I am truly disappointed to state that Goodwill must know exactly that the charity itself is overcharging unexpecting and already generous clients by inflating the shipping charges.
Goodwill charges me regular customer shipping fees as if I myself was shipping using Fedex as an individual customer. It is all available on the Fedex website under cost calculator, to which Goodwill employees when asked about the shipping charges happily direct the customers to. Goodwill also mentions in response to me that these are the negotiated rates. This statement is false and deceptive. The negotiated rates are much lower.
I called Fedex today and asked for the actual shipping price of an item I already received from Goodwill for shipping of which I paid $43.68. According to Goodwill I pay for the shipping which I am also able to calculate myself by using the Fedex online calculator, but according to Fedex it is Goodill who pays for the shipping at generously discounted rates which are concealed from unexpecting and already generous supporters of Goodwill charities. Because Goodwill has a corporate shipping account that comes with generous shipping discounts I, the customer of Goodwill cannot know the actual price of shipping that is paid by Goodwill to Fedex. Again, the shipping costs Goodwill offers in its auctions are not the actual shipping charges.
Why this is an OK practice on the part of the charity institution? Are online auction prices (including shipping) set up to exclude the regular brick and mortar Goodwill customer from shopping Goodwill online? What is the mission of Goodwill then?
What is Goodwill's reasoning for the inflated and random shipping prices?
How is inflating the shipping charges a good business practice?
Why can a jewelry ring be shipped at an outrageously different cost from $0.1 to nearly $16 from Goodwill?
I will be following up with Goodwill on the following:
1. Goodwill is a non profit.
2. Goodwill overcharges for shipping.
3. Goodwill pockets the difference in shipping.
4. How does Goodwill record the pocketed difference in shipping? AS donations? But I do not agree to donate this money to Goodwill. I pay this money for shipping. If they record it as donations where is my receipt so that I can take tax deductions?
As to the shipping charges there is a class action suit in the making. It may be an uphill battle but I am looking forward for Goodwill to spend millions to defend itself because it is trying to save/make millions.
I have a local Goodwill I go to and I love checking their site.