Is it legal to buy a heap of stuff that was donated to a charity shop, and then sell them on ebay?

Question

so if u were at an op shop and saw a heap of brandnew stuff that were slight seconds,, obviously donated cos of slight faults,, could u buy them and sell them on ebay making a small profit?

selling them more than what u paid for them, and less than half of the retail price

is that legal? thanks, me and hubby r disagreeing on this, lol

Answer 1

Technically yes, you still bought it. Many antiques are sold below their true value and then profit is made off the resale. It isn't quite ethical, but it is legal. But since when is law ethical?

Answer 2

Once you buy it from a shop, be it a charity shop or any shop, it is your property. You can do what you want with it and that includes selling it on ebay. The charity shop will have made money and so will you.

Answer 3

once you buy it it is yours and you can keep it or you can sell it or you can give it away..... if it was illegal to sell things for more then what you paid for them everyone would be in jail.... because wholesalers buy from the manufacturer and sell it to retailers at a profit and then retailers turn around and do the same thing....... tell you husband he is wrong on this account (like he is ever right) and tell him I said so.....

LUV YA ROCKMUM  XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Answer 4

Sure - people are doing it all the time

In UK people scour the Car Boot sales and Charity shops looking for stuff to sell on eBay all the time ..

If the stuff is varied and second hand it's difficult for the Taxman to 'do' you = they have to prove you purchased it with a view to selling it on (as well as establish that you are running a business .. needless to say, if you sell 100's of similar items and have feedback of 2-3,000 it's going to be hard for you to escape :-) )

Answer 5

Yes legal, ethical most certainly not. There are known cases of donated goods being 'skimmed' by volunteers and sold to secondhand shops and online. As this becomes more widely known, the donations to charity shops will dwindle, and the people who shop there will suffer, and by this I refer to the people who need these places to get by...

Answer 6

Yes; That's what happens doesn't it?

Answer 7

yep, go for it!  Smart idea btw...hehehe

I knew a guy who would go around his neighbourhood on hard rubbish day and sell heaps of stuff he got for free!!

Answer 8

it is absolutly legall i've done it myself its a great way to make extra money

Answer 9

Only if the heaps are illegal in your state.

Answer 10

absolutely, what you buy, you own, you are free to do what you please after that

Answer 11

of course it's legal - you buy something it's yours to sell if you like - of course  if you do it regualrly you may need to pay some tax on your 'earnings' just like a store would.

The charity thing is irrelevant - once you buy the stuff - it's yours.

Answer 12

why wouldn't it be legal...it not like u are the op shop itself who take donation only to profit yourself

Answer 13

Go for it. HEAPS of ebay sellers do the exact same thing for extra cash.