(no subject)

[slemslempike]

Except that British Heart Foundation aren't coming this morning, because despite the man I spoke to on Saturday saying that they could get to me early on, and definitely before 1pm, actually it would be closer to 2, which doesn't work at all. And they kept calling me "dear" on the phone. I hate being called dear at the best of times, and this wasn't one of those. I can't even get properly arsey about it, because really they're doing me a favour in collecting them. But now it means I still have all these masses of boxes and bags of stuff in my living room going nowhere. I hate them, but there isn't another charity shop that collects non-furniture items in Edinburgh, so I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow, hope that the woman who called me dear isn't working there, and book it for next week. UGH.

Also the man who is taking my stuff to Southampton is here, and I'm feeling awkward about not helping with the boxes and the stairs, even though that is precisely what I am paying not to do. There is only one of him, I don't know if he'll manage the tallboy.

Comments

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Oh, God, I know what that's like. And it's one of those things that you can't complain about because someone will turn up and say 'but people who work in charity shops often get called out to pick up rubbish or to places that are dangerous' which is totallly true and I can understand why they're hesitant, but the explanation does occasionally seem to come with an undertone of and besides, anyone respectable has their own car, don't they?

From my experiences clearing out half the stuff in the house last year, I'd say that what I'd really like is a clear policy about when people can come ('we can't collect, sorry' is so much easier to deal with than 'oh, well, maybe on Wednesday if Angela's in, but she might not be' and then turning up unexpectedly on Friday) and what they actually need (hauling one bag of books and one of DVDs to a charity shop to be met with six people sitting around on a sofa staring at me, one of whom eventually said 'Oooh, books, love? We've got that many books out the back' in a tone as if I'd brought them a bag of dead rats, and several more of whom burst out laughing, was a particular low point and made me meanly wish I'd just sold the DVDs on eBay and given the money to a different charity). You're helping them by giving them stuff, they're helping you by taking it away, the moral high ground is shareable. And also calling people 'dear' or 'love' is not helpful.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

EXACTLY! And the guy I spoke to on Saturday was really nice and pleased that I had lots of stuff for them, and the woman I spoke to today didn't care about anything very much. It made me feel a little sad. Ugh. The next date I can be around for them to collect is next Tuesday, which is the final day before I leave so I'm worried that that would mean that if they didn't collect then, then I would be stuck with everything. I might need to pay a house clearance agency instead. Boo.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Boo indeed. Are you straight off to South Sudan or are you stopping elsewhere first?

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I go down to Southampton next Wednesday, and then stay there until the 9th when I fly to Juba, with various days in London for socialising and sorting out visas.

[medland.livejournal.com]

Yes, when we cleared my Grandma's the charity people said 'we'll take everything no matter what it is' and then refused to take half of it (apparently it was flammable) leaving us with all this stuff. But you can't really say anything because they still HAD taken half of it.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Oh, that must have been infuriating. I know people are volunteers, and I'm really grateful for what they do, but sometimes it doesn't seem like they consider that they might be dealing with people who are bereaved and therefore don't need extra hassle.

[joyeuce]

We have the local hospice shop here who do furniture. They say they will come round and look at whatever you've got but can't guarantee to take it, and in my limited experience turn up when they say they will. It's still annoying if they say no, but at least they're up front about it.

I'm not sure what my point was ... Oh yes, if a little local charity can manage that, how come a national one can't?

The books arrived this morning - many thanks. Now, which one to read first ...?