Charity Donation *no Pet Hair!*

[LizT]

So I finally got the new leather lounge suite I'd been saving for. The old one IMO was too good for the hard rubbish (which comes next week so no inconvenience for me) so I thought I'd donate it to a well known charity. They just came around and I swear the guy went over it with a fine tooth comb. He found a small tear that I think may have happened while the armchair had been resting upside down against the couch. Pity as it wasn't there before. So that armchair stays, fine. He declares the couch and other armchair okay.

The suite is 11 years old and would have done me for a few more years if need be. It's been well taken care of any, yes, and the kitten mistook it for a scratching post a few times but for the most part it's in good condition. No stains or tears (I thought anyway) It does have some pet hair on it but it had been vacuumed regulary and for the most part the dogs stayed off thanks to a few "X-Mats".

So they try lifting it out the front door and it doesn't appear to fit. Turn it the other way I tell them (it'll fit fine on that angle it came in that way) being a veteran of many, many house moves I've got spacial estimating down to a fine art. As they tilt it they notice some fluff under the couch. I'd vacuum under the chair but my son and OH thought I was being 'anal' and didn't let me vacuum under the couch. :What's this fluff" they ask. "Dog hair" I answer. "Oh we don't take furniture with Pet hair" say this bloke and puts the couch down. Fine, I said leave it then. So they they drag it back to it's original position and scrap the floor. "Hey, don't scratch my floor" I yell and tell them to Piss Off. First bloke says to second bloke. "Lift it." They put the couch back, thank me and off they go. Leaving one armchair on it's side resting on my daughters shoes and the other armchair on it's side.

I fell off a horse last Sunday and there ' no way I can lift this. Fortunately big No. 1 son comes home at this time and tidys up the mess.

So now it looks like lounge suite will go on hard rubbish after all. Perhaps it is a bit scruffy to donate. But most people I'd spoken to thought it was too good to chuck out. Oh well.

Edited March 11, 2011 by LizT

[tommygirl]

I have been blown away at how 'exclusive' charities are these days! I had a couch about 18months ago, that was too good to give away and they said 'we arent accepting couches at the moment we are too full'. I saw myself some of the furinture they had in that op shop and it was WAY more shabby then the stuff that I was trying to give away.

Also had some side boards etc at work to giveaway, just wasnt getting used nothing wrong with it- rang them twice, never showed up!

So- We had a garage sale- sold the sideboard for $30 and the couch for $100 (along with a whole heap of other stuff!) Ended up with close to $400 with other bits and pieces (especially clothes!) and still gave away stuff. I had a friend who loaded up a trailer and brought some of her stuff over and she put her thing over to one side and we did it together (think she made a couple of hundered from memory) she didnt have the big things like I did.

Might be worth gathering somethings together and doing a garage sale?

[jazzy4]

could you put it out on a porch or something with a sign "free to good home" you may get some one to take it that way, although people will also come around during council pick up & go through your rubbish & will most likely pick it up anyways

[JulesP]

That was rather rude.

Someone will pick it up from outside your house. I rarely have any hard rubbish left when the collection day arrives.

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

I had a similar experience.

I had a lovely but slightly well-worn 1950's sideboard/buffet with two glass slider doors, drawers to one side, and two timber doors at the bottom. The two timber door handles had been sheared off in a house move but I still had the key and the doors still functioned as doors. I rang the first charity to offer it to them. They asked about its condition, I explained good except missing two door handles. They refused to consider it even though it would have cost almost nothing to put a couple of handles on...

The next charity I rang, no problem, their attitude was lovely: The lady said, "We'd be delighted to take it and will pick it up on Saturday and even though we don't normally lug furniture down from a highset house, we'll do it because you're on your own."

It's ridiculous that some charities have these rigid and senseless criteria for taking what is essentially FREE stock to further their business (and make a tidy profit).

[LizT]

That was rather rude.

Someone will pick it up from outside your house. I rarely have any hard rubbish left when the collection day arrives.

Same here. Since it's now Sunny and the weathers fine, with tomorrow being Saturday I'm putting it out front. There will also be a perfectly fine cot and cradle . Since the charity wont take them because they no longer have their Australian Standards sticker on them.

[Guest english.ivy]

Same thing happened to me. Perfectly fine lounge for someone who has nothing but the charaties won't take it.

That is beacause what they take, they sell.

I just take stuff to the tip or put it in the paper for free.

[Greytmate]

I put everything on eBay. It then gets bought by poor people that probably wouldn't be seen dead going anywhere near an op-shop, and who are not looking for charity.

Better than having to get rid of it myself.

[LizT]

I put everything on eBay. It then gets bought by poor people that probably wouldn't be seen dead going anywhere near an op-shop, and who are not looking for charity.

Better than having to get rid of it myself.

Gosh, I love Op-Shops. For Clothes and some "special treasures" but I get the feeling these days they get "picked over" well before the General Public get a chance to have a look-see.

I wouldn't bother with E-bay or a Garage Sale as I'm not after any money. I would hope the goods would be donated free to those who need it and not sold in an Op-Shop though.

[Leema]

Try advertising them on Freecycle or GumTree - free to good home.

[Greytmate]

I put everything on eBay. It then gets bought by poor people that probably wouldn't be seen dead going anywhere near an op-shop, and who are not looking for charity.

Better than having to get rid of it myself.

Gosh, I love Op-Shops. For Clothes and some "special treasures" but I get the feeling these days they get "picked over" well before the General Public get a chance to have a look-see.

I wouldn't bother with E-bay or a Garage Sale as I'm not after any money. I would hope the goods would be donated free to those who need it and not sold in an Op-Shop though.

You don't usually get much money by selling unwanted things on eBay. But you can be sure the goods go to people that do need them and appreciate them.

The logistics involved with the collection, sorting and distribution of material aid could be described as an increasingly massive burden on those organisations that traditionally offer this type of support. With the trend towards consumers buying cheap disposable household items and furniture, and replacing them much more frequently than previous generations did, it means that charities are literally being overwhelmed by junk from people that want old stuff gone from their homes instantly. Almost a free disposal service.

The best support for people that are desperately in need is usually cash support, as this supports the person with dignity and also supports the local community. It is good to see donated goods sold in op shops and the proceeds used in this way.

Think about whether your priority was to get rid of the couch or to help a family in need. Then think about how this old furniture could be best used. It might be ideal for a student or a single mum, who is trying hard to get started in a new home. eBay and Freecycle are really efficient and effective ways to get the best use out of unwanted items.

[Nekhbet]

Yeah I rang 3 charities when a posh hotel was throwing away beds. Not very old, in extremely good condition and clean but it was just time for new ones.

one didnt want them at all

one said they had too many small pick ups to do

the last one ummed and ahhhed, mm can you hold them for a week ... yes where are we going to store 20 beds. Oh can you drop them off for us?

You would think that they would jump at the opportunity or suggest a hostel/emergency centre, ANYTHING that could take such expensive stuff. Nope. THey said oh well, chuck em out.

Makes you wonder.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I phone the Australian Refugee Associaton - in Adelaide, they're not nearly as fussy as the well known charity op shop people.

Stuff must be clean and functional but it's going directly to homes to people who have nothing, not for sale in second hand shops. They generally won't take bed mattresses, but they took the one I had which had been barely used, unstained and lived on the spare bed ie nobody slept there on a regular basis.

They made it really easy for me to donate stuff. Came and got it with their own truck. And they're all volunteers. If they didn't want it, the stuff was going to the dump, sadly.

http://www.ausref.net/cms/

There are probably similar organisations in your state, that they can put you in touch with.

[Gayle.]

My unwanted furniture, whitegoods etc, go straight in Freecycle and they are usually gone within 24 hrs. Last week I gave away a working dishwasher on there. I've also given away a lounge suite, fridge, freezer, desks, computer monitors and various other things I don't need anymore. Saves on landfill and someone else can use them. Best thing ever. I've never had something sit for more than a day before it's claimed.

[Greytmate]

You would think that they would jump at the opportunity or suggest a hostel/emergency centre, ANYTHING that could take such expensive stuff. Nope. THey said oh well, chuck em out.

Makes you wonder.

Makes me wonder why you didn't want to hold them for a week like he asked.

I am sure the new beds didn't turn up at the hotel by surprise, the assets manager that ordered them was responsible for the removal or disposal of the old beds and could have planned for them to be recycled or reused, but failed to do so.

If the value of the goods are not worth as much to the charity as the value of the labour involved with collecting, processing storing and selling them, who does it help? Finding an instant removal and storage solution for a lot of old furniture is a difficult thing for a person or a company to do. You need resources to jump at opportunities, and the resources are not always there ready to jump at that short notice.

I agree that freecycle is a good way to distribute unwanted goods. Why not use technology to communicate what you have to offer people in your community, instead of expecting a charity to do that work for you for free? I use freecycle for anything that is slightly damaged, or that a dog has slept on. I usually receive a token amount of money if I put old furniture on eBay, and have sometimes waived the price. I have been given chocolates and scratchies by grateful buyers too.

[JulesP]

If I gave something to charity I would do it in the hopes of being helpful not because I expect the "charity to do the work for free".

I was going to drop off some pictures, vases etc and now don't know if I should

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

JulesP

I'd phone first. But you can always try your local church or rotary charity group. They don't get as swamped as the big charities.

[dogdogdog]

Pop it out the front with a For Sale sign on it. It will disappear in no time.

[LizT]

You would think that they would jump at the opportunity or suggest a hostel/emergency centre, ANYTHING that could take such expensive stuff. Nope. THey said oh well, chuck em out.

Makes you wonder.

Makes me wonder why you didn't want to hold them for a week like he asked.

I am sure the new beds didn't turn up at the hotel by surprise, the assets manager that ordered them was responsible for the removal or disposal of the old beds and could have planned for them to be recycled or reused, but failed to do so.

If the value of the goods are not worth as much to the charity as the value of the labour involved with collecting, processing storing and selling them, who does it help? Finding an instant removal and storage solution for a lot of old furniture is a difficult thing for a person or a company to do. You need resources to jump at opportunities, and the resources are not always there ready to jump at that short notice.

I agree that freecycle is a good way to distribute unwanted goods. Why not use technology to communicate what you have to offer people in your community, instead of expecting a charity to do that work for you for free? I use freecycle for anything that is slightly damaged, or that a dog has slept on. I usually receive a token amount of money if I put old furniture on eBay, and have sometimes waived the price. I have been given chocolates and scratchies by grateful buyers too.

I didn't expect the charity to "do the work for me for free". I had the lounge sitting in my front room for three weeks because there was no scheduled pickup until today. If I just wanted it gone, I could have got my guys to put it in the trailer and take it to the tip up the road. Or just put it out the front as "Hard Rubbish" is coming up next week and people have been putting stuff out for weeks. Or let my daughters boyfriend take it, he wanted it for a "camp couch" in a paddock! It would have been gone in a very short time. And now will be.

Traditionally if you had furniture that was too good to throw out you gave it to the ******. I guess nowadays everybody wants money for things and don't give anything away...hence the birth of technology based sales of second hand goods via oultlets such as Ebay. I know people who pick up stuff off Hard Rubbish and sell it on Ebay. I'm not one of those people. I have better things to do. Certainly if you have something that you consider too good to give it away then Gumtree and Ebay are great outlets to sell off unneeded goods. Especially as you say in this age of overconsumption.

The lounge could easily have gone on hard rubbish in the first place and no effort for me to have it taking up space in my front room. I certainly wasn't leaving it there to take up space just so "someone could do the work for me". And I'm pretty sure if the nuff nuffs collecting had worked out how to get it though the door it would have been on the truck no problems. The pet hair was only what was "under the couch" that I hadn't vacuumed off.

[Bilbo Baggins]

LizT I was going to suggest Freecycle its a great site.