Beware bogus charity clothing collections

The Association of Charity Shops estimates that the potential value of donated clothing and other items "lost" by legitimate charities as a result of these bogus collections amounts to more than £1 million each year. Many genuine charities rely on doorstep collections for a substantial proportion of their shop sales.

In a typical bogus scam householders receive flyers through their letterboxes appealing for donations of unwanted clothes, footwear and sometimes household and even electrical goods to be distributed to poor individuals and families living in Eastern European and also countries in the Third World.

Householders are asked to leave the goods in a plastic bag by the front door. These are later collected anonymously.

The flyers give the misleading impression that the items are being collected for charitable purposes. In reality, the collections seem to be organised by commercial operators who sell the donated items for profit.

The misleading impression is in some instances reinforced by reference to a registration number, which people may think is that of a registered charity, but is in fact a limited company number.

City of York Trading Standards advises anyone who has any doubts about a leaflet asking for donations to:

Phone the Charity Commission helpline on 0870 333 0123 to check whether the collection is for, or on behalf of, a registered charity.

Contact Trading Standards to see if the collector has been licensed.

Give directly to a local charity shop instead or donate to a charity shop collection sack which should make a clear reference to the charity registration number. Many will also carry the Association of Charity Shops kitemark.

The Office of Fair Trading works with the Charity Commission and Trading Standards to stop misleading advertising, and action can be taken under the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations.

However, it can be very difficult to track down the perpetrators, so as soon as you clear out your cupboards to make room for all the new things you have bought in the sales, beware of bogus charity collections.

For further information about this, or any other consumer matter phone City of York Trading Standards on 01904 551562 for advice or to make an appointment. Trading Standards is situated at 9 St Leonard's Place, York. You can also visit the City of York Trading Standards website at www.york.gov.uk/business/tradingstandards

Updated: 08:40 Thursday, February 26, 2004