Shoppers on Fulham Road are scavenging the charity shops to find goods they can later re-sell on online auction and shopping website e-Bay.

Mind Charity shop is facing problems with customers who constantly asked for discounts of already cheap products on Saturday morning.

“People do not get that, even though it is second hand, it still has value. They think we got it for free, so they can have it for free as well,” said the assistant manager of Mind Charity shop at Fulham Road.

Customers are also stealing the goods, she said, and are often seen with large suitcases, “buying various styles and sizes, claiming it is for their families overseas, but instead selling them on e-Bay.”

Jim Patel, a frequent shopper at Mind Charity shop, said he always sees people asking for discounts “because they think the charity shops are working on the same principles as the high street shops.”

Over the last year, police had only two thefts but they, “do get quite a few reports of stealing donations left outside the charity shops,” said PC Bannister from Hammersmith Police Station.

By re-selling of charity shop´s clothes on e-Bay people can gain between £50 and £100 a month, according to Andy S., member of forum website www.netmums.com who sold the “designer sunglasses” originally bought for £1 for £10.

Four charity shops on the street have bounded together to deal with those situations. Trinity Hospice Charity shop said they are not competing but helping each other. The assistant manager also added they are working closely together: “One day we had a call from the Trinity Hospice to alert us of a man stealing from their shop.”