort to dump the whole lot in a charity shop rather than sort through it properly and separate the good from the bad.
If the public is using the charity shops as a dump, I think the problem lies with the volunteers -- they should be putting garbage where it belongs. Is there a sign in the shop stating that donations should be clean and in good working order? If not, they need one. If they have one, the volunteers need to be firm and decline donations that don't measure up. Keeping the surroundings clean does not take much effort.
From what I have seen many donations are just left in bags for the shop to sort out but even if handed over to a helper things are often in bags (I know mine are) so not looked at immediately. I've never seen a sign such as you suggest but am afraid it would not make much difference. You only have to look at the bags left on the ground by recycling bins to see how little notice some take. I also think it would take some courage to inspect an article in front of the donor and then say No thank you. Probably not worth risking the reaction they might get.
However I do agree that, having sorted and inspected donations, they shouldn't put dirty/broken etc. items for sale - they should just be ditched. Electrical items have to be tested. The Homeaid shop would certainly look much better if they could shut for a day or two and throw out all the junk. You only have to compare it with the Hospice shop a few doors away to see what can be done.
i was in home aid today having a look aound, i am a single parent on a very low income.
My daughter wants a desk so she can do her home work in her room, IN ARGOS a desk costs around 35 pounds, which i just dont have spare!
In home aid they have a desk that is all scratched, written on in biro and the draws are falling apart and they are asking 15 pounds for it!!!
I may be "poor" but that doesnt mean i have to settle for rubish!
All other charity shops are great, clean and reasonably priced, i.e i bought my sofa and 2 chairs and puff for 50 pounds from blythswood.
Dont get me wrong,i have bought items from home aid as well as other charity shops, but i think home aid need to take a realistic look at their prices and stock!
It wouldnt hurt them to have a look at other charity shops and see for themselves where they are going wrong!
Its like everything else in life.... or at least in shops...some good stuff some rubbish stuff.
but you have to keep in mind things in charity shops are stuff that people no longer require and instead of the rubbish tip getting it,,,, maybe it will do some good to someone else... so a cancer shop is the best way to go.
i bought a lovely book shelve from homeaid not long ago for £3.00!!! its for the kids books,,, and i was delighted... if i was to buy them a sweetie each it would be more than £3.00.
but other stuff is not to my liking,,,, but i keep going in... you can get bargains anywhere...
x
brokencross
13-Feb-08, 22:04
I know that the other charity shop not a million miles from HomeAid are particular when it comes to sorting the wheat from the chaff before putting stuff out for sale.
Unfortunately in some charity shops the "wheat" never goes up for sale, the volunteers buy it for a reduced price, so the public don't get a chance.
I've not bought anything from Homeaid but been in the shop and have to agree it's not very organised or clean, had problems getting them to come and uplift perfectly good furniture , ended up dumping it which is a shame. On a more posittive note, they provide places on New Deal and other schemes for a lot of people who find it difficult to get back into employment and some go on to get jobs elsewhere. This in itself is not an easy task for Homeaid staff but it does give people a routine and increases their employability.
I know loads of people who have had referrals to them for furniture but sometimes it's a load of rubbish that turns up, such as a pile of chairs that they don't really need.
I buy most of my books from charity shops and loved going to Homeaid as they had so many, I won't be buying any from them anymore after my experience last week.
I browsed for a while and found some good books, had about ten in total. It clearly states on the sides of the shelves the price of Hardback and Paperbacks so I thought I knew roughly what I was going to be charged. At the checkout the guy who served me asked one of the volunteers the price of a certain book, she took the book into the back for about ten minutes and came back stating that they wanted £10 for it as she checked it out on the internet and it was worth about £40. The book had been written on and was not in great condition. I said I would leave it but paid for the others. It wasn't the price that bothered me, but the cheek of the woman.
Are they allowed to do this, surely if a price is stated then it cannot be changed?
i struggle to find anything i like in the homeaid shop trying to sort through the masses of broken stuff and i dont bother looking at the toys now as most are dirty and you cannot find all the bits for them.
I also dont like the way certain members of staff will give the less able volenteers rows or reprimand them in front of customers I always feel its better to do that in private than in the front of the shop, This has happened on a few occations I have been in and I wish I was brave enough to have spocken out about it at the time!
we got a cooker and a washing machine for £30 each from homeaid when we first moved into our house.That was three years ago and i can honesly say that they are both working still and were in good clean condition when we got them...
I do agree about the toys being a bit grubby and pieces missing but then no one is forced to buy them....
They do a job for the community and have helped many who cannot afford to buy brand new, so the attack on them is unfarely justified to a sense.Each to their own thoughts on this...
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