March 2011 by Isaac F.
I don't like leaving bad reviews for charity shops. They exist to help those in need and are mostly run by volunteers, so regardless of whether you support their cause you have to respect their existence. I will say that I have found a few good bargains in this store and the layout is clean and tidy, but on the whole I have been disappointed by this shop. First of all, there's the prices. Some of the "donated" items are available and the excellent Poundland store just down the road, but you have the privilege of buy them at the Cancer Research shop for three times the price. I know it's all for a good cause, but that doesn't mean you should pay more than something is worth. Then there's the fact that half the store is now devoted not to donated items but to overpriced stock produced for Cancer Research. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but when I go into a charity shop I don't expect to find a substantial quantity of new, and poor quality, items for sale. I expect to find donated items. However, the experience that has convinced me to stay away from this store is similar to that expressed in the review by "Glenda R". I bought a small vase at £3. Not a bargain, but a nice piece and it was a gift. I took it to the counter. I paid. And then, as the assistant was wrapping it she dropped it. The vase didn't shatter, but a huge chunk broke off and there was a crack down the side. Now, I would probably have shrugged my shoulders, accepted that accidents happen and let them keep the money, but the staff member immediately said, "Oh well. At least it broke after you paid", then proceeded to shove the remnants into a bag and give it to me. I had to summon the manager in order to obtain a refund as she clearly had no interest in giving me my money back. Instead she began serving the next customer and ignored me when I challenged her. Two stars as it is a charity shop, it is nicely laid out and there are some bargains to be had, but I will be taking my business elsewhere.
