Sue Ryder Reviews 212

The worst customer service I have experienced in charity shop which is based 9, Portswood Centre, Portswood Rd, Portswood, Southampton
I just can not believe each time Im coming to this shop I have never been acknowledged or welcomed.
All I can see is Manager with 2 other employees sat on the sofa drinking tea or coffee chatting and gossiping .
No one ever offered a help.
How come the Manager still keeps her job?
When you ask for assistance as things are located so high you cant easily reach but they are busy chatting and gossiping on the sofas which are in the shop for sale.They are unpleasant, rude and arrogant.Clearly too many people " working" there as they seem really bored.
How come the Manager kept her job for whole this time as in place like this you would expect friendly and helpful staff. This place is the worst shop amongst Portswood charity shops. I wonder if the Manager of this shop working there for punishment?
As the person who replied to me from Sue Ryder claimed that it wasn't clear which charity shop I wrote review of I provided an exact address.There is only one Sue Ryder charity shop in Portswood Southampton so there should not be any doubt which shop I have mentioned.
Also I have receipts from that shop as proof, as I have shopped there before and had similar experience so Im hoping I gave enough evidence this time and my review won't be flagged and removed from this platform.
Thank you.

Went into the Finchley/Ballard’s Lane with a large sack of wooden toy donations. Two shopkeepers saw me as I walked in and proceeded to walk in the opposite direction.

I thought it was a bit odd, but waited until one of them returned, greeted her and happily handed over the sack explaining they were all individually packed inside for ease. The woman didn’t say hello back, took the sack, turned around and walked away with it without any type of response. I thanked her for her troubles and still not a word.

I appreciate it was an hour from closing and the job is a demanding one, but I walked out having thanked someone for allowing me to donate with not even a hello in return. I wasn’t expecting masses of appreciation at all, but acknowledgement of our interaction is warranted.

Not sure it’ll be my first stop on the high street in future!

Dear Sue Ryder (Shinfield Road, Reading),

Just a quick note to thank Davina who was lovely, charming, and commercially astute since she encouraged me to buy some lottery tickets after I had delivered a few items!

Regards,

Ian

The two chaps who turned up( a bit earlier than I had expected) were efficient, courteous and took items other than those I had listed. Thank you.

I contacted Sue Ryder as I had several items of furniture to donate from my mother’s house, as she had recently gone into a care home. The furniture was in good condition and perfectly saleable. I sent photographs of the items beforehand as well. When the collection company arrived I was told that three of the five items had been declined by the shop. According to the collection company this is a common occurrence?! The shop didn’t have the basic courtesy to notify me of this beforehand (which apparently they are supposed to do) this was incredibly frustrating as I was obliged to drag the heavy furniture down from upstairs for them to collect. So I was left with three items of furniture I now have to find a home for. This is doubly irritating as I had previously turned down an offer from someone else for these items in the belief Sue Ryder would take them. I don’t think I’ll be donating to them again any time soon. All in all a very frustrating outcome.

A cute little shop with lovely employees. The clothes are very cheap and the antiques are adorable <3

The worst charity ever!! They let me down so badly! They have no idea how to treat donors!!!i bookednonlibe uploaded pictures of furniture I wanted to date and they confirmed the were coming and when drivers turned up told me that they had been told not to accept my furniture!!! BUT at no point did they think it would be right to inform the donor that all furniture pieces would not be picked up. I even cancelled another charity due to pick up the following day . It is a disgrace how they treat people who want to give for a good cause. Then why did I go through trouble to take pictures of everything uploading them and confirming they are coming only to be told they would not accept any of it . So so rude Do Not give to them

*******Edited to ask how you can suggest I abused the driver and staff??? It was your driver that was abusive to me! I will be taking this further*********

I am shocked at the appalling service I have received from the Sue Ryder shop in Deal. I bought a washing machine which was faulty immediately that it was plumbed in. I rang the shop and they said I had to call the insurance people (seemed odd as surely if faulty should get refund) did this and an engineer came out. Said the bearings had gone and it wasn’t financially viable and so I was sent a replacement washing machine. Low and behold this was faulty too, I again called the insurance company who came out and it was the same story, unviable to repair. By this point I’d been into the shop to explain what had been going on, they said I was very good to have tried twice. They then said they would arrange for the washing machine to be collected. They said there was no rush as I needed to find some money to get a new one (wouldn’t get money back until machine returned and needed to have new one on order) stayed in regular contact with the shop who said it was fine. Jo the manager did say to me that the fact I was still using the machine raised the question of if it’s faulty???? I said it’s the bearings and they could go anytime ( let’s not forget the insurance company they use were the ones that said it’s faulty). Jo then called me Wednesday this week and said she was off until Friday but would call me with a day for collection next week. I then had a call Thursday from Kerry to say it was being picked up Friday! Complete contradiction from what Jo had said but I said that was fine.
Fast forward to this morning, I received a call from the driver to say they were on there way, all was fine.
Then get another call to say they can’t find my house. I explained where I live and he said in an extremely rude fashion that he doesn’t come from around here and that means nothing to him. I asked where he was and in an aggressive fashion said he’d already told me! He then hung up on me.
I called Jo at the shop and I’m sure I sounded shaken, I said I wasn’t happy about this man coming into my house. She said in an extremely aggressive way that they wouldn’t be collecting it if they don’t take it now. I said but they can’t find my house what do I do? She had no compassion for what had happened, didn’t offer to call the driver to see what was going on and was just extremely rude especially with what I’ve put up with from them. My partner went to find the drivers and found them right near our house, feet on dashboard on phones. He tried to explain its frustrating due to the fact this is the second machine etc. They said he was rude and wouldn’t be collecting the machine! My partner asked them 4 times to please collect it they refused. They sat outside my house taking my partner picture! Jo at the shop said they would only collect it if we apologised?? We had nothing to apologise for. No has said she has recorded me shouting at her on the phone, what she hasn’t recorded is what she was saying to me. I am so appalled at the level of service I have received. They have refused to give me back my £30 delivery for the first machine and I now have to pay another £35 for the second machine to be collected tomorrow!! It’s unbelievable and I’m afraid I will be advising everyone I know to not ever buy white goods from them

Donations were accepted with enthusiasm and the manager was incredibly appreciative of our donations, which was very welcoming and makes me want to re-donate here (Angel Islington branch). No suspicious accusations about what donations you're bringing in etc (as I have experienced elsewhere)!

Lovely shop and when I went back my items were priced very reasonably.

Excellent furniture collection service offered by the Leeds Meanwood branch. Received a telephone call on day of collection (09/07/2021) from the collection team 5 - 10 minutes prior to arrival to give me a heads up they are on their way. Very friendly, chatty and collected with no quibbles! Would recommend.

I had a truly horrible experience today at the catford branch London Se6. I've shopped at this branch for years and love it.

However the managers behaviour at this particular branch is awful and very bizarre!

I was on a phone call while the manager scanned through my items, she thought i was speaking to her said 'WHAT?!', i explained i was on a phone call. But in any event 'its not "WHAT" its pardon' She proceeded to shout at me saying how rude i was for speaking on the phone, i replied by asking her to stop shouting and said how i shocked i was by her terrible customer services.

She then stormed off in a rage off and got another member of staff to serve me, i pleaded with the other staff memeber to tell her how devastating her behaviour was.

The guys working at the shop then said this behaviour was totally normal and "who do you complain to, shes the manager!"

Its wonderful to have a charity shop close to home, with such a meaningful cause, im reluctant to say it...but i wont be returning. Micro agression and initimatdation isn't something i want to experience ever!

To clarify all other staff are doing a great job.

Appalling service from the Airedale centre keighley branch in West Yorkshire.

Terrible service, the volunteer lady practically forces customers to buy items. I was asked to place them down on the counter whilst looking around as they don’t seem to have any baskets. I never said I was going to buy them all. The lady was impatient and scanned all of them ready for me to buy when I returned. I later returned the same day as some of the items did not fit. She would not refund and claimed it could not be done despite the fact I had a receipt in my hand. I’ve never heard of such rubbish. This isn’t the way to make sales by forcing items down customers throats. Probably not the best business strategy. I wont be visiting again and a complaint has been sent as I’m now lumbered with a load of rubbish which doesn’t fit. I had to visit another store the next day to which the staff member mentioned the volunteer could have refunded me however she chose not to. Don’t visit

In response to the below:
I have put a complaint in about the above as I wasn’t treated very fairly. Therefore my Google and trust pilot review is justified.

Not great. Immaculate sofa bed only a couple of years old complete with mattress. Retails for well over £1000. Collection people couldn't be bothered to take legs of (probably a 5 minute job) and left it stood on its end telling me I'd have to rebook it in. They also complained about having to get the furniture out of the house, isn't that what they are supposed to do?! Basically the same as turning down £500 for less than 30 minutes of hard graft. Useless.

Having checked the items Sue Ryder shops do not accept I travelled quite a distance to Shinfield today to donate four Electrical hair appliances which I had purchased during lockdown but which were not suitable for me. There was not mention on the website that hair appliances are not acceptable, but I was told they couldn't be accepted because of blood etc., which would be on them. I think the website should definitely be updated to add these items as not acceptable. I always support Sue Ryder as my husband died in their Nettlebed hospice bujt today I was made to feel very upset, espcially as today would have been his birthday.

While on holiday I visited the Stow on the Wold shop and the manager Annette went beyond her normal duties. I cannot praise her enough for the effort she made to help me. I would not hesitate to use this shop again. Thank you.

Last year we bought a £1600 corner unit which was, sadly, too firm for our comfort. At only 15 months old, and in near perfect condition, we offered it as a donation so someone else could enjoy it. The collection guys arrived, checked it, and said as there was a slight mark on one of the cushions, they would not accept it. We were horrified. My husband sponged the mark, which totally removed it, but we were still told it was not good enough. He was made to feel as though we were trying to offload something old, dirty and unsaleable instead of a very nearly new and virtually perfect corner unit. The footstool was still in original packing having never been used. It was a horrible and humiliating experience. Sad, too, to think of an almost new piece of custom made furniture going to landfill. Are we to understand that the only furniture they will accept is either brand new or no more than a week old, fresh from Furniture Village, otherwise you will be made to feel horrible ? And yet I have seen sofas offered for sale with seats so badly stained it's embarrassing just to look at them. It was a really upsetting experience for both of us and not one I would ever care to go through again.

Love the sofa!!! Beautiful colour 😀

Had sofas collected today from Shane and Damien from the Corby shop.
The customer service was second to none. I had regular updates from the day before collection till a couple of minutes before they arrived.
Both are very well mannered and polite.
Shane explained I could loan a sofa of them till my new ones were delivered,I never knew this service existed, I declined but happy to pass information on to friends.
Thank you to both guys.

Had a terrible experience in this store today after using the store for years and years, I explained that I had spent 20 on aboard game that was incomplete and was really disappointed, they did howver have another one so I asked the manager if she could do anything on the price as they had had it along time and I wished to complete the previous one I had bought. The manager then tried to accuse me of not buying the other one there and said there is nothing she is willing to do, I found this very rude and completely against great customer service which I am a shop manager myself and would never treat anyone like that. Left the store feeling really hurt. I would not expect this kinda of service. I will be following this up with a complaint to head office as I do not believe managers should act in this way .

Awful. Mirrored bedside tables I paid £170 for arrived smashed and damaged. All of the edges have black dots where the mirroring effect has come off. Terrible quality to send something labelled as “brand new” out. No customer service phone to call.

Update: customer service got back to me via email. They have offered me a refund but said they will not be collecting the damaged goods on this occasion. This is absolutely fine with me as I am young and able to get my goods to the dump. I wonder what inconvenience this would cause to the elderly or somebody with no means for transport.