Potentially bogus charity collecting clothes in Dublin area?

mambo

My Dublin apartment block regularly gets plastics bags/flyers delivered from the Northern Ireland-based "charity" "Care and Concern in Action" looking for donations of clothes for the needy, and many people leave out bags of old clothes to be collected.

I can't find any reference to the charity online, e.g. at http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/first.asp

And it fits all the hallmarks of a bogus charity - see http://www.oft.gov.uk/News/Press+releases/Consumer+alerts/bogus+charity+collections.htm

Anyone know anything more about it? Are we being "scammed"?

tSubh Dearg

I've found a good rule of thumb with these guys is to look at the phone number provided, if it's a mobile number it's probably bogus. Also a lot of them will list a company number but no charity number on their stickers.

Afair only a few genuine charities do these collections, Enable Ireland, Oxfam, Age Action and Concern (or maybe Goal) I think.

If in doubt it's always best to donate clothes etc directly to one of the charity shops.

mikemac

I think they're fantastic-haven't paid for bin bags in ages

John Mason

I have (very sad i know) checked the Charitable Status Nos. and VAT. No. on the bags that come through my door in finglas and everyone of them is bogus - you are much better off giving anything you to the local charity shop

WunderFull

They have done it in a few areas around the country. They are groups of, for want of a better word, itinerants who collect the clothes, sift through them for good stuff and sell them.

If there is no charity number, it's not a charity.

Try leaving a few surprises next time round for them. Snigger.

senordingdong

Yeah...these types have been all the talk recently.
Pretty clever scam, if not very profitable though.

Orion

I get them a lot through the door in Maynooth. Saw them coming around to collect a few times - always in a UK (not NI) registered van. I'd never give these ****s anything. Anytime we have clothes to get rid of they go straight to a shop - not to these scammers.

david

Cheap waste disposal if you ask me.

Orion

That's a cop-out. If they're good enough to give to a charity put them in the scammers bags and then bring them to the local Greens, SVP, Oxfam, etc shops. It's still free you know.