5 Reasons why shopping for "tech"at online Goodwill is a bad idea.
I've always been a fan of thrift stores and I have no beef with the mission of Goodwill.
I like finding funky oddball items and an occaisional real bargain. I still regret not snapping up the fully automatic bagel maker I once saw, but our kitchen is full.
But lately the source for better deals has been independent stores, often run by church groups. The big guy in town, GW, now consistently disappoints, Why is that? Where have all the cameras and interesting electronics gone? Why are the shelves filled with old coffee makers and "as seen on TV" junk?
It's because there is more money to be made at the shopgoodwill online auction site. And the online site will seldom give you genuine bargains. Here's why:
1. Everything is sold AS IS.
Anyone who has shopped in thrift stores knows that some donated items simply don't work. Either the donors forgot what was wrong with the item or they assume "maybe somebody can fix it." At the GW store, you can return things for store credit. Online, you cannot.
2. There are "handling fees."
This means tacking on $2-$3 for the item being, I guess, packed. To their credit, they a good job of packing.
3. Everything is shipped Fed Ex.
Most shipping costs $15 or more, even for small items.
4. You will often be outbid.
Many Goodwill online shoppers do not check eBay to see if the item is selling for less, has free shipping, etc. They overbid for an item with no guarantee it works and no returns.
5. Goodwill makes mistakes.
It is fairy common to see a film SLR or APS camera listed as a digital camera with eager bidders thinking they are getting a bargain. Laptops are often sold WITHOUT HARD DRIVES, and even ones shown with Windows running may be one of a batch that was used for the photo. They did not known most had no drives. This happened to me and their only solution (under pressure from PayPal) was to ship it back to them at my cost to get a refund. Not worth the effort.
Now you are warned!
Sometimes I will find an item so bizarre that it can't be found in most places. But cameras, electronics, tablets, laptops and espresso machines are strictly buyer beware.
For fun, I watched a Google Pixel C tablet sell for $95 +2.50 handling + 15.00 shipping. No guarantee and a product that could have been made in 2015 -a battery concern. Prices on eBay are $85-$160 with the opportunity to ask the seller questions and a money-back guarantee from PayPal if the item is not as described.
So, I can't speak to dolls, or clothes or "collectables," but I urge you to shop around eBay as well unless it is something you've only seen on Shopgoodwill and you simply MUST have it.