First thing I noticed was the picture that greeted us for more than twenty years was gone!
The above picture was changed to this..................
Now to the title of this post! Yesterday after walking to the bus station with dad we spotted all the charity shops plus the three down Sidwell Street so we thought we would look in them before coming home instead of going back round town and spent a couple of good hours looking - I know I said no more charity shops because they were far too expensive but I have to admit I have been inside a few to see what there is for the grandchildren and for fabric to make things with. Alex wanted to go and look anyway. It was going well till we went to the Cancer Care UK shop in Sidwell Street. I spotted a really lovely pretty dress in the window and I wanted it, I hadn't bought anything in the other shops not even for the grandchildren. It was the style I liked and I new it would fit me. Now what happened next could only happen to me, it was quite unbelievable! I went in and asked the price and a young lad tried to look in the window for me unsuccessfully, then said he would ask out the back. The young lady he spoke to him and said said "tell 'er its £10, I do not want to sell the dress till after tomorrow because we have management inspecting the shop for a competition and we have to make the window summery looking..." I heard this quiet narration and we left the shop me feeling very disappointed. I have now decided not to continue to purchase items from any charity shop EVER which is a pity as I am myself a victim of breast cancer and would have been very happy to continue to support the cancer shops. I was so upset by this I have even written a letter of complaint to Cancer Care UK.
Charity shops shouldn't be run like this! Surely they could find something else for the window? I will boycott with you sweetie. Have a wonderful weekend
ReplyDeleteBee happy x
Have a delicious day!
I have practically given up on Charity shops too Julie. I used to love to rummage in them but they have all become so up market and the prices are ridiculous, considering that all the good are donate I think they are just very greedy.
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple that we visit that are still pretty reasonable but how long before they jump on the band wagon who knows?
Luckily we have one or two good car boots around here and I find them the best place to find stuff now.
Have a good weekend
Briony
x
I used to love that mural in Exeter - not sure I like the replacement anywhere near as much! What a shame that particular charity shop has such a disregard for its customers - will watch with interest to see whether you get a reply. Like the lack of word verification, by the way!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame, and quite right that you have written to them. They obviously have their priorities in the wrong order.
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Oh Julie, that is shocking! I'm glad you wrote to them. I'd be interested to hear their response.
ReplyDeleteI'm bored with the shops round our way. Totally over the top pricing. I'm still reeling from spotting a very ordinary red t-shirt material tunic thing from M&S priced at £12.50. Insane.
Good on you for complaining. They need to be made aware. I spotted a rather plain looking coat from Next in a chazzer in Sherborne recently and the price tag ... £45!! M x
ReplyDeleteaahhh Julia im so sorry you were not able to buy the dress what a stupid lady she also out did herself a sale. We have a chairty shop in Taunton its a new one and very expensive but they wont let anything go from their window they have a set day for it, its completely crazy. And i refuse to go in there now. There are a couple of good ones left though so please don't give up. If you ever get the chance to go to Bristol, Nailsea ad Cleavdon have some good ones and priced at how they should be. Big hugs, dee xxxx
ReplyDeleteI have noticed the rise of the charity shop. They only have to pay 20% of the Council Tax which normal shops do and enjoy other benefits (one of the reasons why most public schools are registered charities). It does indeed seem they have become far too greedy. I can only assume their 'overheads' have risen.
ReplyDeleteI have not verified this but have been told that the RSPCA have administration running costs of around 80% + of their takings. Shocking when considering the Director and his wife drive around in prestige company cars.
I too prefer the older mural.
That's dreadful. We get anything out of the window for anyone who asks in the shop where I volunteer. That's what it's in the window for.
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That really is disgusting, and I'm pleased you have made a complaint. How much better would that have been if they'd told you the real price and asked if you'd mind coming back to collect it after the competition? My local shop would have been only too happy to sell the dress, even if they'd only just finished the display...
ReplyDeleteRose H
Terrible service really. A lot of charity shops are now overpricing and I reckon they will lose customers by doing so.Even over the last 12 months I have noticed the difference.I was listening to a radio programme today about people working in charity shops and fraud and it was horrifying to think that even a minority can be using donations to sell and line their own pockets.
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible!!! Hope she gets a good telling off.
ReplyDeleteI too have gone off CS I know it's for a good cause but if you label something vintage does it really mean you can double the price?!! x
I love the chipped plaster mural, I took a photo of it last time I was down in Exeter.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I'm not surprised by your charity shop story and am glad to hear you complained. In our little town,we have 7 charity shops, some of them sell more new stuff than recycled these days yet still pay the lower rates. there has been some grumblings from the other shop keepers about it.
Gillx
There are 2 charity shops I visit regularly which still charge 'deceent' prices, most others are just ridiculous. I blame Mary Portas and her 'makeovers'. If I wanted to shop in a neat, totally boring co-ordinated shop I'd go to a department store but I prefer "interesting" and having a good rummage in a friendly little shop.
ReplyDeleteWhat you experienced was totally unacceptable and I am glad you have put it in writing to them.
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind comments.
Carol xx
It's their loss Julie! I once asked if I could buy a whole jar of buttons from a charity shop and they made me rummage through the jar instead saying they had to keep a supply for other customers! The jar was kept at the back of the shop and nobody would even know they had it!!! x
ReplyDeleteThat is really bad, talk about customer care! I agree with everyone else about charity shops; the prices that they sell some things for is extortionate.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, I'm really sorry that happened to you! Where ever we go, we will encounter ****h***s and they lurk everywhere ruining our days in some way or another! I find ebay mostly cheaper than charity shops and I'm lucky where I live. Exeter, in comparison to Liskeard is quite wealthy and they charge as much as they think people can get away with. Dearly Beloved and I treated ourselves, to what turned out to be a waste of expensive diesel and went to Truro, the charity shops were a rip off!!! The charity shops near us and in Tavistock are not too bad. Sue Ryder in Tavvy is good. There are some really good cheap ones in Saltash too! You've had a really bad experience, which you didn't deserve and I don't blame you for feeling the way you do about charity shops in your area xxxxxx Love Froogs xxxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible but it doesn't surprise me. I've been priced out of the charity shops in my hometown- luckily for me there are charity shops in what are deemed to be poorer, out of town areas where bargains can still be had as they are run mostly for local charities. I'm glad that you have written to complain. It will be interesting to see if you actually get a response.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is wrong for them to do that but I do think you are cutting off your nose to spite your face saying you won't charity shop again. Maybe not that one, or particularly on the day that particular person is in the shop.
ReplyDeleteI admit that some of them are getting very expensive and in fact some items can cost more than in the shops they came from but remember they have rates to pay and if it is in the high street, they are very high. My Mum used to work in Oxfam in a main street in our town and although I can't remember the actual amount, it was a ridiculous amount of money to have to make before making any profit.
What a shame you didn't get the lovely dress.
ReplyDeleteI too am ticked of with the expensive CS thing at the moment!
ReplyDeletethink that's why I've enjoyed going to the Mustard Tree so much...still a charity but clothes are 50p and the like....more suited to my rather empty purse!
xxxx
I've seen things selling for more than they cost new in the first place and also free gifts from magazines etc ridiculously overpriced
ReplyDeleteSome people can only afford to shop in charity shops and I always felt that the shops should cater for them too - a kind of two way benefit
Unfortunately, it seems to be a sign of the times: there doesn't seem to be much "charity" going on in the charity shop world at all these days. I don't shop in charity shops any more because the prices are just too high for clothes and items that have been donated to them.
ReplyDeleteHello Julie, firstly, I must say how sorry I am to read that you have been touched by breast cancer. Two friends of mine have been in that exact place, and I know how distressing it can be. As for charity shops – I have love-hate relationships with them, and it all depends on the managers. You were unlucky to come across one of the awful ones. I’ve met a few in my time, but I’ve also met some nice ones. I often tell myself I’m not going to shop in them ever again, but I always end up going back – because you never know what you might find and hopefully the little money I spend will help someone else. xx
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