Monday 28th July 2008
(ref:
235/08)
Wigan Council’s Trading Standards’ team are reminding the public to be vigilant following a number of potentially bogus charity clothes collections in the Ashton and Wigan area.
Chief Trading Standards Officer Julie Middlehurst says: “We have dealt with a number of complaints about this type of collection in the borough. What usually happens is you get a leaflet through the door saying that there is going to be a collection of old clothes in your area and they give the impression that all donations will be sent to third world countries to help clothe people in need.
“Although there are genuine door to door collections we have found that some commercial organisations are also using techniques like this to collect goods that are then purely sold for a profit. People may not realise that the clothes they donate are not going to charity.”
It may be that commercial organisations are calling on houses at the same time as genuine charities are collecting. A good way to spot real charities is to read the leaflet posted through the door properly. Make sure the organisation’s full details are on the leaflet and look for the registered charity number. Collectors should be carrying ID.
Some companies collect clothing purely on a commercial basis and pass nothing to charities. They are doing nothing wrong but you should always read any collection leaflet carefully to establish whether they are from a charity or just a private company selling clothing for profit.
Julie says: “We live in a society where people are very willing to put their hand in their pocket and donate to charities but this also means that there are plenty of people out there willing to exploit the generosity of others for their own selfish gain.
“We don’t want people to be put off giving to charities but with a bit of information you should be able to make the right choice.”
If you are unsure about a charity you can contact the Charity Commission on 0870 333 0123 to see if it is registered.
- For more information and advice on a range of consumer-related issues call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 (calls charged at local rate).
