twinsoft
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posted on December 30, 2000 01:54:24 PM new
I phoned Goodwill headquarters with a complaint the other day. I found that it's company policy that employees may not purchase items until after two days. Boy, that's not the way they do it at my store.
I saw an employee taking stuff out of one bin and putting it on the shelf. I took a book out of the bin and she told me, "You can't have that, I'm buying it." So I took another book. She told me, "I'm buying that too."
There are usually half a dozen baskets of stuff held for the employees behind the cash register. Naturally, it's all the best stuff, stuff that's never hit the shelves at all. Sometimes there's so much stuff there's no room behind the cash register at all.
At checkout time, the manager prices the stuff by the basket (usually around $5 or $10 per basket). FYI, this is one of the stores involved in the big scandal last year where the store manager was discovered with over a million bucks worth of stuff at her house. It amounts to the employees pilfering the best stuff from the store, and right in front of customers.
I don't know if my complaint will do any good, but I'm tired of seeing the employees getting all the good stuff before it even gets on the shelf.
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LadyGambler
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posted on December 30, 2000 01:56:51 PM new
Out of curiosity, what did Goodwill Headquarters say? I have always wondered about employees getting to all the good stuff first.
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rivergrrrl
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posted on December 30, 2000 02:15:19 PM new
Twinsoft - You and I must shop at the same thrift. Last year the manager of our local Goodwill would stand at the register and brag about how much a local dealer was making on eBay (off of stuff that never made the Goodwill shelves). Wouldn't have been so hard to take if she hadn't been seen at the store in the middle of the night (with said dealer) loading her pick up truck full of donations! This garbage went on for months while customers called the regional office to no avail. She finally quit and moved south with several horse trailers full of good merchandise and a new computer. Saw her in the thrift store yesterday (home for the holidays) and overheard her talking about her great internet business. Made me want to gag. I don't know about Goodwill management elsewhere, but around here, the regional office really does not want to know about internal theft or misappropriation of merchandise.
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twelvepole
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posted on December 30, 2000 02:27:19 PM new
maybe they should start auctioning it at eBay. 
Ain't Life Grand... 
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cmbtboots
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posted on December 30, 2000 02:47:30 PM new
Sort off subject but a couple weeks ago I loaded up my car with clothing and coats and food for a local shelter. Along the way we stopped at a store and bought several pairs of gloves. I wanted to show my 4 year old that there are people who don't have a house or coats or enough to eat so we should help by giving them some of our things
Anyway I got to the shelter and two guys who worked there helped me unload my car. As I carried up the last of the boxes one of the workers already had a pair of the gloves on and a leather coat I was donating.
I didn't want to get into it in front of my son but I was so pissed off and the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth.
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twinsoft
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posted on December 30, 2000 03:31:37 PM new
LadyG, the person I spoke to was #2 below the regional manager. He said he would pass it on. I did get them to quote their policy. Employees may not purchase items until the items have been on the shelf two days.
What's ironic is that if you complain about the price, these same managers will lecture you about the money going to charity. Last year two managers in our area got busted with about 1.7 million dollars worth of donated goods in their homes and a million in the bank.
At the rate I'm seeing goods pilfered, I don't see how it can all be for personal use. I suspect they are reselling it on the side. If they don't stop, I may have to apply for work there. 
[ edited by twinsoft on Dec 30, 2000 03:32 PM ]
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Fez
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posted on December 30, 2000 03:32:50 PM new
Goodwill does have its own auction site.
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LadyGambler
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posted on December 30, 2000 03:58:17 PM new
Cmbtboots,
Your post reminds me of an incident that happened at work. One of the guys at the office was collecting coats for needy families. My Co-worker donated several coats, giving them to this fellow. One of the down jackets he donated had a corporate logo on the front. Several days later he saw the "coat collector" wearing that particular jacket and boy was he mad! I guess the only way you can really ensure that your donations will really get to the needy is to personally deliver them!
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mzalez
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posted on December 30, 2000 04:11:22 PM new
This is one reason why I avoid donating to Goodwill. Most of my donations go to the Naval base thrift store (where the employees are unpaid volunteers) or to the poor in Guatemala.
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ecom
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posted on December 30, 2000 04:52:27 PM new
I don't donate to Goodwill, either. There are too many other programs where the money and donations are better spent.
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iwannabuy
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posted on December 30, 2000 05:33:35 PM new
It's the Salvation Army store in my city that is the problem. The woman who runs the store & her mother are dealers so nothing good ever makes it to the floor. I don't even bother going in there anymore.
(not iwannabuy on ebay)
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bobbysoxer
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posted on December 30, 2000 05:47:04 PM new
mzalez
Even military thrift stores can be corrupt. Been there done that. Even the military garbage picker-uppers make out as bandits! They find treasures as well.
not bobbysoxer on eBay
[email protected]
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max40
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posted on December 30, 2000 07:30:00 PM new
Our local Goodwill store has two full time employees that stand at the donation and sorting lines to pull anything of value that they can put on Goodwill's auction site. When you do a search of this store's auctions, you wonder how Goodwill can afford to pay their salaries. Really pathetic.
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mrssantaclaus
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posted on December 30, 2000 10:56:02 PM new
Finally a dream job for all of us
Volunteer at Goodwill just for first dibs on the goodies!
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valeriet
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posted on December 31, 2000 03:04:58 AM new
You wouldn't be the first one, that's for sure!
--
http://www.valeriet.com
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Bassicbrian
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posted on December 31, 2000 06:20:37 AM new
I don't have a problem with goodwill auctioning stuff for the store, that seems like fair play. What bugs me, is of the second rate stuff that does actually make it to the floor, they are charging 5 times what they should be! At my local Goodwill, they put no less than $5 to $10 bucks on any old piece of crap! They actually had an empty children's character shampoo bottle with $5 on it, you can buy that new full of shampoo for 3.99!!!! I like the Salvation Army the best, they seem to be a lot fairer in their price, but again... what is actually making it to the shelves and how much is going home with the workers?
[ edited by Bassicbrian on Dec 31, 2000 06:27 AM ]
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LindaAW
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posted on December 31, 2000 06:25:53 AM new
elray,
I am sorry but I have deleted your post because it contained an eBay ID. There are specific steps that must be followed before you can post identifying information.
Full details of the requirements can be found in the AW Community Guidelines:
http://www.auctionwatch.com/company/terms.html#mesg
Thank you for your cooperation.
Linda
Moderator
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