Screw you chariity shops!
Following on from my earlier post about my ever lovely but calamitous wife and her ability to break/ lose a mobile phone in a matter of months I thought that I would tell the story about how a mobile phone disaster led to me refusing to give anything to charity shops.

Back in the day I would happily give away any un-used clothing or items my kids had grown out of, and as the incident took place shortly after my eldest had been born we were taking a shedload of clothing bundles to the shop (First grandchild so he was spoilt rotten by my inlaws). One day after a typical trip to the shop my wife returned home to realise that her phone had mysteriously disappeared. A quick call from me and the phone was ringing but we could not hear it anywhere in the house (She never has it on silent and ring was always set to the highest volume).

After a few minutes of searching my wife started to mentally retrace her steps:

Wife: Well I was packing the clothes in the bin bag for the charity shop, I took a call from M and then…..Oh God
Moi: What?
Wife: I think I might have put it in the charity shop bag by accident.

Cue a quick drive back to the shop to reclaim the phone.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the middle aged woman with facial hair that had taken the bag from us in the first place, she recognised us and we explained the situation to her.

Charity Hag: So you have left your phone here have you……Sorry but we cant help you the bags been sorted and the mobile cpould be anywhere now.
Me: WTF? It hasn’t even been an hour since we dropped it off, surely you would klnow where it is?
Charity Hag: I wasn’t the one that unpacked it, that was done mongysweatbucketbloke (Guy sat in corner of the shop who looks like he belongs on a register of sorts and classes types of train he catalogues as his friends).
Me: So he will know if it was there, look we give you enough things to sell in the shop, the phone was accidentally placed in the bag and we really need it.
Charity Hag: Anything brought into the shop is now ours to sell, you sir (One of the only times I have been called that) are trying to steal from a charity!
Me: What, all I need is my wifes phone back are you want me to buy it back from you?
Charity Hag: That can’t be done by me, the pricing won’t be sorted until tomorrow as we are too busy

The whole argument fell into her yelling that I was trying to steal from the shop etc etc so we made the sensible decision to go home, call the head office for the shop we were in and explain the situation to them. The woman on the phone apologised and sorted things out ASAP.

In the end we got the mobile back the next day, but somehow the background wallpaper had been changed to a picture of Bin Laden.

From then on I decided to start selling any unwanted kids clothes on Ebay instead.
(mon bison powered by magnets, Mon 3 Aug 2009, 12:11, 6 replies)

What the hell?
that's disgraceful!
( Jessie © needs pirate name suggestions, Mon 3 Aug 2009, 12:28, closed)

Charity shop 'volunteers' are mainly convicted offenders doing unpaid work as part of their sentence.
What used to be called 'community service'. So it's highly likely that the staff are not the cream of society, and may see a stray phone as a workplace perk.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Mon 3 Aug 2009, 18:18, closed)

If that's true
then most of the offenders in my home town are wily pensioners.
( chart cat has an itch, Tue 4 Aug 2009, 1:57, closed)

:-)
I dont know why but 'wily pensioners' made me chuckle
(mon bison powered by magnets, Tue 4 Aug 2009, 9:16, closed)

Bin Laden
Hahahahahaha
( chart cat has an itch, Tue 4 Aug 2009, 1:59, closed)

Hags is right
I tried to volunteer at a charity shop when I found myself out of work many years ago (thinking it might look better than having just sat on my arse on my cv). The reception I got was distinctly chilly, I was honest about my reasons but it was apparent that I should have been making a life time commitment as far as she was concerned. I'm sure she scared away most of the volunteers who ever turned up there.
(cmouse is pondering about life in other jobs, Tue 4 Aug 2009, 12:42, closed)