Clothing collection scam

fillefatale

I was sitting at the kitchen table today, when I noticed a white unmarked van pull up to our driveway and someway place a tag on one of our gateposts. I was immediately suspicious and went out to investigate - it was a sticker for a clothing collection - the website provided is viltis.eu - this domain is unregistered.

The leaflet claims "Please donate any unwanted ladies, gents, children's clothing, shoes ir [sic] pairs, underwear, nightwear & bedding, etc. All suitable items will be sent to Ukraine, Africa and some other countries and with your help we can improve the lives of many."

Furthermore it goes on to say "All vans have identification signs. All our collectors wear identification clothing." Both the man who left the tag and the van were unmarked.

"We do not enclosed a bag [sic] because the safety of your children and pets can be put at risk" Bad english, and that makes no sense?

The VAT reg IE number is 2473424P - i don't know how to check this.

This makes me so livid, that these rogue clothing collections are still getting away with this. Anywhere i can report this?

Radharc na Sleibhte

Vat number is invalid.
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/

Basq

The majority of those clothing leaflets are highly dodgy...

They've clothing banks all over the place for Breast Cancer (Sports Complex to name just one) etc - pop your clothes in the back of the car and put them there.

Actually did it myself yesterday with 3 bags of clothes.

Truley

I get about three or four of these leaflets in my door a week. Every single one of them is a Scam. Real charities that look for clothes, Enable Ireland, Oxfam etc don't even do this any more. They ask that people just go directly to the shop because there are so many shysters going door to door now. Lord knows why, if people want my gammy old clothes I'd happily hand it to them without the fake 'charity' facade!

loki7777

It's all about money:) All the things are sold to different countries where ppl sell them in second hand shops:) It's very lucrative business.
It was few times about this on boards.

Memory Of 98

Down here, they leave the tag on your doorstep, if you collect it and bring it in, you are at home. If it is left there, you are obviously away and your house will be robbed.

FishHook

Any old clothes I have I leave at the local clothes bank. They are quite a few of these around. They are usually for Oxfam, or the National Council For The Blind etc. I never put clothes in plastic collection bags they are left through the letterbox. They are almost always scams.

I heard of a case where someone filled one of these 'scam' collection bags with household rubbish and put a few old clothes on top!! The bag was collected !!

Mint Sauce

Memory Of 98 wrote: »

Down here, they leave the tag on your doorstep, if you collect it and bring it in, you are at home. If it is left there, you are obviously away and your house will be robbed.

Some do this with the leaflets through the letterbox. Left sticking out, no one at home. Removed or not sticking out, someone at home.

fillefatale

irish-stew wrote: »

Some do this with the leaflets through the letterbox. Left sticking out, no one at home. Removed or not sticking out, someone at home.

Yeah I figured it was something like this!

It's horrible how they make a profit and the only lives they improve are those making the money selling these clothes in other countries.

Claire787898

I just Got The Same Leaflet This Morning Same Reg Number.. There Still Scamming!!!!!!!

Mint Sauce

Probably about a couple of tags/stickers every week, straight in bin.

If I want to gives clothes, clothing bank in Supermacs, or one of the charity shops.

Chinasea

I really don't see the issue here. Is this outrage driven by xenophobia.

Have you seen what the charity shops throw out here? Have you seen the daily countless amounts of discarded sleeping bags strewn all over Dublin city? Second hand clothes in Ireland are not the sought after. Sure there is a market but nothing major.

Besides we really don't have people so poor in this country that they depend on buying clothes in second hand shops. We have a generous welfare system after all.

I am happy to donate clothes regardless and stop them ending up in landfill.

johnire

Charity shops do not throw out clothes.
If any donations are unsuitable to sell then they are sent for recycling. They are not thrown out.
As regards your comment that poor people only shop in charity shops- this is completely incorrect.
The majority of customers in these shops love to get a bargain.They don’t just sell clothes- they sell books cds dvds and bric a brac.
There’s about seven charity shops in Sligo so there obviously is the customer base there to sustain them. By the way I’m not poor-whatever that means and I do shop in them.

Chinasea wrote: »

I really don't see the issue here. Is this outrage driven by xenophobia.

Have you seen what the charity shops throw out here? Have you seen the daily countless amounts of discarded sleeping bags strewn all over Dublin city? Second hand clothes in Ireland are not the sought after. Sure there is a market but nothing major.

Besides we really don't have people so poor in this country that they depend on buying clothes in second hand shops. We have a generous welfare system after all.

I am happy to donate clothes regardless and stop them ending up in landfill.