Thrift stores refusing to sell you items because they know they're good finds

So, you left the store without buying anything?

You could have asked for his name and contacted the manager later. If something is clearly marked, and they refuse to sell it to you for that amount, then I think that is illegal. One of those switch and bait things.

I’m not 100% sure in this case, but it seems fishy to me.

We’ve had this happen several times where an employee wants to even “re-check” the price. They’re in their rights, but it’s a bad way to do business. I raise a stink.

Its basically a game where they want to get the highest price and I want to pay the lowest. The best thrift store employees are the ones who dont care because they’re paid so poorly.

I find I have problems with items without a price on them. You get one of two responses:

a) they will do some research and try and get better than top dollar because you are interested in buying the item. Soon as this happens, I know I won’t be buying the item.

b) you get the thrift store employee Jay describes as underpaid and don’t care – they either ask you what you want to pay, or sometimes give it to you for free.

I find that for profit stores (Value Village, Savers) usually fall in category A, where charity shops fall in category B.

Some thrift shop chains here (directly connected to particular charities) require any purchase by an employee or volunteer to be “rung up” by someone else, to prevent fraud. The one I frequent uses price stickers with strong adhesive- I know to use naptha or similar to remove them, but I wonder how many things have been ruined by buyers peeling them off!

Oh the thrift stories we can tell. I have never had that happen but recently bought a set of things that they had mis-counted ( I was shorted by 5 of the items). I asked for a discount since I was shorted and they told me NO. The manager and I had a back and forth, and I was in an irritated mood already so I was not at my best! 🙂
I ended up buying the partial set at the FULL price but chalk it up to cost of doing thrift business on occasion. There are so many wins, a few loses here and there are expected.

Our local Gucci Goodwill started selling “new” pallet items a few years ago. I found a Bugaboo stroller with a dual stroller attachment. The attachment thing was still NIB, but the stroller was obviously and old, sun faded model where someone pulled the ol’ switcheroo on a return. I fought with the manager over it because this was CLEARLY not a new item and they had it priced as a new item. I believe the price was $150 for the set. They would not separate the items.

I very begrudgingly handed over the $150 but made it clear I was pissed about it. Then I went home, listed the attachment, and soon sold it for $400. Later I sold the used and very sunfaded bugaboo stroller locally for I think $50.

It the most ticked off and unsatisfied I’ve ever been flipping a $300 profit. Lol!

Years ago there was a larger Salvation Army store in my town that went out of business. Local folklore is the workers were cherry picking all of the good donations for themselves to flip so good stuff never made it to the shelves. I don’t know if they had to purchase the items first (I hope so). No one shopped there because there was never anything good to buy. Years later the Salvation Army opened a new store and employees were forbidden from shopping there but management changed about 2 years ago and they relaxed this rule. I donated some items and right in front of me as I was filling out the donation receipt a sorter that worked there said, “wow, this is a nice bag”, tried it on (it was a computer backpack) and then put it aside in the employee break room. What the hell? I specifically donated it to the Salvation Army because I knew they used the store’s proceeds locally. I didn’t donate it so the guy who was earning community service hours for parole could have something free for himself. It really irritated me. I’ve noticed too that the store never has anything good anymore, ever. I used to shop there 2 – 3 times a week and I now I go maybe once every 6 months. I’ve heard other thrifters complaining about it too so we’ll see if they stay open or close down again.

I volunteer at a very popular local thriftstore with just one location. This thrift returns $100s of thousands of $ back into the community. They are able to do this because most of the “employees” are volunteers, the area is more affluent than most so the donations are better stuff, and they receive more donations than they can handle.

This store has policies that ensure items make it to the shelf for everyone. Oh yes…as a volunteer, I receive a 25% discount, so I do have that advantage.

My store’s policy: Items must be inspected and priced by the Inspection, Testing and Pricing Teams. This may take just an hour for large items to several days for electronics needing testing. So, the items make it to the floor first and all customers may purchase it.

I volunteer one day a week. During my shift, I keep an eye out for possible items. At the end of my shift, I pick those items from the shelves and purchase….if the item is still there! A good item is a good item….other people can see it too. I’m lucky if the item lasts until the end of my shift.

Most days…I go home with nothing…because the item got away or the store prices it at ebay top-dollar. That’s how ebay can turn on you….the stores research the selling prices too!

I made the mistake of telling a much smaller local store that I sometimes sell my book purchases on ebay. They now look at the books I’m purchasing with great inspection….like I’m running a con-game. I tell them how much time and effort it takes to research, list and then wait until that one person across the globe wants it, searches for it, chooses your listing, and purchases it. Oh yeah, with some returning it 30 days later…. I’d think they’d see me as a partner, but it doesn’t seem that way.

Money talks for these stores (that are driven by the money not more mission-based).

I was at chain store (not GW) and they had a TON of jewelry out of the case on the racks, Wahoo! I remarked how great it was not to have to “ask” to see a $3 pin locked away. The clerk said “we have been pricing items too high and haven’t made our sales goals, so now we have a new manager who is marking things correctly.” DUH. But, money talks!