Charity shop worker says 1 rule must always be followed in store

Now while shoppers tend to pick up bargains, what about those who volunteer at their local charities? People might wonder whether those working in a charity shop get first dibs on items, but now one has admitted what really happens when clothes are donated. In a social media post, a user had a question for “people who volunteer in charity shops”.

The Reddit post began: “When you’re in the back sorting through the new items, if you see stuff you want, are you allowed to put it to one side and buy it for yourself? Or do you have to stock it?

“Thinking about volunteering, but I love charity shopping and seeing good things that I’m not allowed to have would physically pain me.”

Later in the post, the person continued: “I’m also interested in what type of interview questions they asked when you applied. I assume there is at least some communication before you start. Wondering what to expect.”

Many people flooded to the comments section sharing information on charity worker life.

One admitted there’s one rule they must abide by. They said: “I volunteered at one for a few months, and we were not allowed to put aside things.

“We had a pricing chart to price things. Honestly I never really saw anything I really wanted but the charity shop I volunteered used to put a lot of the really good stuff on eBay anyway.

“I’d seen other volunteers ask for things and be told that the items had to go on shop floor and then they could buy it from there. We didn’t get discounts either.”

Another individual noted: “My grandmother worked in a charity shop for a while. Quite quickly everyone she knew had designer clothing.”

Before admitting: “Okay, I’m exaggerating slightly, but the staff absolutely were putting all the good stuff to one side.

“They still paid full price for it, but they certainly had first dibs on everything.”

Yet another asserted: “Honestly I think it depends on the manager of that particular shop – I volunteered for a bit that was really casual.

“The older ladies who were on the till seemed to really like me, so they’d often price stuff more cheaply if I wanted to buy it! Nothing was free, though – everyone there still wanted to support the charity to some degree.”