The "donation truck"

[Paula A]

A red van came by and started loading my bags. I asked who he was and got a crazy answer. First he said he was picking up for Salvation Army and I said this isn't for them. Then he said, well, they go down to the city...
I had a mom dropping off her child, so I didn't want to get into anything. I took down his license number and then when he was off my street I put out one more bag. If the big truck shows up, I will ask him and if I don't see the truck, I put all the van info on the tag I tied onto my bag.
Hopefully, it is a new puck up system, but I am wondering why a minivan would be used. It was already full when he stopped at my house at 7:30.

[Paula A]

Not the real thing! The real truck came by and picked up my very small bag, but it did it's job! I ran out and talked to the driver. Told him what had happened and showed him the note tied on the bag with the license plate number. He was going to call his boss then. Thanked me over and over.
I got two comments on FB to call the police and I had been wanting to, just thinking it might get laughed away. But I am glad I did. It might help show later on if the guy/s get caught.

[Punkin]

they won't laugh it away! Please call the police and make a report. This person needs to be stopped, he is stealing from people who need these donations. I would be wiling to bet that he is selling the stuff and pocketing the money.

[determined]

Paula, the police may not ignore it but you will run into the whole "we have to catch them in the act" type thing. I would call your local media and talk to them, tell them what is happening so that they may do a "human interest" story on it. That way others who are siting donations out will know to watch for the the van. My bet is that they either have their own thrift shop or are having huge yard sales. A few years back they caught people picking up stuff that was left in the donation boxes both Good Will and Salvation Army and taking it to their own shops to sell.

[Paula A]

I think I will contact the news. I got a call back within the hour from the police. He took all the information and asked enough questions to give me the impression he wasn't taking me too seriously. Then I said, When mu husband was on the city council....and suddenly, he got a little friendlier and asked more questions about the value, etc. I felt like I had become more credible to him!
I told him I was filing the report and I had emailed the company with the same information.
The web site is good and Google did not have any negative links about them.
I told the officer, Everybody thinks their donated items are good, but I put my name on my bags for IRS purposes, and I donate only items that are clean and usable.
(Also mentioned I was going through official channels, not my usual going to daycare dad police officers and SWAT friends!)
Don't, judge: I admit I use every thing. And person I can!

[determined]

Your police must be way better than ours, if we had called ours would still be waiting for them to call back. Called them about someone taking the security doors off the abandoned house behind us, they showed up an hour later and had the nerve to tell me "You have to call when they are here" he gave me a funny look when I told him I did call while they were doing it, wasn't my fault they came an hour later.