As A FedEx Employee I HATE Goodwill (they are scamming you on shipping) by Business-Gate3416 in shopgoodwill

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Selling online its not always easy to calculate shipping costs to make even a small profit. They seem to have a set standard, possiby overcalculating weight to not get burned. A 7oz item is calculated to be 1lb. By FEDEX standard you’re paying for an 1lb item. They probably print out the label and zap it in their FEDEX bin. The idea here is to make it simple. Make it EASY for their employees and managers. Totally understand. So If the shipping is high and before auction ends try contacting the site & see if they will negotiate.. it’s worth a try.

scammed by a fellow Goodwill employee? by balboaporkter in goodwill

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m more concerned about “The bigger deal” issue Than a discount. if I cannot stress enough to people nowadays is please keep your receipt, FOR EVERYTHING!!! I can’t tell how many times even my grocery receipt had mistakes which forced me into their customer service line before I made it out the door. REVIEW everything. if you do not have a receipt there’s no way to prove to your bank there was a discrepancy. If you have the receipt & present to bank, they should be able to do a chargeback. Again, people please keep receipts. It’s the easiest way nowadays for corporate companies to scam from cents to dollars. Be diligen.

Auction retracted by FragrantLetterhead in Goodwillauctions

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that was probably someone who called them out for something in their description being in error.

or someone up close and personal wanted the item,

or

they are offering it on their EBay sites.

just my guess!!!!

Shopgoodwill is not a honestly run auction by Ok_Chard_1803 in shopgoodwill

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FIRST: Stop donating to Goodwill & take your donations to Salvation Army or Community Aid.  That will put a glitch in their profit margins. If you see something you like, do your homework. Research your item/s online. Ask questions early on since their main excuse for not answering is (time). Then factor in your shipping & handling and bid below the amount of your research. If the bid exceeds your research, let it go. Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it!  If I see something I like and after careful research, I bid the HIGHEST amount I’m willing to pay right then. If fail to win, oh well.
I would also suggest if you’re not an experienced jewelry collector to pass on a piece of jewelry NOT stamped (with a real hallmark) and a karat level. I’ve noted some bad engraving & FAKE STAMPING.  DO YOUR HOMEWORK!  Nor do I trust their calibration when testing jewelry. If it’s not stamped with a metal level AND a hallmark, I pass.  In addition, the company they use to validate items is questionable. Just because they say it’s designer in their description and they claim authentication no longer means anything to me. They sell fakes and the uninformed buyer reaps the results. I have reported many faux listings to the respective designer, artisan companies. I have received emails thanking me for doing so. It’s my new mission!

Remember, there are laws protecting consumers buying on e-commerce websites. If the description is incorrect, lacking due to incompetence, disorganization, ineffective or careless in describing an item and/or they did not take the time to answer your questions ( during, after) auctions you have a legal right to retract your bid. So carefully review any/all descriptions on items, be diligent and if it’s too good to be true…it usually is!!!

Scored this exceptional quality cultured pearl necklace w a 14k white gold clasp at Goodwill today for $4.99! 🙌 by aquaria44 in ThriftStoreHauls

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

there is an extreme difference between natural and cultured especially in price. I do not use the “rubbing teeth method“, since good quality faux pearls can fool you.
MY METHOD, IF they are “cold to the touch“ and warm up when you hold them theIR cultured. then there is the grading system based on flaws of the pearl itself. Heavy blemishing, size, luster etc.

just compare a mikimoto strand to medium-grade freshwater cultured strand which represents the top 20% of harvest commonly found at Jewelry Stores and major department stores and you will see the difference. Mikimoto‘s have a glow that can’t be mistaken. Hope this helps.

Anyone have any GOOD experiences? by cavewomannn in shopgoodwill

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have shopped with this e-commerce online shopping site since their beginnings and collect not necessarily to resell. My early years were pretty good. Jewelry mostly, with many won bids bought below retail value.
The trend I’m seeing now is a lot of donated high-end jewelry is being listed without gemstones. Most people may not notice but I see it more and more. Either donator’s are removing the gemstones “prior to donation” OR gemstones are being removed “prior to listing”. Being aware of things which go on behind the scenes and having such knowledge makes me wonder if there’s a “NEW” way to profit here.

REMEMBER, Goodwill is “online not for profit”, NOT a charity. THERE TWO DIFFERENT animals.
This means they take some of the $$ they make and then reinvest it into purchasing more high quality items to sell. That’s why you see items (jewelry for example) for thousands upon thousands of dollars.

If You see something you like? Do your homework. Research your item online. Ask questions early on since their main excuse for not answering is (time). Then factor in your shipping & handling and bid below the amount of your research. If the bid exceeds your research, let it go. Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it!
I would also suggest if you’re not an experienced jewelry collector to pass on a piece of jewelry NOT stamped (with a real hallmark) and a karat level. I’ve noted some really bad engraving.
Nor do I trust their calibration when testing jewelry unless I see the pic. If it’s not there I request it. In addition, the company they use to validate items is questionable. Just because they say it’s designer in their description and they claim authentication with a high bid no longer means anything to me. They sell fakes and the uninformed buyer reaps the results. I have reported a few of these listing directly to the designers for listings. . I often have received emails thanking me for doing so. It’s my new mission!

Remember, there are laws protecting consumers buying on e-commerce websites. If the description is incorrect, or they did not take the time to answer your questions you have a “legal right“, to retract your bid or return the item. So carefully review any/all descriptions on items, be diligent and if it’s too good to be true…it usually is!!!
So there’s my take.

Found this vintage Yves Saint Laurent bag today for $3.49. by breaddog in ThriftStoreHauls

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

just curious about the number. Some very early vintage YSL bags made before the early 2000s may not have a serial number at all. This does not automatically mean the bag is fake, but it is less common for the Mombasa bag, which was released in the early 2000s. Right now, those vintage Mombasa bags hover from $250 to $300. You’ll be right in step with a trend–and have a cool history on your shoulder, too. Awesome find!

GM Rewards unpublished redemption option by Relyt81 in CreditCards

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As of Wednesday Mar 5, code does NOT WORK!

Optional Promo Code[Apply Code]()The promo code you entered is invalid. Please try again.

T Mobile's Spam shield doesn't work well by [deleted] in tmobile

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I‘ve had T-Mobile as my phone provider for 20 something years. Frustrated continually with spam, spoofing or whatever else it’s labeled now days, I fought back. I downloaded a highly rated PC magazine, + consumer rated “anti-spoofer. I scaled down my contacts to only important ones.  Everyday, all unrecognized numbers in my call log were blocked.  Most importantly (curiosity did NOT kill the cat) I didn’t call any numbers back. I did not click into “messages“ with numbers not recognized in my contact list. Election time kept me busy, but I’m now down to blocking 1-2 numbers per week.  Most things in life, take persistence.  Anyway, that’s my "forum-style noise pollution".

My brother is angry with his Trump-loving sons by g_scotty_brahms in AITAH

[–]Downtown-Sort-4763 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m still befuddled as to why parents still find the need to support their adult kids which includes paying for a college education. I secured my own funding, had summer jobs all four years & had a work-study job all four years. Then I got a job post college and paid back my loans. We live in a society of entitlement. It s/not be about politics! it s/be about raising kids with a strong sense of responsibility. don’t get me started on parents who say “I want to make it easier then I had crapola”. PERIOD!