Shopgoodwill.com Goodwill Blatant shill bidding! Hey Goodwill, you get it all free anyway! Don't be greedy! Online Auction Nationwide

 I'm reading through these comments and you would think There is a gun to your head, forcing you to buy items at ShopGoodwill! I have a solution for the complainers: STAY AWAY FROM THE SITE! Problem solved! Good grief, people! I've gotten some fantastic deals at ShopGoodwill and I've not once noticed the abuse others claim. I live in NC and sure the shipping is high (most items are shipped out West), but all in all, I love the site. Just got a Shimano Bantam Reel for under $20. You know how much the same reel is selling on eBay? Some over $200. Yes please, stay away from the site - less competition for me! Instead of complaining, just suck it up there, buttercup. Put on your big boy panties and quit being offended about every little thing.

My wife and I frequent Goodwill's weekly in our area and have come away with more "treasures" than we need. We love the thrill of "what are we going to find today?" Now quit thinking "handout", and for once consider their expenses of running a store, paying employees and all that is associated with that. As a self-employed business owner I know full well what it takes to run a business, and I think Goodwill is doing a heck of a job.. Now tell me - where else can you go and get a name brand shirt for $3? Get over your entitlement mentality, your "oh, I'm a victim" mentality and if you don't like the site or the company - you have a choice! Move on there, cowboy. . . Geeze people!

This is a quick observation regarding a recent, quiet change. Central Indian's name has just changed. It's now "Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, Inc" instead of the familiar "Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana". That seemed like a detail worth noting since they get a mention or two here.

The situation I'm dealing with from a different location has not gone away. It needs to because their own auction terms contradict what they're doing to me. They need to read their own fine print.

The auctions in question very specifically instruct potential bidders to look at each self-contained auction's respective images while making a bid determination.

Their auction instructions do NOT say: Look at Auction #2's images and use those to determine the bid you are considering for Auction #1.

 

Have mercy! You all have been peeking into my experiences.

@ #3 Pictures and MORE Pictures !Oh MY!: That is EXACTLY what I am dealing with right now for a store that is not Central Indiana. A secondary picture from an auction I recently won was used as the primary *sitewide* "bait and hook" image for an unrelated auction I did NOT win.

The two auctions have the EXACT SAME PIC. It's for a secondhand "gets used up" kind of items collection so it's IMPOSSIBLE for the items to look exactly the same. I'll leave it at that. It will potentially become its own entry on this site in the next couple days. I don't want it to be viewed as spam because of multiple mentions of the exact details.

@ #4 disagree with Central Indiana: My first post here. I want to make sure I can expand on this later so what I'll say for now is that I experienced a fairly close version of what you describe. Mine involves a California store (I think). I'll hopefully write it up as its own deal since it involves a different location. Just wanted to express some *empathy* for now.

@ #4 Agree with shady Number Bump: Bait and hook. I've used those exact words to both the ShopGoodwill vendor I'm dealing with THIS second AND the... "that Bureau". Sorry, I don't know if it's allowed to actually say that entity's name. *grin*

@ #5 Central Indiana Store: This is just getting so wild. Ditto in a way appropriate to my bid interests. I messaged a store in Florida and asked if EVERYTHING in the images would be sent to the winning bidder. They responded back, "Yes, ALL of our auctions include the container."

Come delivery day, I was excited all morning because I wasn't going to have to go hunting for storage containers when the items got here. HA! Package got here, and my first thought was the container must not have been what I thought it was because the shipped package wasn't shaped right. WRONG. The container wasn't in it at all. They didn't ship it.

I wrote them and called them out on it. I told them I wasn't going to puruse it, though, because it was a $5 container, and I wasn't going through the hastle for that. That's surely the kind of answer they're hoping to hear. *smacking my head*

@ #6 Fired not guilty... Have you smacked your own self upside the head yet over who *might* have done the shill bidding at your IP addy?

@ #10 I agree with this: I'm starting to FINALLY see a correlation between those stores that offer reasonable shipping, not cheap but "reasonable", and the appearance of a store that can be trusted to be there for everyone, i.e. consumers and themselves. Texas, Tennessee, and Ohio always immediately come to mind. Just sayin'.

@ #12 Helping the poor?: I once worked in a department shipping items through four or five major small package couriers. Some of the carriers offered us a bottom dollar price based on the quantity we shipped.

Our cost was CHEAP. Those big guys, "those two" are some that ShopGoodwill uses. There's a definite feel that one or more stores MIGHT be inflating the cost to take advantage of it. On the flipside, the feel is that other stores are possibly giving us THEIR discount price to HELP consumers.

@ #19 Non Payments: What people are saying is that items are being relisted within a couple days, that kind of thing. What *WE* have witnessed... one more time... What *WE* have witnessed... What *they AND I* have witnessed... is that auctions we have liked but didn't bid on were.... witnessed... being relisted within maybe one or two days. Non-payment takes at least 10 days to reach that status. Even at 10 days, some stores have very kind policies of allowing a couple more days if that is their policy.

Further from me on items going back up for rebidding. I've seen an "adorable" twist to some relists more than a couple times. I've seen items relisted with a glaring "RELISTED" often in the title description, but you can't find a previous auction to go with. Item description pushes it along with a "Relisted due to non-payment, serious bidders only, please!" kind of mantra.

First time I ever saw it, I called the store out on it. I can't imagine the game there unless we're supposed to be enticed to bid freakishly wild due to feeling lucky to get a second shot at something someone else dissed after winning. ?

@ #21 A little fishy....: I'm watching 3 auctions RIGHT NOW. Two at one store and one at another. Two of those 3 auctions had a first bidder who bid THREE TIMES before anyone else ever did.

The first one bid 3 times with an opening bid of $7.99. Second bidder bid... and took the lead at $9.99.

The bid increment is one dollar ($1). $7.99 first bid. Theoretically $8.99 second bid. Theoretically $9.99 for the third bid. First person to bid on a same dollar amount wins the bid. Didn't happen here so something's hinky. At auction's end, it will be visible that first bidder bid multiple amounts that were less than the $1 increment.

That's far from the first time I've seen that. I will... ponder writing these three up once they're all done in 2 days from now. It's possible gut instinct could say it's just a psych out job being done by a bidder who doesn't want to spend much money.

What I mean is it's POSSIBLE that it's a real bidder who thinks a multiple times bidder will frighten other bidders away by making others think the multiple times rash bidder is spending lots of money.

The same kind of deal has happened at the end of an auction or two, too. One time it was five bids that amounted to barely a couple dollars based on the bid history that became visible at auction's end. If I noted it somewhere, I'll share....

UPDATE: The second similar auction just moved. First bidder's three bids appear to have gone from $4 to $7 with second bidder taking things over at $8. Item is actually now at $27 after 9 bids, and the original two bidders long done. Or at least so it seems.

You all wore me out here. I'll wait on those 3 auctions to see what happens AND work through posting my item that went missing in an awfully awkward way. I still need help with that to put that out of mind... in their favor, by the way. *grin*

Do remember what time of year it is. Lots of people are now flush with expendable cash that came to them freely. Some things that look like suspect bidding are just bidders throwing away easily found money. An example is I've seen a noticeable ebb and flow especially after natural disasters. Another thought occurs to me regularly, but I'll save it for another time (too).

Right now is the slowest, lowest I've seen things be. Appearance is that word may finally be getting around about the site. People aren't fibbing about incidences they share. It's such a shame that the stores doing honest work are taking the same hits as the ones generating the bad buzz.

PS Some day remind me to vent about the $67 drawing I won. That remains a major heartbreaker for me.

Please educate yourself before you write comments that are untrue and way off base.  I have worked for both The Salvation Army and Goodwill and both non-profits have two very different missions.  Both run thrift stores to fund their missions and both are set up with different territories that act as seperate entities underneath completely seperate leadership.  Both fall underneath an umbrella of the "name" however they are able to for the most part set up their own rules.  It amuses me when people state that the Goodwill executives are "rolling" in dough and pay themselves like kings.  There again....educate yourself.  The Salvation Army is set up like a church.  The "Major" over each division on paper only gets a salary of let's say $50,000 a year.  What they don't tell you and they don't have to because remember they are set up like a church is that they pay nothing else in expenses.  They are given very comfortable living quarters (I know because we used to have corporate meetings at my Majors house), all utilities are paid for by the money made at their retail stores, they have expense accounts (credit cards with no limits), they are given vehicles to drive and gas cards.  Now who couldn't live off that.  Only problem is by the time you factor all that in guess what.  Goodwill exes take a straight salary.  Now let's address their retail stores.  Do you really think there is a "second-hand" fairy that comes in and prices everything and that fairy visits every store so that all the prices are consistent?  Employees are doing the best they can do to price things fairly.  For vendors like yourself yes both Salvation Army and Goodwill try to get the most out of valuable items to fund their missions.  They would be stupid not to.  You along with everyone else feels like because they get it for free I should get a deal on it.  Do you think the electric company and the trash and water companies cut them a deal because they are non-profits?  They have overhead just like you do when you are "re-selling" something you purchased at one of their stores.  ShopGoodwill is no different.  Who pays the overhead?  Think about the salaries of the employees, their benefits packages, workman's comp, etc.  Ever think about that genius?  That's where some of the inflated shipping costs come from.  I always price check between ShopGoodwill and Ebay and I always go with the cheaper price regardless of the site.  I have seen some items go for crazy amounts of money on ShopGoodwill but guess what I've seen the same on EBAY.  Most Goodwills have a very strict policy on shopping whether it be online or in stores for it's employees.  Remember they are not all run by the same person.  They have territories.  That's why if you buy something at one store you may not be able to return it at another store in another area.  The Salvation Army has always been set up as "giving a handout" and Goodwill has always been set up as "giving a hand up."  Goodwill tries to educate it's clients and assist with helping them become self sustaining.  Salvation Army just gives away food and it's "salvage clothing."  Trust me neither gives away "the good stuff." Form whatever opinion you want to form but I've been an employee with BOTH non-profits and they just like big box have to operate like a business to fund their mission.  Do both have employees or leadership doing unethical things....I'm sure but so does Walmart, Target, etc.  It's wrong to ASSUME you know and make comments that are untrue.  Do your research or better yet GO VOLUNTEER and you will get first hand knowledge of both and how they operate.

Another fine example of the possible shilling going on. 

Awhile back, I was on the hunt for a Dell Studio XPS 435. I found one on ShopGoodWill. I was excited that a system that once caost 1500+ back in 2000 was on here for 10.00. So I started the bidding with a proxy bid of 100.00. 2 days later it was at 101.00. THEN I proxied it again to 200.00. 3 days later 201.00. I proxied the last time for 350.00 and this is where it gets interesting. Towards the end of the auction I was watching it very closely. All the sudden a day before the auction ends it jumps to 1000.00. I WAS ASTOUNDED!. Here is a USED item on this site, thats worth at its best 300.00 just went to 1000. You can find them all day long on ebay for around 250.00 to 300.00. Why would it be at 1000.00?. Where in this world would a bargain hunter pay 1000 for a 13 year old machine. 

This proved ot me that there is ghost bidding going on, or shilling as you call it. THEN get this, a week ago, the same system a Dell Studio XPS 435 came back on for bidding. It looked EXACTLY the same, even had the same markings on the side of the case.  NO descriptopm on the item at all. Whomever shilled this one, lost their 350.00. I was not going to pay 1001.00 dollars for it. So they lost the sale. 

I contacted the store via ticket system and asked them if this was the same system that went off for 1000.00. And they said they have no information in regards to this. 

I scan the computer listings all day to watch for bargains. And I have seen computers suddenly come back on auction that went off for LARGE amounts. The game is being played, but their loosing in it. 

Just my 2 cents. 

Hello. 

I buy off of the website ALOT. And I have come to find out, that the pictures that you so state are taken of the item everytime they list it is FALSE. They reuse old pictures of another item for the item they are listing. SOMETIMES they use a fresh picture of the item. I recently bought a item from there, and I paid close attention to the pictures for that item. When I got the item in the mail, it was NOTHING like the item in the picture. 

I am not going to go into great detail here. But I will say, that to be weary about what items you bid on. Pay CLOSE attention to the pictures, question it, review it, and then bid on it. 

I remember also awhile back bidding on a Dell Precision T3500 computer. BUT towards the end, I noticed that the picture of the model at the top of the computer read T5500. Hmm. Well thats odd, cause its suppose to be the item in the auction. They use old pictures from other auctions to save time. But in the process of doing this, are conducting fradulant activity. You cannot falsify a picture of a auction. If the item in the auction is not the item in the pictures for that auction, its fraud. FALSE advertising. 

So yeah, im sure alot of employee's there take the time to take pictures, but not all do. SO whining about 200 pictures a day, pfftt. I shead a single tear. Their job is to take pictures and list items. If they cannot do that job, then they have no business having that job. 

Im tired of being lied too. Ghost bidding, false pictures, astronomically high prices. ShopgoodWill is not the place for a deal anymore. 

Mystery bids?

I totally see the bait and hook going on with this site let's not turn a blind eye.

I have seen this on Ebay as well since 2000 I have been a seller someone’s buddy bumps the big for them.

The day the auction ends your bid sits just slightly above the radar within $5.00 then you are sweating to bid higher Please Don’t do it they are baiting you.

Out of twelve items I have bid on shopgoodwill it has always been the same and you can't retract your bid.

So don't tell me someone outside of Goodwill is not bumping the bids pure BS!

I can buy a Nikon D300 with power grip and flash for less than $400.00 on Ebay I see one not tested hitting $475.00 on Goodwill as I type this. with no guarantees it even works and no buyer protection and $30.00 shipping to go along with it.

Some folks may get a deal but not many doo, understand it's someones problem they dump off.

All my local Goodwills allow you to return any item if you find it does not work within three days for a full money refund as long as you have the receipt and price sticker still on the item so what's the problem with shop goodwill doing the same?

I just bought an item and priorto buying it, I sent a messsage to the store using their messaging system attached to the items. I specifially asked if they could check out a know defualt of the item I wanted to bids on, the roley was "no problem, this does not have that issue and it's in excellent condition.

I won the auction and the item came, sure enough, the product had the exact isse i had asked them about. Blatant lies and after sending multiple pictures, I recived a canned response and nothing there after.

This is just one of many problens I have had at numerous loactions. Shill bidding being the biggest issues.

Goodwill is a terrible company, with terrible people running it.

 

DONATE TO SALVATION ARMY and pass on the decietful Not So Goodwill.

 

 

Goodwill is a mess I must agree but I as an ex-employee of the auction site I have personal experience with this subject.I was WRONGFULLY fired from Goodwill after being accused of fixing bids on the site as a poster.I did not do this and after tracing the IP address it was  learnied that it wasn't mine I was still fired because  as my supervisor Susan stated "I couldn't prove I didn't do it" well I was under the understanding that by LAW one is innocent until PROVEN guilty UNLESS you are an employee of Goodwill Industries.She didn't kno who did it and wasn't interested in trying to find out she just wanted someone to take the fall so she had a name to give them in the corporate offices.So they do have a zero tolorence policy when it comes to playing with the bids apparently it is If you're accused guilty or not you will be fired unless you can prove you didn't do it.Made no sense to me in 2006 and it doesn't now 10 years later I am still banned from even using the site as a buyer.Where is the justice in that. Thank You, Mrs. Jeannette Former employee of the West Indianapolis Indiana store.

On two occasions where I have been the only bidder for an item from Goodwill of Central Indiana, after I had won the item for what I considered a "good deal" even with the high shipping & handling charges. The Goodwill of Central Indiana mysteriously could not find my items.  These two occasions were separated by 6 months,  it seems when I finally get a "good deal" they can't find the items. 

Each time they sent me a refund (though I didn't request it, I wanted the items).  Each time I kept checking to see if they were shipped and only after contacting them to find out when they were going to ship it did they just send me my money back and say they couldn't find the item.  This doesn't appear very reputable to me,  it would be easier and more honest if they were to just have a "reserve price" instead of all this fooling around

"Employees are forbidden from bidding on items while they are on the premises."
Seriously?  Are you really that naive?!  An employee can't go home and log in on a personal computer to shill bid?  And you say that Goodwill is a non-profit?  Well, they take advantage of that tax-exempt status, but the executives of the company are extremely wealthy, look it up.  Goodwill started out as a good thing, actually helping people who were in dire straits, but now the company is about making billions for the executives and paying the workers less than the minimum wage.  Go to watchdog.org and type in "Policies, tax dollars, enrich Goodwill execs." 
Don't be fooled, the people at the top of Goodwill are money-grubbing swine who wouldn't think twice about shill bidding, especially when there is nothing in place to detect it - i.e. a feedback system.  
Maybe you people who are low-level workers don't shill bid, but it happens on the site regularly.  I've seen prices on items climb way over retail levels hundreds of times, and almost always before the auctions end.  Do some research online - watchdog.org, Consumer Reports, this site, and see what Goodwill is all about.   

I have to agree with the employee at the Indianapolis Shopgoodwil. That location (for on-line auctions) as well as the Central Indiana Goodwill stores overall really sets the standard for what Goodwill should be nation wide. At the Shopgoodwill warehouse, they run a tight ship and also are tops at customer service and item descrition accuracy. I am a regular customer, and always pick up my items, so I have met many of the employees - they are good people. 

I have also noticed that some items do indeed become re-listed. However typically a week passes, and they are extremely strict about payment and pickup. You have 7 days for payment and 14 days for pickup... and not a day longer. Period. I suspect they would make a pickup exception during the winter due to, say a snow storm, but communication is a must. 

Also their stores price items to sell fast, not to try and milk out absolute top dollar out of junk. 

Overall not all Goodwill organizations are the same. Some aren't good, some are excellent. Those that aren't good do not get my business. 

While I have found good buys on shopgoodwill, I always check shipping first, if the shipping seems way too high, I won't bid. But i have noticed that there have been several instances where items ending, including ones I had the leading bid on, get outbid at the lat second. the next day, the items are up for bid again. This only happens if there is shill bidding.

I worked for two years in Goodwill's largest auction warehouse, in Indianapolis.  Employees are forbidden from bidding on items while they are on the premises.

My facility never engaged in shill bidding; there must be another explanation.  Keep in mind, that, since Goodwill is a non-for-profit, people tend to bid higher than they do on eBay.

I'm not trying to tell you you're wrong, but I am trying to help you understand the situation better. 

I understand that GW gives you a job, that is great but so do many other places. I thought GW was supposed to offer goods for the poor? At prices the poor could afford? So how is a poor person supposed to have high speed internet and a credit card or paypal account?

Also, I was looking to buy a shirt, a Ralph Lauren tank top, it didnt even have sleeves. Shipping was $15 including handling! I have an online mail order buisness and I ship items all day everyday. I ship shirts and know that a Tshirt cost less than $3 to ship. A sweater that weighs over 1 pouns still cost less than $9 to ship. GW is charging $15 to ship a shirt WITHOUT sleeves. It weighs 10 ounces, that should cost $2.76 for First Class Mail through USPS.

Why would they use UPS and ship everything at a 1 pound rate? That is beyond me...Oh wait, I know, they are POCKETING the extra shipping.

Now GW goes through every item they get donated and hand pick what goes online to sell. This was told to me by a manager of a location where I live. So the rest of the poor people get to sift through the garbage while people who can afford to go online and pay TRIPLE what the item is worth, when the items were supposed to get to the people who couldnt afford such items.

GW has gone so far from its inital values it is sad. I used to remember going to the GW and finding all kind of cool stuff. Now  the retail locations are almost like dumpsters. Now I know where all the good donated items have gone. They have gone online, away from the people they were meant for.

People feel ripped off! Goodwill can help others without being so shady! Search for American girl dolls on their site. Now, you can buy a brand new doll from 110.00 to 150.00 plus 16.00 shipping. At this moment there is a doll for over 185.00. That is just insane. 

I was bidding on an embroidery sewing machine that sold for 750.00. The same machine was on eBay with a buy it now price of 500.00. On eBay you are protected through PayPal. On Goodwill it is 'as is' and some store do not allow local pick up. I don't understand why not!!

If I buy something not as described, I am calling my credit card company. I have policies also, one of them is being lied to and being ripped off is a no no!!!

i have been with shopgoodwill of central indiana since 2009... in no way possible would our company EVER allow for any of their employees to up the auctions so they meet a financial goal. as a lister.. we are not permitted to falsify or mislead any of our items in any way.

customer service and good stewardship are our number one priorities and we take this very seriously. im sorry for any one who has had a bad encounter with any goodwill.. but i can promise you our intentions are good. there are so many incentives of being apart of the goodwill family... not to mention the help they offer to disableds and to others reguarding education and job placement. 

yes... we get our things for free... but if it wasnt for peoples donations i would not have a job to support my kids. finding a decent job with no GED or high school diploma is almost impossible these days. everyone is entitled to their own opinions... have a blessed one...

 A lot of people are accusing Goodwill employees of shill bidding. I work in the E-commerce department as well and the employee handbook for my Goodwill says that since I work in E-commerce I can't bid on items listed through our department. I make minimum wage; my job isn't glamorous but I love that the proceeds are going to help people. That being said I wouldn't shill bid or drive up an auction to resell an item just to earn Goodwill more money. It's really not worth losing my job when I'm trying to save up to go to school to finish a degree in conservation biology (the "untrained" comment kind of hurt - just because I make minimum wage doesn't mean I'm stupid). I can't speak for my Goodwill or Goodwill itself, but I can speak for myself. I'm sorry some of you have had bad experiences but I really don't think it's the employees doing it. I won't risk my job to "make your lives miserable" because it doesn't benefit anyone or the species I'm working so hard to help.

In my experience with Goodwill stores around the country and online I can say they all jack up their prices. Many of the stores are run down and there is so much garbage laying around its a fire hazard. But it sits in the store and doesn't sell because of the high prices. Most of the stuff is junk that no one wants, holes, stains, broken trash because people know the reputation of Goodwill and their overpricing so only donate things that belong in the dumpster, sure you get some finds but the majority is junk. The stores are inconsistent with their pricing and will try to mark up the price when you go to check out stating it has some special value. I will go occasionally because there is a chance their pricers don't know about certain items and mark them cheap. Fact is though as long as people are paying the prices they will keep jacking them up. 

I have been homeless and Goodwill does nothing. I don't know if they still do this but the Salvation Army would give out vouchers if you were homeless or just in need of clothes to their thrift store. They also have many homeless shelters but you have to pay to stay. I have never seen any type of homeless facility run by goodwill. 

It is grotesque how their employees are treated, especially the handicapped. I have seen them treated like dogs, yelled at, and belittled. The employees are trained to run up prices but the good ones don't last long and move on because they won't tolerate the shenanigans. Some goodwills use cards for every $10 you spend you get a dollar on your card, some have half price days and buy one get one free days but like I said they are inconsistent. In my area there are 3 of them but I only go to 1 because the other 2 are out of their mind priced and it ruins my shopping experience. I went the other day and found a hooded sweatshirt that had tags on it, it was visibly old though maybe 2 or 3 years, sat in a hoarders closet who knows. Hooded sweatshirts are priced on the board at $2.99 but when I went to pay for it she said this is $6.99. I argued with her about it until I got it for $2.99 and later called the area manager for trying to run up the price. I won't go back there again for good. I like to find a deal and have better luck at yard sales. 

The goodwill mission statement is about as clear as pea soup and makes no sense. A bunch of big words that boil down to meaningless hogwash. The only goodwill that goes on at goodwill is the goodwill of the people that donate the items in ignorance with the mind and heart that its for a good cause. Too bad goodwill has no real cause.

I started splitting my donations between Goodwill and the Salvation Army after an issue I had at a local branch.  Obviously this is not a big deal but when I paid for a few books I bought I questioned the total.  That is when I was told the books on the best seller list were more, these were books that were best sellers in the 1990's!!! Hahaha.  The poor checkout girl looked so embarassed.  I actually found this by accident, I Googled "how does the Goodwill auction site compare to EBAY."  This was so well written, I also checked out your claims which all were correct.  I will never ever have any exchange with Goodwill again.  How in the world can you pay handicapped people less than min wage!?!  We just need to find a gay handicapped guy to get the PATHETIC ACLU to jump in haha.  I am going to put this on my Facebook so your writing may help even more. 

I shop at at least three different Goodwill stores weekly, and often browse the shopgoodwill.com auction site. This complaint is true. There is some shady business going on.

  I had a bid on a pair of boots that had zero other bids on them. The opening bid was $5.00 I placed a bid of $21.50 so I would be sure to get them. The boots remained at the minimum bid for 7 days as people clearly had no interest in them.
 Well to my surprise 30 seconds before the bidding closed someone bid them right up to $21.00. Strangely this was the same username I had seen in many other auctions stealing or bidding up in the last seconds. It is clear to me they were able to see my max bid amount and brought it up to that for profit.

Frequently they will have electronics listed as "Untested" on their auctions when the only thing required to test them is batteries! I also saw them falsely representing a painting as original, it was bid up to $3000 I found the original and sent this information to the seller and Goodwill simply said they were not responsible for the item being authentic or not!

One thing the employee said is true though, they don't pay their employees very well at all. In fact they pay less than minimum wage! Proof in the following article link - Goodwill Exec's Crooks! However that doesn't mean they don't do the job they are told to do. I think the issue is in the software and the employees listing the items are none the wiser! The crooks are the ones high up on the totem pole.

Goodwill's get away with murder pricing their items higher than the retail stores, gouging for shipping when everyone knows flat rate priority is $6, and this "AUCTION" software is not regulated at all, there is no complaint system for buyers and no way for them to be accountable for their fraudulent actions!

 You would think that the items being 100% profit they would be content. But no - - GOODWILL STEALS MONEY From CUSTOMERS! OVERCHARGES -Knowingly sells BROKEN UN-WORKING ITEMS and SCAMS the PUBLIC!

Shopgoodwill is no different than any other online auction site-- In spite of the policies, there are times people do not pay for their item. Would you expect the website never to repost the item for sale?

I've been watching this website for the past 3 months mainly for vintage audio equipment. I have a good idea what certain components sell for given model # and condition. I am well surprised given the high bidding for many of their components. The bidding seems to be on par with Ebay. This is surprising given that just about every amp/receiver, turntable, or speaker set is untested. They may power it up but rarely check to see if their is audio output.

Why would you bid so high for something untested? Are their that many foolish people out there? I don't think so. I believe that employees or managers have created accounts and do shill bid on their own items to boost store revenue.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?itemID=12709778

***Stieff & G.H. French Sterling Silver Serviceware~ (12709778) - ***Sold 3/21/2013***

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?itemID=12848698

***Stieff & G.H. French Sterling Silver Serviceware~ (12848698) - ***Listed 4/1/2013***

You agree with me that the donations the general public donate to Goodwill in hopes of helping the needy in-fact do not go to the intended less fortunate. You also state 82% goes to charity when in fact a large percent goes to payroll to employee people in order to earn an estimated 5 BILLION dollars, .07% in your words of that 5 Billion goes to the CEO's. You act like .07% is a drop in the bucket. Don't be ridiculous I know the CEO's have to be paid but why is it ok for Jim Gibbons to receive over $742,000.00 in 2011 while paying disabled, hard to place or just down on their luck make measly min wage or LESS, given part time jobs to avoid benefits, Jim Gibbons also gets stock options, vacations, retirement and god only knows what else. Lets not forget the loophole of 1938. My point is Goodwill encourages the general public into thinking their donations are making a difference to a family who are down on their luck, when in fact in my opinion Goodwill is a very smart marketing enterprise who uses trickery and loopholes to play on the generosity of donors, and now asking for donations in the way of hatchbacks? Wow, how much do those commercials cost? No matter how you put it, thats wrong. You asked me to give you some of my sources I did, tag your it. Give me a break down of this 82% that you say goes back to charity other than to payroll. Also if Goodwill has nothing to hide why is it that most donors have no idea that .07% go to CEO's and that some employees of Goodwill make under min wage while most only make min wage. Ask the first 5 people around you if they lost their job and house could they get help from goodwill in the form of cloths, a job that they could make enough to pay rent, no electric, no food, no entertainment just enough to pay rent? That is not making a difference thats taking advantage of the people who need the help the most. Oh by the way I donate to several less fortunate families who tell me they cannot even afford the prices in the Goodwill stores. We the donors did not intend for that to be the case.

The Goodwill Mission Statement
Goodwill works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.

Their primary purpose is to help people(mainly with disabilities) the ability to get training and eventually employment.  So you are right a homeless family probably couldn't just walk into one of the Thrift Stores and get a free set of clothes.  Of course they probably couldn't do that at any other thrift store either.  Now, if that same family actually went to a Homeless shelter run by the Goodwill they would most likely get their needs met. The link below is to the Homeless shelter run by Goodwill in Northern Michigan.

https://www.goodwillnmi.org/goodwillinn/

Goodwill also gets my tax money to pay for employees
- And you really think that they are the only organization that gets tax breaks?  In fact we could probably go back and forth for a week naming dozens of different companies.

When i donated to Goodwill I never in a million years thought I was giving it to the CEO's.
- So did you think they work for free?  If not how much should they earn?  But remember from your salary numbers vs. revenue let's think you donate $1000 in cash.   $820 goes to the charitable side of the organization.  Just about $180 goes to the administration.  And a whopping $0.07 goes to the CEO's salary(and the other 7 you listed). 

You cannot convince me Goodwill helps the people the donation were intended for.
- I'm not going to even try as your mind is already closed and made up.  I will however make an observation and suggestion.  It appears that you primarily want to help homeless families, which if that is what you want then great.  So perhaps you should look more at your local homeless shelters or Churches and provide support to them.  In a way you complaining about where the donations for Goodwill goes and this is like complaining when you donate to an organization that helps African Elephants and then turn around and complain that they are not providing food for your local animal shelter.

Oh by the way, I am not now or have ever worked for Goodwill or been a paid employee of any charitable organization. 

"Goodwill Industries is one of the most well-known charitable organizations in the United States, but most members of the general public are unaware that Goodwill exploits people with disabilities," said Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, which has organized a nationwide protest of offending Goodwill organizations. "We are conducting informational protests to make the public aware of this practice that, although sadly still legal, is unfair, discriminatory, and immoral."That the workers are people with disabilities only serves to make this labor exploitation worse. Individuals that are most in need of legal protection from employment abuse are being mistreated by a nonprofit organization that claims its mission is to serve the disabled and disadvantaged.Under Section 14 (c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, employers can apply for a special wage certificate that allows them to hire people with disabilities at a subminimum wage. Nationally,more than 300,000 workers are subjected to the law. Goodwill uses the special minimum wage exemption to take advantage of 7,300 of its 105,000 employees.Brad Turner-Little, Director of Mission Strategy at Goodwill International, Inc., defended the practice as one of Goodwill's "tools" to help the disabled."With 80 percent of working age adults with disabilities in our country not participating in the workforce currently, we believe that it's important to explore more types of opportunities," Turner-Little told me. "The special minimum wage certificate is a tool to create employment for people with disabilities. It's not the only tool."Goodwill has repeatedly said, "Without the law, many people with disabilities could lose their jobs." The nonprofit emphasizes that these are "employees whose disability significantly impairs their productivity." Why are the disabled singled out with the most rigid productivity assessments? After all, the federal minimum wage protections that you and I receive aren't tied to our productivity."Subminimum wage, as enforced by Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, is wrong because it creates a double standard for how employees, particularly employees with disabilities, should be paid, by offering 'special wage certificates,'" points out Andy Voss, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Sacramento, which organized a protest outside of a Sacramento Goodwill store in August (pictured below). "It is appalling that organizations that purport to assist workers with disabilities in job training, would hold them back by circumventing the standard of living that minimum wage provides other American workers."
Of course, the very premise is wrong. Disabled people aren't inherently less productive employees. Samuel R. Bagenstos, a professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School and a former deputy attorney general for civil rights, has written "The Case Against the Section 14(c) Subminimum Wage Program." He cites examples of how workshop employers automatically assigned jobs "without any connection to the abilities and background of the individuals." One college educated woman with cerebral palsy was paid three dollars per week to assemble rubber mats, according to a former federal rehabilitation commissioner cited by Bagenstos.If people with disabilities are well-qualified and productive employees, why continue the policy?Short answer: Corporate greed.Last year, a former Goodwill executive was sentenced to 70 months in prison for embezzling $1million from MERS/Missouri Goodwill Industries Inc., according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In California, smaller charities, such as D.A.R.E. America, say that Goodwill has acted like a nonprofit bully and is currently using powerful lobbyists to shut down their clothing donation programs.In 2010, Goodwill Industries International, Inc., the national parent corporation for all of the nation's secondhand clothing affiliates, paid its president and CEO James Gibbons more than half a million dollars in compensation. And dozens of state and local chapters copied the national headquarters' executive extravagance. Here's a rundown of the recent executive compensation packages for the three Florida-based Goodwill organizations that pay some employees less than minimum wage: 
$440,197- CEO of Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.
$316,685- CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Florida, Inc.
$393,001- CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida, Inc.In California, these five Goodwill organizations exploit the special minimum wage exemption and pay executives top-dollar. A short sample of some executive compensation packages over the past few years: 
$282,295- CEO of Goodwill Industries of San Diego County
$265,388- CEO of Goodwill Industries of Orange County
$376,317- CEO of Goodwill Industries of Sacramento Valley & Northern Nevada
$507,898- CEO of Goodwill of Southern California
$344,754- CEO of Goodwill Industries of Santa Clara County/ Silicon Valley
Over $742,000 for Gibbons in 2011 Very nice raise.

Sources
Huffington post- John Hrabe
Forbes
Goodwill web site 1-9
National Federation for the blind
The White House Council for community solutions
American Institute of Philanthropy
GICW
Charity watch dog
Snoops.com
Glassdoor.com
Topix.com I can go on and on. Or re-visit Goodwill consumer affairs..

If I read between the lines you agree with every thing I have said but you put it in a pretty little package with different words. I got my information from Goodwill's financial report. In reading your response all you keep saying is we hire people, what company doesn't???? Goodwill also gets my tax money to pay for employees with disability so it cost Goodwill pennies on the dollar per hour for them to work for Goodwill.  I would like to see what your response would be if a homeless family goes into any Goodwill stores looking for help, lets say just clothing for their family will they get it for free? I a have a feeling they will not, that is my point. When i donated to Goodwill I never in a million years thought I was giving it to the CEO's. As for your percentages of their salary, call a duck a duck. You cannot convince me Goodwill helps the people the donation were intended for. You say its easy to fins how Goodwill helps all I see is they hire people usually at minimum wage, please show me where the people in need of items that were donated are getting them for free, also please show me the needy family who received the hatchback car shown in your commercial. My issue is not weather the CEO gets paid or not my problem is the Greed in witch he gets paid. I am sure you are just another hire hand to defend goodwill to keep all this corruption on the DL. Shame on you and Goodwill.

This seems to be a very old report, but with recent comments.  I am not really going to focus on the original complaint.  Other than saying that I seriously doubt they use "shill" bidding for many reasons.  First, if the "shill" bids the item too high it is still up to the other bidders to pay the higher bid.

Now onto the comments of Patty.  You don't give a source for your numbers, but for the purposes of the responses I will take them as correct.  In looking at the Goodwill site here is some additional info for you.

http://www.goodwill.org/about-us/our-mission/

If for some reason it gets redacted you can go to the goodwill site and search for our-mission.

I also saw that our Government paid Goodwill $54 million for compensation for hiring disabled people
- According to their site they helped 189,000 people get a job.   With the 54 Million that works out to just about $285 per person.

Screen the free inventory
- As pointed out earlier their donated goods are not free.  There is a lot of overhead with every piece of donated goods they get.

 

I see how much the CEO's are making but nothing on the monetary charity to the intended needy people.
- Then you obviously are not doing much research as it is very easy to find..such as from the link provided above.

Make a difference for who? The CEO's lifestyle???????????? I am sure the CEO's are very nice people but when I donated to Goodwill I did not know or want it to go to the CEO's I wanted to help the needy.
- 82% of the money goes into direct support.  This means that they only have an overhead of about 18% which is not the lowest overhead but it is in-line with other major charities.

Even taking your 4 Billion as the Revenue, the salary of the CEO and 7 others you mentioned is approx 2.8 Million.  That still only comes to 0.07% of the total revenue..that is less than 1/10th of 1 percent.

Its time to be transparent for real.
- Because they are a non-profit organization they are REQUIRED to be very transparent.   You just have to be willing to read the information.

That is of course unless you are going to say that they are lying.  Which if you are please show specific information with valid sources(not just some conspiracy theory site) showing why they are lying.

January 14, 2013 

I understand Jim Gibbons Goodwill CEO, 2011 Salary was over $742,000. Other CEO's of Goodwill (I saw at least 7) made over 300,000. And up. I also saw that our Government paid Goodwill $54 million for compensation for hiring disabled people (they make minimum wage right?). Goodwill is also tax exempt for all those stores property tax right? I have a big problem with Goodwill paying top dollar for key CEO's, get free inventory, get the government to help with the cost of payroll, use the word non for profit by training people to do the job they were hired to do (what company doesn't train new employees?). Screen the free inventory pull the valuable items, we thought would go to the needy only to see it at auction on line. Price the undesirable free inventory too high for most needy and place it in their stores. What I am having a hard time finding is how is this a charity? I see how much the CEO's are making but nothing on the monetary charity to the intended needy people. Can you please show me how Goodwill spends the over 4 billion Goodwill has made to help US families in need???? As I write this Goodwill commercial came on begging for hatch backs so they can continue to help make a difference. Make a difference for who? The CEO's lifestyle???????????? I am sure the CEO's are very nice people but when I donated to Goodwill I did not know or want it to go to the CEO's I wanted to help the needy. Its time to be transparent for real.

I have bought many times....not recently, I am done already.

I THOUGHT I was getting good deals until I did the "compare" ..I also suggest that to everyone else...Compare to the "same item" on ebay....then decide.

I found my mouth open on some bidding on Fur Coats ridiculously high, thinking to myself are some buyers "that dumb"?...same with Gold Prices!....What gets me about SHOPGGOODWILL the most are 3 gripes.

1...The are a company/coporate they do LITTLE to "give back" to any community, other than (1) in PA I think,  part time, some sort of training school which seems to be pretty limited in number..."What Else??where were they during Hurricane Katrina, The East Coast Storm....Anything? they use the name 'GOODWILL" nothing more to collect items under the pretense and assuming people will think it means "goodwill, both ways....NOT!

2...Like the above..."The disclaimers, discalaiming the disclaimers, "it may be what we say it is, it may not, if not, it is your fault for buying it in the first place"... basically...never on ebay would that be allowed...trying to cover their rear in every direction. An item HAS TO BE AUTHENTIC...if you do not know,  do not sell it....simple. They have their Gold & Stone testers, gold weights, they do not miss a trick,  on their jewelry.

3....Shipping & Handling is ridiculous on some sites...I have told many stores it should be buyers choice, for usps or ups/fedex and that general rule of thumb is use BOTH...one is best for HEAVY long distance items, the other for lighter weighing items...and has any of them heard of FLAT RATE BOXES? or FIRST CLASS (which is good for lightweight jewelry and del confirmation is FREE when label done online......or the ones that have charged Priority then sent first class....and the many that charge PO Insurance rates according to the usps website but....DO NOT USE IT...

they use whatever label company attached to online mailing they use like ENDECIA and others...at 25cents cost but they quote 1.85 usps insurance cost.knowing full well customer is paying for something they are NOT receiving..pass the savi ngs to customer....no, it is passed to them greedy selves! Most jewelry pieces are ounces not pounds each item added ...1 pound...1 pair of 2oz earrings & 3oz necklace...13.95-17.95 fedex/shopggodwill...by usps del conf inc..approx 1.53 ....with insurance 1.78-2.03...BIG DIFFERENCE!

I stopped dealing with them...too many problems, & too expensive...ebay is at least HONEST!

Ok first off, the main point that is being made on this site about goodwillonline is not something that is a matter of public record. I dont care where you go, you arent going to open a folder containing...(August 23rd, jimmy joe of Seattle Washington, employee of 4 years, placed shill bid on said item, to increase his pay and store profits. So lets not be silly wankers...OK?

Next point. Uhmm yeah, certain stereotypes are deserving of all locations. Goodwill is a corporation. Which DOES mean governed by one set of rules set by corporate leaders. If the store in long island is doing something they shouldn't be then the corporation will step in and correct it.
and I would also like to ad that your numbers are comparing apples to oranges. If I had been selling socks out of my garage for 50 years, I suppose I could say, hey, I have been in business for as long as home depot and I dont have any complaints. Even though I had only sold 12 pairs of socks over the course of 50 years...........and if your not smart enough to truly read in between the lines on this you shouldn't be posting here.

Your third point. If you look for the bad....

So by your theory since bad or unhappy could be found anywhere, people should neither complain, nor point out being ripped off.....right? I mean thats reasonable isnt it? No people have the right to decide who will be selling to us as a people. Governed by our votes cast as consumers. These votes cast are based off our knowledge and personal feelings (amongst other  things) about the particular seller. The point being made here is viable and constant and deserves to be heard, read and will need to be corrected or....

you want my personal interaction.... The goodwill by my house gets donations from Target. These donations are clearance items that they couldn't sell. However when you find them in the store they have a clearance sticker on them that read 11.98 (for instance) with a goodwill sticker next to it that reads 14.99. WTF is that. that is plain and obvious greed. I can accept the occasional didn't know any better scenario but when its that blatant?

I find chipped, beat up cracked coffee mugs for 4.99
beat up picture frames for 49.99

If you find a nice sweater, better be ready to pay, found a Columbia jacket the other day, sold for 48.99 new at freddys. was for sale at the goodwill for 29.99, stinky and dirty and used.  and that is just a few small things right off the top of my head.

When I grew up we were poor and we shopped there regularly. It used to be a place where lower income families could still have some nice things and they were doing some good as well. Now they are nothing but a money grubbing corporation like the rest. The good does not outweigh!!! the benefit of them in our community is not tipping the scale in the other direction. They play off their "helping the community" role to push their weight around, open more stores, get more donations and in the end, rip you off.

I have noticed being an avid buyer on shopgoodwill, that some of the stores are much more honest than others. I have alot of experience on the site. The one store that I've found cannot be trusted is the santa ana store from orange county, CA. Seems everything that is "not tested" does not ever work and the stuff that "is tested" might work, but be very careful to read the listing and look at the pictures because they will mislead you on purpose and will not refund you if you get caught trusting them. How is it that every item that is "not tested" does not work? "Not tested" means "buy at your own risk" but there should be a chance it might actually work. At this store, this category never works. Thats impossible odds once you think about it. They take the buyers as fools.  I had a horrible experience with the manager there and all I was looking for was some honesty but he could care less. Just a brutal store. Here is  a person that would rip off anybody that would allow him to and then justify it somehow in his own mind. Crazy.

Otherwise be careful in general and try to stick with the stores that have worked well for you in the past. i like the central indiana store as they are honest and realistic. Some other good ones are Nevada and illinois, Nashville and many others.There is good and bad on this site. As far as shill bidding-difficult to prove since you have no insight into the bidders but I believe that in some cases it does happen since the system is set up to encourage it by those who run the site. What stops the person on a higher level who benefits from these sales from going on and driving up the bid? I dont see any way any consumer could protect against this since every bidder is hidden.  Buyers beware and dont expect too much.

Learn how to avoid Hearsay and actually investigate public records beyond the internet folly of a few spurned folks.

First, all Goodwill stores are ran autonomous of each other so your comments for your area are stereotyping all locations as being the same when you have only your opinion to base the facts.
Its interesting to look up the word Shopgoodwill or Goodwill on Ripoff report and compare it with the numbers for some big box stores such as Walmart, Target etc. . If you do, you will see about 130 total threads related to Goodwill and more than ten times that number for Walmart, more than 45 times that number for Target. Pretty interesting considering most Goodwill organizations have been around over 100 years while Walmart and Target have been around a mere 50 years.

The bottom line, if you look for the bad, you are going to find it any where you shop. The bigger an organization becomes, the more likely you are to find some unhappy people that feel negatively and need a place to vocalize that frustration. Ebay is hardly known for a positive reputation and with considering there are only 78 Goodwill locations using Shopgoodwill, and millions of sellers on Ebay, you have far more possible interactions that have the potential for being bad on Ebay.

Its always best to base your reactions from personal interaction, than those of people you have never met. Take the time to actually test the waters for yourself and learn your own truths.

Over the last 6 weeks, I purchased a number of what I expected to be quality items from ShopGoodwill.com.  I was dismayed and will no longer buy or recommend others purchase anything online or from their stores.

ISSUE 1 - Bid and won 6 furs.  Four of the six had to be returned because they were ripped, shedding, dirty or smelled of smoke.  Two were okay but still not of great quality.  Photos and conditions of these items were deceiving and refunds not issued promptly - had to track them down after item returned and took a month to get refund.  They were apologetic but this is not right.

ISSUE 2 - Bid a good amount on a necklace that was portrayed as an Inuit Alaskan Native piece.  Received it.  Knock off Navajo piece of fair quality.  Again, hard to tell from their photos and detrimental reliance on their descriptions.  It is actually illegal to describe an item as native if it is not.  Returned item; waiting for the refund.

These are a few examples.  Ebay is reputable.  Sellers are held to high standards.  Untrained, hourly wage Goodwill employees (I'm sure they are really good people) are under pressure to list but are not educated about items they are listing so the BUYER BEWARE principle applies.

Goodwill stores have been stripped of majority of quality brand names such as Ralph Lauren, etc.  Visit stores to see for yourself.  You will find Walmart, Target and other lesser brands or damaged items at inflated prices.  Better off visiting retail stores and get new and buy when on sale.  If using online Goodwill site, compare any items you plan to bid on by visiting eBay and review COMPLETED listings so you can get a better comparison of what items are really worth or sell for.  Buyers need to educate themselves and will soon learn there are better deals elsewhere. 

My donations go to Salvation Army now where I can see the good they are doing in the community.  It was painful to watch Goodwill not provide a homeless man with a pair of clean, donated jeans.  They would not let him in the store because they feared he would steal a pair. 

Goodwill stores are now filled with cheap items from China to give the appearance of a full store.  I encourage anyone in the vicinity of Goodwill to scope this for yourself and chat with other shoppers.  Employees will confirm they have to sort items redirecting brands to the warehouse for online listing.  You too will discover the truth and make different buying decisions.  I'm through with the Goodwill online experience.  Very, very disappointing.  Their handling fees are high averaging 5% of total bill (so a necklace of $500 will not just have shipping cost but a very large handling fee - RIPOFF!).  Goodwill really does seem to be lining someone's pockets; I would be interested in what top management is earning as bonuses.  Their quality is declining as consumers have caught on.  Goodwill enjoyed the ride of short term gains but with the internet and savvyness of buyers sharing their experience, they will fizzle out and suffer the long term pain of regaining consumer's trust. 

OK I  seen shill bidding going on  there and I did not find that it was employees doing it

Some GoodWills do have greedy employees I shop at them on a regular basis and travel around town to town  to as many  as I can I spend 1000's a year at GOODWILL 

Only thing I can argue with on Goodwill is  some of the shipping charges 

I've sit and waited 5,6,7 hours to bid on items that at the last minute was bid up and yet re-posted due to non payment over a week later 

I've found that any one can make an account and go on there and bid..So if some one has a legitimate account  and they are bidding and some one out bids them...And they don't want to bid any higher ..They come back with a fake account and and bid it up so they win with the fake account and don't pay for it... Then it  gets re-posted and they can try again to get it for what they want...

Then you have these eBay E-fleas on here bidding on their stock up items and the lock in the highest  amount  on not just a single item but all  items they want and that leaves the individual bidder  trying to strike a deal wasting their time

I think the site needs to be upgraded with a better system.. I didn't like the Idea of  the Good Will resorting to an auction site I know they need to pay employees and bills its and OK idea


But not Exclude less fortunate  people from getting decent items they want or need buy attracting
costumers that  will spend 10% less than retail just because they can afford it

Things I've purchased have been  right at or above the actual value  and on a few occasions  I have paid 10 dollars or more  for the actual cost of shipping that does not  include the handling charge

Which some of the stores do a good job of packing and  using the best packing materials  so the handling charge is OK

I have recently done some bidding/winning on Shopgoodwill. A few things: not all shipping & handling costs are equal, some bids do go way off the usual price range, not all descriptions are accurate and, on occasion, there is a surprise lone bidder that pops in at the last minute to win the bid, then the item is re-listed a few days later. I can understand buyers remorse but after seeing this happen time & again makes me wonder.

Does this mean all Goodwill stores on the site do this?? I don't know, all i can do is take a closer look at the transactions that i have had with each store & compare. I don't understand the different shipping & handling rates though. Some charge as much as $20., some only $5. To $6. I buy small items that don't weigh much and the shipping cost over extends the price of the item, plus they frequently ship these small items in hugh boxes. The shipping cost is not labeled on the box, cuz they have UPS accounts. But you can see what the ship/hand cost will be prior to bidding. I don't know if there is shill bidding on Shopgoodwill but i've changed my bidding strategy. I have seen some items that are not accurately described & sold for cheap. Possible resale else where, insider job?? Or described in a way that leads bidders to believe its worth more. But the sales are in a computer data base, so who gets the cream on the top if there is any?? Corp has the cost the item sold for, plus the payment. So, its not the poor worker at the screen that listed the item that has access the excess. But, i have gotten some amazing things for cheap. As always its buyer beware. Any auction site is going to have its good & bad. There is so much fake reproduction items now that you have to do the homework & make sure before you bid. I have seen fakes from sellers overseas and the US on auction web sites. Thats the one thing on Shopgoodwill i like is that all the items are donated. If your careful with your bidding/spending and do your homework you could end up with a piece of history.

You talk about what Goodwill are selling and what they have done,but you are also right about how the disable are treated.The pay is s***** what I have heard,and how many get treated.Many are lied to about  time,vacation,and many other things. It's all about money.Theres alot of disable workers that work for Goodwill are more disable then they were before.And most are women.This company has switch  the truth around ,and tell these people alot of things. They favorite word is were "are family". Bull crap! They have lied about raises,when many these go to supervisors ect,and the lower people suffer a great deal.When I see some of these people and they bring in the Big Dogs in to come see how the workers are doing makes me shake my head.They expect everyone to put on a show,take pictrues,be on t.v.,or you see them on postbroads as you drive by.But many are making only little,for the ones who don't understand a vaule of a dollar,but those who understand,and pay their own bills or driving their own cars,knows the money they are making is not enough really to get by.These people are over worked and under paid.Underpaid,cause most recieve disable check,and can't work that much of hours. They can voice how they feel,because Goodwill is talking for them. SMH. Alot as been told alot of things,and I think ithe ones that are not scared to talk,and would stand up and tell it all,then there will be a change. But alot is scared,cause they feel that this is the only place they can work,and no one else will except them cause of their being disable.Yes it's true that there are alot of things they have done good,but alot of other things are sweeped under neath the rug for the world no to know about.

Being one of the first few people that filed a complaint on Ripoff.com: My only regret, is that I didn't know or hear about this site prior to bidding on and purchasing items on shopgoodwill.com. Had I have read the first two complaints on ripoff.com, I in no way would have ever made any purchases or, went back to goodwill's online site. There's an old saying that states; "a tiger never changes it's stripes;" which is oh so true when it comes to shopgoodwill.

Now concerning this persons comment about mail fraud, What the hell does buying something off of ShopGoodwill's site have to do with mail fraud? Mail fraud has to do with sending information through the US Mail that turns out to be a scam which must be over a 500.00 amount, (usually); so buying something from Goodwill's online site has absolutely nothing to do with mail fraud. If that were the case then I would be able to pursue charges totalling more that 1500 dollars for the absolute garbage I was informed was something other than what I received! And, to comment on an earlier statement made by someone who states that "ShopGoodwill will refund such items," is total nonsense, and a big fat lie!! I still have the bogus items sitting in my closet that the PA store, Santa Clara store and several other stores that refused to take items back; and, why would they? They sold them to me as vintage and got a premium dollar amount for them. So, not only am I out the money because I'm not going to advertise something as vintage when I know d**n well it's not to the public.

The problem here is; that ShopGoodwill doesn't give a d**n about your time, and set plenty of it aside should you make a purchase on their site, because your going to need it! And, I don't know about you? But, I don't have a lot of free time; and, when I do; I sure as hell don't want to spend it in such a negative way! All because one retailer doesn't give a d**n how they list items, blame it on whoever you want to; but bottom line is that Goodwill is the person responsible for such actions. And I've read other people comparing ShopGoodwill to Ebay: Please don't compare the two because there is no comparison. If someone was to commit the fraud that Goodwill is doing with the intent to de-fraud the public; they would be barred from ever selling on ebay again. Not only that but EBAY has several things in place to make sure that what you buy is exactly what you get! I know I have been buying on EBAY for over 6 years now and have only had one issue which was immediately resolved to my satisfaction.

Bottom line here people is that if you know about and have read any of the comments on here, and you still choose to purchase on ShopGoodwill.com? Then personally I would have to say that your a fool. And if you don't know about this site and you purchase from ShopGoodwill.com; well, let me welcome you to Ripoff.com, because you'll be here soon after such purchase. That's calling a Spade a Spade!

It seems my comments have struck a nerve with you shortcake, however not sure why you chose to take personal offense or direct your problems specifically toward my comments--

If I were to point a finger at you and say you seemed like an ex-employee who had issue with the company, or that you were a person who felt cheated because you weren't able to substantiate your claims in a court of law, would that cast any credible information towards my comments? No-- and neither does your personal attack on me for my comments--

There is a reason Ripoff report includes a box for consumer comment not related to being an employee or person ripped off-- Because this is a forum meant to exchange ideas from both sides of the arena-- Sorry if you feel my opinion isn't warranted in your point of view but unless you have any ability to erase it, you are pretty much out of luck--

Instead of attacking people for their personal point of view why don't you seek resolution for the $3000 you claim to be out by prosecuting the party involved-- Mail fraud is serviceable for your claim if it bares even a remote ounce of truth--

I found your response so long and boring I almost fell asleep. Yes I'm aware of what a franchise is, are you aware? I know that when you have a franchise that you are held to a code of conduct because you as a owner are still representing a company and a name, thus upholding their practices and ethics. I don't know if you follow Mr. Business Financial Analyst but to make it easier for you we are complaining because if you make claims and state things as fact you need to uphold it. For example....As a seller I have to give accurate details of what I'm selling and if I make claims such as 14k gold...it has to be in fact 14k gold or I would be considered liable if it in fact was gold toned etc or something like that. As a seller I'm always careful to represent a item accurately because I was raised with morals. If by human error OR blatant lies everyone selling online is liable and responsible for misrepresenting a product. I'm out over 3k because of inaccurate listings by goodwill.com. I find added on expenses such as unstated insurance fees, handling fees etc unreasonable on top of the fact I'm buying a misrepresented item by error or fraud. Error or fraud in the court of law it doesn't matter because they are still LIABLE. Ever heard of false advertising Mr. Financial Analyst? I ship items everyday and I know what the REAL costs are. Consumers are being over charged in shipping and buying misrepresented products by goodwill.com. If we gave them all the benefit of the doubt we are still out money that we as families, and individuals worked hard to earn. I make my money through an honest living and I don't appreciate losing money to a charity or company that I trusted to do the same. I surely smell a rat with you and I would put money on it that you are affiliated with Goodwill in some shape or form. Save your long winded and very boring opinions for someone who actually cares what you have to say. I could easily take a vote and you would surely lose. If you want to respond could you at least do us all a favor and make it at least a little interesting? Mr.Financial Analyst I wouldn't trust you with even monopoly money.

Shopgoodwill is the online business solely-- Goodwill stores locally are not all involved with Shopgoodwill. If you do a search on their  website, you can see there are many regions that do not sell online yet.

Goodwill stores and Shopgoodwill ARE separate in the fact that  Shopgoodwill is simply a online auction venue in the manner that Ebay is. While Shopgoodwill has policies in place for using the website, they don't act as management for the individual regions that use the  website.

Have you ever heard of the term Franchise? There are many businesses across the country that run on similar business platforms. Do you visit your local McDonald's, Subway, 7-11 or Pizza Hut? When you have a problem with any of their locations, who do you suppose takes responsibility for correcting the problem? The owner of the specific Franchise location is responsible for correcting the issue--

This is why when you mention contacting the Shopgoodwill you don't see any assistance for problems of your local Goodwill or the Goodwill using Shopgoodwill. If you have a problem with your individual location, you need to seek out the CEOs or upper management for that area-- that is what their salaries are responsible for. If it pertains to your Shopgoodwill experience, read the bottom of any auction page and you will find a link to the specific Goodwill that seller is affiliated
with. Most locations place links to their regional website, where you can find the names and phone numbers for all of their senior executives and management.

Myrtle Beach poster (basic zip 29587) mentioned an auction #9794378, the seller in Tacoma (zip provided on website 98409). You provided a shipping estimate given from the Shopgoodwill website as $12.54 and felt the store would be
overcharging you or that they are making huge profits from the exorbitant pricing-- Interesting because the UPS website provides a slightly different quote for the same weight and destination-- $14.28, meaning UPS which is the same provider the store is using would be charging you MORE if you shipped the same item yourself from them.

The business sense behind why each of the Shopgoodwill stores using various different shippers at each of the locations, goes back to the fact they are in different regions of the country and ran independently of each other. They choose the shipping provider based on the rates and resources in their area and any feedback from their customers. The fact
that most of them do not run their operations with hundreds of employees but rather a handful of employees also accounts for why they would not use multiple different shipping options. If you have ever been a seller on Ebay in any volume, you are aware that buyers all have different opinions-- some prefer USPS, some FedEx and yes there are some that will
swear by UPS. My personal taste is USPS, simply because they offer free boxes to send items at flat rates, there is tracking and confirmation available if I pay for it, they ship to a PO Box when needed, etc. However there is a portion of consumers who claim they have had poor mail carrier experience or felt the rate for larger heavier items is too expensive.

When a seller chooses shipping provider options they have to take into account many things:
Am I taking the items to the shipping provider myself or are they picking it up? If the shipping party is picking it up are they able to pickup at a time my business is operational? How frequent are they able to pickup my shipments? Are they charging me for the pickup service? The Myrtle Beach poster mentioned they felt the locations are doing a volume business and would be receiving volume discounts-- (Hmm-- perhaps that's the reason the quote above differs to LESS than UPS would be charging you directly to ship the same item?) However because they are doing a volume business does it not stand to reason there are costs involved with either A.delivering the large number of packages to the UPS facility or B. having UPS pickup the items from the Goodwill location (?)

"Shortcake" you were not "obvious" with any record of additional fees you were elaborating to, and because the handling fees are something that is disclosed on EVERY Shopgoodwill auction page as part of their form, I would be interested in knowing what fees those might be? Btw since you showed interest, I'm a Business Financial Analyst-- but that is probably obvious to most.

First off, I would like to start with my opinion of Shopgoodwill as a unit, despite some region store representitives that wish to claim seperatism of a corporate venture.

Indeed Shopgoodwill started out as a public good, and no one would ever argue that employees should not be paid for their works, despite whether they are doing so under pure profits or for charity.

However the majority of responder's are correct in the pricing scheme.

Currently the perception to most people visiting their local Shopgoodwill stores will agree, that the items brought out onto the local store shelves are low end quality, and highly inflated in prices.

Most of these items are dirty, filthy at times, and could be considered as utter garbage for the most part, and should NOT be allowed to be sold, for the lack of sanitary purposes.

There are no sanitation done for most cooking items to warrant the attempted sale price of those items.

An example is a T-fal frying pan, that has no teflon and corroded in rust is put out on the floor for nearly $5.00.

Other products such as the vast amounts of furnitures while are expected to be dirty, are often broken, scratched to the point whereas wooden furnitures would require stripping down to the wood and be restained and varnished, in order to reclaim them of any real worth.

A small dresser 4 feet long by 2 feet wide has a selling price of $125.00 with a broken and missing leg.

That is crazy.

Whereas the manufacture label states merely made in China.

I'm what you call a searcher, I look thru everything, I don't care what it is, I like to learn things, about how stuff is made, why it's made like it is, and for the most part for the specific purpose to discover the best way of doing something right.

So I spend alot of time looking at almost every item in my local Shopgoodwill stores, we went from having none, to having three within a 10 mile area in the last 5 years.

All of which built brand new buildings.

Prior to the first opening of the local Shopgoodwill store, I did some shopping on the Shopgoodwill auction site.

I had won a considerable amount of those auctions, probably along the lines of around 60-70% win success.

I cannot complain about having to pay shipping or other fees included in the sale price, as I was always aware, (although I think shipping should be auto generated on the auction site specific to the user, so one doesn't have to click the link to find out what the shipping will be.

However I will say that I agree with many responders here, that it appear's that shill bidding does indeed take place.

I read whereas a Shopgoodwill employee from Tacoma, stated they do not shill bid, however I had noticed that items being sold from Tacoma has absorbent shipping/handling charges.

Which resulted in my choice NOT to bid on any of their items.

For example Tacoma currently has an auction running for a lot of NES games.

Auction # 9794378 the shipping to my address is charged for $12.54 +$2.00 handling, total $14.54.

They are using UPS, however the Fedex quote (for non member account is) $11.66 +$2.00 = $13.66 which would be a savings of 0.88 might not sound like much, but individuals should act as if their finances are just like any other business.

Now I know from experience of working for a major delivery carrier, that significant discounts are given to individuals and businesses that pretty much guarantee a specific amount of shipments each business day, so I'd be guessing that the UPS, is heavily discounting their shipping thus Shopgoodwill (Tacoma) is making huge profits from those savings.

Another note, I have made a number of donations to shopgoodwill, most of which were/are higher valued items, made to my local shopgoodwill stores.

However most of my items donated have failed to appear within any of the local stores.

As other people have commented, Shopgoodwill takes those higher valued items, and instead of making them available to the local region, supporters, supposedly for the purposes of the benefits of the local community, they are sending and shipping those items to other means of disposal.

And from further investigation, I discovered that many of the higher valued clothing pieces are actually sold to other clearinghouses in some areas.

Redistributing products from one area of the country to another, isn't much different than redistributing wealth in our country by other means.

Now for the most part I have been satisfied with the products I have purchased from the shopgoodwill site, however I do feel charging someone more than $1.00 handling fee, with an already bloated shipping cost, and higher than market value sale price is extravagent.

Some areas charge as much as $4.00 handling fees, of course if someone isn't too far away it's acceptable since the shipping would be decreased somewhat.

I think where the problem lies regarding auction pricing, and shipping costs aka handling fees, it needs to be set standard.

One shopgoodwill facility should not have a $1.00 handling fee, while another has $4.00.

One should not be allowed to use UPS, and another Fedex.

It should boil down to the best VALUE for the end consumer.

As other's have mentioned, these items are being given as free, but the costs incurred at the current setup is plain wrong.

And thus the reason as to why their store shelves are loaded with clothing items at this time, since the selling price is nowhere near what one would expect from a used store, it's not like these items are consignment, they are debt free.

And btw some inquired about wages being paid to higher ups, vrs. lowly paid trainees, they are correct, the shopgoodwill ceo make a little over $100k a year, for what?

What benefit that is?

Now for most people that donate, and support shopgoodwill Industries, they are never told, that many organizations can be a part of the shopgoodwill industry structure.

In other words shopgoodwill is more of a trademark and marketing ideal, and it's up to the individual charities to set their rules and policies regarding returns, guarantees, pricing, etc.

So those individual charities capitalise off of the shopGoodwill Industry trademark, whilst Shopgoodwill is removed from liability of the local branch.

It's definantly a setup as far as the scheme of it all goes, since shopgoodwill refuses to accept responsibility for each charity using it's name, while receiving the rewards of contributions of the collective whole, at least the positive charities contributions.

Shopgoodwill needs to set major uniform policies regarding pricing, handling fees, shipping, throughout the country, those costs and pricing should be based upon country specific standards.

Now I have had one bad experience with the Shopgoodwill site, a few years ago I bought a NES game system and a lot of 16 games that were included, I won the auction for $65.00 + shipping of $$16.00

I made payment etc.

Three weeks later I had not received any of the items, and contacted the shopgoodwill vendor.

They replied with the following. "It appears your item has been lost, we are refunding your payment made".

Indeed they refunded the entire payment amount, but then two weeks later, I saw the items up for auction from the same Shopgoodwill vendor yet again.

After viewing the items, I noticed that there were 7 of the 16 games were considered as quite valuable (although I had not noticed at the time I originally won, and purchased those items), and here they were up for sale again, and this time it was up to well over $200.00.

So YES, despite what some might think, or beleive, there is impropriety going on, depending upon the Charity operating that particular shopgoodwill auction/store.

Wow thanks for useless information we are all aware of that. More fees are added after the bidding is over that are not always stated, also we are not just discussing shipping fees. You must be a goodwill employee. Who ever you are thank you Mr.Master of the obvious. (or Mrs whatever) There is fraud going on at this site and many would agree. 

If someone posts a negative comment about a business, the general consensus appears to be to jump on the bandwagon and have lots of other negative comments. Hence why people are commenting on a website called "ripoffreport"

I choose to think logically and realize that just because someone gets mad and decides to post something on the internet does not make it fact--

I've checked out comments through investigating Goodwill's financial reports, which are public record, and by being a consumer who reads all the fine print of anything that involves my spending money online.

Here are some key details that other people should take the time to find out:
1) Goodwill doesn't just provide jobs working for them--  Their missions vary from region to region, but most are geared to job training, college assistance and job placement. The area Goodwill for this region uses the funding from their sales to assist people from all walks of life, not just handicapped. They have programs that pay for high school classes for students that never finished school, or alternately provide a connection for GED completion. They provide computer training, culinary chef training, warehouse and janitorial services training, real estate management training, and many more. They don't have Goodwill employees providing the training, they pay local colleges and schools to supply teachers for this purpose. This training is not provided free to Goodwill-- it costs just as much when they are paying for it as it does if you are registering for school on your own, except YOU are not paying anything if you are a program participant with Goodwill.
2) Donate an item, you get a tax statement to use on your taxes-- you are permitted to claim the reasonable value of the item, Goodwill does not set the amount, the government does. Because the  IRS is involved in the tax exemption, Goodwill is obligated to record this information as well.
ALL Non-Profit charities are required to make financial reports in the same way consumers file taxes, only theirs is public record and can be read by anyone that chooses to check it out. 84% of every dollar made by Goodwill is marked for charity, meaning it doesn't line any CEO's pocket, but goes for programs to support needy. The other 16% covers the general overhead to run a business including the employees, facilities, loss and necessary costs to keep the business running. Trucks and fuel to carry the donations, Buildings that house the stores and warehouses, utilities, all the way down to the costs of paying the scammers who will inevitably attempt to take money from any business, regardless if its a charity.

3) Ebay has had closed bidding records for some time now, and Goodwill is no different-- With Ebay, the policy changed because individuals would contact other bidders and attempt to sway their opinion about the seller so they could get the item for a lesser bid, and many times other sellers would contact buyers of items and say they were posting an item up for less money if they wanted to watch their auction instead-- It became a manner of privacy and Shopgoodwill is no different. Do I want every other user to know my buying history, NO! Why should it be public what I buy, or what any buyer buys? You can't see the bidder's names simply because it leaves open opportunities for more than just good deeds-- Just because you can't see the names, doesn't automatically mean its shady-- if you have ever been scammed on Ebay, you will understand this logic.

To end all of these comments, here are some links to other websites that can give you info not just from a mad consumer point of view and not from a Goodwill employee point of view-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Industries
http://www.goodwill.org/get-involved/donate/
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?keyword_list=Goodwill&Submit2=GObay=search.results http://www.guidestar.org/
http://greatnonprofits.org/
http://www.myphilanthropedia.org/search?q=goodwill

I have to say the following in no way would I defend Goodwill's lack of their name sake.

I believe the Company is so far off base from it original mission statement it's not even funny. I heard the argument that they have to pay their employees right? Wrong not all of their employees get paid at all under the guise of work training a good percentage I don't know the exact number but a fair amount of their employees get paid less than minimum wage if at all under their work volunteer program. People who have been out of work due to the economic upheaval can sign up for their work program the waiting list currently is over a year. But it basically gives them the ability to pay people next to nothing "if anything at all" in exchange for a current work history.

This is just the icing on the cake for their already sketchy reputation regarding their auction site I.M.O.
I was floored when I was informed of this program which is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to take advantage of people both coming and going,  and to take advantage of people who are already decimated by the current economic state of affairs.

It's no surprise when viewed in that light  that there is no care taken when items are packaged. If I were doing this in the hopes of gaining meaningful employment only to end up feeling like I was having a carrot dangled in front of my face. My personal attitude and pride in my performance would rapidly diminish also.

I cannot condone personal choice or the actions of the employees. But I firmly believe the old adage that crap rolls downhill is the issue with this organization. And that any organization gets what they pay for in the human resources aspect. When you have a percentage of your human resource pool making nothing or next to nothing it's of no surprise what so ever that the actions listed here have taken place. Regarding Shill bidding employee theft , lack of care taken when shipment etc..

Goodwill get your act together before it's too late. I understand entirely that you are a business but when you leave both consumers and employees disenfranchised you are literally burning the bridge at both ends and will definitely fail. It's not even a matter of if at that point, but when.

I've abandoned  Goodwill in favor of organizations that actually provide tangible assistance The Salvation Army is a good example. Yes the prices have risen there also, but I can witness the tangible effects of the price raises in the form of disaster relief, Hot fluid patrols in the winter, passing out coats etc.. What do you have other than this so called back to work program?

I have of yet to see a single effort community wise from Goodwill in this region. While every other non-profit organization is breaking the bank exhausting every effort available to help those in need on a local and national level.

Shame on you Goodwill.

And if you feel like your being put into a blanket category.....you shouldn't take it personally, you're part of a company currently under the gun. That is unfortunately going to put you in the category as well.

I am a single father and am what you would call working poor. meaning I have a job working full time and after my bills, I am poor! I have always utilized the goodwill as a way for me to be able to clothe my child and myself as well as find household furnishings and fun toys for my child that I couldn't otherwise afford.

However I have watched how over the years the prices of items have went up and up and up. To the point that I cant afford to go there and get my child nice clothes without breaking the bank. I absolutely wont even shop there for clothes anymore, or anything else for that matter.

I would go everyday and look through their bins trying to find transformers for my son. One day I ran across the goodwill auction site by accident. They had 6 items listed in the local area in seperate listings all transformers. The prices went through the roof!!! At first I thought maybe it was just people "ggod will" but when I looked them up on other sites and seen that they ended for $300.00 over the highest sold prices for exact items on eBay. Really? And im to believe they are not shill bidding?

Bottom line....shopping at the goodwill used to be worth the high prices I would sometimes pay because of the sale deals and occasional hidden treasure. But not anymore, since the treasures that made it worth it arent there anymore and the idea that they are ripping people off so much. I will buddy back up with CL, local thrift stores and local small business. they will no longer have my business.

and for the record, the reaction from employees of goodwill on here....WOW, really? I guess you dont have to have a professional attitude when you can hide behind a user name.

Below is a request and no response. It's missing where I responded that unless you ship with signature or insurance, they don't care what you did. No response. But, please read below!!!


Re: Question about item # 9265707 Nbrd Print Elephants Black & White w/ColorFrom:meTo:Judie Polete <judie_polete@yahoo.com>
Ok,
since there is no response, I am asking for my FULL REFUND today. If I
don't hear from you and see a refund on my card by Monday, I will take
this to upper management and I will take this to Facebook!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not a game. Do your job.......
 
To: Judie Polete <judie_polete@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tue, February 21, 2012 12:46:06 PM
Subject: Re: Question about item # 9265707 Nbrd Print Elephants Black & White w/Color

Please give me an update on my refund? It has been 15 days since I first wrote to you. Thanks.

From: Judie Polete <judie_polete@yahoo.com>
To: me
Sent: Thu, February
9, 2012 9:28:21 AM
Subject: Re: Question about item # 9265707 Nbrd Print Elephants Black & White w/Color

David: 
To start with when the picture left our premisis the glass was not broken or holes punched in the carton.  This is a UPS claim because it was their vault.  I will file a claim today with UPS.  They ask that you keep the packing materials for inspection for five business days.  By the way it is UPS rates not ours on the shipping cost.  Please be patient and I will get all of your money refunded.    I loved the rainbow and the little  elephant in the print.Again, sorry about the
picture being ruined.  Judie PoleteChattanooga shopgoodwill

From: me
To: judie.polete@goodwillchatt.org; chattanooga@shopgoodwill.com
Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 10:02 AM
Subject: Fw: Question about item # 9265707 Nbrd Print Elephants Black & White w/Color


Please respond to this email.
 



----- Forwarded Message ----
From: me
To: judie.polete@goodwillchatt.org
Cc:
chattanooga@shopgoodwill.com
Sent: Mon, February 6, 2012 2:32:26 PM
Subject: Question about item # 9265707 Nbrd Print Elephants Black & White w/Color


Note: Message forwarded to judie.polete@goodwillchatt.org and cc'd to chattanooga@shopgoodwill.com

Got a problem with the painting. It was not packaged correctly. Actually, I am disappointed with it. The glass is broken and punctured the print. I will send pics if you respond to this email. I would like my money back and for the price you guys charge for shipping and the way it was shipped, I feel that I was being taken advantage of.

 Buyerid of logged in buyer: me

shopgoodwill.com Time: 2/6/2012 12:32:26 PM PT

Ok, so I am more of the semi-neutral person here. First of all the Goodwill, regargless of how much money the employees get paid, it still provides jobs and gives people a sense of self worth and personal value. They at times offer great items at prices you won't see elsewhere and give you more time than any other auction sites to pay for your stuff. They communicate well with bids, winning and they even send out reminders and  also if there are any issues with the item you have bid on and won. They refund your money without question as long as your honest and provide adequate proof to them. There is a lot more I could add, but I think you get the gist of it.

The Badwill is when you do bid on and win an item that you would expected to hang on your wall, or to give to your children to use and it is damaged before it leaves the warehouse or is poorly packed and smashed while in transit or is missing items that were there when you won the bid. I understand that accidents happen, but there has to be a certain level of quality control at the store or warehouse to see that it doesn't happen as much as it does, however, as I said, they refund your money without question as long as your honest and provide adequate proof to them so at least there is some measure of resolve for it.
 
The Unsupervised Mistakes is the hardest for me. perhaps because I have been a supervisor for over 30 years and although this is not even close to a perfect world, there are things that can be avoided. Example: My wife and I are making some changes to our house now that the children have gone and one change is going to be turning our family room into a den. I purchased what I think is a beautiful painting of a waterwheel operating  a grain mill and had chosen a space on the wall to hang it.  It was worth no more or no less than what I paid, but to me was the ideal piece of art. It arrived and rather than open the parcel  I decided to put my faith in the packer and store it away until we had completely finished our changes so it wouldn't collect any dust or dirt. The time came to open it and hang it on the wall and as I opened it I was completely sickened as I stared at a slice into the artwork that is an inch or more in length and definately came from a box cutter type tool used to cut tape after wrapping. I know this because the tape was also cut through exactly above the slash in the artwork. Enough said, I probably should have contacted the goodwill I bought it from, but it was wrapped for a period that I am sure extended beyond the return/refund date. The kicker is that I have spread my good will to this organization for more than I care to say, but it is well into the thousands of dollars. I just want want them to pay more attention to those that they hire on the labor side of the orginization and ensure they are doing things right. I have had quite a few items delivered that were smashed, missing items or just no good anymore. I think this is probably a norm for all auction sites, but is just more visible at the goodwill sites.

I read alot of the complaints and didn't read of any attempts to communicate to resolve issues that are probably an easy fix. As far as prices  and bids go, are the employees allowed to bid on items? Do your homework, if you think an item is to over priced or to costly check other sites before you bid. If you want to help out, find out why the shipping is so high and why they charge a handling fee of $4.00 or $5.00 on top of the shipping cost to place something as simple as a book into an envelope or anything for that matter. I understand if your lugging a reel to reel somewhere, but if it is a necklace or watch or something like that I mean c'mon... really? I know, you have to pay the employees right?

the psychical items ARE free. Yes, there are costs that need to be covered but the actual items are in fact free. Goodwill does not pay for those items. 

If Goodwill is doing so much good and helping people then why are their prices OUTRAGEOUS? I thought part of Goodwills motto was to help everyone. Including the poor. Well, at those prices the poor can't afford to buy anything from the stores. And if their employees are SO overworked and underpaid or whatever it is, then what good is Goodwill doing?? I mean seriously. 

As for the online auctions. I do also believe they're being purposely bid up by staff members. I've seen auctions go for way over retail value (or what they're selling for on eBay). It's not just one or two auctions I've seen, it's majority of the auctions now. I thought it was just a few people bidding some things up to help Goodwill or whatever but the prices I've been seeing are just absolutely nuts. And this has been going on for months. 

When I first joined the site I did get some really nice things at decent prices (even with the over priced shipping included). But after about a month being there the prices have just sky rocketed and I haven't bought a thing in about 5 months because of that. 

The people defending Goodwill or either working for them, or completely clueless. Someone needs to investigate them fully. They get their inventory for free, and most people who donate to them think that their items are going to the needy. Goodwill needs to be forced to put a big sign on their donation collection places that "we do not give your items to the needy".

They claim to "help" people by giving them jobs. They think it is charity to give a poor person with no education a job working in their stores. How and why is that helpful? Poor uneducated people can get a job at walmart, mcdonads, or just about any place that pays minimum wage. How does that make it okay to get donations? They also claim to hire the handicap, but then again, so do other places. No one is allowed to discriminate because of that. Besides that, I have been in many Goodwill stores over the years, and have never seen a physically or mentally handicap person working in any of them.
Giving people a job should not be considered a reason to be considered a charity.

I would be willing to bet that almost everyone who donates to Goodwill think that their items will go to needy people. Goodwill is making millions of dollars. Sure they have costs, but so does every other store out there. But every other store is not getting their inventory for free.

I think there needs to be a full fledge investigation done on Goodwill, they should have to prove they have done something else rather than give someone a job in their store!

Shipping is posted on the same page as the item. All you have to do is click on "shipping". Pretty simple.

good will does indeed shill bid this is a known fact with proof enyways why does the goodwill auction off their stuff when they have a store front for selling they auction it off so all the wrong people get the profits why do you think they shill bid because the money is going in someones elses pocket i think they should all be investigated and have to show financial records as to where the money is going if it is going to the people in need why are their still so many people in shelters and hungry good will is listing something every 12 min that meas the profits are huge wheres the money going someone is getting rich off the free donations why not sell it in your store the reason is your picking out the good things auction it off leaving the junk in the store so people can waste their time looking in the store to find nothing this is all around the mighty all dollar auctioning off donations is wrong no matter which way you look at it this is free stuff sell it to someone who shops in your store not on an auction website where only people with paypal a bank account and internet can buy let the poor buy who dont have bank accounts paypal or internet goodwill is only out to cover their own not out to help the poor dont donate to goodwill they are auctioning off your donations have an estate sale make the money yourself and donate it to the childrens hospital or another organization.

Although I have only purchased one thing on the site. I did notice unusual activity. One of the items on which I took note, is a style of an item that hardly, if ever... sells on ebay. Anyone could go to ebay and purchase 5 of them for $2.00 each. On Goodwill it is now up to $50.00+ with exorbitant shipping fees attached and it seemed so odd. Another item, by the same maker that is a "hot seller" on ebay is now shooting up much higher than I have ever seen any of them get on ebay... so it seems weird, I dont know.

I did just purchase a neat piece for $5 to other day... but I think it may be specific Goodwills that have what appears to be shill bidding. What I find oddest about all of this is Goodwill not taking a stand and having an official rep make a statement about this situation, being that so many have posted complaints.

I was bidding on items on the Goodwill.com website, and spent over 3,000 in one month on such site.  As a consumer I filed a report on rippoff report.com  over a year and a half ago hoping that I would save another person from going through the hell this company put me through. And not for one second do I, nor should you believe the absolute garbage that comes out of goodwills dishonest mouth! This is a company that should be shut down, especially on line! And it's up to us to make sure it happens.

This company has figured out how to practice deceptive business and get away with it! First of all one person said file a complaint with Orange County! I did that, and out of the kindness of one man's help! Because he informed me that he wasn't obligated to help me! I was able to return some items back to the stores. However I still have s**t in boxes that I will never get my money out of from the stores that refused to take the items back. So you can complain all you want to Orange County, but it's not going to get you very far! Forget about the BBB because they don't get involved when it concerns a non-profit or so called charity, which in this case is just a front for laundering money.  So you can complain... but to who?  Good luck on that option.

This company does exactly what is reported of them, which is: They knowingly advertise merchandise as antique, old or vintage when in fact they know it's not! Try to resale that item that you paid vintage price for and got a re-production! OUCH! that cost ya! They do bid on their own items even if they claim they don't! Hell they claim they didn't know it wasn't vintage to! Anyone else listing an item on ebay like that would be barred from listing on such sites. Then this is what really got me, and don't doubt for a second that it's not true, because if you do it's going to bite you in the a*s! What they do is: they will list an item, and once they find out that item is worth anything I guarantee you will receive either a reproduction of such item or you won't receive it at all, and they will claim it was damaged somehow. Either way you will not ever make any money buying and re-selling on Goodwills merchandise. Trust me I lost a lot of money trusting that what I was bidding on was accurately described. But we all know that's not how Goodwill does business! 

Furthermore, another person from goodwill stated their employees were underpaid! Why do you think they hire the dis-advantaged? It's so they can pay them a s**t wage, while their managers are driving around in the BMW's and Mercedes, This company is full of Liars, and creeps which claim to be helping others and the only people they are helping are the one's at the top of their food chain. Shame on you if you do business with them. And please find somewhere else to donate your goods! Somewhere where it goes to help someone, Not victimize someone.

EBay offers buyer protection. Goodwill does not accept returns regardless of how badly they misdescribe the items. Goodwill only looks out for number one!!! As I suspected when I first wrote this complaint, consumer confidence is at an all time low and consumers are looking elsewhere to buy used goods. Even worse??? The absolutely astronomical shipping/handling fees. $18 to ship a single barbie... $50 to ship a necklace??? Why rip ppl off if you actually want repeat customers???

Don't question my motives, just read the many reviews from dissatisfied customers. I stumbled on an online review site and of the 55+ reviews Goodwill only had maybe two that were above one star out of 5. Nearly ALL customers say they do not recommend GW to other shoppers. If GW used the same shipping, descriptions and return policies on EBay they would be kicked off in a week.

Signed off...

An EBay power seller w/thousands of sales and excellent fb.

Since The Goodwill discovered how much $$$ they can make off online auction and all the Ebay Stores they have the quality and quantity of items at the local stores have diminished!!

If you go to their online auction you can see how much MONEY they are raking in !!!

If you go to their EBAY stores just wow.

NOW I am VERY Interested in EXACTLY where all this MONEY goes!!
If they were actually using all of this money to help the would be building quite a few mansions.
There is NO WAY Job readiness programs cost this much

WAKE UP EVERYONE !!! SOMEONE IS LINING THEIR POCKETS IN PURE GOLD !!!!!!!

The bid went over your high bid by one dollar because that's how it works. It wouldn't go to that person's highest bid, but to the next increment (in this case a dollar). If someone bid against them, then their bid would go up until it passed their high bid. Nothing fishy about that.

I am a long-time buyer at Shopgoodwill and you do have to research the item you are interested in buy and be sure you're not overpaying. I think people do get into bidding wars sometimes and just can't let the item go.

In regards to EBay, I think they have gotten a untrustworthy reputation and that may be why people are willing to spend more on Shopgoodwill. Also - Ebay is glutted with items and sellers. No wonder their stuff doesn't go for as much.

As far as the shilling goes - I don't have a strong opinion. I figure some things are re-listed because the buyer reneged on their high bid. It could be a shill - all auction houses have them. In the auction house case they have an employee that bids the price up to their reserve. You don't know it's an employee, but when you see the same item for sale next time you know.

They sell a lot of nice things on Shopgoodwill and people shouldn't expect them to sell them for less than they are worth just because they are a charity. Their handling charges are a bit excessive sometimes and you have to watch out for that. But other than that I haven't had any problems. They have taken back a few things that weren't as described with no problems.

I'm old as dirt but you wondered what "good" GoodWill does and I do have personal knowlege... I grew up in the mid-west and one of my best friends was considered "slow"... unfortunately the high school we attended was all about academics and so Judy spent two hours in each of three subjects per day... English, math and history.  What she really needed was time in home ec etch.

The day after graduation her parents kicked her out and said since she had graduated high school she was on her own.  I remembered as a young child in BlueBirds we took a tour of GoodWill and they showed us the training offered to those less fortunate.  So I called them and told them about Judy.  She was immediately given a place to live at our local YMCA and given training in the food service business.  How proud she was when I came in for lunch one day and she was able to serve me!  And I was thrilled for her. 

Fast forward from the '60s to the '80s and from the midwest to the west coast.  I owned a craft business and was instumental in starting a crafters mall in my town thru the downtown association.  Eventually they asked me to keep the books for them... as I'd had experience in this field.  After a year GoodWill asked if they could take it over at no cost to the mall so they could use us to train people... so I lost my paying job... williningly... for training for those who would fall thru the cracks without free training.

I've only heard of the GoodWill autions today... so have nothing to compare... but unless GoodWill has changed drastically... they do GOOD works!  Thank you for your time

YES....One remark I noted was where is this charitble organization when help is needed?..Helping another country? Helping any Country? There are other 'BUSINESS's" that have jumped on the Charity Bandwagon to MAKE MONEY. People donate thinking they are "helping other" and they are making company directors rich...We all know about the secretive part of the Red Cross...well at least they are see and known to be "helping" ..Goodwill part of United Way? another SELECT group that do not seem to be anywhere in any crisis. I believe shopgoodwill like another I can think of "Savors" ..(another profitable CHARITY and business) is just that...A BUSINESS!...like savors they collect donations to resell for ?????.....yes, BUSINESS and to make money, oh they may employee a few handicapped people and retiree's and the others probably pay them minimum wage they are making out in profit and I would like to know where that profit goes?..

I believe they like some oithers simply have found a niche to make money from the kindess of others who...THINK they are donating for a good cause, as they are told that....and believe that, and they feel good about that...However, the good cause might be lining the bunch of moron's pockets that thought about it...Charitable is easy to obtain they are "collecting donations" so, have the protection of having the "Charity" name and I think that is all it is ...if you look further into the store Savors they give a "donation" to a Charity...That doantion could be 5.00...people think when they donate their stuff to this company ALL the money goes to Charity to help others...wrong.

 It is a business, like SHOPGOODWILL is also.

As for the Shopgoodwill stores, in my experience the AS IS....NOT TESTED...not sure of authenticity...NO refunds...keeping your shipping & handling when they send a WRONG or misrepresented item, and all the rest of their excuses for taking your money and not providing a service or honest goods while hiding behind their "one way" terms of service  are nothing more than a bunch of theives entrepreunering on the peoples good hearts of donating they think...to Charity...no, they are perhaps donating to a business. The emails they send all have ADVERTISING HOW THEY HELP THE UNFORTUNATE????and scream Charity like...they are doing the buyer a big favor....where, who? when? do they help?

If they were a decent organization and true to themselves....all the crap I see on their auction sites to allow them to basically take your money, offer junk and keep your money regardless ...selling counterfeits, selling stuff that does not work, they simply would NOT be covering their rear end so heavily with all their terms of service statements and policies all in their favor, and to make sure they keep your dollar, even when they are WRONG....they would not do all that if they were decent
 

Ebay has come a long way in keeping buyers safe and making sure the buyer has a good experience and not get ripped off....I was told point blank...it is over 7 days since I received my FAKE $200 Louboutins which were supposed to be authentic from the Nevada Store, so it seems I am stuck with them, they will not refund or honor they sent me Fakes...another store asked me to take a measuring tape alongside the wrong sized earrings they advertised to PROVE they were indeed the wrong size....I lose my money, on both and stuck with Fakes and earrings I do not want.....hey I am poor and unfortunate, and they are stealing from ME.

these shisters on shopgoodwill are just that....shisters!

First of  all this comment by this person was posted a long time ago but To Inspector Tobyhanna you obviously have no idea what your talking about what so ever. You said ebay sellers don't have overhead? Your kidding right? So you think ebay people don't have ongoing business expenses? Well thats simply not true maybe you should talk to my accountant then. I have to pay to have a store on ebay every month, basically advertising fees etc plus I rent a storage unit so I pay monthly rent just for my auctions. Then there are my variable costs as well. As a small business I still don't charge outrageous "handling fees" in fact I don't even charge for shipping. Thats why I have great feedback and I'm successful. Of course I could make a lot more money if I added shipping, packaging, and other fees but I would rather provide good service so people want to come back and become repeat customers. The problem I have with Goodwill is complete fabrications of the value of items. Whether this is simply by human error or true fraud it still shouldn't happen and isn't acceptable. Would you not agree that if an item is stated as gold tested and 14k that I should hold them accountable when I find out its actually gold toned and not even gold plated? Also I bought a necklace listed as 2.4 grams but then received it and it was so lightweight it barely even registered on a sensitive digital scale made for that purpose. It wasn't even close to the weight listed. Or what about spoons listed as Sterling Silver meaning by definition 92.5 pure silver but then I receive it and its silver plated only and even marked as such! Its a huge difference! They also list fake counterfeit handbags, wallets, and other knock off designer items but its listed as Authentic. As a seller I don't make claims that I can't truly validate. I never over value an item because thats misrepresentation! You can't make statements of fact if you can't back it up with expertise or proof. Then on top of these fabrications they have over priced shipping fees that are beyond ridiculous! I understand they have to charge shipping and handling fees but at the same time it should be reasonable and not over inflated would you not agree? People like me are feeling ripped off because we are spending money on items that have false claims and outright lies with huge added on fees making it by definition a scam. Scam means to deprive of by deceit. Well I rest by case at that, Goodwill Auctions are a Scam!

I agree, they are horrible. I have filed my own complaint on this site

Goodwill auction is all scammers. How do you explain $4.00 "handling fees" with  extra insurance fees and then extra shipping fees on top of that?? So after maybe you win something for $5 bucks you pay like $35!Then its shipped parcel post weeks later not insured, damaged and late. Plus you sell counterfeit handbags, sell fake gold listed as 24k and 14k and then list weight in grams thats not even close to accurate!! I think she is right scammers!!

Hi, I agree to Heystacey's report toward www.shopgoodwill.com. I registered as a member on their auction website recently and found the bidding prices on the items I liked to be very appalling. Some of the stuff look damaged, for example, a peeling or scratched painting frame yet it is bid expensively.

In the last few years, I noticed shrinking higher-end donated merchandises at Goodwill retail stores. That prompted me to contact the operation manager at GW about the issue. They stated the undervalued items with lower qualities go to the shelves and ones higher ends go to their online auctions now.

Sadly, it is true to what they said. Their unfair practices in screening donated products prevent customers in the low income families to afford nicer things. GW stockrooms should distribute in fair volumes to give customers opportunities to purchase things they could not afford at places like Macy's or Nordstrom.

GW's vile and inequality operations prompted me to contact Federal Trade Commission just of yesterday

I am a very frequent bidder on shopgoodwill.com. i know from  personal experience that no item ever goes for less  that it is sold on ebay. I have bid on many items and often wondered why would anyone bid so much on this stuff when it goes for some much less on ebay. today i was bidding on a particular item and at the last few minutes the bid went one dollar over what my highest bid was. my question was how did the person who was bidding know what my bid was because the went over by just one dollar and they only had one bid. if they had bid in small incrimente and gone over that way i wouldn't have notices anything unusual  but to jump 71.00 and just make it by a dollar is very unlikely. i will never buy anything on the goodwill site again.

I am aware of several incidences of bid shilling. Not by the lowly workers but by management or perhaps more correctly by a manager. That person recently "quit", so now the issue may be a moot point. None-the-less it did happen, and for a number of years too.



As to shipping: They are supposed to be looking into a more equitable system. Lets hope that happens, as fair treatment of customers can seems secondary or even tertiary in their operational playbook.

Since illumin8 posted the rebuttal, one thing has changed. the quota on the listers has gone UP. The new quota listers have to endure has doubled to one listing every 6 minutes. I know this because I am a lister there. Other then that, illumin8 hit it square on the head there.

Listers are not allowed to "fix" prices, management makes that determination, as do they determine shipping costs.

Those same listers are responsible for photographing the item, most often under substandard lighting and with worn out digital cameras. Ever try taking upwards of 200 pictures a day on the same digital camera, for weeks, months, and years on end?

Listers (or any other non-management member of the department) can barely afford gas to get to and from work, let alone bid on an item.

For the most part, most auctions start at $6.99 at our particular location, and listers seldom, if ever, pay attention to how much an item is going for. They have more pressing issues to deal with, like the aforementioned quota.

If you want to place blame on anyone, blame management. Not the lister!

How many poor people have a credit card, or access to high speed internet? I'd say relatively few.

Goodwill gets donated items for free, yes. You are right in that regard, but that's it!

There's overhead. Do you think people donate these items at our specific location? No they don't. We don't simply go out and grab something off a donation truck because there isn't one there. Goods are transported in to our location from Goodwill stores all over our region. That region is not limited to one city or county but all over the southern part of the state. That's a pretty big area to cover. From one end of the region to the other is 200 plus miles.  

Am I Defending Goodwill Industries? No way!! I AM Defending the listers/Sellers that are good hardworking people who get Slammed into a blanket category like this. Yes Good sellers do exist on shopgoodwill. Just because you've dealt with some "Bad apples" you make it sound like we are all out to get you.

I have bought from this goodwill online auction sites,there shipping & handling are  way to high.And it seems strange to me that every item on there site has a bid come on Ebay has  more  traffic than they will ever have  and they don't have bids  like that.I do think they are

fraudulenty shilling the bids.If you  win a $10.00 item trust me its $20.00 or more by the time its shipped and Ebay offers free shipping that you can not get there.The goodwill gets it free

but makes a very very good profit somewhere along the line.One more detail goodwill shipping takes for ever they should have feedback but they would shill that also.

hi i just wanted to respond about goodwill i also think goodwill is shill bidding and i also think they make up there shipping cost , i have bought items from goodwill and paid very very high shipping i believe 3x more then what ups /fed x/ post office would have charged goodwill .this is not like someone just told me about goodwill i experienced it and also watched items being sold the prices are out rages on items no one would pay that much for , someone  maybe a employee or manger someone in goodwill is making lots of money and sorry goodwill employees your greed is beginning to take notice . goodwill you need to remember you don't pay a dime for anything you sale you get it all free , and no matter how much goodwill says it is not true and gives a big speech on why thing are so high . i will never be convinced that your saying any kind of truth , goodwill you are to help the poor your not a antique shop or dillards . you have second hand items for the poor , so you should stop taking advantage of the good people that donate there belongings for the poor . i hope you get caught for what your doing,          p.s people that donate to goodwill you would be shocked if you new how much goodwill gets for your donated stuff they get way more then what you probably paid for it new. so beware 

I've noticed items going for unrealistically high prices that no SANE person would bid. Then only to spot the items up again a few weeks later.

Half of the electronics and computers can be had cheaper @ sites such as E-bay or Cowboom. I don't even bother to bid on shopgoodwill anymore.

As for the employee that states Goodwill is an honest and trustworthy organization I post the following. Bullox I've personally witnessed corruption on the employee level and if it's tolerated @ the lowest level then it must be commonplace as you go up the ladder. Personally witnessed Item staging in the warehouse outlet in my area. Item staging "where an individual usually an employee relative is given advance notice of a potentially valuable item being brought out to the warehouse floor so that the employees relative can pick it up for basically nothing for the intent of resale. Watched it happen several times in one day The employee would be talking with a person then the person immediately beelines to a specific bin to pull out a laptop or other valuable item  usually paying $5 for it.

That's not Slander that's Fact: and am more than happy to testify in court regarding it.

So as for Shill bidding on Shopgoodwill I believe it could and does happen.

For example. . .

Anyonewho has knowledge of antique silver is fully aware that this item they are selling is being fraudulently passed off as sterling when it's plated!!!http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/WM-Rogers-Sterling-Silver-Pitcher-7299013.html

They do stuff like this ALL THE TIME and bid worthless items up hoping people will grab the bait. It's terribly sad for the people that don't have a great knowledge of silver and actually think sterling is what they're getting. THIS IS FRAUD!!! This is very likely NOT a mistake either, because intentionally misleading listings like this happen all the time and they need to KNOW what they are selling!!!

They are ruining the GW's reputation and HURTING a nonprofit from receiving critical donations for a cause that USED to be very worthy. What the GW is doing to its self is detrimental to the future of its enterprise. There are only so many people they can rip off before NO ONE patronizes them even as a non profit, and begins to see that they are using a good cause to scam honest customers for money. People don't have to donate money or good used items to the GW if they think they are not living up to their end as a non profit, and as a corporation that is committing fraud. They will send their philanthropy and used goods elsewhere.

I've been buying successfully on Shopgoodwill.com since 2007.  I've acquired some vintage housewares, and beautiful jewelry.  I've learned, no matter WHERE I plan to buy something:  online catalog,  dept. store website, auction site, or locally in my city, to research, research and more research.  That's one good use for the internet.  Factor  cost of the item, your time, vehicle expenses, shipping/handling costs, and experience with the site.   Carefully read  shopgoodwill store site.  It will give you the option of knowing EVEN BEFORE YOU BID of the shipping, and projected handling charges.  Each store on GW also advises clearly of their return policy. 

You can usually call up the prior auction where the winner didn't pay.  Use the search feature and first, select "closed auctions".  Then complete the form, usually the same description that it's offered at currently, & select same category.  Select the date parameters, and give it a good long time. Then open the site, and look at the complete bidding history.  You may see a flurry of activity either at the very end of the auction, or sometimes, right at the beginning.

Shilling?  Yes, it looks like it, but I SERIOUSLY doubt by GW employees.  This site is easy to "join", no bank accounts necessary, just sign up.  There are "gamers" out there, who will bid you up one dollar at a time just to see that you don't get the item for $5.00 when your opening bid or at least early bid was $22.00.  They seem to stop just in time though.  And like any auction, people can get into a bidding war, and forget these are real dollars.  Whoops, they win and get immediate buyers remorse. 

I love shopgoodwill.com. 

 

I give to Charity for the purpose of that charity helping other people! I do not give to a Charity for them to make someone's life a living hell! The only people that benefit from donations made to this company are those in management!

And don't believe anyone who informs you that this site is not ripping people off! As I have a 1600.00 credit card bill and maybe 200.00 worth of merchandise because the other items were fraudulently listed.

And I can assure you that everything that is listed in this person's complaint is without a doubt one hundred percent the truth! And try filing a complaint with Orange County and see where that gets you!

I used to donate to Goodwill, and shop in their stores! I wouldn't so much as give this charity one penny! Who are they helping? The dis-advantaged you say? Well I say you aren't helping anyone who you pay minimum wage to as their management drive around in new BMW's and Mercedes! While their employees have to scrape up change for the metro bus!

Goodwill! You ripped off the wrong person. 

Goodwill stores are different than the e-commerce website. You will find all the blue jeans, tops, dresses and items you believe are affordable at less than $10 prices located there. Shopgoodwill is a "BIDDING" facility and as such it is a place where the highest bidder is the purchaser.
Why do you see higher bids on Shopgoodwill than Ebay?? There are obvious reasons that havent been brought up... DONATION... The funds that Shopgoodwill takes in go to create jobs for persons of barriers and help people! The funds Ebay sellers receive, line their own pockets. Yes EBAY, the company, pays workers, but they aren't the ones receiving the bulk of the money you spend on ebay... the sellers are primarily private individuals who are sitting at home listing items to make money for their own needs. When shoppers buy from Goodwill they already know its a NON-PROFIT charity. Do you have any idea what is required to be listed as a NON-PROFIT charity?? Its regulated and the money made has to be proven to go to charitable usage ONLY. Buyers of Shopgoodwill may bid higher just because they know their money is going to HELP someone... When this poster buys, they obviously are buying to help their wardrobe and are livid that they can't do so without paying more money than they believe is either affordable to them, or more than they wish to pay. That would be A) a case of needing to shop where their budget will allow, or B) crying over someone else's goodwill.  The nerve of people who feel the need to complain because they weren't able to spend their money cheaply is dumbfounding! Show some respect for real complaints on RipOff report.

IF I CHOOSE TO BID HIGHER THAN YOU BECAUSE I BELIEVE ITS WORTHWHILE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE WITH BARRIERS ACHEIVE A COMFORTABLE LIFE WHO SHOULD BE COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT??? BID HIGHER or go to the local goodwill stores to pay less.

I live in Washington also, so you can bet I will be bidding higher now just to prove its the right thing to do when it comes to HELPING PEOPLE

I had a problem on Shopgoodwill. In seeking a solution, I found so much corruption and corporate flim-flamming that it would make your head spin.
In my investigating, I saw the retraction of bids to make the next high bidder the winner at their max bid. This can only be done from the inside since users can't retract bids instantly.

There is no way to check a user ID. No history, no general information given, like ebay. There is no auction history unless you have saved the link. It just disappears. I have tried looking for old auctions and the search engine will not allow me to find old auctions. 

You have no idea who has bid against you. Like someone else mentioned in this thread, I also saw the same IDs being used in valuable auctions. And it is clear each store uses the public to tell the emplyees what item is valuable. It is like we are voting with our bids. And the employee outbids us in the end. I have also seen items go for ridiculous amounts and then be relisted for 5 bucks in a buy Now or 3 day auction. They also list it in a bad catagory where the public does not look much. They also deliberately misspell so the competition is small. They can't steal the item outright, they are there to sort and list, so they make sure it sells for small amounts to an accomplice and they resale on ebay and split the difference. it really adds up when you do this every day.

What a lot of you don't understand is the site is for sellers all over the country who are separate businesses. This not only allows them to do what they want and hide behind the California home office, but it also allows them to think of their own unique ways of defrauding the public. I've just mentioned a couple. there are lots more. They all have their own schemes going and it can get confusing.

The person in Tacoma and the other one who says ebay does not have a staff is just plain silly or so totally unaware that they might want to investigate and study all this before defending these crooks.

Ebay provides a place where you can clearly see the history of the user and contact them if you like. They also allow you to keep your emails so if there is a problem you can have references. They have a investigate staff -a huge one- who prevent criminal activities and scams. Goodwill does absolutely nothing. I mean NOTHING. They always fall back on the separate company BS. They have one singleperson who handles customer complaints! He comes from a store in Ohio, I beleive and now works in California. That does not soundlike these companies are separate to me.it sounds like he got transferred within the company. The separation is because of legal problems.
This online auction idea was probably a good idea when it was started, but it has evolved into a pit of corruption and full of con artists.

The Thrift Shop industry is full of criminals. If you don't believe me, just go volunteer at one. Your eyes will fill with tears from the activity. Employees stealing and having ebay businesses on the side. In one place I saw the entire staff was one big theft ring. They combed through the donations and sorted all day. The junk got sold in the store and the good stuff went out the back door. The company is happy because they are still making money with no inventory costs (free stuff) and the emplyees are happy because they are all free agents to make much more money plus have a constant flow of new inventory.

 The honest people who work hard at Goodwills are probably good Christians who just want to help,or staffers who have come from a hiring program, have little education and really need their jobs. So they keep their mouths shut and eyes closed to the activities around them.

I wish some government agency would look into this company and put them out of business. I wish someone would stop them. But I doubt anyone will. But if you want to make a difference, you should stop doing business with them. JUST STOP SHOPPING IN THEIR STORES AND ON LINE. Go somewhere else.

By the way, does anyone know what Goodwill does? has anyone seen their presence in the community? Did anyone see them during the Haitian disaster or Hurricane Katrina? Come to think of it, I have never seen them actually DO anything other than have thrift stores. Salvation Army has shelters and job programs. But where is Goodwill's shelters or programs? The money seems to pour in but never seems to get spent doing anything but to support the chain of stores. It is kind of more like Walmart or Kmart than Salvation Army or Red Cross isn't it?? makes you think...

I counld not agree with this person more shopgoodwill.com bids on there own stuff i have seen it again and again Its alaways the same bidders that win and the bids are outragious and the descriptions are destorded I know its for a good cause but lets be honest and fair They seem to have ther own rules and no one over sees them Dont they think that the person thats on there might be poor too and wants a chance to own something descent They over charge for all there stuff they put there own bids and take advantage of a good thing Also just wanted to say I bought a small item for $2 dollars They charged me $8 dollars shipping and handeling They dont tell you that a head of time  and you are bound to your bid I wont order from them again I cant aford it  Im poor and on a fixed income theres no free lunch only for them

I totally agree with this individual's posting. If you have anything to donate and you REALLY want to help out those less fortunate, donate to a Church. Goodwill's ulterior motives are simple. And it's NOT to help those in need. Like I always say, give me your donations, like you give to Goodwill, and I will sell them all day long like they do. It wouldn't be long till I become wealthy like they have.

An important thing to know about Goodwill is that they are independent of each other by region and use the shopgoodwill.com site set up through Goodwill of Orange County.  Each Goodwill posting items to the site is like an individual Ebay seller. 

It is unfortunate that Goodwill's site does not offer customer feedback and rankings because while I believe the majority of the Goodwills using the site to be on the up-and-up you have obviously found some auctions with suspicious activity.  I would be curious which stores/locations you've noticed as possibly shill bidding and would suggest contacting the site admins with your concerns. 

For what it's worth I've personally dealt with a Goodwill in Indiana & in Wisconsin and had no difficulties.  I'd hate to see both good and bad sellers lumped together because some locations are allegedly being fraudulent with their listings. 

Regardless of whether Ebay has to pay over head or not, the goodwill gets ALL items free and don't act like Ebay doesn't have employees to pay also. Walmart has to pay overhead and their prices STILL remain relatively reasonable. That also does not explain the unusually high prices the items go for at goodwill auctions compared to ebay when the prices at both auctions are supposed to be dictated by the bidders. Again, why in the hell would a person bid several hundred dollars for an item at shopgoodwill.com with 4 days left, when the same thing is selling on ebay for much much less? It doesn't add up unless something suspicious is going on, on the goodwill's part. Not to mention, charging unusually high shipping and handling charges. I read about a person only spending a total of less than $100 on small auction items, and ending up having to pay over $300 after shipping and handling. These stories are all over the internet. Avoid it as you will, I'm certain you're an employee defending the company. Regardless, all people have to do is find out for themselves when they are insanely overcharged on shipping fees when they purchase one of the items. Also, I'm not the only one complaining about this, just take a look around the net and you will read about disgruntled customers everywhere. If the goodwill is not careful they will destroy their reputation beyond repair. 

The mark up of items are to pay the overhead employees, taxes, utilities, and also the equipment like trucks to pick up the "FREE" stuff that people donate and also fuel for the trucks. The rest of the funds are to charity.

E-Bay does not run a store or have any overhead nor do the people selling the items you TWIT!

Instead of running down a benevolent organization that gives jobs to the handicapped among many other things, just don't shop there or do buisness with them, I'm sure that they won't miss your patronage.

GOD BLESS GOODWILL

Ok then, why in the world are the prices at the goodwill for the SAME EXACT ITEMS selling significantly higher than on ebay???? Is it that people would rather shop at goodwill and pay much higher than ebay just for the heck of it? I don't think so. Not to mention, the goodwill gets EVERYTHING for FREEEEE! so, if the objective of the company is INTENDED to help the poor, then WHY DO YOU MARK 'DECENT' ITEMS UP SO HIGH??? Basically if you're poor and you only have a couple of dollars for a pair of jeans, then you better expect to wear the stained out-dated crap no one wants, because any of the clothing/items anyone WOULD ACTUALLY WANT is at least $7-$10 or more. How do you expect a poor person to pay that when they could easily go to Marshals, T.J. Max, or Ross, and get the same darn thing BRAND NEW for the same price or cheaper??? I buy brand new shirts all day long for $3-$4 at those 'retail" stores and will find the same thing at the goodwill a couple days later for $7. It's flat out GREED! Not to mention, some of the absolute junk for furniture that they ask so much for. I saw a japanese dressing armoire that was all busted up and needed repair w/missing drawers in several areas and you ppl wanted $200 for it. That's crazy, someone could find something way better on cl for way cheaper. I've read on a lot of blogs how people are opting to donate their nice used items to other charities because they go to the goodwill and see how they are trying to rip off the poor. People donate their nice things out of the kindness of their hearts in order to help other people in need and you take advantage of it by using people's kindness for profit. I'm certainly no longer donating my nice things there anymore. I'd rather give them away on cl or donate them to a church that will ACTUALLY be serve the poor. As far as the auction goes, maybe the Tacoma Goodwill does not shill bid, but I know there are other goodwills that seem to have some suspiciously high prices for having over a week left to bid on them.

You have your "opinion" and the rest of us have ours . . . .

You are joking right?
I work in the e-commerce dept at Goodwill.
I can offer a couple reasons why your claim is absurd.
1. The listers in the e-commerce dept are paid a sub-standard wage which elicits no loyaty.
2. They receive no commission on sales.
3. The listers live under continual pressure to meet a quota that requires they list an item every 12 minutes, and often mislabel the items in the listing so that they go for LESS that they would on ebay.
4. They receive no bonus for meeting or exceeding sales goals.

So in order for your claim to be true, an under-paid over-worked employee would have to stop listing and face disciplinary action to bid on an item falsely with their own money to artificially inflate sales numbers for a company that would fire them if they found out they were doing something like that, and gives them no personal benefit for doing so.
Not to mention that the listing interface prevents the lister from bidding on an item they listed.
If anything, the reason you see the same person buying an item is because they are buying it for below market value and reselling it elsewhere.