An Arizona-based Goodwill customer is going viral on TikTok after sharing that the store tried to change the price of an item she wanted for her son.
Trish (@itstrishtalk) recorded the video from her car, seemingly after leaving the store. Before getting into her storytime, though, she showed viewers a brief video she took of the item in question: a pair of children’s Vans shoes. They were priced at $3.79.
In the accompanying text overlay, Trish succinctly explained her predicament. “Goodwill changing the price at the register said it wasn’t the right tag,” she wrote. As of Tuesday, her clip had amassed more than 144,100 views.
What happened at Goodwill?
Trish said that she was shopping at Goodwill when she found the Vans for her son. When she went to pay for the shoes, though, Trish said that a worker charged her a different amount.
“It was a $5 difference,” Trish said, noting that the upcharge was “ridiculous” since the price tag cost was lower.
Trish said she was annoyed, in part, because she had asked for the price of another item at the same Goodwill: a beat-up kids’ table. In this instance, Trish said that a worker quoted her for $20, which Trish called ridiculous because “I could get the whole set for $35 on Amazon.”
As a result, Trish said that she didn’t buy the table. But she said the worker who quoted her for the table was the same one who marked up the price of the kid’s shoes. What’s worse, the worker’s reasoning for changing the price was that “Vans are usually more expensive.”
Still, Trish said she didn’t understand the last-minute price change.
“If you have a tag on it, then you need to honor that price,” she said. “It’s ridiculous how they decide to price their things when, in reality, they get everything for free.”
As a result of her experiences, Trish said she will not shop at Goodwill ever again. “I’m just going to stick to local thrift shops like I normally do,” she added.
In a follow-up video, Trish responded to a commenter who questioned the caption of her initial video. That caption read, “They saw my rich face” (translated from Spanish). Trish implied that the workers profiled her based on her attire. She said she was wearing brand-new Uggs and was carrying her Louis Vuitton bag.
@itstrishtalk Done with @Goodwill Industries Intl. Me vieron cara de rica🤦♀️ #boycottgoodwill #momsoftiktok #toddlersoftiktok #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #parentsoftiktok #roadto10k #foryou #babiesoftiktok #thriftlocalinstead #thriftshop #scam #goodwillisoverpriced #goodwillisacorruptcorporation #goodwillisbadwill #donewithgoodwill #viraltiktok #viral ♬ original sound – Itstrishtalk
Goodwill in hot water for apparently upping its prices
Trish is certainly not the first Goodwill customer to say that she’s turned off by the store’s seemingly rising prices. In November, for instance, another woman said she witnessed two employees debating whether to raise the cost of certain items.
According to the woman, the worker said that items priced at 99 cents were either “garbage or trash or very scratched up.” And if an item was in good condition, the worker encouraged his colleague to up its price.
But Goodwill has been accused of raising its prices for months now. In April, one woman said that she found a $6 Target bag on sale for $9.99 at Goodwill. Another shopper reportedly found a jar from Dollarama being sold for 75 cents more.
In a statement to a blogger, a spokesperson for Goodwill said that the money the store earns “supports Goodwill’s mission—a dedication to providing opportunities to those outside the economic mainstream.” While its comment didn’t touch on the reason for price hikes, the spokesperson noted that Goodwill runs weekly sales. “Please remember, every dollar you spend at Goodwill is put to incredible use, benefitting less fortunate members of your community,” it read.
Viewers vow to never stop there again
After hearing Trish’s story, several other Goodwill shoppers said that they’ve had similarly negative experiences with the store.
“Last two times I have shopped at goodwill, they tried to charge a zip up hoodie as a coat and tried saying I changed the tags,” one woman shared.
“My Goodwill had a set of take n toss cups missing the straws priced at $1 more than brand new,” another said.
“I live in Utah the goodwill is the most over priced thrift store here,” a third woman wrote. “We have The DI and Savers. Savers is my favorite.”
“They did this to me with a table,” another shopped commented.
And because of these experiences, some other people said that they, too, stopped shopping at Goodwill.
“I stopped going to Goodwill after I saw empty yogurt containers priced at $5 each,” one woman shared.
“I don’t go to Goodwill anymore. In Georgia their prices are outrageous and feels more like a Ross store than a thrift store,” another added.
“I stopped going to goodwill when I donated items and not even 2 minutes later the items I donated were on the floor and it was priced crazy,” another viewer said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Trish via TikTok comment and to Goodwill through email.
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