Giving away items charity shops won't take

[Endeleus]

"Sorry we don't take bikes - health and safety"

"Can't take any electrical items - we don't have a PAT tester"

"No child car seats - health and safety"

"Can't take high chairs - health and safety"

When did it get so difficult to donate good quality items that have been looked after to those who might benefit from them? I've been having a clear out of mostly baby / child stuff that I only kept because it was too good to throw away, but all seems destined for the tip now. Charity shops round here only seem to be interested in ladies fashion.

We keep being told we're living through an age of austerity, but you can'y give away a perfectly clean and functional £200 child car seat because of "health and safety"

What's the alternative given churches and schools never seem to have jumble sales any more, and the local "car boot sale" is just a dozen or so traders sitting in the town hall once a month?

So decision today - to the tip with it all, or list on Gumtree?

 

[ajlelectronics]

So decision today - to the tip with it all, or list on Gumtree?

Facebook Marketplace?

 

[Endeleus]

Facebook Marketplace?

I'm not on Facebook. This forum is the closest I come to "social media"

 

[reb78]

Gumtree or freecycle if you van take the hassle. I get where you're coming from as it's nice to try to help people.

 

[Seadog]

Or local "Buy, sell or swap" groups on FB

 

[reb78]

I'm not on Facebook. This forum is the closest I come to "social media"

Same.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

So decision today - to the tip with it all, or list on Gumtree?

Sadly it's the way of things unfortunately.

Just remember that a lot of folk will value their own time...but your time is worthless to them.

You could try free cycle...generally factoring in your time it's probably better to dump the stuff.

I generally don't bother with items worth less than £50...not worth all the bother.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I'm not on Facebook. This forum is the closest I come to "social media"

You don't have to "be on Facebook" if you don't want to be, just use Marketplace. You can lock down your account so that nobody else knows that you are there, if that is what you prefer.

 

[cheb]

There are some charity shops that will take electricals you might have to hunt around for them.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

"Can't take any electrical items - we don't have a PAT tester"

British Heart Foundation will take electricals at their furniture stores.

The little update letters they send about the Gift Aid they made selling my things revealed that they made £1300 last year selling 20+ unwanted kitchen gadgets, a Technic's HiFi, and two unremarkable flatscreen TV's.

More power to their elbow as I could barely give them away.

 

[julianf]

Child seats are like helmets. Prior accident toll may not show on the surface.

That is the reason (rightly or wrongly) that everyone is advised against pre owned units where the history is unknown.

 

[Newlands]

British Heart Foundation will take electricals at their furniture stores.

The little update letters they send about the Gift Aid they made selling my things revealed that they made £1300 last year selling 20+ unwanted kitchen gadgets, a Technic's HiFi, and two unremarkable flatscreen TV's.

More power to their elbow as I could barely give them away.

my other half works at a BHF shop. They don’t take electrical but as you say the bigger BHF furniture places do. The Red Cross shops also take electrical stuff, at least in some of the places near me. I’ve used freecycle in the past and it works ok. I’ve also advertised free stuff on Marketplace, but the disadvantage of that is that a lot of sellers mark up their stuff as free when they actually mean they want offers, so often the ‘free’ ads get completely ignored.

 

[Dozzer]

Another for freecycle, got rid of loads of stuff, also depends on the charity, Banardos & Salvation Army will take most things.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Our local recycling centre takes electricals regardless of condition .

The way I look at it is eventually most electricals will make their way to the recycling centre!

 

[bricol]

Child seats are like helmets. Prior accident toll may not show on the surface.

That is the reason (rightly or wrongly) that everyone is advised against pre owned units where the history is unknown.

Very much rightly I'd say - and I don't have, nor particularly like, kids, but car safety seats, and high chairs that might collapse or otherwise damage their occupants - relying on a volunteer persons opinion of their suitability is destined to be a failure, and I guess has, so hence the sensible rules.

I've run into all the same issues of stuff to charity shops, but I reckon most things do make sense - in my case, they had a PAT tester, but no-one trained, or authorised, to use it. No room for hard back books etc.

As for bikes - there are charities around who will take bikes, repair them and then send them off to where they might be more needed.

 

[dave h 2]

I free cycle stuff by putting in on the verge for school days, nothing stays more than 2 hours.

 

[Tigman]

I agree put it out the front , someone will take it if it's any good

 

[ajlelectronics]

I agree put it out the front , someone will take it if it's any good

Overzealous councils can have you for fly tipping if you are not careful. There have been such examples published in the press.

 

[marlinspike]

Our tip has a unit to put good clutter you don't want. They also have a shop where they sell the better stuff for their profit, but better than going in landfill and less hassle than Freecycle - 'Yes, I'd like your nearly new free sofa. When can you deliver it? for free obviously?'

 

[Endeleus]

Well first load of stuff went to the tip, and despite how much it grates to skip perfectly good toys, high chairs, etc... I do have some space back in my storage unit now, so I'll get over it.

Bikes (both barely used before they were outgrown) will be going on the driveway on the next school day with a sign to take if they can be used. Fortunately we're on the same street as local primary school, so there's a decent amount of people passing.