R B.

Been shopping at Goodwill stores for a very long time, but the selection and quality of items in physical stores has gone way down. And it has to be that they cherry pick all the remotely good to fabulous things and put it on online auction, whether shopgoodwill or ebay. What you find in a store is what they don't consider 'good' or worthy of auction, or something decent they happened to miss when sorting.

That's my top complaint.

Some misc complaints I have: They dropped the student discount. They lowered the senior discount. They instead off a discount card where, I think you have to spend a whopping $500 to earn a measly $5 credit, which has to be one of the Worst discount card programs I've ever heard of. I won't do it. It's a slap in the face.

When you buy in store anymore, everything is as-is, all sales final. They used to allow for returns in some cases, ie if an electronic has an attached cord and it fails to work within a few days, they'd give money back at return. Then they changed it to in-store credit. Now however they don't do anything. One of the problems is, if the customer is expected to properly Test all items themselves, then Goodwill ought to make ie wall outlets more accessible. But they seem to have removed most power strip. And they do routinely put big items right in front of power outlets. So customers testing ie electronics is often a hassle. You, as a customer, should often come prepared with AA or AAA batteries just in case.

I particularly hate being asked to round up my purchase price. As I see it, Goodwill is a more a money making machine that hides behind a 501(c) but the jobs they provide don't pay diddly, and thrift retail training is not exactly career mobility. They're already making just Pure profit form donations. And they don't pay taxes. My buying anything is already helping them. Asking for even a cent more, I find comes off as underappreciative.

On the other hand, thrift stores like the Salvation Army have men's and women's shelters, food banks, drug and alcohol abuse programs, and so much more. They do more than Goodwill, but make a whole lot less money because, I think, they are focused on the needs of others. Goodwill, I believe, is focused only itself, it's constant expansion and profits, foremost. Consider how much money they must take in that they can afford to have locations that are nothing but drop-off and sorting facilities. We have several in my area. Salvation Army cannot afford even a semi tractor trailer item drop off location, in comparison (which I would occasionally see as a kid, but haven't in years).

I should almost never see at Goodwill ie torn clothing, worn out shoes with soles coming apart, etc etc. But I regularly do. They're so hyper focused on making a buck, they don't really inspect the merchandise they offer for sale. Customers deserve better.

I get treated better at other thrift stores than Goodwill. Salvation Army, for instance, their employees are friendlier in average. At Goodwill, their employees often look bored, overworked, or just don't have a moment to talk with you. If the check out line is backed up and only one register is open, Goodwill management usually doesn't notice. At other thrift stores I frequent, they're way more attentive to that.

Any way there's a certain kind of person what wants to compete for goods on auction. I am not one of them. Because the sold price is very often right at the end of what it's worth, ie retail value. There's no Value left in it to be called a bargain. Unfortunately I have to go elsewhere anymore to find a decent bargain.

I don't expect anything to change at Goodwill. In fact I think they're hurrying to do as much online sales as possible. It's very lucrative and efficient for them. It's not convenient for customers however. Do you know that Goodwill is the number one Exporter of goods to other countries, particularly clothing? Instead of discounting and selling it to people who need clothes, for instance in the US, they do not discount it, and it gets boxed in humongous shipping containers... and Sold. Your donations do not, as they claim, go to either outfitting the poor in the US. The object is to only make money. Frankly I don't think highly of Goodwill. They've dramatically changed over the years, and are resting on their laurels, ie how the public perceives them from a generation ago. They market themselves as if they're the same sort of company they were decades ago. They are not.

Customers have to look a Lot harder to find good items, in good condition, at a good price in Goodwill stores these days. Look elsewhere.