Have you received a leaflet through your door recently asking you to fill a bag with clothing for collection?  If you responded did you believe you would be donating to a charity?

South Ayrshire Trading Standards are this week warning residents to read the small print on leaflets before donating their old unwanted items such as clothes, shoes and linen to door-to-door collectors in the belief that they were giving them to charity. 

Trading Standards have been probing deeper into the issue after receiving complaints from several residents who alleged that leaflets they had received gave an impression that they were for a charity collection. On closer inspection of the leaflets it turns out that the door-to-door collection company is in fact a business and not a charity.

A spokesperson for South Ayrshire Trading Standards explained, “We have discussed the matter with the Advertising Standards Authority and the Charities Regulators but there appears to be nothing illegal about trading in this manner. Although a leaflet may state it is not a charity behind the collection, we would like this to be more prominent. We are trying to contact one Company behind this practice to request that they make the leaflet clearer to avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings. We have referred the matter to the Company’s local Trading Standards Service in England to pursue the matter on our behalf and are also in contact with the Office of Fair Trading for their opinion.”

The spokesperson added, “According to the enquiry  by the Charity Commission for England and Wales into door-to-door clothing collections by charities, the Association of Charity Shops estimated that non-charity door-to-door clothing collections cost the charity sector a minimum of £1million per annum in lost revenue.”

South Ayrshire Council’s Community Safety Convener, Councillor Hugh Hunter said, “The generous public of South Ayrshire may be under the impression that by donating their old items in this manner they are helping disadvantaged members of society whereas in fact the door to door collection company is a business. If people are aware of this and are happy to donate their items then that is fine. However, if they specifically wish to help genuine bona fide charities then I urge them to scrutinise these door-to door-collection requests.”

Councillor Hunter added,”Please remember some registered charities use this method of raising funds so don’t assume every leaflet comes from a business. All we are asking is that householders should read the leaflet carefully before deciding to contribute their clothing. If you are in any doubt about the status of the collection company you can always donate your unwanted items to the local charity shops.”

Trading Standards can be contacted Mon. – Sat. for any consumer related matter on 01292 61 60 60 or by visiting the Trading Standards Advice Centre at 5-7 River Terrace, Ayr or the website at www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards

June 2006