Those with a long memory may recall my do not delay post from November 2006. In it I exposed a fake charity that collected clothes at people’s homes and then sold them for profit, without a penny going to a legitimate charity. Because they’ve pissed me off so much, I’ve set up a new site to expose the rest of the fake charity crooks.
So, are there any real charities collecting clothes? Yes, there are two. Dochas Nasamu in Galway run an orphanage in Kenya. A quick search reveals lots of positive reports about them. Their last collection in this part of the world was on December 18th 2007. They don’t call to houses to collect clothes. Instead, they wait in a public area and identify themselves to would-be charity givers.
That’s how it worked the first time we gave them clothes, but this time all we saw was an anonymous Mercedes van, it’s back doors open and not a soul in sight. We dumped the clothes in the St. Vincent de Paul bin instead. Sorry guys! I kept meaning to ring them but I never got around to it at the time.
The Irish Cancer Society (who have an annual charity collection on Daffodil Day, but also an odd linking policy for their website) dropped in a plastic bag to the house a few weeks back. Unfortunately they never called back because we did leave out clothes!
It’s bugged me for a long time that the fake charities get away with selling second hand clothing for profit while masquerading as charities. Only last week my next door neighbour left a bag out for one of them, even though I told them they were crooks!
Finally tonight I set aside a few hours to launch a new site at ClothingCollection.org highlighting the fake charity crooks. Each post contains a snapshot of a leaflet handed in to my home along with identifying details from the leaflet/flyer/sticker. I’ll update the site as I get new flyers, and I need to fill out the posts a bit more. Those images have been sitting in my photo folder for the past 3 months so it was about time I uploaded them somewhere!
So, if you hate seeing crooks make money, and especially if you recognise one or more of the flyers, please link to ClothingCollection.org in a blog post or your sidebar. Thanks!
We regularly get bags from Enable Ireland and Gorta which we usually fill. The dodgy bags are a handy way of disposing of torn & otherwise unusable clothes that aren’t suitable for Enable or Gorta.
Donncha interesting site in ClothingCollection.org – Have you followed up these fake charities because I must have recieved those same stickers/leaflets dozens of times where I live?
Well done for blowing the whistle on scammers. Out of interest, how do you know that they sell on the donated stuff for profit?
(The spelling and grammar on some of those labels is atrocious, that’s a good sign of a scammer! 🙂 )
I can’t help thinking it’d be a good idea for clothingcollection.org to include a list of genuine charities too.
ClothingtheWorld.com are “collecting” in Galway today; their site doesn’t work and they are listed in a scam thread on boards.ie. Bah.
can you please givwe me some details of someone to donate clothes to in the dublin side of meath.
where do clothes put in clothes banks go to??
Just tried to access the website for ‘clothing the world’ to complain about their label delivery and was gobsmacked to find they don’t exist! Especially when their label was shoved through my door at 3.15AM!!!!!! and the phone number 085 741 9432 on the label only rings and rings, no answer or answer phone – what a suprise it actually is a number that exists! perhaps I’ll keep ringing it all night tonight to complain about their ‘distributors’ waking me up!
I just got a clothingtheworld.com sticker in the door.
Here’s the obligatory clothingtheworld.com post! 🙂
We got a bag from the Irish Cancer Society the othere day. It had a note saying that they only collect during the evening time and that due to “unscrupulous collectors” we should not leave the bag out for colelction during the day.
Yes many charities still collect clothes where i live.
Wow, collecting clothes for a fake charity it’s an inhuman act, how can rely on the goodwill of the people to earn a few bucks ?? very very sad….
I don’t understand your response, Manny? What is wrong with collecting for charity to help the less fortunate?
Yeh they are lots in my area (UK, Birmingham). They post leaflets like every other 5 days. I give clothes often to them.
My Husband warned me about those shysters putting bags through the door and today another came and I got supicious. Its called LUCKY DAY ltd. I think it isnt a charity but it is registered as a company in Lucan.
Anyway Im really really annoyed at these devils for taking from the people who really need the clothes. My brother is in Bolivia at the moment working for a church, (unpaid work) and they have a beautiful orphanage there which relies soley on peoples charity to feed and clothe and help those poor children and that type of trash really are taking from the likes of these poor orphans.
Here is a link for this very genuine good cause.
http://christnationministries.org/English/orphanageupdate3.html
Im going to tell everyone I know about these fakesters. How low can a person go…its despicable!!!
I left out a Bag of Clothes for Irish Cancer which were to be collected last night between
6.00pm & 9.00 pm. I checked at 9.50 pm and the bag was still there. This is frustrating getting
clothes ready and nobody collects. So what will I do next time ????????
i totally agree with Des and i do exactly the same.
any ‘good’ clothes we no longer use, i personallly deliver to a charity shop or give to the dochas orphanage collection.
if i know a collection is a scam, i leave out the blankets my dogs sleep on and any old rags i’d be ashamed to send to the charity shop.
it’s a way to teach the scammers a lesson and saves me paying the extra weight in my weekly refuse collection!
Just find out- wan drivers earn 600 euros for a 1000 kg of clothes. everything goes to Dublin. after that travels to Lithuania to be sold in second hand shops. i am from Lithuania myself. when i was a kid, i was doing my shopping in those places.
some drivers have a license to collect clothes, some of them doing it illegally.
LEAVING LEAFLETS STUCK IN MY DOOR FRAME ON A SUNDAY IS NOT ON. LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE IS NOBODY IN THE HOUSE!!!! BAD ENOUGH RECEVING THEM EVERY OTHER DAY. HOW MANY BAGS OF CLOTHES CAN A PERSON POSSIBLY FILL WEEK AFTER WEEK. PLEASE STOP. MOST ANNOYING. CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.
What an incredibly useful posting. There was us with a bag full of good clothes ready for collection tomorrow whn my flatmate starts muttering again that she thinks they’re all scammers so I google the company on the label and lo and behold… O Caoimh has saved the day (or at least several pretty decent coats and a bagful of junk). thanks for taking the time!
Hi,
well done for setting up this site! I only give to recognised charities..with irish landline and address on leaflet…enable, cancer society.mrs quinn etc. Some years ago, someone used amnesty intl and their logo to collect clothes etc! Amnesty put out media ads to warn the public. The garda cant do much unless the scammers are caught with another charities bag in their hands…as the bags are marked ‘property of…’. Dont leave anyhting out for them…as they will dump what they dont want!..Ive seen this with my own eyes….takin enable bags into a woods nearby and dumpin what they dont want.
Hi,
I receive lots of these flyers through my door but this morning’s one is the worst. It came through the letterbox at 5:22AM, woke the dog who woke everyone in the house with her barking. Can anything be done to stop these people from putting this crap through your letterbox?
I’m sooo fed-up of it!
Minny
Hello,
I also receive lots of flyers through the letter box, and have seen children distributing them whilst the adult stays in the van ready to move off if anyone looks like they are going to confront them, probably leaving the children to fend for themselves. It’s a shame the garda cannot do anything to stop these criminals, because essentially that’s what they are. Though I must say my son has a great laugh at the badly written and badly worded leaflets. My advice is to fill bag with rags and in the middle put something that has been gone off for days and at least stink out the van for a few hours
clothingtheworld.com are collecting in Sligo on friday just thought you should know leaflets left before 6am this morning thought they were a scam will look forward to seeing them on friday at my house..
Mark O’ Shea (legal professional)
Hi Donnacha, I live in Loughrea and I collect used clean clothes and bedding on a small scale for Orphanages and homes in Chernobyl affected areas of Belarus. I only collect on a word of mouth basis as I dont want to be associated with other collections. I collect toys, bikes and bedding also in good condition. I take an articulated truck out in April as part of the convoy and we are a Registered charity – Chernobyl Child Aid which I am attached.
Donncha this takes it all to another level… http://www.youghalonline.com/2011/03/24/youghal-gardai-foil-raid-recycling-facility-by-christy-parker/
This is a reply in connection with Dochas Nasamu.
Dochas Nasamu is a children’s home in Kenya that was started by my late grandmother and now takes care of 60 AIDS orphans between 2-20 yrs. My mum runs a charity shop in Galway that funds it. Harrambee Charity is located on 52 Newcastle road.
We have never collected clothes as mentioned unfortunately people used our name. We have branded clothes bins around the country and other than that people come to the shop to donate.
Thanks for your continued support.