I am not ashamed to admit that I LOVE Goodwill – and I have seen friends there so I know I am not the only one. ; ) As in any area I am sure, there are good ones and bad ones depending on the location …and certain ones I prefer to bring my Goodwill Returns to.
Goodwill Return Policy
The biggest misconception I would like to clear up is about the Goodwill return policy.
Can you return items to Goodwill?
YES! And it does not have to be clothing items!! The Goodwill Return Policy mentions that you do need your receipt and it is within a 7 day period – and you only get STORE CREDIT – but do not go by what it says on the receipt. My caviat is to double check at your local Goodwill as I am speaking specifically about my local New Berlin Goodwill and what they say is the new policy overall.
I hope to help clear that up – recycling and buying used is great – but if it is just going to get put to the side right away then what is the point?
Goodwill accepts returns from any location. You DON”T have to return the item to the store it was purchased from. Also, if you get the free Goodwill purchase card, you can get additional savings on all purchases over a certain amount ($35 is my guess).
Yes Julie! – Great point! It is over $20 that you get a discount so if I am close I always try to hit that mark – I believe you get an additional 5%?….
Just have to chime in about Goodwill Boutiques. I’m not sure if every city has them, but we have one in my San Francisco neighborhood, and it’s amazing. It’s quite different from other Goodwills: Only the designer and/or brand new clothes and shoes are sent there; jeans that are normally $150 and up, for example, are sold for $25. I know that’s not a bargain by some people’s standard – but if you’ve got champagne taste on a beer budget (so to speak) it’s worth visiting.
Those sound amazing Michelle!-I do not think we have them in WI but I wish we did! Thank-you for your comment! : ) CA friends you should check these out!!
There is a Goodwill store called Retique in the Third Ward that is similar to what it sounds like Michelle is describing… 🙂
Beth…FYI..there is a boutique Goodwill in the Third Ward called “Retique”. Personally, I’ve found most finds in the regular stores, but it is more like a small boutique store.
On another note, the Waukesha store had lots on pool/water toys over the weekend for $1.49 or so. I bought the animal squirt guns that are normally $10 at Target.
I just tried to return a item at my local Goodwill store. That I bought there. I looked around to see if there was anything else I wanted. I didn’t find anything. I asked for a in store credit voucher to go to another store and they refused.
They said they had never heard of such a thing.
I then had to take the large item and put it back in my car. To try and return it to another store.
I AM NOT VERY PLEASED.
Please review your return policy with every store.
I even told them the internet states i would get a in store credit voucher.
Local Goodwill says policy will change on March 30 2020. No more returns. I hope that means the prices will be adjusted accordingly
I just tried to return an item that did not fit after 2 days for store credit and was told they never accept returns. It was up to me to try things on before I purchased them. Needless to say, I was not happy!
In East Tennessee, Habitat for Humanity says if a dishwasher won’t work when you buy it, just bring it back and they’ll give you another one. Why won’t Goodwill work with us on clothes? I enjoy shopping at Goodwill and finding good clothes for my family at a reasonable price but it’s very time consuming. My young teenage son hates, might I stress HATES, to go with me to buy clothes he needs as he’s growing constantly. I try my best to get his size but then when I get them home and he tries them on, some may be too tight or too short, etc. Goodwill receives everything free to my understanding, so why won’t they work with those of us that actually donate to them anyway. I know they won’t to move their items out as they come in, but I’m so much more reluctant to shop there sometimes, instead of Amazon, simply because of this 7-10 day return policy. I’m a 45 minute drive to the closest one, being in a rural area, and others are 1:15 hrs away for me. I do think 30 days would be reasonable on clothes because I would have more time to make it back in this case. I know many live closer to their Goodwills, but it’s a challenge for me and each item has to be returned to the Goodwill I purchased the item at, not just any Goodwill. That’s confusing too. Maybe someone would know why. Thank You, Kim