Charity collection bags

[abstibus]

I have just had one of these through the door - British Heart Foundation. How do I know if it's genuine? Should it have the charity registration number on it?
Thanks.

[carolegif]

Don't put anything in it as they are usually not genuine. Even when they are, when people put them out, the Eastern Europeans take them before the charity collects them!!!
If I want to give clothes to charity, I take them to the shop where I know they will get the money.

[FrillyPancake]

Me too.
Three today.
In fact every day.
Furious....How do we stop this?

[Mosaic]

If it's a fake.....my british heart foundation bags get collected by a chap in a van with the BHF logo on it. Shurely shome mishtake?

[237SJ]

Have you read the small print on the back? We used to get a lot of these (until the police asked us to note the registration of the van that was delivering them). A lot of these charity bags are private companies who make a profit from selling the contents of the bag and passing a small percentage to the charity. The so called Heart Foundation was one of the big culprits around here.

[abstibus]

Thanks for these. I saw a TV programme once - might have been Rogue Traders, and they were warning about these scams.
I think the advice was to let the police know, but I can't remember. Maybe someone else can.
I have always used the charity shops.

[Duncer]

I use them for rubbish as all my donations are done by direct debit, although we drop stuff off at the charity shop in town as well. If the charitiy is real then they are receiving from us anyway, and if they are fake, then feck 'em!

[Mosaic]

The British heart Foundation ones we get have their logo, their charity number and a slip of paper for you to gift aid the stuff you give.....
If it's a scam, it's buddy well done.

[abstibus]

237sj
I read the text on the back, which is why I knew there was no number.
The bag looked genuine at first glance.
Will let our friendly neighbourhood cops know tomorrow.

[Hopkirk]

I too use charity collection bags to line my dustbins.

However I always turn them inside out first - I wouldn't want my rubbish delivered to a charity!