fara charity shop a rip off! Post Reply

[Scottov]

Scottov... I thought your initial post regarding Comic Relief was 'silly' but decided against saying so as we are on a public forum where people are entitled to voice their thoughts and opinions. Clearly you have no such qualms about bashing views that oppose your own! You have no idea how much time or money I donate to charitable causes so please stop being so judgmental.

Oh please. Some people will complain about absolutely anything.

How much charity work (real or imagined) you claim to do, has nothing to do with anything being discussed here.

FARA is a retail based charitable operation, you are always welcome to take your custom elsewhere - why is that not sufficient for you?

No one forces you to donate goods, no one forces to shop there.

[papinian]

"Charity" shops pay much less in business rates than other businesses. Business rates in Wandsworth (and I'm sure everywhere else as well) are very high. If a "charity" shop is just a regular retail operation making money (albeit with profits going to charity - after perhaps quite high amounts paid to the managers/directors of the charity) then why shouldn't it be treated the same as any other business?

"Charity" as a concept is out of control in the U.K. There are too many tax breaks for charities, many taken advantage off by tax avoiders. When the present government tried to tighten things up there was a massive lobbying campaign against tightening. I would like to see an end to gift aid, etc. People shouldn't get to pick and choose individually who benefits from the taxes they pay.

[btcmum]

I have never waded into a debate on here before and Scottov, your nasty post has just reminded me why!! On that note I'm leaving this topic. For your information (not that you will believe me) I volunteer for a local charity that helps underprivileged families.

[MrsAmanda]

I used to donate all the boys' castoffs to Fara, and buy a fair bit from them. But they did seem to get a bit 'greedy'. One of my donations was priced at more than I'd paid for it new. My mum bought a tshirt for my son. It was from Asda and I'd hazard a guess that it was also priced higher than it's new price.

We're not obliged to donate, and we're not obliged to buy from them. They are at liberty to charge as much as they like, but it seems a shame if they are alienating potential customers by high prices.

[hello-jo]

I remember approx 3 years ago, Fara used to charge £2 per pair of shoes. A flat rate. Just last week i was in the shop and saw (and bought) a pair of used snow shoes £15!!!!

Something has definitely changed in their selling strategy. The price increase is beyond inflation!

I have also experienced the Fara operatives loading most of my donation into the rag bag. I happened to walk back into the shop after leaving my donation at the counter one time.

THe net result for me is that i donate to the other charity shop on Northcote Road. And try not to go into the shop as it tends to make me annoyed that they put such high prices on stuff that has essentially been given to them for free. How would the previous owner feel about their second hand snow shoes being on sale for £15?!?!?!

Anyway, it would be interesting to know the ins and outs of the directors wages and staff wages etc in the Charity. Is this information available to the general public??

[kcai]

Personally I go into FARA about 1/10 the amount I used to due to the high prices. I choose to donate used clothes and toys to other charity shops and know of a fair amount of other people who no longer donate to FARA because they feel the pricing is unfair.

I think papinian has a few interesting points.

[Pod]

I have a bit of a mixed view on all of this as whilst I have noticed the price increases - more specifically on cheap items such as "atmosphere" (aka Primark) and H&M that seem over priced, I do not but these items as the quality tends to be poor and I would happily pay more for a better quality branded item second hand - so long as not ludicrously priced.

The other side to buying from a charity shop is not only to contribute to a worthy cause - but moreover as a means to recycling items and reusing clothing rather buying more and more brand new stuff that is simply not necessary in my opinion ( I haven't bought anything brand new for 18months and prefer to re-use and recycle, but then having an eco builder/architect for a husband has swayed my ethical and consumer led ways for the better) .

I did have a very positive experience in Fara Balham (kids) where there were some brand new reusable organic bamboo cloth nappies by TotsBots that retail at £10 each, two were priced at £3.50 and one at £1.50, the lower priced one was on sale as part of stock rotation. When I approached the sales assistant explaining I would like all three and didn't understand why they weren't all the same price - she happily said if you take them all I will charge you £1.50p for each of them - so a saving of over £25 for brand new items!

So there is a bargin to be had in some of their stores, just a shame it's not across the board and now they seem to be getting a slating on her

[papinian]

Pod: 15 years ago there weren't many options for recycling clothes except charity shops. Now it's possible to list clothes on ebay cheaply and easily. It's also possible to buy "preloved" clothes on ebay - my wife has been buying most of her dresses and coats that way for several years.

My understanding of how charity shops taking in clothes operate these days is the following:

- the good stuff - any designer labels or even sometimes upper/mid end high street labels - is mostly sold off through specialist "vintage" stores

- the really rubbish stuff isn't displayed at all and is just sold in bulk for shipping and sale in the developing world just like clothes left in clothes recycling bins at supermarkets (I know quite a bit about this as my cousin's husband is involved in this business)

- the middling stuff - Tesco, ASDA, Primark, H&M, Marks & Spencer, etc. is sold in the charity shops themselves

A big change in U.K. clothes retail in the last 10 years or so is the rise of fast fashion and clothes sales through supermarkets:
- generally cheaper but less long-lasting clothes
- probably as good a value as before when bought new but much less value if purchased secondhand
- starting price is so low that it is difficult to discount it enough to a price worth buying it secondhand

The Mary Portas answer to this - in her self-promoting TV series Mary Queen of Charity Shops - was for charity shops to go upmarket - get in the high value designer stuff and sell predominantly that. However, she was ignoring the fact that (outside of a small demographic of relatively well-heeled people) most of us would put on ebay any individual item that would fetch £30 or more secondhand (and it's relatively easy to gauge this) rather than give it to a charity shop.

Personally, I see charity shops as almost a big a blight on our high streets as betting shops. The low rates that charity shops benefit from, and the tax breaks that landlords can get if they give a charity shop a below market rent, allow landlords to resist any downward pressure on rents paid by their other (non-charity shop) retail tenants. Charity shops are very similar and reduce the diversity of the high street.

[Pod]

Yes Papinian I see your point completely - I also much prefer ebay infact that's where I mostly shop if I need something and can get it second hand - and at a far better price than at a charity shop - even with the postage added on!

I simply wanted to comment on my recent experience at FaraKids (which perhaps was a fluke with a less experienced staff member) where I did get a good deal.

On a side note apparently we all have enough clothing that if we wore it regularly - we all own have enough to last us 10years without the need to buy anything else - but that's another topic entirely and doesn't relate to children who keep growing

[Pod]

Or.....

those of us not happy with donating to or buying from FARA or similar places any more - could make use of the wonderful AnnabelsArcade - which I have so many amazing items from of late - and the For Sale posts have certainly increased with lots of good quality reasonable priced items and even offers accepted on goods - some generous NVN's are even giving items away so they are re-used and not sent to land fill - great community spirit, love it!

[runningmummy]

Yes it is a complete rip off. Many items cost more than they were new. Stock is there for a long time. It is such a terrible shame. I used to sop there all the time and donate to them but I feel it is poorly managed so don't anymore. The pricing strategy is completely wrong. I shop and donate elsewhere.

[runningmummy]

Yes it is a complete rip off. Many items cost more than they were new. Stock is there for a long time. It is such a terrible shame. I used to sop there all the time and donate to them but I feel it is poorly managed so don't anymore. The pricing strategy is completely wrong. I shop and donate elsewhere.

[izzye789]

people go there that cant afford to bye new. thats what charity shops are for maybe there putting most of the money in there own pockets ripp off would rather give to people that that cant afford to shop.than give to the ripp off fara i bet threre all getting richer and richer who work in they were selling a dity buggy for £60 just because it cost 120 new well it wasnt new it was a dirty secondhand buggy.

[lawrence]

I ve been saying this for the past year,they are out of order.
I have mentioned to shops one in earsfield and one in balham,every time they look suprised.....they need to be told is not on,i dont even go there anymore,when can i buy new staff at a hence prize lets say tkmax,ets.

[Pc1008]

I have read the posts with interest as this is a topic a few of my mummy friends and I have discussed.

Fundamentally while charity shops are a business, a business is only as good as its customer base ....so while all the debates here are valid the bottom line is that if people are going into charity shops for lower prices, which is the point but are not getting these prices they will go elsewhere.


I have popped into the Earlsfiled branch several times but haveleft empty handed for the reasons stated by others above, that the prices frankly are ridiculous for second hand items and often comparable with new. I actually find ebay and annabels arcade incredibly useful with fair prices.

In today's economy people will always shop around and while I donate to and will always support a charity shop I do agree that Fara may well price out their core local customer base and it would be a shame to see them close because of an ill advised pricing strategy and totally uninterested staff.