AIBU in expecting people to pay?

I can only say that it's bound to happen, probably need to factor in a or percentage for losses. It's the way of the world.

You should declare the contest null and void due to lack of sales showing the numbers of bags taken and funds received. May jolt some in to paying up!

Then the OP would be on sticky ground for misrepresentation as those who have paid will be within their rights to ask for a refund!!

We took part in our village Open Gardens and I laid on cake and tea, requesting a donation to cancer research. Some people were unbelievable, demanding coffee as it I was running a cafe! Worst of all the majority seemed to think that 50p-£1 was a reasonable donation for homemade cream cake and tea!

I agree,days of honesty boxes are over- you should just leave the packages for free for kiddies to grow a sunflower‐and no reward or contest.Or just not bother im afraid.(could be most have paid, but some put in a £1 & then take £2out?) Anyway it clearly does not work very well in this day & age?

Riggie- maybe an alternative prize should be offered then‐ like a 'houseplant in a pot'or similar?

What a lovely thought Teacheranne. Wish I could crochet. Even my knitting leaves much to be desired.

Some people are reluctant to pay for things. Some years ago I booked a holiday cottage so that my son and friends could spend 2 days there. For the rest of the week I invited 3 friends and explained that they and the boys would share the cost. One offered me£5 for petrol, the other nothing. The drive there and back was 200 miles and I dont think either of them bought food or drink. Never again!

I think that's so sad. When we're driving through any village (in the good days) we love to stop at all the offerings (honey, eggs etc) and purchase these goodies in abundance.. It would be such a shame if this was no longer available....

Another time I went away with a walking group. The form was that everyone gave the driver 1 or 2 pounds depending on the journey. On arrival we went to pay the driver and one lady gathered her belongings and said she would be returning in the other car!She got out and I'm sure she didn't pay the other driver either!

I have advertised my surplus apple harvest on Freecycle and folk have been keen to come and take them. Perhaps not in these COVID times though.
You join a local group online to be able to post your giveaways and wants. I have cleared out lots of stuff that way. It’s sometimes surprising what people find a use for. I hate having to take things to the dump and thus landfill.

Should add that when I put my produce out, I always know how much I should make, and fetch the money in frequently.
Most of my customers are very local, I don’t live on a main road. I find they usually have the correct change, or leave a bit extra. Have had people ring the doorbell for change if they only have a note, which is fine.

It’s a nice feeling when people say how good the tomatoes etc are, I am very reasonable in what I ask for, and they appreciate it.

i worked for the WRVS volunteers in the crown court manning the cafe. . The jury would order sandwiches and put the appropriate money on the tray. An usher would bring the order and deliver it to them. when the tray and money came back someone hadn't paid, so I sent it back and didn't accept till money was correct. was shocked. they can claim it back in expenses after all.

Many people do not carry cash anymore. Maybe they only pass your house once a week and will pay next time. I cannot believe anyone would just steal something like that.

I came on to see (hopefully) whether the non-payers had been back ?

On the flip side, when I moved I put a load of stuff I didn’t want on the verge with a notice “Free. Help yourself”.
Some people knocked and insisted on paying a bit?

How sad that people are abusing the honesty box system, but I suppose nowadays there just aren't the same "moral standards" as when I was growing up. Where I live, deep in the countryside, there are still honesty boxes for things like free-range eggs; plants; hand made furniture, and people seem to pay up. But having said that, some years ago we had neighbours fresh from a big city and the neighbourhood learned quickly that if it wasn't tied down, it'd disappear - they even stole gates from fields with animals in, to sell on - thus putting the animals at risk of getting onto the road. Times have changed :-(

I worked in a hospital where the nurses bought tea/coffee/milk for themselves while running clinics. The consultants expected free tea and coffee delivered to them - paid for by the nurses. On the other hand we had an honesty box for patients taking tea and coffee from a plastic dispenser. They always paid up. We were never short. Go figure.

How disappointing, PamelaJ, it seems such a lovely thing to do. Do you have a village shop nearby that might sell your packs for you?

I have recently started to grow some plants and we had been discussing putting any surplus out for neighbours to help themselves or something similar.

I used to love it when driving through the countryside or small villages and seeing small stalls set out with fruit, vegetables/salad, eggs, honey, preserves etc - some of the things in jars even had pretty homemade labels and list of ingredients (good for people like me with food allergies). I love the concept of honesty boxes and personally would always rather leave a little extra than see it as an opportunity to get fresh/organic homemade produce free or cheap! I did used to be amazed when other cars would pull up and someone would get out, help themselves to items and get back in the car having put nothing in the box. I recall a few, usually smaller, farms or orchards had a 'pick your own and leave something in the honesty box' opportunity - doesn't get any fresher than straight off the tree/bramble etc - even windfall apples, pears either to collect yourself or in baskets or boxes on the stalls. A little bookshop in Hastings used to leave about a dozen boxes of books outside and a note saying to put the money for priced boxes or a donation for books in other boxes through the letterbox - again, bargain books - I do remember posting the money and seeing other money all over the floor - used to wonder why no box or tray to collect the cash as they would have to pick it all up!

I do agree with previous comments though that these days there does seem to be a greater number of people out to get things free, that have no respect for things like honesty boxes, even if the money goes to charity or being able to provide more goods for people who need them.

I may have to think further about what to do with any excess produce I manage to grow - maybe the food bank would be a better option! I did also think about putting boxes of books with an honesty box to raise a few quid for our local animal rescue, but seeing others have had problem neighbours threatening to report them for selling etc I don't want to upset my new neighbours in any way - sad world when you can't even try to do something nice without being condemned, short-changed or robbed.

* Just in the hope some of you might see the funny side of this....most of us are of an age where we know 'Pick Your Own' means collect your fruit then pay for it....my better half told me of a time he was out with mutual friends, went to a PYO place and on the way out one friend thought he would be paid for collecting the fruit rather than having to pay for what he collected - we couldn't believe it as he is about a decade older than me - did think it was funny though, even funnier that he was then told to cough up and pay by the others present and he is notoriously stingy.

We used to do this in our walking group. There was one man who didn't give anyone a lift to the starting point of the walk or give anyone a lift back but insisted on having a share of the petrol money that was collected from those who had had lifts.

@polarbear2 I used to work in the NHS too as part of a mental health professional team. I started a tea/coffee/biscuits fund at £1/week for the admin staff, then the rest of the department wanted to join in, many of whom earned 3 or 4 times what we did and would argue that they were only in the office 3 days/week and only wanted to pay 60p. I started keeping a spreadsheet of people's payments. This was OK until some of the 'higher ups' were eating all the biscuits and not actually contributing. Eventually I had to make a point of having a regular item on the monthly team meeting agenda to remind people that I was the lowest paid member of the team (I only worked part time) and that there were several well paid members of the team expecting ME to subsidise their refreshments. I got through to them and actually got some of them to pay a couple of months in advance and is send them an email when their contribution was coming towards an end and they'd give me another £5/10 next time they came into the office. You have to stay on top of things like this.

I had an abundance of sedums that I was getting rid of so I put them all in my wheelbarrow with a big sign saying free. Placed it all by the end of the driveway,looked out later only to find someone took plants and my wheelbarrow! Flaming cheek.

What a lovely idea teacheranne

@Pammiel... you didn't sell, so there was nothing to report. What a nosey parker of a neighbour you have.

My grandson has been potting up spare plants from my daughter's garden and has been putting them outside with an honestly box for a local charity.
He has been doing quite well - a pound or two every day - but it's a very family-friendly and "traditional" road that you would probably only walk if you were very local.

So sorry to hear people's not-so-positive stories.
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My daughter is the chair of a young walkers group affiliated to the ramblers. New people can attend 3 organised walks before having to join, but she has told me of people who say they are going to join, but don't, but continue to sign up for walks. The ramblers is a charity and most of the organisers are volunteers, so she gets quite annoyed about people just wanting a freebie. As for car sharing and contributing to petrol costs ... There's always one tight fisted person who seems to think the world owes them everything for nothing!

If I have windfall apples I usually just want to give them away to reduse wastage. I email my neighbours and offer them that way. I get rid of some that way then take the rest to work for anyone to help themselves. Now I'm retired I may have trouble getting rid of them all if I get a bumper crop!