I’m all for charitable ventures. It simply isn’t possible for the various ‘authorities’ to provide all the cash and facilities that are needed in all areas so I support my favourites with donations, and in the case of greyhound rescue, my time and a few saleable items like hand made earrings and notecards.
Today, Sid and I spent the best part of the day standing out in the rain and wind on the coldest day of the year so far, supporting my local greyhound re-homing charity at a Meet and Greet in the Rivergate Centre of our nearest city. It was so cold that Sid wore two coats and still shivered.
Now, the Rivergate Centre is a pleasant little area with a covered arcade, an open shopping square, and an Asda supermarket bordered by a very large car park, which has the laudable policy of charging for parking but giving you cash back on the ticket if you spend a tenner in Asda. But they charge very heavily for allowing charities to make collections on the property – to the tune of £80 per day (which at current exchange rates is about $132 USD). And I was incensed to find that as a volunteer bringing a dog with all the trappings that he needs on a cold day out (bed, water supply, treats, coats, etc), I was expected to pay for the parking and then spend £10 on shopping if I wanted to see my money again. That applied to the organisers as well, by the way. They were the ones who had to pay the £80 to for us to be there, and they too had to pay the parking charges.
Last time I volunteered for this one, I collected my parking tickets (£6 worth) and went into Asda and explained the situation and they said oh, that’s fine, we’ll refund the vouchers since you are officially here with the charity, but next time you need to go to the office and get a permit first. This time, I went round to the office and they said they’d stopped doing the vouchers, so I should just save my tickets and go for a refund afterwards.
So I stood in the biting wind and shivered for four hours, walking Sid from time to time to warm him up and feed the parking machine, or sitting on the ground hugging him, and chatting to people about greyhounds and racing and rescue and no, you can’t have Sid, he’s mine, but you can have that one over there, he needs a home, etc etc., and at the end of my time there, I went into Asda and asked for my refund.
Customer Service Lady: ‘No, sorry, I can’t refund that, you have to spend ten pounds first .. and you can only exchange one ticket voucher. That’s the limit’.
Me: ‘But I’m with the greyhound charity. The lady in the office told me I could get a refund for the parking here!’
Customer Service Lady: ‘Did she? Hang on, I’ll ring through’.
Pause while CSL rings through.
Customer Service Lady: ‘No, I’m sorry, I can’t do a refund. You have to go and spend ten pounds.’
Me: ‘But .. .hang on, we’ve paid £80 for the day just to stand outside, and you’re telling me parking isn’t included?’
Customer Service Lady: ‘Yes. See, it’s not Asda, it’s Rivergate that gets the money. You need to go talk to them.’
She pointed the way to the Rivergate Office and I walked over.
And basically, what they said was this: Yep, you paid us £80 for the day to stand out there collecting for charity, but no, you can’t have a refund, we don’t include parking. He did say (to be fair) that there were a couple of free slots ’round the back’ for now and since they weren’t busy we could have those, but since we’d already paid the parking fee that didn’t help much.
So tell me. Is it unreasonable to think that having paid such a very large amount of money just to be allowed use the spot, parking should be included, since we need to bring so much personal stuff with us – plus the table and saleable items to set up AND handle the dogs too?
The Rivergate Centre thinks so. How about you?
Well that’s just heartless! I mean to charge money to collect money? They are a bunch of Scrooges!!!
Heather P.´s last blog ..My thoughts at the end of the season
I think everything is geared around greed now days, unfortunately. I think it’s very unreasonable! How about a story in the local rag about it?
babs – beetle´s last blog ..A red breast in our lounge!
That’s pretty outrageous! To charge a huge amount of money for a charitable group to be able to collect… what? About 30 or 40 pounds?!?! Don’t you lose money on the deal??? And then to have to make all the volunteers PAY for parking???
To my knowledge, we don’t hvae to pay any of that for most of our Meet & Greet areas here…
Sorry, Jay!! But that Sid is soooooo handsome in his coat & jacket!! (PS – I got some really cute ones of him – I’ll send them to you!!)
I hope at least you talked to BUNCHES of people!!
I think Babs Beetle’s comment about getting it in the local paper is a good idea. It’s scandalous.
liz´s last blog ..Kitchen saga
I think it’s awful. Our local shopping centre allows Lions and the Bushfire Brigade to raise funds through a sausage sizzle every weekend. They can use one of the disabled spots for their car and trailer and all proceeds go to their charities.
Baino´s last blog ..Friday Fuckwit is a Porker
absolutely should.. I applaud you and think of you and Sid there !!!Thank you
#10 was the one. I have shopped but will not finish picking up until the 15th..sigh Come and play next week..sk
I’m just amazed at your collection of S words!
I think you should not only be allowed free parking, but free use of the centre! It’s charity, after all; where is this Rivergate Centre’s charitable spirit? You’re not asking them for donations – just a bit of space, one day a year! Surely they could afford that!
Interesting; we have a huge shopping mall in Nashville called Rivergate, and I cannot imagine they would charge anyone for standing outside, collecting for charity. And the parking is always free.
Kudos to you and Sid for donating your money and time to this cause.
ethelmaepotter´s last blog ..Thanksgiving Week
How ridiculous – I do hope you will be complaining to the local paper – double edged really – more advertising for our gorgeous greys (doesn’t Sid look beautiful?) and maybe a handsome donation from the shopping centre – who should be ashamed of their behaviour!
Kate´s last blog ..Max’s Adversary
Heather P – Scrooges! Yes, indeed, and just before Christmas too! I should tell them that!
Babs – I’m very tempted to tell the local rag, but I shouldn’t do it without consulting the people who run the charity. It is indeed outrageous – I’m also tempted to print this out and send it to the Rivergate management.
Jeannine – Oooh, thank you! Sid and I will be happy to see more cute shots of him!
We didn’t do very well that day, that’s for sure, but we did collect £74 so we almost broke even. Sold a few things off the stall too, but more importantly, had two or three enquiries about rehoming a dog! And that’s why we do it, really, isn’t it?
Liz – Scandalous is right, isn’t it? But I don’t want to get the paper involved, unless the charity concerned approves.
Baino – Thanks – yeah, I know there are other shopping areas here that don’t charge. In fact next week, the same charity is doing a street collection for free. Hopefully we’ll do well!
Sandy – Thanks. I like to do the Meet and Greets, and don’t mind spending the money really, but it’s the principle, isn’t it?
No. 10, huh? Wow, your Grandmother really knitted an afghan a day! I’m impressed.
Jama – I think you’re in the wrong post – but thanks! LOL!
Ethelmaepotter – I noticed how seldom we were asked to pay a parking fee in the US, and I think it’s to do with you having more available land than we do. To provide car parking in town, they’re leaving aside prime building land, so they feel they need to get their money another way. Can’t blame them for that, but when they choose to charge for the collecting spot and then parking on top, I must say I get angry. *Sigh*
Kate – Well .. I wouldn’t want to go to the paper without permission from the charity concerned. I might ask though. It surely is greedy, isn’t it?
Any chance of writing to the MD of Asda with your complaint? Take it straight to the top – I know someone who has done that with another company and had a personal response.
(You never know the MD may be a greyhound lover too!)
Taffy’s Mum – It’s Rivergate we have to write to, seemingly. But yes, they should certainly do that, I think.
What? Thats nonsense! Parking should have been INCLUDED!
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