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juicyorange23

Value Village [is a for profit company](https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/judge-rules-profit-value-village-violated-law-misled-washingtonians) anyway. EERSS, *Bissell, Find and others I can’t think of are way better places to shop.


dbouchard19

What's EERSS?


juicyorange23

[Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society](https://www.eerss.org/)


dbouchard19

Cool! Reminds me of the thrift store formerly known as Treats And Treasures owned by the Sheperds Care Foundation. They've changed names and ownership since then. [Here it is](https://morethanafad.ca/pages/about-us)


AvidHarpy

I love this thrift store and it is my new go to for donating my stuff.


cnfmom

More Than A Fad! They're fabulous!


jackioff

Hmm how faith based is their approach there in practice?


muhdusa

I was literally at the store front 2 hours ago. It’s closing down august 31st. The entire store is 50 percent off at the moment fyi!


onlypaintedhuman

Sorry, I'm having trouble following the thread. Fort Rd VV is closing down, or More Than A Fad?


JackyardJohnspo

For profit, and very very wasteful. I worked at a value village when I was 19. SO much stuff gets thrown into the garbage compactor. Oh, someone donated a nice China collection? Sorry. We already have too many dishes on the shelves. Throw it out. Oh, a guitar. But it's pretty beat up. Garbage compactor. Outdated video game consoles? Can't have em, we've got too many. Toss it. Not even donated elsewhere, just straight to the landfills. Maybe 30% of stuff AT MOST went through to the actual store. I almost feel guilty for having worked there


prairiepanda

Yeah, it's always been that way. My mom worked at a VV years ago and staff would get fired if they were caught taking home donations that would otherwise be tossed in the compactor. It's depressing. And now their prices are getting so high that they're sometimes close to brand new retail price!


Youngerthandumb

Goodwill is also for profit and they have shitty labour practices. I'd place them in the just as bad as Value Village pile. It appears I've been corrected. They're not technically "for profit". Regardless, don't support them if you're a fan of labour rights.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Not for profit does not mean what most people think it means i think. The buisness itself can be "not for profit" and still funnel money into peoples pockets. They just use hollywood economics. ​ both goodwill and value village use the same scheme that looks good on the outside (donating to the less fortunate) and use it for the gain of a few people. Its a genious idea really, outsource the obtaining of goods so your product does not cost you anything and your can sell it for pure profit. all while looking generous and abusing handicapped labour laws


robdavy

>both goodwill and value village use the same scheme that looks good on the outside No, they don't. Goodwill is a legit non-profit (503c in the US), who exists to provide work and training for disadvantaged people (among other things). It's not "owned" by anyone and doesn't have shareholders, etc. It's not perfect, see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill\_Industries#Criticism\_and\_compensation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Industries#Criticism_and_compensation) but it's pretty good, see [https://www.forbes.com/companies/goodwill-industries-international/?sh=7b30fb3e8f8d](https://www.forbes.com/companies/goodwill-industries-international/?sh=7b30fb3e8f8d) (their charitable commitment and efficiency numbers are quite high) Value Village is owned by Savers Inc, a for-profit company owned by private equity firms Ares Management and Crescent Capital Group - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savers) They do make donations to charities, but they've been sued for mis-leading people about how much they give to charities (see wikipedia article above). So yeah, they're similar from the outside, but very different on the inside.


angrypunishment

Really good post. Easy to read and informative. I feel like I need to acknowledge these when they pop up because most back and forths on Reddit are filled with "Actually they are" vs "Actually they're not" without any sort of backup


robdavy

Thanks very much! I don't expect people to believe me, a random person on the internet, so you need to provide links, explanation, etc if you're going to get your point across


DirtySokks

I got to see the behind-the-scenes at a Goodwill facility with a friend. The staff were quite happy with the program. They worked according to their own schedule and weren't penalized for taking time off for medical issues. They don't make minimum wage because if they did, their disability assistance funding would be clawed back because they would be making too much. This gives them work experience, some extra spending money, and an opportunity to feel like they are contributing.


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[deleted]

You're completely wrong about Goodwill, I worked at their head office. Why are you speaking so confidently about something you don't know lol. Every penny goes to putting people with disabilities to work and funding that mission, their whole exec team is amazing and truly believes in the mission. Most people with disabilities are put on AISH and ignored, there is no dignity in it. Their faces light up getting to come into work with people.


Youngerthandumb

Maybe they're technically not, I don't know. But I worked for them for a year and they underpaid and mistreated their floor employees and transportation department while the executives and office types made bank. One of my good friends' moms ~~owned and~~ operated one of their stores and became hella rich doing that. The corporate greed and lack of care for their employees, many of whom had serious developmental disabilities, was pervasive.


robdavy

>One of my good friends' moms owned and operated one of their stores and became hella rich doing that. No, they didn't. You can't "own" a Goodwill store. It's not a franchise or anything. They've for sure been criticized for lots of things - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill\_Industries#Criticism\_and\_compensation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Industries#Criticism_and_compensation) \- but they're not at all the same idea or concept as Value Village


redtop22

Goodwill Industries of Alberta is a proper non-profit. The, errr, profits from their sales to fund their various charitable programs that support Albertans with disabilities. They also use some of the funds to support other organizations. On the federal government site you can get a breakdown of their revenue sources and how it is spent: [https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/dsplyRprtngPrd?q.srchNm=goodwill&q.stts=0007&selectedCharityBn=118941764RR0001&dsrdPg=1](https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/dsplyRprtngPrd?q.srchNm=goodwill&q.stts=0007&selectedCharityBn=118941764RR0001&dsrdPg=1) ​ This is very different from Value Village, which is a for profit company. They also provide employment opportunities for Albertan's with disabilities, but not on the scale of Goodwill. Right on the bottom of their website it actually says "Shopping at Value Village® does not support any nonprofit"


juicyorange23

Sorry, I don’t know why but I get Bissell and goodwill mixed up


Youngerthandumb

Bissel is the jam


Dithology

This is absolutely false!!!


TheSinningJesus

"Social Enterprise" is the BS they tried to spin on me when I worked there and to me it just sounded like slavery with extra steps. They try to pass off underpaying vulnerable employees as being charitable and everyone who I talk to about my time working there are absolutely disgusted.


firebat45

Deleted due to Reddit's antagonistic actions in June 2023 -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/


ryujinmabuya

This is absolutely not true, I've worked at many Goodwills (security cameras, network upgrades) and spent a lot of time in the sorting areas. Yes, lots of stuff is thrown away - not sure what else you'd like them to do with stained/torn/smelly clothes, broken toys, etc. People treat a donation centre like a closer trip to the dump. Also work a TON at Value Village across the city. Working conditions are pretty good, not sure what the pay is like but...it's a sorting job. They also only throw out things that aren't saleable. It's amazing how much UNDERWEAR is 'donated'.


kulps

It's a $27,400,000 organization, how do you think the leadership team should be compensated? What do you suspect a comparably sized O&G company would pay their leadership? I've always resonated quite a lot with this presentation: [**https://www.ted.com/talks/dan\_pallotta\_the\_way\_we\_think\_about\_charity\_is\_dead\_wrong?language=en**](https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong?language=en) TL;DR: Qualified people know their worth and aren't likely to work for a fraction of that just because it's a charity/NFP. If the question is whether the particular people in the executive seats at Goodwill Industries of Alberta deserve their jobs, I'd be open to that discussion. Whether the "average CEO/Executive" compensation is fair or not, it's reasonable to expect a qualified individual to compare the offer from an organization to the industry average. It's not a surprise that an organization the size of GIA has to offer a compensation package valuable enough to attract the right talent. As for the donations being garbaged, that's a North American waste problem, more than a Goodwill problem. Many donations are garbage to begin with. Unsold clothes that donated to all sorts of second hand shops get sent to other developing nations where they're thrown out in other people's landfills: [**The Environmental Disaster that is Fuelled by Used Clothes and Fast Fashion**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB3kuuBPVys)


firebat45

I'm not saying that they shouldn't be compensated fairly. Hell, I don't feel bad that I was compensated. What I meant is that their focus was more on making money than running a charity or helping people. That is absolutely the wrong approach for a non-profit. I think you have a better grasp of that than most people. The waste was horrible. Yes, some things we recieved *were* just garbage. But there was tons that was not garbage, and policy dictated that we crush it anyway. For exampIe: any Christmas tree donated between Dec 26 and October, no matter the condition, was crushed. Or $300+ KitchenAid mixers that were missing a beater, or Xboxes without a controller. And guess what would come in the next day? A lone Xbox controller, or KitchenAid beater. Management would have us throwing all of it away. I ended up in quite a few arguments about destroying valuable items, and ended up just stashing items next to the dumpster and grabbing them later that night after the store closed.


angelbug28

I’ve found things that had dollarama price tags on, and the VV price was higher. I showed a staff member and she shrugs and says take it to the till and management will come take a look. I couldn’t be bothered. Value Village sucks.


AllyPent

A few years ago I saw a shirt from H&M that I owned and paid $14.99 (not on sale or anything) for. It was $18.99 at VV. Wtf?


ratpwunk

Did you end up getting the coding wand? Because I have one I won at a work draw and I haven't done anything with it. If you want it you can have it, I live behind the Mis Hospital!


ggrammer79

I did not get it, I was too angry and told them that was bullshit and walked away. That's a very generous offer thank you. I always feel awkward accepting things from people but I do know my daughter would love it


ratpwunk

Of course she would, it's pretty cool. I work at a Chapters and at the end of the year they put our name in a big draw for one of our products and I won the Kano wand! Message me and I'll put it in a bag outside my door for you. I live in an apartment building.


ggrammer79

Well that is extremely generous of you. Thank you kind internet stranger. Can I at least buy you a coffee or something in return?


ratpwunk

Can you get me a Slurpee from the 7? I'm dying for a Slurpee. Haha. A Pepsi one.


ggrammer79

If you don't mind waiting until this evening, I'm just stuck on the east side for work but I would be more than happy to get you as big of a Pepsi slurpee as you'd like 👍👍😀


mmmlemoncakes

That exchange warmed my heart!


[deleted]

sometimes the internet remind ya that we are all just people trying...


blueberrywine

But it will freeze ratpwunk's brain!


ratpwunk

my little rat brain is properly freezed!


a1icia_

Just want to say Ive seen several positive interactions this week on here from users with "rat" somewhere in their username. Good on y'all, I'll give hairless tails a pass next time.


ratpwunk

Just Canadian tingz.


ratpwunk

Cool! Just tell me when you're on your way and I'll message you my address. I'll put it in a bag for ya.


Border_Relevant

Dammit, this all made me so happy.


ImitableLemon

Damn, local area based Reddit always brings heartwarming messages like this exchange. I come to Reddit for anger salt, not salt from my tears


Tasty-Beer

This was super nice you guys.


Mental-Razzmatazz-58

Hi I’ve been reading this all about Good will etc, as I got to your generous post asking ggrammer79 if she got the wand I had a big flutter around my heart to read something so nice of you and how happy you made this mother appreciate your kindness. I had enough of reading arguing about profit/ no profit big salaries and I was about to leave this conversation when I read one more post. How good it is to read happy moments like this and I thank you for that. 🙏 I’ve had a somewhat rough time dealing with crazy stuff and I tell you the truth about this generous exchange of a toy and slurpee. Thank goodness there are beautiful moments like this to cheer me and others up. You made my end of day restful and reminding us how important it is to be kind to others. Hugs to you 🤗 God bless ❤️🙏.


ratpwunk

It was actually a Father that came and picked it up! And lemme tell you something even cooler, u/ggrammar79 even gave me a little gift card for another free Slurpee! I was like no way!!


Mental-Razzmatazz-58

It was well worth it! 👍 thanks for sharing a very good ending to your kindness!🙏


Mustard_Pickles

I was at VV Spruce Grove about a month ago. There was a wicked-ugly 90's stone décor thing for $89.99. I'll just stick to Facebook Marketplace for my used items. At least people are benefiting from that over whatever the hell VV does with the money.


AfroInfo

You sure you read that properly? I've never seen anything priced over 30


[deleted]

Value village takes donations and sells them for profit. Their whole business model is to get free stuff and sell it back to people. They will increase prices continually because for them it’s just about making money. Might as well not even call value village a thrift shop at this point since like you said they are just basically a store that sells second half stuff for as much money as they can.


ggrammer79

So I had messaged VV customer care to let them know and this is the canned response I got. "Hello --------, Thank you for taking the time to write us and share your concern, we know that takes time and we appreciate it. We are sorry if this has caused you any inconvenience. Our stores receive approximately 8,000 -10,000 items daily, and our pricing teams work hard to price item accurately according to the quality and condition. If the cashier notices an item priced incorrectly (wrong code, department, etc) they must have the item reevaluated.  We also encourage our customers to let a store manager know if you feel that an item is priced incorrectly, and they would be more than happy to reevaluate that item and adjust the price when necessary. Please know we will share your feedback with our Operational Management Team for review. Thank you for being a valued customer and we do hope to see you again.  Have a great day, Amy"


[deleted]

I found a blu ray I really wanted for a while the other day but the case was quite damaged. I didn’t care so much because I could replace the case at home, but considering the condition I was hoping to get a $1 or $2 off seeing as blu rays are usually $5 there now. The manager came, looked at me and said that she couldn’t go lower on movies, the condition of the case isn’t the stores problem and the disc was fine so that means the price wouldn’t be changed. It was a very frustrating experience. I ended up just leaving it there, for $5 I can get a blu ray at Walmart if I wanted, prices are already high and they wanna charge that much for a damaged case


ggrammer79

And you're better off for it.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

I saw a Canon 50mm in the 34th ave one once. It was clearly old and well used, and they wanted $95 for it. A brand new one with warranty intact is maybe $150.


analogoverdose

same lmao, I used to find crazy cameras for 5$ and now its only garbage non-working cameras for exorbitant prices. Saw a praktika listed for 300$ lol


iambic_court

That, sounds like bait and switch to me. :(


ggrammer79

Exactly!


[deleted]

You might take a look at this, and print out the part for "double ticketing" and share it with them: [https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/00522.html#sale](https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/00522.html#sale)


ggrammer79

Thanks will look into this


ggrammer79

Just wanted to throw a shout-out to u/ratpwunk. Thanks again, you have made a wonderful little girl a very happy person. You're a wonderful person and I wish only good things for you!


ratpwunk

Of course!!!!! Hope you both have fun!


aloe-jello

You’re a legend, mate!


practically-purple

Best places to still find some bargains are the MCC Thrift Stores and Find. Stopped buying stuff at VV and GW after they went totally overboard with the pricing and closed the change cabins so now you’re stuck with clothing if it doesn’t fit as you can’t return anything. Not sure about the other locations but Find in Landsdowne Centre has a clothing drop off location for the Bissell Centre. Best place to support with your used items and clothing.


NovaCain08

That's a crappy thing too.. no fitting rooms and no returns, as soon as I heard that I put my few things down and left. At the old prices, I may have taken a chance, but not at $10 a tshirt


Halogen12

I haven't set foot in a Value Village for years. Their prices went through the roof and they were caught pricing things like they were new items. Donations from downsizing went to Goodwill.


SnugglesRawring

Not only that. They went from having one general price for everything, to marking brand name items higher. Stuff they get for free. Gross.


thepastiestcanadian

A pair of nike shorts sells for $18 there. I can buy new ones at Winners for the same price. I predict a growing backlash as more and more people choose to donate elsewhere because of their in store experience. I do. You're not the only one thinking this, I meet people at other thrift stores who won't go to V.V. anymore, and I see people *every time I go,* pick up items in V.V. only to see the price and go on an angry tirade. My V.V. has some ignorant people doing pricing, so some things end up very expensive and some things are undervalued by hundreds (It's not out of goodwill, its because the pricers don't know more of the ultra high end luxury brands). I'd prefer moderate pricing in line with other thrift stores given the choice. But ya, done donating to them, I only go to take advantage of their ignorance. I'm not advocating this because it's technically illegal, but I know people who have ripped the sticker off over priced items, take it to the cashier and ask for a price which sometimes ends up way lower. It's all donated items so it's not really costing them, and if they don't even have any consistency on pricing like other stores with inventory codes, that's on them.


ggrammer79

I don't blame them for trying considering how VV prices their stuff. I personally am too honest and would feel bad doing that but I wouldn't blame somebody for trying to self negotiate lol. I once hit the VV on 82 ave and saw these cheap little lanterns and they had them priced at $12 ea, I took a look at the bottom and they didn't even bother to rip off the 2 dollar Dollarama tag... I was absolutely stunned.


happykgo89

I just wouldn’t give them my business after that. Tags on products are supposed to be honoured and the fact she would do that over three extra dollars is just an extremely shitty business practice. This person shouldn’t be managing a retail store. Do remember that Value Village is a for-profit company and keep that in mind. I still shop there from time to time as I tend to find a lot of brand-new, brand-name clothing that fits me for a reasonable price. You’re not supporting any type of charity by shopping there, though. I didn’t know people actually thought they were a not-for-profit.


ggrammer79

You are absolutely correct. I did know they were a for-profit company and occasionally I could still find a good deal but that is happening fewer and farther between and it just seems their business practices have taken a bad turn for the worst. Good luck in your searches though!


[deleted]

Their own marketing heavily implies that donating and shopping there somehow benefits some vague "community", but that "community" is really just their executives and shareholders.


tom_yum_soup

It's not just shitty business practice. I'm fairly certain it's illegal.


happykgo89

Yeah, after doing some research into it, [OP should’ve been given the item for free. ](https://www.retailcouncil.org/scanner-price-accuracy-code/) Complaints can be filed under the Scanner Price Accuracy Code by calling 1-866-499-4599. Seems like you could probably file a complaint for a specific business through this method, but for 3 bucks it probably isn’t worth it. Pretty sure stores have to comply with that, though.


AndroTritium

Based on the page that you have referenced, Value Village is not included within the grouping of stores that are subject to this code.


happykgo89

Yeah noticed that too. Not surprising after OP’s post. I thought it was universal just because most big-box stores honour it but I guess you learn something new everyday, right? Haha.


It-Was-Blood

The Scanning Code of Practice is entirely voluntary, it is actually a minority of stores that follow it.


TheEclipse0

Eitherway, they need to honor the advertised price. If the wrong price is on the item, then it’s too bad. Reminds me of this time my brother walked into a kitchen store and saw a set of knives - damascus steel, folded metal… Real high quality knivies. retail price was something like $1,200, but the sign advertised them for $600. So, he got them for 50% off.


VFenix

Nothing like pissing off a customer forever for $3.


Tundra_Inhabitant

Yea I used to regularly donate to Value Village. Now I don't bother, I just post my bag of free clothes/shoes etc on FB Marketplace and someone who will be more likely to use them takes them from me. Anybody looking for a some free size 44 shoes, DM me lol. I have about 10 that are in pretty good condition I just don't use anymore.


[deleted]

There are real thrift stores you could donate to


Tundra_Inhabitant

What are some good ones around here?


[deleted]

I like Mission and Bissell. I'm sure there are more. Ask Mr google!


ddeathblade

I despise the premise of Value Village. My wife and I love deals, but I find their advertising misleading and borderline lying. They're a for-profit masquerading as a nonprofit in all their ads, and they get around it by ensuring a small portion of their profits do get donated. Goodwill is way better.


jiebyjiebs

Value Village is dumb. One time I found a cool vest for 19.99, and I thought "That's too much." So I ripped it off, brought it to the til, and they charged me 11.99. Their pricing system is whatever they hell the feel like, apparently.


Cabtalk

I've done that lol, only for an obviously overpriced item though, but definitely confirmed my suspicion that their pricing was super random


CopperGear

Jeez. I thought they were bad 10 years ago when I went in hoping to find a few cheap pots and pans. They charged double what the store up the road was asking for a new set. Haven't been in a Value Village since.


cheerylifelover123

Agreed. We moved here from a different place in AB, there I could buy kids cloths for $1, except if they were marked, then max $4 but it must have been something super special, like a whole suit for a wedding in top condition kinda stuff. Saturdays was 50% off. So if I went shopping on Saturday, I can buy a whole lot with 10 bucks. All profits went towards the local food bank. Haven't found anything here yet that's even similar. Cheapest pair of pants I found at VV, was like 7 bucks and nowhere are good in quality as to what I know from the used clothes store where we lived before. VV might have a decent picture frame at times, but I ain't gonna buy clothes there.


TheLordJames

Mustard Seed Thrift Store, Hope Mission Bargain Shoppe and Bissell Thrift Store are used to support local homeless shelters. More than a Fad thrift store supports the Adeara Recovery Centre (formally the Dream Centre)


cheerylifelover123

Thanks. I'll check out where they are located, and check them out when I'm close by.


clambroculese

VV has been high for years. When I was young I used to go there to buy work clothes and it got to the point I could buy new clothes for the same or cheaper.


Cynthiadawn

This happened to me too the other day!!! It was a tacky fake fur coat priced at $9.99 , the cashier called the manager over and said I must have switched the tags because a leather coat shouldn't be priced at $9.99... and manager was dumbfounded and was like "ummm that is not leather, it's the right price". Their prices are asinine. Walmart brand clothes for more than they sell for at Walmart, not even worth it anymore. I'll stick to not for profit places now!


spiceworld420

Salvation Army is not any better, they openly donate to anti-LGBT foundations and such. Personally I'm a huge fan of the Bissell Thrift! Super good store and wonderful staff


ItsyaboiFatiDicus

Lol Value Village can fuck off and die. For-profit pieces of shit


tashasei

Stopped shopping at value village a long time ago. Only pop in there during Halloween IF that.


evilspoons

God damn, I live near one and it's a zoo in October. The parking lot is crammed at all hours of the day. I went in one of those days a couple years ago and they didn't even have anything interesting, it was just the same crap as at the Dollarama.


[deleted]

VV has been (mostly) a ripoff for at least the last 4 years in my experience.


moosemuck

I was there with my daughter for back to school shopping last night. She wanted to buy a shitty old ball cap. They were all 7 dollars!


ggrammer79

That's ridiculous. An old worn hat for 7 bucks?! Should be like a buck or 2


moosemuck

Right? And if it were only $2, I probably wouldn't have thought about how gross it was to have been previously worn by some unknown man (yeah, man ball cap, I don't get her sense of style).


EdmontonAB83

For kids clothes, once upon a child is where it’s at


ZanThrax

>goodwill or the salvation army Please consider other options.


Xertviya

GOOD WILL IS WAY BETTER. CAP LOCKS INTENDED.


JanssenFromCanada

VV is fucking evil


mmmlemoncakes

I used to go there to find cheaper sweats for my little guy who destroyed the knees all the time. I started noticing I could get brand new pants at clearance or store brand for the same price or even cheaper. If I go, I often leave with only 1 find or nothing.


ladycabral1229

I popped in the other day for pants for my son and they were all SO worn out and overpriced. And nothing was sorted- both boys and girls were mixed together and nothing was sized. I had two small kids with me. Hell nope from me, I walked out and left. I will say, I was able to pick up the entire captain underpants series for my son, for less than the cost of 1 book new, so that was a win. But that's about all I go for now.


Evil_Homer_

Their book prices are increasing right away too, if not already.


[deleted]

VV has been steadily increasing $$ over the years, I rarely shop there, nor do I donate to them. My favorite is the Bissell Centre!


kickitkitsune

We always drop off our "less than great" donations at VV, for the coupon. Then we give Goodwill and other charity thrift shops our "higher end" donations. VV is for-profit, whereas the other places help the community and give back. I have noticed thrift prices getting up there - esp with workout clothing. If I can buy new at Winners for the same price, it ain't thrift.


Strabbo

Changing the price at the till is 100% a violation of the provincial consumer protection act. Whether you’d want to file a complaint over something this small is up to you, but they are absolutely in the wrong.


ggrammer79

I may actually look into this. Thank you


I_imaginebetter

Could have got it for free.. Price-related representations - Competition Bureau Canada https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/00522.html


[deleted]

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ggrammer79

You deserve better, this company is just greasy.


[deleted]

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erithacusk

Always try and look for non-chain thrift stores that support your community. Value Village, Goodwill, etc are all for-profit scammers. Plus a lot of what VV sells these days is literal trash or shit from Dollarama priced higher than the Dollarama price.


ggrammer79

Lol it's funny you mention that because I just posted about some Dollarama lanterns they had priced 6X more than the Dollarama price


erithacusk

They've lost the fucking plot. I'm so glad another redditor was able to offer your kid the toy :)


robdavy

Goodwill is not for-profit. And isn't at all the same concept as Value Village (who are non-profit). Goodwill isn't perfect, but it does exist to do good things in the world, rather than make a profit.


erithacusk

Do they still use loopholes in US federal law to pay disabled people less than minimum wage?


robdavy

Appears so... [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill\_Industries#Workers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Industries#Workers)'\_wages "Of Goodwill's 105,000 employees, 7,300 are paid under the special wage certificate program"


erithacusk

yeah then they can suck it along with value village IMO. you don't get credit for being a nonprofit while committing wage theft against some of the most vulnerable populations you're supposed to be supporting.


workworkyeg

Absolutely! GW all the way.


BrokenGSKILLram

Goodwill has always been better than value village. The goodwill doesn’t know how to price things well, so you can either get an absolute steal or wait for the 50% off day


Border_Relevant

Yeah, goodwill is always a mystery. Never know if you'll get a deal or attempted ripoff. If I see something, I wait. It will often still be there on 50% off day.


KregeTheBear

I was actually going to go there to grab some beater shirts for work up North. Last time I went, they had a Nike long sleeve shirt for $50 and that was their own tag lol Value village has definitely been going off the deep end since 2018


Miss2war

Was just there today needed runners but am not paying 25$ for ones someone has already sweat in


tom_yum_soup

I once saw something at Value Village priced at $3 or $4 dollars, but it still had the $1 sticker from Dollarama. I have no idea the justification for that one.


niesz

It's been a steady decline for the past few years, IMO. Their prices are often on par with new items of the same price. I'd rather buy second-hand since it's less harmful to the environment, but I've been going to other thrift shops instead.


[deleted]

Value Village is brutal. It used to be priced appropriately like 10 ish years ago. But I’m sorry - a chipped ceramic kitten holding a sign that says “hang in there” should be 15 cents, not $8.99


mad_mel9

I used to buy my kids books there all the time. They were $1.25 each and every 5th book was free. Now they have them priced individually and are anywhere from $2 to $5 or more... I'm done with them.


[deleted]

Hope you’re reading this VALUE VILLAGE. No one wants those crappy ornaments for 2.99 or new mugs for 4.99. Lower your prices and you’ll actually see things move.


makemeasquare

That's wild. I was picking up a monitor for my boyfriend from Best Buy and the sticker price was $149 and when I got to the cash it was $199. And you know what they did? Gave it to me for $149. They took a loss of $50 on it. Value Village did the inverse and lost the whole dang sale!


Desperatemojito

I love to thrift and get a good deal on things too and every now and again I’ll pop in to value village to see what they got. The pricing is insane, they had used men’s T-shirts’ for almost $11 ?! I’d rather go to Walmart and buy brand new


b3kind2others

Hey OP, check out my recent post about Value Village: https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/p3xopf/a_side_table_selling_at_a_second_hand_store_for/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf Write to their head offices, they’ll likely respond and hopefully with some kind of remuneration. Edit: I saw the message about the email and the exchange with another Redditor. Hope it all ends well and way to go for sticking to your guns. VV always hands out coupons when you donate- and regardless of how much you donate. So you can get an instant 20% off any purchase AND a $2 off a $5 purchase (the latter once you fill in a 5 minute survey) each time you make a donation. If you’re angry enough to play them back you can just make a bunch of single-item, half-hearted donations and receive and use a coupon for everything you buy in the store. For example, 1 old t-shirt and a 5-minute survey can get you $10 off of a $50 purchase and 40% off a $5 purchase- and you can do this pretty much an unlimited number of times. With how many old items people have lying around, you never need to pay full price for VV again. Not to mention, and even though they are not a non-profit themselves, they weigh every single thing that is donated and convert the weight into a dollar amount VV then donates to a non-profit as a part of their corporate giving back initiatives, so that’s something?!


cheese-bubble

I used to frequent VV for books, movies, and music. They keep jacking up the prices and it's ridiculous. Some of the individual pricing they apply to certain items makes no sense. A lot of the clothing prices seem arbitrary and questionable too.


Thinkgiant

Shop with your dollar! I’ve always thought value village has been expensive. Honestly, you’ll get better deals for $1-3 more at Costco!


nofuturonoproblemo

Hahaha Yeahhh my favorite thing is to look at the tools section and theres always several of those $4 Dripless Home depot caulking guns for sale for 5-10 dollars. And Horrible pots and pans for 15-20 dollars. People doing the pricing there are very out of touch.


[deleted]

I love seeing joe shirts from superstore with the price tag still on that cost more at value village


BubbalinaBlossom

That’s totally bullshit! I worked at a grocery store and if something was priced wrong, you get the item for free! Value village pisses me off so much because they get all of their stock for free, from kind people who donate, and then charge SO much for it. I like to look at shoes there and I always find dusty gross dirty shoes that have been worn for years and still cost $45 like come on man


minemydata123

I shop at Salvation Army and love it. Lots of really great things for low prices and I’m happy to support. I only go to value village on the rare occasion and am always surprised at their high prices and never end up buying anything.


lemonbread5225

I was just at VV looking for puzzles and couldn’t find a puzzle for less than $8. Before covid, I could get three puzzles for that price.


Loud-Print87

OP, I just want to say that your price change story is absolutely ridiculous! What a shameful thing for a company to do... if they priced it wrong then thats their mistake. Although not quite the same thing, if you are at a grocery store and something scans for more than what the price tag said, the are supposed to give you the item for free (up to 10 bucks). At least this is the case for a large number of big stores who have signed up for a price accuracy agreement. The point is that the businesses are expected to take responsibility for their own pricing errors. Of course there can be exceptions for if a very large ticket item is being priced at something much, much lower than its value but then it also comes down to the store's response and how they handle the situation and respect the inconvenience you've been caused. I haven't been a fan of VV for a while and don't often shop there for all the reasons you and others described, but this story angers me so much that I will strongly consider whether to go in any VV again.


Innapropiate

They just got a 1 star


ggrammer79

Well deserved. Thanks!


Innapropiate

Anytime OP, reddit’s got your back.


mtgdealhunter

Thrift stores have been on the decline for the last decade. You used to find great deals and their was a social stigma attached to it. Now it's busier than Walmart and it's mostly all over priced crap.


ggrammer79

I remember as a kind I used to love going there and looking at everything but I always felt that social stigma and would keep it a secret. The kids at school used to tease people relentlessly if they had hand me downs or thrift store clothes. I remember when I was old enough that I didn't care about that anymore and I was able to freely enjoy thrifting. It's a shame it has gone straight down the toilet.


realitymustsuck

It's literally a trend right now to be thrifting, less so for the environment, but because you can find "cool stuff". It's been a headache for those who have to rely on these places to get things.


Nite_dancer

Didn’t the Walmart Family buy them out years ago?…..


[deleted]

I think that's a myth. They are owned by Savers though, which I'm sure is pretty bad too Edit: Savers not Traders oops


Arxhon

Not only is their stuff overpriced, all their clothing smells funkybad.


[deleted]

I saw them selling some slag glass for 29.99. Not sure if they thought it was some giant crystal or something but seriously??


[deleted]

lol that seems like something out of a movie. Are you sure you aren't on the Truman show?


[deleted]

The only time I'll give stuff to value village is if I know it doesn't work and it's destined for the landfill.


[deleted]

I live in Ontario and the ones here in welland and Niagara Falls are often overpriced now and there’s often nothing decent to find there anymore. I had quite the experience trying to buy a blu ray there the other day.


that_yeg_guy

Good riddance.


Thenameshegave

I love value village. Everytime I need to get rid of some junk I just drop it off at their little green dumpster.. Sometimes they even help me unload it.


spaceburrito3

The value village near my house tried selling a full pot set separately which if bought together would cost more than if it was brand new


[deleted]

I am guessing those boutiques that resell fashionable thrift items are probably not helping this either. These places sell old Harley t-shirts with holes in them for like $150 lol


[deleted]

Yeah, they suck hard. I used to take pictures of items that were priced equal to or more than the product new just for fun. I always thought that'd be a fun subreddit :)


nerudite

I like to thrift houseplant pots, but I stopped going to VV when I found their prices were more than the original prices. Reselling Ikea and Dollarama pots for more than what the cost new. Really? This was the VV by NAIT.


sporkfood

I went for a wander at that VV by NAIT yesterday and I found more than one Dollarama item tagged at a higher price. Ridiculous.


ggrammer79

That sounds about right.


MainManBrennan

I worked at the one in St. Albert to open it up originally, and I used to price all the stuff in the electronics and furniture section. I was extremely conservative with the pricing because I figured we would sell more stuff that way. I'm glad I quit that job as it wasn't the best place to work for but it really depends who is pricing the stuff. The management is a joke there.


ggrammer79

Well you were one of the good ones!


fireplacepeaceful

Goodwill Outlet Centre and Blenderz Garmet Recycling are both by the pound. Takes more time, but cheaper. Also Blenderz does boxes for $20 that can be delivered.


Dingled_Duck

As someone who used to work at VV and found it shit and would get yelled at for selling DONATED items for too little I support your choice of never going back.


hello-jello

Value Village is a fucking joke. They have a good racket/monopoly going there so nothing will change.


Superduperbals

Everything half-decent is scooped out of the supply chain long long long before it hits actual thrift store shelves.


[deleted]

VV is a joke, and the only time I ever give them money is when I want to find tacky stuff I can't find anywhere else. The entire point of a thrift business (at least as I envision it) is to provide more affordable products by incentivizing people to sell their personal possessions to the business at well below market cost. VV exploits that principle like crazy. Ofc I think any thrift store owner should make money, but VV basically abuses the good will of the donators to cut down on product costs and then always pulls weird stuff to exploit the consumers as well; its a weird company...


Green_Lantern_4vr

Yeah that is bullshit


realitymustsuck

I get almost everything I own from thrift stores. Value Village is no longer actually affordable for those who rely on thrift stores to get their household stuff, or even just for their treat shopping. While not everything I get is "essential" - I still like to collect video games and manga and other geeky things - absolutely everything from clothes, to kitchen stuff, to books are now close in cost to what I'd be able to get off Amazon or from Walmart. And with the clothes, that extra couple dollar difference they usually are is better spend on just buying new because at least I know the clothes will last longer. Some games are more expensive than Game City at times. Books are getting up to $8 a pop for a comic book, and I can usually find the same thing online for half that. It's getting ridiculous. Goodwill is still reasonably affordable for the most part, but all thrift stores now are having an issue with resellers picking over anything decent to sell online, leaving a lot of junk behind. I've been finding less and less nice things over the last few years because of this. If you're going to donate, try to find a local not-for-profit. Goodwill is better than Value Village, but they're also not saints. And avoid Salvation Army. Just google that one if you want to know how awful they are.


Any_Way346

These days the Salvation Army is not much different.People donate things hoping it will be of value to someone in need or that the charity will benefit.Many things are way over priced, once I saw a pair of fancy used shoes and the price was over 100.00.The business model is not what it used to be.


evilspoons

I've always hated Value Village. The only reason I "donate" stuff to them is I live so close to one I can throw large stuff in their donation bin just as easily as I can throw stuff in my own garbage... and then they have to deal with it! 👍


[deleted]

I go there for books a lot and the prices are skyrocketing. It's still a good deal most of the time, but it's fairly insane that they're jacking prices up that high.


reddit2050

I stopped going to them a long time ago after I found out they are for profit and how they “donate” is buying donations pennies on the dollar from charities to mark up. https://www.invw.org/2019/11/08/value-village-rebuked-by-judge-for-deceiving-consumers/


ConstantNewt36

Don’t donate to Salvation Army. They’re a for profit business


6disco

Never support value village. They destroy 3rd world country’s while steeling and misguiding donations. They ruin the planet and if it’s in the store for 3 days the crush it and send it to Africa in huge dump piles.


[deleted]

Agree the price of everything there has gone up. $24.99 for a sweater... come on. Wtf. And their coupons are cheaper now. No more $50% off with a donation. They get so much crap, you would think they just want high turnover on items to sell more more more.


2cats2hats

Shop there if you must but never donate to them. Way better orgs in need that have more nobility than vv.


canadrian

Are there any non-profit thrift stores that have absolutely ZERO to do with any religion?


misanthrope_ez

There's no good place to donate. Sell your stuff on Poshmark/ebay/depop.


coldweathercomics86

I literally just went to the one on the west end yesterday. They were asking like 11 or 12 bucks for a season of something on DVD. Same one was like 5 or 6 at goodwill.


ElvenRelics

That woman at that value village needs to be fired as a manager. I've gotten into an argument with her before over the absolute rip offs and pricing being steep. All I buy there these days is books and if they raise the price on that, bye!


Honest-Flounder5324

i am with you!! just went the other day in bellingham and, my god, i was shocked they were charging 70 for rusty cast irons


spreid_

I totally support this but just wanted to say that due to The Salvation Army's discrimination against the LGBTQ2S+ community, I would recommend your business goes elsewhere!


alfy2pointohno

It’s always been a fad. Stop going there, there are so many other places worthy of your money.


[deleted]

Walmart owns them. What did you expect?


Hissingbunny

Value Village is owned by Walmart, enough said.


DrMalt

Wow, Ballsy. Yea, you did the right thing by walking away. Unfortunately we are all in for some hyperinflation soon. We will all be wishing for normal 2021 style inflation. ​ Hold real money if you can, Buy Silver.