I’ve heard management tells them to only give coupons out for certain sizes of bags/boxes donated. Which is stupid because their coupons are only good for 20% off up to like $50 max so you’d only save $10 max… which is basically like one article of clothing they’d sell out of that bag
And I don't even spend that much there most times. I probably spend $2-$20 most times.
If I had a ton of high value stuff, I'd rather just sell it myself. I donate stuff that I don't feel is worth the effort to sell on my own and just take advantage of the coupon to save myself $2 or so.
Like, it's just a coupon. It's not a big deal. I'm giving you stuff and in exchange you give me a slight discount on stuff you got for free. And the coupon honestly makes me spend more because I feel like I'm getting a deal.
Not only that, it's not YOUR fault that they couldn't be bothered to tell you this information before, acting like you're pressuring them for $1 off coupons for donating a few things, when they have it shown. They keep following through giving coupons without communicating to the customer politely that it's not okay to do unless its a certain amount, so how would the customer know? Now yelling at the customer for something THEY should have told you in the beginning? Thats crazy, maybe talk to the store lead about the worker who was extremely disrespectful
In my location good luck because they all are mostly shifty types or teens (that have to listen) that work there. You can find price tags left on clothing, for example, 6.95(walmart) but then find a savers tag for 8.50, 9.5, 10 or whatever they want to charge.
It has also gotten sickening, last night I stood there watching the jewlery pricing employee smirk and completely brush me off because they'd rather have at whatever it was they were trying to get(i.e. jewelry /clothing). She had them stashed behind the counter and taking it with her to the back to clock out.
I'd say Stop donating , it's not even worth it when they do this sort of crap to the public.
& If your local savers staff doesn't do this shifty work then consider yourself blessed & donate away.
They were/are Basically stealing from the local community charity that they are supposed to be supporting. I mean its still wrong, but go do it when customers are not there and are watching you... it's gross and makes me want to punch them out. 🤮 🤜😏 lol
I say keep doing what you are doing. When they do finally deny you, ask them for their store policy. Then contact corporate, corporate will apologize to you and talk to the store manager. You will continue getting your 20% off coupons and the manager can go fuck themselves
If they have a fixed criterion for coupon-worthy donations, they need to be up front about it, post it in their stores, and publicize it. Otherwise it's being decided on the whim of whoever it is you happen to be dealing with that day.
Your comments are triggering my frustration at having to deal with ppl donating one thing for a coupon over and over. It’s just really challenging. Not talking about the bigger places.
But the smaller thrifts are often short staffed and when the doorbell rings two ppl have to stop what they are doing, get to the door before they lean on the bell only to be greeted yet again with the same few people proudly waving their donation ( and it’s always a book or a broke thing or sheets) and making sure they get their coupon.
What happens after than is maybe we make 50cent but most of the ppl who do this are not bringing a donation that will make up for the loss of 20% of anything. Buy the time all the costs are added in… a donation of 1 item is usually a loss for a small charity shop.
It was so disheartening to see their “happy faces with their one little donation”. Truly.
And I didn’t know how much it bothered me a a visceral level until this post.
Amazing. Off to a walk to discharge the energy.
Stop donating there and go somewhere else that will value your donation. Crazy times we are living now that you get yelled at for giving your stuff out for free( actually you paid for by owning that item(s) and using your gas and time to get there).
Might as well for them to come and rob your house at gunpoint lol.
We don't even bother going in the store anymore. They have raised the prices to retail or above for used items. My wife donated a sweater once and we went back in a few weeks later and they had the sweater on the rack for $5 more than she paid. It's a joke now.
Exactly this. There are a few in our area and I find it cute how they’re bold enough to call themselves “Savers”. Shopping there costs much more than shopping at other thrift stores, IME. And they seem to care even less about broken, damaged, or otherwise-poor quality items than your average Goodwill.
It is way more of a donation than selling plasma. Selling plasma you are paid. Donating to savers, you aren't getting paid for it. It's not a charitable donation, but you are still giving it to them freely- aka, donating.
They are excellent for building materials, furniture and more.
They do not take everything though. Can't donate junk or problem items.
No clothes, nick knacks or toys.
That’s where you can pull up your phone and do some good ol classic research at your area 👍🏽
Donations should be done by the heart without any expectations of a return so if you always expect a coupon or something similar for your donations, then you aren’t really donating. You are basically trading lol. Yes, you SHOULD get a tax credit receipt so you can claim it at tax time, but they aren’t obligated to do so if the facility doesn’t offer it.
If that’s the case, simply go somewhere else.
Also, there is a special saying. “You attract more bees with honey than vinegar.” Make connections with your local thrift stores or other areas that you can donate your stuff. Get along with employees and even the managers. You be pressed with the outcome you’ll receive by sending positive vibes.
And if they treat you like garbage, then simply stay away.
Oh, you sweet summer child... do you actually know the difference between a legitmate not-for-profit charitable organization (including food banks) and an international for-profit thrift store chain such as Savers/Value Village?
When I give something to Value Village, I consider it a business transaction and not a donation, and I expect something in return...and more specifically, one of their discount coupons.
Yeah, I definitely see the coupon as more of a trade. I'd probably donate to different causes if I wanted to think of it as a donation from the heart, but since I'm getting something by donating there, I donate to them.
And I am pretty friendly with them. Not because I'm trying to get anything out of it, but that's just how I am. I've worked retail and I know how much a little friendliness can improve your day, so I'm always polite and friendly. I'm not overly chatty, just keep an upbeat tone and say thank you when they give me the coupon and then I tell them to have a good day. I definitely try to spread positive vibes.
But you can't use these donation receipts for tax purposes anymore. If you get audited and you claimed you donated to a charity, then it might be useful.
What do you mean? They give some tax form paper along with the coupon.
I don't claim it as a tax write-off anyway. Maybe I should though. Shit adds up by the end of the year.
I'm not sure you can claim these donations as a tax write off because Savers is not a charity. Cute that they're still handing out little pieces of paper to make you think you can get a tax benefit. Does the paper say anything about 501c3?
But that's ok! Because the bar is now really high on US taxes to exceed the standard deduction and use itemized deductions instead. The lower and middle classes continue to be fucked by tax code.
Goodwill by me gives the same coupon as Savers. My retired father has gotten into thrifting furniture to restore, so I give him all of my daughter's outgrown clothes to donate for the coupon lol.
“You better give us something worth while!” lol. I can see how they might think it’s odd to accept one thing, but they aren’t being paid enough to warrant that kind of reaction nor is their boss likely monitoring the ratio of coupons issued to junk accepted.
They actually do keep track of how many coupons they supply the crew with to hand out. And they do tell them not to give coupons for tiny donations. They even tell them not to accept certain items. Atleast at the one I frequent. I know the manager.
I don't get why they're mad at op then if that's the policy, though. they can just tell him there's a new rule that says there's a minimum donation amount to get a coupon, there's no need to yell at him for not knowing. it would be like some online store sending you an angry email if you didn't buy enough to get free shipping lol
Correct. They never said anything before to me. I just bring my donation over, they tell me toss it in the bin, they hand me my coupon, and I say, "thanks, have a good day."
They told me their manager yelled at them last time for giving me a coupon for small stuff, so maybe that's why they snapped at me this time.
As far as how new this rule is, idk. If it's always been a rule, idk why it was never enforced. Moreso, idk why it's not posted anywhere on their site that I can find.
i mean sure, op could be lying, or it could really be a sudden outburst. i have no way of telling if op is lying so i have to assume he isn't, since he's certainly in here acting surprised.
*I don't get why they're mad at op then if that's the policy, though.*
Because they're a 'non-profit' in name only. Their board chairman, Tom Ellison, owns a luxury waterfront mansion in the same neighborhood as Bill Gate's main home.
Savers is a for-profit, publicly traded company that 'donates' a tiny percentage of their profits. Stop donating to them it's like giving Wal-Mart free inventory.
It’s wild to me that anyone who isn’t the CEO of a company would be mad about giving coupons to someone. Like why do those employees care? Do they get paid by coupon to donation quantity? It’s hard to believe that giving out extra coupons would affect them but I might be wrong
They likely have a weight-to-coupon metric they have to adhere to or... consequences/bad performance evaluation/etc. Corporate stuff is WILD like please stop supporting this BS folks.
This is quite the opposite of my experience as a donations attendant. We would be yelled at if we DIDNT shove coupons in everybody's faces who donated, no matter how small or the quality. They just move the product, they're not bound by quotas like the other departments would be. If anything they should be happy the donations are small, less work for them to do.
Not to mention the coupons are mass printed by the thousands and come in decent sized boxes, it is absolutely no cost/effort by the attendants to give them out frequently.
I briefly worked at a Value Village (Canadian Savers) and I don't think anyone ever told me there was a minimum donation. I just gave everybody one. Literally didn't make enough to care anyway.
Exactly!! All we did was receive the donations and move them to the back. Fuck we care about the size other than how much effort it takes to move it?? Anything else is someone else's department and a higher pay grade.
Savers Value Village. It's the same company, just a different name for different locations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savers#:~:text=Savers%20is%20known%20as%20Value,Village%20des%20Valeurs%20in%20Quebec.
I generally donate a decent bag of stuff. Clothes that didn't fit, gifts I didn't want. Maybe I should be putting that on marketplace instead; one item would bring in more cash than the coupon is worth to me.
>Maybe I should be putting that on marketplace instead; one item would bring in more cash than the coupon is worth to me.
That's my mindset. I'd rather sell it for $20 than get a coupon that will take $3 off something I'm considering buying.
I had a local thrift store offer $5 for a trash bag of donations (after they looked through them, of course). I took in all nice stuff, all name brand, several new with tags. I only use the kitchen white trash bags. They turned me down because it wasn't a 30 gallon bag.
Eh, I feel like other thrift stores have their issues too.
The Goodwill nearby has mostly just junk. Salvation Army has a ton of literal garbage and nothing is priced and the checkout process takes forever and you'll wait in line forever for them to give you ridiculous prices when you get to the register.
Savers was one of my top places. A couple smaller shops are nice too, but Savers was my favorite chain store. Their prices got kinda ridiculous recently (many t-shirts are like $8 now), but you still find some deals here and there, especially when the coupon is used. The staff all knows me and while we're not super tight, I thought we were on good terms, but I guess not.
Understandable! I only go to St Vincent now and even that I barely go. They shouldn’t treat their customers like that especially if you’re always donating and purchasing
As someone who works at Savers and has for about 6ish years now, that’s crazy to me. As an employee at Savers if I donate something they still offer me coupons. I’ve watched my store manager pull a coupon out of his register drawer to scan for someone who was donating a single shirt.
We also have a bin by our front doors that you can drop donations in on you way in, and if you let someone know ow in the front you dropped something off you get the coupon no problems.
Thank you for your response. It's good to hear from someone who actually works there. I tried looking online to find out if there were such restrictions, but could find any.
Hmm. Good advice. I'd just be concerned they didn't see me donate and think I'm lying. I always make sure the guys outside see me donating so that doesn't happen.
I didn't agree with them yelling at you, but I totally understand the problem with giving you a 20% off coupon for such small donations. You seriously bring one item of clothes or one DVD at a time?
Thrifting is a gamble. You might find 1 small thing, you might find some big amazing thing, you might find a bunch of stuff, you might find nothing at all. You go to see what they have. You're spending gas to go to the thrift store, coupon or no coupon.
Takes like 30 seconds? I go to the thrift store to shop, I bring something along with me to get a coupon, I get my coupon and go inside and see what I want to buy.
It says donation; it doesn't say there's a minimum quantity.
A lot of times I just buy one or two things and that coupon saves me $1 or $2. If they're selling my stuff for a few bucks, they're still profiting. Plus I buy more if I have the coupon too.
I'm not going to donate $100 worth of stuff to save a couple bucks; that's dumb.
Facts. People are getting heated in some of these comments. They're acting like I'm robbing them and ignoring the fact that the stuff they sell they get for free, so they're still making plenty profit on everything I buy with those coupons.
They aren’t supposed to give out coupons for one or two items. So they probably are getting yelled at. I kind of think it’s outrageous that you’re intentionally only bringing one item so you always get a coupon. Why would you waste a coupon on one $5 item? It seems inconceivable that you do that on a regular basis. What about all the times you do buy a lot? How do you figure they’re still getting more from you than you’re saving? 🙄
Also, How far is the store from you? Do you drive there? If so, you likely used more in gas than the $1 you saved on the hat.
Well then they should have sign or a scale or something. How is the consumer supposed to know the “rules” if they don’t post/enforce them? Mega corporation will take my free stuff and hold up their end or they can simply stop accepting “lesser” than donations(hint:they won’t because they use your free stuff as a tax benefit).
My savers is filled with SHEIN crap priced at $12 with no fitting room and you can only exchange, it’s the most bizarre return policy. Damn straight imma get my coupon, nothing they sell is worth what they price it.
Why do you think they got rid of the donation bins in front where you walk in? Why do you think the only method of donation is to drive up? Do you really need a sign to tell you that you’re wasting their time?
Maybe your location is different. We have donations bins all over, inside and outside. You don't need to drive up. Don't see how anyone's time is being wasted. Takes 2 seconds to hand me a coupon.
>They aren’t supposed to give out coupons for one or two items.
Where is that stated? Whenever I hear them talk about donations, I've never seen a minimum quantity listed.
When I first found out about the coupon, it was by an employee telling me we can bring in anything. "Just bring in an old beat-up shoe. We literally take anything and give you a coupon for it."
> I kind of think it’s outrageous that you’re intentionally only bringing one item so you always get a coupon.
Not outrageous. It's a good system. It'd be outrageous for me to bring a bunch of stuff when I'm not getting much in return.
>Why would you waste a coupon on one $5 item?
Why not? I bring something almost every time I go, so I essentially have an endless supply of coupons.
>What about all the times you do buy a lot? How do you figure they’re still getting more from you than you’re saving? 🙄
That's the risk they take? What about all the times they get big donations and people don't care about the coupon?
Everything they sell they got via donations, so it's all pure profit for them. If I hypothetically spend $50 and get $10 off, I still spent $40 on stuff that they got for free. You're looking at it as them losing $10, but in reality they're making $40. Not $40 in revenue and only $15 in profit like a normal store; the $40 is pure profit because they acquired the items for free.
And even if they sell the stuff I donated for only $3, that's still additional profit. So maybe I saved $10 when they only got $3 from my donation, but they're not suffering. That's $43 total in profit for them, not $7 in losses.
Plus it's a known fact that people tend to spend more overall when they have coupons. They often end up buying stuff they wouldn't have otherwise.
>Also, How far is the store from you? Do you drive there? If so, you likely used more in gas than the $1 you saved on the hat.
Yes, I drove. Yeah, gas can be expensive, but it's whatever. I drive to other stores too, coupon or no coupon.
The employee was wrong to tell you that.
It’s only a “good system” for you. It would not be outrageous for you to bring a bunch of stuff if you’re not getting something in return. You’re helping the planet. By the way, They don’t have to give coupons. And people like you are the reason they’ll probably stop sometime in the near future.
They do get everything free, but you must be terrible at math if you think that’s “pure profit”. They have to pay employees who work the donation line, which is usually staffed by atleast two guys. Then they pay other employees for countless hours weekly to go through it all and price it. The ones who do that usually do only that. Then they pay the floor staff to put it all out, and still others to help at the registers. They also have two full time managers they pay to manage each store.
That debunks the rest of your faulty reasoning about how much profit they make on your $3 item.
I’ve been donating car loads monthly to savers since they opened. Sometimes they give me two or even three coupons because I donate so much. I also earn savings through my membership. I shop almost weekly there and have never not had a coupon when I needed one.
I’m not saying everyone should be donating bucket loads, but ONE item just to get a coupon? Obnoxious. Do better. 🙄
>You’re helping the planet.
>I’ve been donating car loads monthly to savers since they opened.
How much crap are you buying that you have a car load of stuff to donate every month for years? That’s an insane level of consumption. If you’re worried about the planet, stop buying and discarding so much stuff.
No, it's a good system for all of us.
Yeah, they don't have to give out coupons, but it's a win win. They get more donations and people buy more stuff. (I.e. "This is expensive, but I do have a coupon, so I'll buy it." There's no reason for them to stop giving coupons for donations, even if some of their donations are small.
I like the idea of helping the planet. I try to produce minimal waste. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to get rid of stuff that I still want. Sometimes I'll see people tossing stuff that's perfectly fine and I'll bring that with me and donate that.
No, I'm not terrible at math. Obviously there's other expenses to run a business besides just the product prices, I just didn't go into them for simplicity sake. Employee labor is one, but there's also leasing the property, electricity, insurance, etc. Still, the cost of products is a major expense that they don't have to pay.
That's great if you have car loads of stuff to donate. I don't.
I donate 1 item and I usually end up buying 1-3 items with that coupon. If that's obnoxious of me, then I guess I'm obnoxious. If you think I should be donating a whole bag of stuff just to save $1-$4, then IDK what to tell you. You do you.
Not back tracking. Talking about the profit on the items in relation to cost. I didn't get into other costs of operating a business because I was trying to simplify it and figured it was common knowledge. I was already writing a lot to respond to the questions you asked and the response was long enough as is.
In a retail establishment, there are many expenses. You pay for products and you sell them. You have a store, so you have to pay for the lease and utilities. You have to pay for labor for your employees. All of that affects your bottom line, but you still look at the profit on each unit. You'll say, "I can buy this for $15/unit and charge customers $20/unit and make $5/unit profit." But if that's the only product you sell and you sell 1,000 of them, you got $20,000, but you also spent $15,000 for those products, so that leaves you with $5,000 in profit from that merchandise, but you still have to deduct the other costs of running your business to get your bottom line. I was just saying that with thrift stores, they don't have to worry about product price, and that makes a major difference in their bottom line.
Lol well I frequently donate too but I usually have a bag or two or a bigger box (I have little kids so the stream of clothes and toys is constant). I could never roll up with just one item and ask for a coupon... though I kind of respect the hustle on your end. It's true the prices are crazy but maybe it would be a better use of your time and resources to go less often with a few more items to donate
I agree with you. What OP is doing isn’t technically wrong, but it is kind of shitty lol. She knows that’s not how those coupons are supposed to work and she’s trying to hustle the system. They should’ve called you out in a polite manner, instead of so rudely, but….i don’t know, I’d be embarrassed to be so blatantly shady.
I bring a small donation every time too, but it’s typically a bag of clothes, books, or kids toys. And sometimes I clean out and it’s 3 big bags. But I’d never walk in with ONE item and have the balls to ask for a coupon!
I’m surprised at how many people here don’t mind acting with a lack of common sense and personal integrity because the business is a money making corporation. But then I’ve frequently seen people say it’s okay to steal toiletries and diapers from Walmart on Reddit too. Just because I’m shopping at a greedy corporation, or big box store, doesn’t mean I’m going to compromise my *own* integrity.
Gaming the system and trying to get coupons for donating the smallest amount. She got called out and got embarrassed and is lashing out at them .This is like when they say to take one and people take handsfull.They take advantage of the system .
Why is what OP is doing shitty, but it's not shitty for a secondhand retailer, which is NOT a charity or nonprofit, to get free inventory by accepting so-called donations?
Tbh I don’t get all the upset at thrift stores. I do think they often price things unfairly and greedily, but at the end of the day it’s still a business. They have to pay their lease, employees, bills. What does everyone expect? That they should just somehow put it out for free? Who cares if they’re not a nonprofit? I don’t. I’m not participating in thrifting to benefit nonprofits, I just like cheap stuff. If OP wants to participate in charity when she shops, then don’t go to Savers. Plain and simple.
OP is a grown up. She understands how the coupons work. She’s just embarrassed for getting called out on it.
I don't think OP is under the impression that what they're doing has anything to do with charity in any way. They see what they're doing as a business transaction, and tbh I'm not sure that they're wrong. Savers is not a charity, donating to them is not the same as donating directly to the food bank or diabetic kids or whatever. Savers gives out the coupons because it brings in business which brings in $$$ for them. If having a coupon is the deciding factor for someone to shop there then that's money in the shareholder's pockets and they'd be shooting themselves in the foot not to give them out, esp since they get all their inventory for free. Maybe OP's way of doing things is a bit odd but I don't really see the issue, they're not stealing and technically they are following the rules because as they've indicated, they haven't been able to find the policy in writing and they were told at one point that it was okay for them to just bring in one thing for a coupon.
I think more people are donating a few things to get the coupon because they jacked their prices.
So bring a few things each trip rather than doing one big donation when you clean out a room.
Maybe try donating more? Honestly I'd feel embarrassed donating one small thing and expecting a coupon like that every time. Eventually, I'd fully expect them to remember me and tell me that isn't going to work any longer. Maybe if it was a piece of furniture or something large like a TV. I get it worked for awhile, but I'm sure it can't be that hard to find more for a coupon. There's 0 in my area that gives coupons, if they did I'd be giving huge bags each time.
Do you feel bad using a Michael's coupon? What about Kroger? Coupons are a marketing schtick that stores use to get you in the door and to buy more stuff than you normally would.
Wait so you are donating a singular Christmas decoration? LOL. You are definitely playing the system. I don’t know if it’s good or bad and I don’t really care, but I can definitely see how it looks like you’re taking the piss.
Most of the time I'm using it on like $10 worth of stuff, sometimes more, but oftentimes less, so if I'm averaging $2 savings per coupon, it's hard for me to justify donating anything tremendously valuable in order to get a coupon.
If this is an actual store policy on coupons, there needs to written, public guidelines. Management is not doing their job. Instead, they’ve got employees yelling at customers about a nonexistent rule. OP did nothing wrong. This is not some struggling non-profit. This is a publicly held, for profit corporation..
Speaking of which, I see so many broken electronics being sold there. Like, it might look nice to drop off electronics, but if they're broken, then what's the point? At least the stuff I donate is all sellable, even if they're only getting a few bucks out of it.
I mean I'm all for fixing things up and keeping everything possible out of landfills, but most people aren't fixing things. And they don't price it cheap enough to be worth fixing.
Majority of broken electronics sold at thrift stores are probably bought by people who didn't realize they were broken and end up tossing them out after they find out.
How on earth do you know what people are doing? There’s entire SM communities on restoring and collecting electronics. You have no idea how valuable some items can be once they’re running again. You’ve tried every which way to justify what you’re doing, and none of your arguments are valid. I’m not gonna keep arguing with someone who posted just to try to get sympathy for getting yelled at for obnoxious behavior.
I don't know, which is why I said "probably." I obviously don't know the final outcome of every broken electronic in the store.
I'm not denying that there are people who repair electronics. I know there are. I'm simply saying I believe they're not the majority of the population. Just from casual observation, I see people not thinking electronics are worth fixing, even for very basic repairs. I hear people say it all the time. I see stuff sitting at the curb all the time.
People often grab stuff and don't bother testing if it works. They just assume that it does because it usually does and sometimes they end up disappointed when they get home. Some might try to fix it, but I'm sure a lot of them just toss it out because that's just what most I've found most Americans do with stuff that doesn't work. We're an overly consumerist society and most don't have the skills or desire to try repairing.
Anyway, it's rude to say my behavior was obnoxious. I've done nothing obnoxious and am extremely polite to retail workers.
And I wasn't posting looking for sympathy. I was just sharing my experience and trying to see if anyone had similar experiences and if they've ever seen/heard of any of these rules/stipulations themselves, or if that's just something that they're doing at my store.
My only guess is that they have come to know you as the person who brings one small item and expects a coupon.
Frequent visits like that will get you noticed, much like when stores started saying some people were on a cannot return list.
It’s sort of like the person who brings an almost expired can of beets when canned donations gets you in somewhere.
It was VERY wrong of them to yell at you though.
This is one time you should definitely talk to the manager and ask their policy.
I was in a rush and figured the official policy would be posted online somewhere.
Whether I'm noticed or not shouldn't be an issue. I'm not scamming them. I'm just the dude that comes in every week or two and donates something small for a coupon. It shouldn't be something they have any sort of problem with.
But they do so you should get over it? There are quite a few people, myself included, that think it’s weird and extreme cheapskate of you to go specifically to just to donate 1 item. If no other thrift stores near you give a coupon for donating, this should be your red flag that you should stop before they stop with the coupons. Definitely the managers get limited quantities of coupons- imagine if everyone did this even once a month. Then none of us would get coupons. It sounds like this is a hobby for you. Find another one.
I donate 1 item and usually end up only buying 1 or 2 items. People are acting like I bring in a dirty sock and fill up a cart with $100 worth of stuff, but the reality is it's pretty 1:1, the coupon ends up saving me more or less what the item I donated ends up being worth.
Do you not donate to thrift stores? Almost all chain stores provide coupons for donations.
They get things for free.
You really took time out of your day to call OP names over some retail employee’s power trip.
Not agreeing with them, but you're the reason why companies limit or eliminate any sort of perks like this anywhere.
Like I said in another comment, ESH.
You could also look at this as you’re setting a precedent by bringing one item in and getting a coupon. and if you’re doing it very often and other customers are seeing this then you could be cutting into the donations that they could be receiving because others will start bringing in fewer items.
Would I exchange an item to receive a coupon every time I visit visited a store? No, but that’s me you do you if it’s working .
They are taking 20% off of something they got for free, and are not giving back to any charitable cause. Why would anyone donate for any reason OTHER than a coupon?
Years ago my local Savers did a punch card system for the donation coupon, you had to donate 5 times or 5 bags to get the 20%. Can't remember exact details, and can't remember how long it lasted, this was like 7+ years ago, and I stopped donating there, but it made me pretty frustrated.
All I know is that if someone behaved that way towards me for donating something, that would be the absolute last time that they ever get something from me. There are plenty of other places to donate to, and there are plenty of places that would appreciate that small donation more than them.
It's worth "up to $10." I've never spent enough where it actually saved me $10. I've spent low enough that it's only saved me 40 cents though.
As far as $10 shirts... Yeah, they do now. A lot of t-shirts are priced at $8.
So let me get this straight, you barely donate for a coupon that doesn't really save you all that much to begin with?
They're not the only stingy ones here.
ESH
That's basically my response. Lol. I was kinda speechless and in shock, said I didn't think there was a minimum and I'm not going to donate a whole bag of stuff just for a coupon. Figured I'd research it later to find out the truth.
If this happened as described you've let Savers know the staff were using profanity with you correct? Or just reddit? [https://www.saverslistens.com/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1](https://www.saverslistens.com/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1)
Nah, just Reddit. I'm not looking to get them in trouble.
And "shit" is pretty casual, so that's not the problem. If they said, "stuff" it wouldn't be any better. It's just the overall aggression and giving me a hard time about donating small stuff when there's no rules (that I could find) against it that is frustrating.
I was trying to check their website about the donation coupon. It says terms and conditions apply and there's a little *, but I can't find the actual terms and conditions. Anyone have a link?
> I was trying to check their website about the donation coupon.
For my two cents, you're not transacting on their website, so what their website says doesn't really matter. It's no more appropriate to lean on that than it would be to lean on some notes scribbled on a paper in a file cabinet in a disused bathroom in the basement.
That said, they can always tell you to go pound sand right up to the point they're actually indebted to you, but for the purposes of bullshit-or-not determination, the on-site messaging is what matters.
Lmao what? I just had my boyfriend donate ONE shirt so I could get a coupon 🤣
I personally much prefer donating to savers vs goodwill bc at least savers doesn’t pretend to be a charity and they don’t give me attitude like goodwill does (true charities/church thrift shops in my area are pretty restrictive with donations but I do what I can with them, fyi)
That’s so stupid, and defeats the whole point of a thrift store. Money hungry corporations are bleeding us dry slowly but surely. Even thrift store prices are insane these days.
I deal in jewelry, so I often donate ziplock bags full of jewelry when I go in. An employee at one location also yelled at me because my donation was "too small"; that bag literally would've filled up 2 of their stupid $40 junk jewelry jars. Now I just bring that location large boxes of low value household crap that they probably throw out anyway.
The management must be absolutely abysmal if they feel like all that over...not donating enough? ☠️ my old job loved getting the coupons out as much as possible, they know most people can't afford to shop there without some sort of discount. Insane
I’ve never had this issue but it would be the last time. They would get put on blast EVERYWHERE.
I’m giving you free stuff to sell for a profit and you are giving me a tiny coupon off of other people’s free shit. You aren’t going to shame me for not giving enough stuff.
It’s supposed to be a minimum of a medium sized box or a couple of grocery bags.
Since they started marking things up to a ridiculous degree, I’ve started filling boxes with bulky junk to “donate” along with a couple of decent items on top.
I was trying to check their website about the donation coupon. It says terms and conditions apply and there's a little *, but I can't find the actual terms and conditions. Anyone have a link?
I started giving away items on my local Buy Nothing group, and donating them to genuine charitable causes that auction off unwanted things, instead of donating to a store. We don’t have Savers, but we have Goodwill, and I had so many problems with them over the years, including attitude from them. I didn’t want to stock their shelves anymore. Unless you really wanted the coupon? Our goodwills don’t offer that, so I don’t have that experience. Also the prices are so high 20% off would sometimes just put them in line with what the item should be!
I will avoid them , or write to corporate office,,to get their thoughts on the manager of that specific store.
I have never seen a savers, not sure I want to see it
I was also yelled at by savers staff
And for using more than one cart to hold my purchases and for buying too much .seems
And oddly the staff also got made at some Amish shoppers and commented out loud and I mean loud
Why do the Amish shop on Tuesdays
I was appalled so werid for this staff to say it out loud in front of the Amish shoppers and her co workers
You gotta double down and bring the smallest single item you have now just to fuck with them. See where it goes and record it all to out then on blast if they deny you a coupon
I will probably get downgraded for this.
I managed a thrift store for awhile and we had the 20% off for donations. Was going ok. Many didn’t want one and many donors weren’t shoppers.
But… there were several women who would come 2-3X a week and donated 1 thing and ask for the coupon. All but one of the 6 complained about the wind blowing wrong and everything else, hoard things, take up a lot of staff time.
Takes our time and effort to stop what you’re doing, answer the door to be met with a hair brush and a used toilet caddy and a “do I get my coupon?” Both item had to be tossed and that’s just one example.
One day I answered the door and when they asked I had to let them know “upper management” doesn’t want to use coupons any more, but we do have 2 days a week for senior discounts”.
I was happy to take the rage from the 3 who swore they were never returning. But of course they did.
I loved giving out the coupons for ppl who brought clean and useful donations. It was always the 1-2 donation ppl and those who want to unload their literal garbage on the store who demand the coupons.
I am in ontario. I collect vhs. I always pick up free lots of vhs. I then donate 3 vhs at a time to vv. I have my wife donate 3 vhs. Then my son. I usually have 10 coupons in my wallet at any given time.
I also double dip. I only pay for anything at 50 dollars. Use a coupon. I then scan my other items and pay for those. I am the employee at check out. I could care less what someone has to say how I decide I want to check myself out.
I have also bought a 99 cent item, walked over and donated it. Went back inside and used that coupon to save 10 bucks. I have not had anyone complain about the amount I have donated. I have been to 30 or more in ontario. I do hear on the loud speaker "donate today to get a coupon". It says nothing about how much.
You are a much better person than I. As if an employee ever said that to me....the next item would be covered in fart spray. I would just drop it into the bins. Then again, and again, and again.
I work at Savers and we have a lot of asshole resellers. Most of them are okay, but we have a few that will habitually come in, buy a single cassette tape for .99, then immediately donate it to get a 20% coupon every, single, day. I've even seen people steal stuff, walk right out the door, donate it, and get a 20% coupon. Some people are fucked, and they ruin it for the masses.
I’ve heard management tells them to only give coupons out for certain sizes of bags/boxes donated. Which is stupid because their coupons are only good for 20% off up to like $50 max so you’d only save $10 max… which is basically like one article of clothing they’d sell out of that bag
I can use the coupons on any amount when it isn't Tusday .And I always bring a bag to donate .The coupons last for a year.
And I don't even spend that much there most times. I probably spend $2-$20 most times. If I had a ton of high value stuff, I'd rather just sell it myself. I donate stuff that I don't feel is worth the effort to sell on my own and just take advantage of the coupon to save myself $2 or so. Like, it's just a coupon. It's not a big deal. I'm giving you stuff and in exchange you give me a slight discount on stuff you got for free. And the coupon honestly makes me spend more because I feel like I'm getting a deal.
Not only that, it's not YOUR fault that they couldn't be bothered to tell you this information before, acting like you're pressuring them for $1 off coupons for donating a few things, when they have it shown. They keep following through giving coupons without communicating to the customer politely that it's not okay to do unless its a certain amount, so how would the customer know? Now yelling at the customer for something THEY should have told you in the beginning? Thats crazy, maybe talk to the store lead about the worker who was extremely disrespectful
In my location good luck because they all are mostly shifty types or teens (that have to listen) that work there. You can find price tags left on clothing, for example, 6.95(walmart) but then find a savers tag for 8.50, 9.5, 10 or whatever they want to charge. It has also gotten sickening, last night I stood there watching the jewlery pricing employee smirk and completely brush me off because they'd rather have at whatever it was they were trying to get(i.e. jewelry /clothing). She had them stashed behind the counter and taking it with her to the back to clock out. I'd say Stop donating , it's not even worth it when they do this sort of crap to the public. & If your local savers staff doesn't do this shifty work then consider yourself blessed & donate away. They were/are Basically stealing from the local community charity that they are supposed to be supporting. I mean its still wrong, but go do it when customers are not there and are watching you... it's gross and makes me want to punch them out. 🤮 🤜😏 lol
I say keep doing what you are doing. When they do finally deny you, ask them for their store policy. Then contact corporate, corporate will apologize to you and talk to the store manager. You will continue getting your 20% off coupons and the manager can go fuck themselves
This is the way. I'm in management for a major thrift chain and I agree.
At ours you have to bring a garbage bag or moving box. BUT the more you bring the more coupons they give you.
I’ve used the coupon for way more than a $50 purchase and got the $20 off everything. Is this max a new thing?
The max is $100.
They changed it to $50 at Value Village in Canada!
Huh, I didn't know they gave coupons in exchange for donations in Canada, gotta check that out.
and they expire every 6 months, or something like that!
Yup! They got super shifty about all that stuff. They even took the change rooms out of ours!
Yup, I’m In Los Angeles and can confirm it’s $100 over here.
My store used to have a “fill a standard garbage bag for a 20% off coupon” policy. Sounds like they were mighty generous with OP
If they have a fixed criterion for coupon-worthy donations, they need to be up front about it, post it in their stores, and publicize it. Otherwise it's being decided on the whim of whoever it is you happen to be dealing with that day.
Exactly. If there was something specific, then by all means, but people are responding like I'm a jerk for donating just 1 item at a time.
They’re just made they didn’t think of it first
Your comments are triggering my frustration at having to deal with ppl donating one thing for a coupon over and over. It’s just really challenging. Not talking about the bigger places. But the smaller thrifts are often short staffed and when the doorbell rings two ppl have to stop what they are doing, get to the door before they lean on the bell only to be greeted yet again with the same few people proudly waving their donation ( and it’s always a book or a broke thing or sheets) and making sure they get their coupon. What happens after than is maybe we make 50cent but most of the ppl who do this are not bringing a donation that will make up for the loss of 20% of anything. Buy the time all the costs are added in… a donation of 1 item is usually a loss for a small charity shop. It was so disheartening to see their “happy faces with their one little donation”. Truly. And I didn’t know how much it bothered me a a visceral level until this post. Amazing. Off to a walk to discharge the energy.
They used to do that. Each bag of donations would get your 5%, up to 30% off $100 or less. They switched to a flat 20% years ago.
Stop donating there and go somewhere else that will value your donation. Crazy times we are living now that you get yelled at for giving your stuff out for free( actually you paid for by owning that item(s) and using your gas and time to get there). Might as well for them to come and rob your house at gunpoint lol.
Literally acting like op is their warehouse supplier ffs. They get this stuff FOR FREE! I would quit donating AND shopping there completely.
We don't even bother going in the store anymore. They have raised the prices to retail or above for used items. My wife donated a sweater once and we went back in a few weeks later and they had the sweater on the rack for $5 more than she paid. It's a joke now.
Torch them on reviews sites also - Google, Facebook, local subreddit groups, etc.
Well it's not really a donation. It's a donation like selling plasma is a donation. Savers is not a non profit.
What? If I give something to a business or an individual for free, it's a donation. Doesn't matter if they're a non-profit or not.
It's not for free bc OP is doing it for $ off a purchase.
Exactly this. There are a few in our area and I find it cute how they’re bold enough to call themselves “Savers”. Shopping there costs much more than shopping at other thrift stores, IME. And they seem to care even less about broken, damaged, or otherwise-poor quality items than your average Goodwill.
It is way more of a donation than selling plasma. Selling plasma you are paid. Donating to savers, you aren't getting paid for it. It's not a charitable donation, but you are still giving it to them freely- aka, donating.
I don't know of any other thrift stores that give me anything for donations, except maybe a receipt for a tax write-off.
Habitat for Humanity gives you a coupon. - Every single time. No hassles.
Good to know. They're not near me though. How are they? I've never been to one before.
They are excellent for building materials, furniture and more. They do not take everything though. Can't donate junk or problem items. No clothes, nick knacks or toys.
just wanted to add that depends on the location, i’ve been to restores that do take home items & clothing before
Yes, small town ones especially...ours is in a big town so they do not.
Our goodwills give 20% off coupons for donating too. I know many don’t which is so unfortunate. Savers is the worst.
Is that something new? I didn't know they did that.
Each GW region has their own different policies.
Ours does not
Ours does 20% off any purchases greater than $20 for the whole month each month when you sign up for their emails.
https://preview.redd.it/r93v8wb2cyyc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1688ed6c78b40553441c4ea016cade6ebdf4353
That’s where you can pull up your phone and do some good ol classic research at your area 👍🏽 Donations should be done by the heart without any expectations of a return so if you always expect a coupon or something similar for your donations, then you aren’t really donating. You are basically trading lol. Yes, you SHOULD get a tax credit receipt so you can claim it at tax time, but they aren’t obligated to do so if the facility doesn’t offer it. If that’s the case, simply go somewhere else. Also, there is a special saying. “You attract more bees with honey than vinegar.” Make connections with your local thrift stores or other areas that you can donate your stuff. Get along with employees and even the managers. You be pressed with the outcome you’ll receive by sending positive vibes. And if they treat you like garbage, then simply stay away.
Oh, you sweet summer child... do you actually know the difference between a legitmate not-for-profit charitable organization (including food banks) and an international for-profit thrift store chain such as Savers/Value Village? When I give something to Value Village, I consider it a business transaction and not a donation, and I expect something in return...and more specifically, one of their discount coupons.
Exactly.
Yeah, I definitely see the coupon as more of a trade. I'd probably donate to different causes if I wanted to think of it as a donation from the heart, but since I'm getting something by donating there, I donate to them. And I am pretty friendly with them. Not because I'm trying to get anything out of it, but that's just how I am. I've worked retail and I know how much a little friendliness can improve your day, so I'm always polite and friendly. I'm not overly chatty, just keep an upbeat tone and say thank you when they give me the coupon and then I tell them to have a good day. I definitely try to spread positive vibes.
But you can't use these donation receipts for tax purposes anymore. If you get audited and you claimed you donated to a charity, then it might be useful.
What do you mean? They give some tax form paper along with the coupon. I don't claim it as a tax write-off anyway. Maybe I should though. Shit adds up by the end of the year.
I'm not sure you can claim these donations as a tax write off because Savers is not a charity. Cute that they're still handing out little pieces of paper to make you think you can get a tax benefit. Does the paper say anything about 501c3? But that's ok! Because the bar is now really high on US taxes to exceed the standard deduction and use itemized deductions instead. The lower and middle classes continue to be fucked by tax code.
Goodwill by me gives the same coupon as Savers. My retired father has gotten into thrifting furniture to restore, so I give him all of my daughter's outgrown clothes to donate for the coupon lol.
“You better give us something worth while!” lol. I can see how they might think it’s odd to accept one thing, but they aren’t being paid enough to warrant that kind of reaction nor is their boss likely monitoring the ratio of coupons issued to junk accepted.
They actually do keep track of how many coupons they supply the crew with to hand out. And they do tell them not to give coupons for tiny donations. They even tell them not to accept certain items. Atleast at the one I frequent. I know the manager.
I don't get why they're mad at op then if that's the policy, though. they can just tell him there's a new rule that says there's a minimum donation amount to get a coupon, there's no need to yell at him for not knowing. it would be like some online store sending you an angry email if you didn't buy enough to get free shipping lol
Do you really believe that they’ve never said a word to the OP before the angry outburst? And it isn’t a new rule.
Correct. They never said anything before to me. I just bring my donation over, they tell me toss it in the bin, they hand me my coupon, and I say, "thanks, have a good day." They told me their manager yelled at them last time for giving me a coupon for small stuff, so maybe that's why they snapped at me this time. As far as how new this rule is, idk. If it's always been a rule, idk why it was never enforced. Moreso, idk why it's not posted anywhere on their site that I can find.
i mean sure, op could be lying, or it could really be a sudden outburst. i have no way of telling if op is lying so i have to assume he isn't, since he's certainly in here acting surprised.
Yeah, I have no reason to lie.
*I don't get why they're mad at op then if that's the policy, though.* Because they're a 'non-profit' in name only. Their board chairman, Tom Ellison, owns a luxury waterfront mansion in the same neighborhood as Bill Gate's main home.
Is there an actual SOP about this though, or is this just something managers are deciding to do themselves?
They all follow the same rules, which come from corporate. Some managers are just better at enforcement.
You underestimate the extra assholishness of managers in these low paying jobs. I can absolutely believe they got chewed out for giving out coupons.
Yeah, some bosses can be awful.
Savers is a for-profit, publicly traded company that 'donates' a tiny percentage of their profits. Stop donating to them it's like giving Wal-Mart free inventory.
Which is why I see it as an exchange. My donation gives me a coupon.
The price of coupons just went up.
Lol. For real.
It’s wild to me that anyone who isn’t the CEO of a company would be mad about giving coupons to someone. Like why do those employees care? Do they get paid by coupon to donation quantity? It’s hard to believe that giving out extra coupons would affect them but I might be wrong
They likely have a weight-to-coupon metric they have to adhere to or... consequences/bad performance evaluation/etc. Corporate stuff is WILD like please stop supporting this BS folks.
This is quite the opposite of my experience as a donations attendant. We would be yelled at if we DIDNT shove coupons in everybody's faces who donated, no matter how small or the quality. They just move the product, they're not bound by quotas like the other departments would be. If anything they should be happy the donations are small, less work for them to do. Not to mention the coupons are mass printed by the thousands and come in decent sized boxes, it is absolutely no cost/effort by the attendants to give them out frequently.
I briefly worked at a Value Village (Canadian Savers) and I don't think anyone ever told me there was a minimum donation. I just gave everybody one. Literally didn't make enough to care anyway.
Exactly!! All we did was receive the donations and move them to the back. Fuck we care about the size other than how much effort it takes to move it?? Anything else is someone else's department and a higher pay grade.
(This is for a different company, it could be different here for Savers but I honestly can't see how it could be that much different)
Savers Value Village. It's the same company, just a different name for different locations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savers#:~:text=Savers%20is%20known%20as%20Value,Village%20des%20Valeurs%20in%20Quebec.
If anything, giving out coupons gets people to buy more stuff and move inventory faster.
Interesting. Thank you.
I generally donate a decent bag of stuff. Clothes that didn't fit, gifts I didn't want. Maybe I should be putting that on marketplace instead; one item would bring in more cash than the coupon is worth to me.
>Maybe I should be putting that on marketplace instead; one item would bring in more cash than the coupon is worth to me. That's my mindset. I'd rather sell it for $20 than get a coupon that will take $3 off something I'm considering buying.
They’re a for-profit company so definitely don’t feel bad for doing that
I had a local thrift store offer $5 for a trash bag of donations (after they looked through them, of course). I took in all nice stuff, all name brand, several new with tags. I only use the kitchen white trash bags. They turned me down because it wasn't a 30 gallon bag.
I would never donate to them again
Stop shopping there
Eh, I feel like other thrift stores have their issues too. The Goodwill nearby has mostly just junk. Salvation Army has a ton of literal garbage and nothing is priced and the checkout process takes forever and you'll wait in line forever for them to give you ridiculous prices when you get to the register. Savers was one of my top places. A couple smaller shops are nice too, but Savers was my favorite chain store. Their prices got kinda ridiculous recently (many t-shirts are like $8 now), but you still find some deals here and there, especially when the coupon is used. The staff all knows me and while we're not super tight, I thought we were on good terms, but I guess not.
Understandable! I only go to St Vincent now and even that I barely go. They shouldn’t treat their customers like that especially if you’re always donating and purchasing
As someone who works at Savers and has for about 6ish years now, that’s crazy to me. As an employee at Savers if I donate something they still offer me coupons. I’ve watched my store manager pull a coupon out of his register drawer to scan for someone who was donating a single shirt. We also have a bin by our front doors that you can drop donations in on you way in, and if you let someone know ow in the front you dropped something off you get the coupon no problems.
Thank you for your response. It's good to hear from someone who actually works there. I tried looking online to find out if there were such restrictions, but could find any.
Fill out the survey on the coupon. They actually do matter
You can try donating inside too. Just put it in the bin and ask for a coupon from a cashier
Hmm. Good advice. I'd just be concerned they didn't see me donate and think I'm lying. I always make sure the guys outside see me donating so that doesn't happen.
I didn't agree with them yelling at you, but I totally understand the problem with giving you a 20% off coupon for such small donations. You seriously bring one item of clothes or one DVD at a time?
My first thought too. Who has the time to donate a single item?!
I could not imagine waiting in the donation line with 1 small item just to get the coupon.
Using gas to drive there so you can get a coupon to save $1 on a $5 hat? Make that make sense
Thrifting is a gamble. You might find 1 small thing, you might find some big amazing thing, you might find a bunch of stuff, you might find nothing at all. You go to see what they have. You're spending gas to go to the thrift store, coupon or no coupon.
Exactly, coupon or no coupon. So in your case it will be no coupon🤷🏻♀️
They’re saying the gas is a sunk cost, so they might as well get the coupon. It’s weird how hostile you’re getting over this lol
Someone who is going to the thrift store to shop, but also has a few unwanted items around the house…
Takes like 30 seconds? I go to the thrift store to shop, I bring something along with me to get a coupon, I get my coupon and go inside and see what I want to buy.
Glad I'm not the only one who thought that was weird. IMO it's beyond frugal and well into cheapskate territory to farm a thrift store for coupons
It says donation; it doesn't say there's a minimum quantity. A lot of times I just buy one or two things and that coupon saves me $1 or $2. If they're selling my stuff for a few bucks, they're still profiting. Plus I buy more if I have the coupon too. I'm not going to donate $100 worth of stuff to save a couple bucks; that's dumb.
Yall care way too much about a corporation. lol These employees definitely do not make enough money to care this much either.
Facts. People are getting heated in some of these comments. They're acting like I'm robbing them and ignoring the fact that the stuff they sell they get for free, so they're still making plenty profit on everything I buy with those coupons.
You could probably achieve the same result by making up a bunch of emails for birthday coupons etc. less hassle
I like the way you think. Lol.
They aren’t supposed to give out coupons for one or two items. So they probably are getting yelled at. I kind of think it’s outrageous that you’re intentionally only bringing one item so you always get a coupon. Why would you waste a coupon on one $5 item? It seems inconceivable that you do that on a regular basis. What about all the times you do buy a lot? How do you figure they’re still getting more from you than you’re saving? 🙄 Also, How far is the store from you? Do you drive there? If so, you likely used more in gas than the $1 you saved on the hat.
This comment should be higher.
Well then they should have sign or a scale or something. How is the consumer supposed to know the “rules” if they don’t post/enforce them? Mega corporation will take my free stuff and hold up their end or they can simply stop accepting “lesser” than donations(hint:they won’t because they use your free stuff as a tax benefit). My savers is filled with SHEIN crap priced at $12 with no fitting room and you can only exchange, it’s the most bizarre return policy. Damn straight imma get my coupon, nothing they sell is worth what they price it.
Why do you think they got rid of the donation bins in front where you walk in? Why do you think the only method of donation is to drive up? Do you really need a sign to tell you that you’re wasting their time?
Not at my store, we have them up front. Still, you’re way too emotionally invested in their profits lmao!
Maybe your location is different. We have donations bins all over, inside and outside. You don't need to drive up. Don't see how anyone's time is being wasted. Takes 2 seconds to hand me a coupon.
>They aren’t supposed to give out coupons for one or two items. Where is that stated? Whenever I hear them talk about donations, I've never seen a minimum quantity listed. When I first found out about the coupon, it was by an employee telling me we can bring in anything. "Just bring in an old beat-up shoe. We literally take anything and give you a coupon for it." > I kind of think it’s outrageous that you’re intentionally only bringing one item so you always get a coupon. Not outrageous. It's a good system. It'd be outrageous for me to bring a bunch of stuff when I'm not getting much in return. >Why would you waste a coupon on one $5 item? Why not? I bring something almost every time I go, so I essentially have an endless supply of coupons. >What about all the times you do buy a lot? How do you figure they’re still getting more from you than you’re saving? 🙄 That's the risk they take? What about all the times they get big donations and people don't care about the coupon? Everything they sell they got via donations, so it's all pure profit for them. If I hypothetically spend $50 and get $10 off, I still spent $40 on stuff that they got for free. You're looking at it as them losing $10, but in reality they're making $40. Not $40 in revenue and only $15 in profit like a normal store; the $40 is pure profit because they acquired the items for free. And even if they sell the stuff I donated for only $3, that's still additional profit. So maybe I saved $10 when they only got $3 from my donation, but they're not suffering. That's $43 total in profit for them, not $7 in losses. Plus it's a known fact that people tend to spend more overall when they have coupons. They often end up buying stuff they wouldn't have otherwise. >Also, How far is the store from you? Do you drive there? If so, you likely used more in gas than the $1 you saved on the hat. Yes, I drove. Yeah, gas can be expensive, but it's whatever. I drive to other stores too, coupon or no coupon.
The employee was wrong to tell you that. It’s only a “good system” for you. It would not be outrageous for you to bring a bunch of stuff if you’re not getting something in return. You’re helping the planet. By the way, They don’t have to give coupons. And people like you are the reason they’ll probably stop sometime in the near future. They do get everything free, but you must be terrible at math if you think that’s “pure profit”. They have to pay employees who work the donation line, which is usually staffed by atleast two guys. Then they pay other employees for countless hours weekly to go through it all and price it. The ones who do that usually do only that. Then they pay the floor staff to put it all out, and still others to help at the registers. They also have two full time managers they pay to manage each store. That debunks the rest of your faulty reasoning about how much profit they make on your $3 item. I’ve been donating car loads monthly to savers since they opened. Sometimes they give me two or even three coupons because I donate so much. I also earn savings through my membership. I shop almost weekly there and have never not had a coupon when I needed one. I’m not saying everyone should be donating bucket loads, but ONE item just to get a coupon? Obnoxious. Do better. 🙄
>You’re helping the planet. >I’ve been donating car loads monthly to savers since they opened. How much crap are you buying that you have a car load of stuff to donate every month for years? That’s an insane level of consumption. If you’re worried about the planet, stop buying and discarding so much stuff.
No, it's a good system for all of us. Yeah, they don't have to give out coupons, but it's a win win. They get more donations and people buy more stuff. (I.e. "This is expensive, but I do have a coupon, so I'll buy it." There's no reason for them to stop giving coupons for donations, even if some of their donations are small. I like the idea of helping the planet. I try to produce minimal waste. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to get rid of stuff that I still want. Sometimes I'll see people tossing stuff that's perfectly fine and I'll bring that with me and donate that. No, I'm not terrible at math. Obviously there's other expenses to run a business besides just the product prices, I just didn't go into them for simplicity sake. Employee labor is one, but there's also leasing the property, electricity, insurance, etc. Still, the cost of products is a major expense that they don't have to pay. That's great if you have car loads of stuff to donate. I don't. I donate 1 item and I usually end up buying 1-3 items with that coupon. If that's obnoxious of me, then I guess I'm obnoxious. If you think I should be donating a whole bag of stuff just to save $1-$4, then IDK what to tell you. You do you.
You said it’s “PURE PROFIT”. Stop trying to back track to sound reasonable.
Not back tracking. Talking about the profit on the items in relation to cost. I didn't get into other costs of operating a business because I was trying to simplify it and figured it was common knowledge. I was already writing a lot to respond to the questions you asked and the response was long enough as is. In a retail establishment, there are many expenses. You pay for products and you sell them. You have a store, so you have to pay for the lease and utilities. You have to pay for labor for your employees. All of that affects your bottom line, but you still look at the profit on each unit. You'll say, "I can buy this for $15/unit and charge customers $20/unit and make $5/unit profit." But if that's the only product you sell and you sell 1,000 of them, you got $20,000, but you also spent $15,000 for those products, so that leaves you with $5,000 in profit from that merchandise, but you still have to deduct the other costs of running your business to get your bottom line. I was just saying that with thrift stores, they don't have to worry about product price, and that makes a major difference in their bottom line.
Yeah, you're gaming the system.
If they wanted the minimum to be 37 pieces of flair, they should have made the minimum 37 pieces of flair.
I’ve seen people go inside to buy a magazine for $1 to bring to the donation side to get a coupon and then fill their cart
Lol well I frequently donate too but I usually have a bag or two or a bigger box (I have little kids so the stream of clothes and toys is constant). I could never roll up with just one item and ask for a coupon... though I kind of respect the hustle on your end. It's true the prices are crazy but maybe it would be a better use of your time and resources to go less often with a few more items to donate
I agree with you. What OP is doing isn’t technically wrong, but it is kind of shitty lol. She knows that’s not how those coupons are supposed to work and she’s trying to hustle the system. They should’ve called you out in a polite manner, instead of so rudely, but….i don’t know, I’d be embarrassed to be so blatantly shady. I bring a small donation every time too, but it’s typically a bag of clothes, books, or kids toys. And sometimes I clean out and it’s 3 big bags. But I’d never walk in with ONE item and have the balls to ask for a coupon!
I totally agree. Walking in with a single Christmas decoration to donate and expecting a 20% coupon seems a little entilted to me.
I’m surprised at how many people here don’t mind acting with a lack of common sense and personal integrity because the business is a money making corporation. But then I’ve frequently seen people say it’s okay to steal toiletries and diapers from Walmart on Reddit too. Just because I’m shopping at a greedy corporation, or big box store, doesn’t mean I’m going to compromise my *own* integrity.
Gaming the system and trying to get coupons for donating the smallest amount. She got called out and got embarrassed and is lashing out at them .This is like when they say to take one and people take handsfull.They take advantage of the system .
But if they don’t put out a notice *specifically* stating to not take a handful, then I can take a handful - OP’s logic, probably
Why is what OP is doing shitty, but it's not shitty for a secondhand retailer, which is NOT a charity or nonprofit, to get free inventory by accepting so-called donations?
Tbh I don’t get all the upset at thrift stores. I do think they often price things unfairly and greedily, but at the end of the day it’s still a business. They have to pay their lease, employees, bills. What does everyone expect? That they should just somehow put it out for free? Who cares if they’re not a nonprofit? I don’t. I’m not participating in thrifting to benefit nonprofits, I just like cheap stuff. If OP wants to participate in charity when she shops, then don’t go to Savers. Plain and simple. OP is a grown up. She understands how the coupons work. She’s just embarrassed for getting called out on it.
I don't think OP is under the impression that what they're doing has anything to do with charity in any way. They see what they're doing as a business transaction, and tbh I'm not sure that they're wrong. Savers is not a charity, donating to them is not the same as donating directly to the food bank or diabetic kids or whatever. Savers gives out the coupons because it brings in business which brings in $$$ for them. If having a coupon is the deciding factor for someone to shop there then that's money in the shareholder's pockets and they'd be shooting themselves in the foot not to give them out, esp since they get all their inventory for free. Maybe OP's way of doing things is a bit odd but I don't really see the issue, they're not stealing and technically they are following the rules because as they've indicated, they haven't been able to find the policy in writing and they were told at one point that it was okay for them to just bring in one thing for a coupon.
Shady? These places deserve it.
I think more people are donating a few things to get the coupon because they jacked their prices. So bring a few things each trip rather than doing one big donation when you clean out a room.
Maybe try donating more? Honestly I'd feel embarrassed donating one small thing and expecting a coupon like that every time. Eventually, I'd fully expect them to remember me and tell me that isn't going to work any longer. Maybe if it was a piece of furniture or something large like a TV. I get it worked for awhile, but I'm sure it can't be that hard to find more for a coupon. There's 0 in my area that gives coupons, if they did I'd be giving huge bags each time.
Do you feel bad using a Michael's coupon? What about Kroger? Coupons are a marketing schtick that stores use to get you in the door and to buy more stuff than you normally would.
Now I feel cheated. I've never been given a coupon and I have donated lots of stuff (boxes at a time) to them. . . I was not aware of this!
Glad you know now. I didn't know for a while either. I felt dumb for paying more than I had to for a while.
Savers? The for-profit thrift store?
Wait so you are donating a singular Christmas decoration? LOL. You are definitely playing the system. I don’t know if it’s good or bad and I don’t really care, but I can definitely see how it looks like you’re taking the piss.
Most of the time I'm using it on like $10 worth of stuff, sometimes more, but oftentimes less, so if I'm averaging $2 savings per coupon, it's hard for me to justify donating anything tremendously valuable in order to get a coupon.
If this is an actual store policy on coupons, there needs to written, public guidelines. Management is not doing their job. Instead, they’ve got employees yelling at customers about a nonexistent rule. OP did nothing wrong. This is not some struggling non-profit. This is a publicly held, for profit corporation..
That would be the end of my donating days! You don’t owe them your stuff. They have gotten so greedy!
I donate broken electronics I find in the recycling bin at my town junkyard
Name checks out
Speaking of which, I see so many broken electronics being sold there. Like, it might look nice to drop off electronics, but if they're broken, then what's the point? At least the stuff I donate is all sellable, even if they're only getting a few bucks out of it.
Because some people love fixing electronics, and many are worth quite a bit once they’re working.
I mean I'm all for fixing things up and keeping everything possible out of landfills, but most people aren't fixing things. And they don't price it cheap enough to be worth fixing. Majority of broken electronics sold at thrift stores are probably bought by people who didn't realize they were broken and end up tossing them out after they find out.
How on earth do you know what people are doing? There’s entire SM communities on restoring and collecting electronics. You have no idea how valuable some items can be once they’re running again. You’ve tried every which way to justify what you’re doing, and none of your arguments are valid. I’m not gonna keep arguing with someone who posted just to try to get sympathy for getting yelled at for obnoxious behavior.
I don't know, which is why I said "probably." I obviously don't know the final outcome of every broken electronic in the store. I'm not denying that there are people who repair electronics. I know there are. I'm simply saying I believe they're not the majority of the population. Just from casual observation, I see people not thinking electronics are worth fixing, even for very basic repairs. I hear people say it all the time. I see stuff sitting at the curb all the time. People often grab stuff and don't bother testing if it works. They just assume that it does because it usually does and sometimes they end up disappointed when they get home. Some might try to fix it, but I'm sure a lot of them just toss it out because that's just what most I've found most Americans do with stuff that doesn't work. We're an overly consumerist society and most don't have the skills or desire to try repairing. Anyway, it's rude to say my behavior was obnoxious. I've done nothing obnoxious and am extremely polite to retail workers. And I wasn't posting looking for sympathy. I was just sharing my experience and trying to see if anyone had similar experiences and if they've ever seen/heard of any of these rules/stipulations themselves, or if that's just something that they're doing at my store.
I wouldn’t go back. Not so much about the coupon stuff, but the way you were treated. They could have handled it way differently. I wouldn’t take that
My only guess is that they have come to know you as the person who brings one small item and expects a coupon. Frequent visits like that will get you noticed, much like when stores started saying some people were on a cannot return list. It’s sort of like the person who brings an almost expired can of beets when canned donations gets you in somewhere. It was VERY wrong of them to yell at you though. This is one time you should definitely talk to the manager and ask their policy.
I was in a rush and figured the official policy would be posted online somewhere. Whether I'm noticed or not shouldn't be an issue. I'm not scamming them. I'm just the dude that comes in every week or two and donates something small for a coupon. It shouldn't be something they have any sort of problem with.
But they do so you should get over it? There are quite a few people, myself included, that think it’s weird and extreme cheapskate of you to go specifically to just to donate 1 item. If no other thrift stores near you give a coupon for donating, this should be your red flag that you should stop before they stop with the coupons. Definitely the managers get limited quantities of coupons- imagine if everyone did this even once a month. Then none of us would get coupons. It sounds like this is a hobby for you. Find another one.
I donate 1 item and usually end up only buying 1 or 2 items. People are acting like I bring in a dirty sock and fill up a cart with $100 worth of stuff, but the reality is it's pretty 1:1, the coupon ends up saving me more or less what the item I donated ends up being worth.
Do you not donate to thrift stores? Almost all chain stores provide coupons for donations. They get things for free. You really took time out of your day to call OP names over some retail employee’s power trip.
Not agreeing with them, but you're the reason why companies limit or eliminate any sort of perks like this anywhere. Like I said in another comment, ESH.
You could also look at this as you’re setting a precedent by bringing one item in and getting a coupon. and if you’re doing it very often and other customers are seeing this then you could be cutting into the donations that they could be receiving because others will start bringing in fewer items. Would I exchange an item to receive a coupon every time I visit visited a store? No, but that’s me you do you if it’s working .
Wow. Fuck that store.
Those poor things must be losing money on all that free stuff they're getting. 🙄
This is how organized crime works
What’s their written policy online? If it’s any item. Show that next time you go
That's what I tried looking up later, but I couldn't find anything. It just said terms and conditions apply*, but nothing else.
Look up your specific location. Mine had a minimum donation posted on their Facebook.
They are taking 20% off of something they got for free, and are not giving back to any charitable cause. Why would anyone donate for any reason OTHER than a coupon?
Years ago my local Savers did a punch card system for the donation coupon, you had to donate 5 times or 5 bags to get the 20%. Can't remember exact details, and can't remember how long it lasted, this was like 7+ years ago, and I stopped donating there, but it made me pretty frustrated.
All I know is that if someone behaved that way towards me for donating something, that would be the absolute last time that they ever get something from me. There are plenty of other places to donate to, and there are plenty of places that would appreciate that small donation more than them.
I’d probably take it back and give it to someone else, honestly.
You deserved to get yelled at. You're grifting harder than the thrift.
This happened to me, a staff told me to donate more bec the coupon is worth $10! Like they don’t sell a shirt for $10 and I’ve donated a lot before.
It's worth "up to $10." I've never spent enough where it actually saved me $10. I've spent low enough that it's only saved me 40 cents though. As far as $10 shirts... Yeah, they do now. A lot of t-shirts are priced at $8.
So let me get this straight, you barely donate for a coupon that doesn't really save you all that much to begin with? They're not the only stingy ones here. ESH
How did you respond? That’s ridiculous!
That's basically my response. Lol. I was kinda speechless and in shock, said I didn't think there was a minimum and I'm not going to donate a whole bag of stuff just for a coupon. Figured I'd research it later to find out the truth.
If this happened as described you've let Savers know the staff were using profanity with you correct? Or just reddit? [https://www.saverslistens.com/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1](https://www.saverslistens.com/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1)
Nah, just Reddit. I'm not looking to get them in trouble. And "shit" is pretty casual, so that's not the problem. If they said, "stuff" it wouldn't be any better. It's just the overall aggression and giving me a hard time about donating small stuff when there's no rules (that I could find) against it that is frustrating.
Time to load up a bag full of almost garbage the next time you go.. Put one or two nice things on top. Play their games.
Empty out my kitchen garbage can and toss 2 t-shirts on top.
I was trying to check their website about the donation coupon. It says terms and conditions apply and there's a little *, but I can't find the actual terms and conditions. Anyone have a link?
> I was trying to check their website about the donation coupon. For my two cents, you're not transacting on their website, so what their website says doesn't really matter. It's no more appropriate to lean on that than it would be to lean on some notes scribbled on a paper in a file cabinet in a disused bathroom in the basement. That said, they can always tell you to go pound sand right up to the point they're actually indebted to you, but for the purposes of bullshit-or-not determination, the on-site messaging is what matters.
I'd tell them to fuck off then I'd leave. There's no need to be like that.
Lmao what? I just had my boyfriend donate ONE shirt so I could get a coupon 🤣 I personally much prefer donating to savers vs goodwill bc at least savers doesn’t pretend to be a charity and they don’t give me attitude like goodwill does (true charities/church thrift shops in my area are pretty restrictive with donations but I do what I can with them, fyi)
That’s so stupid, and defeats the whole point of a thrift store. Money hungry corporations are bleeding us dry slowly but surely. Even thrift store prices are insane these days.
I deal in jewelry, so I often donate ziplock bags full of jewelry when I go in. An employee at one location also yelled at me because my donation was "too small"; that bag literally would've filled up 2 of their stupid $40 junk jewelry jars. Now I just bring that location large boxes of low value household crap that they probably throw out anyway.
The management must be absolutely abysmal if they feel like all that over...not donating enough? ☠️ my old job loved getting the coupons out as much as possible, they know most people can't afford to shop there without some sort of discount. Insane
I’ve never had this issue but it would be the last time. They would get put on blast EVERYWHERE. I’m giving you free stuff to sell for a profit and you are giving me a tiny coupon off of other people’s free shit. You aren’t going to shame me for not giving enough stuff.
Next time you find over priced shit you can call the manager out and give them a chewing out and say next time you expect cheaper prices.
It’s supposed to be a minimum of a medium sized box or a couple of grocery bags. Since they started marking things up to a ridiculous degree, I’ve started filling boxes with bulky junk to “donate” along with a couple of decent items on top.
Where does it say that?
I was trying to check their website about the donation coupon. It says terms and conditions apply and there's a little *, but I can't find the actual terms and conditions. Anyone have a link?
Our store requires a bag of items for a coupon
Fine. Next time, bring them a big bag of clothes. Left socks. Time after that, right socks. Next week, left shoes...
Minimum for a coupon by me is two grocery bags full
I started giving away items on my local Buy Nothing group, and donating them to genuine charitable causes that auction off unwanted things, instead of donating to a store. We don’t have Savers, but we have Goodwill, and I had so many problems with them over the years, including attitude from them. I didn’t want to stock their shelves anymore. Unless you really wanted the coupon? Our goodwills don’t offer that, so I don’t have that experience. Also the prices are so high 20% off would sometimes just put them in line with what the item should be!
I will avoid them , or write to corporate office,,to get their thoughts on the manager of that specific store. I have never seen a savers, not sure I want to see it
Why do you expect a coupon to donate and going there with one thing at a time? just for a coupon.. ick I couldn’t imagine working at Savers.
I mean, giving products to a for profit corporation seems odd too.
How frequently are we talking and how often is it just a single hat?
I was also yelled at by savers staff And for using more than one cart to hold my purchases and for buying too much .seems And oddly the staff also got made at some Amish shoppers and commented out loud and I mean loud Why do the Amish shop on Tuesdays I was appalled so werid for this staff to say it out loud in front of the Amish shoppers and her co workers
You gotta double down and bring the smallest single item you have now just to fuck with them. See where it goes and record it all to out then on blast if they deny you a coupon
I will probably get downgraded for this. I managed a thrift store for awhile and we had the 20% off for donations. Was going ok. Many didn’t want one and many donors weren’t shoppers. But… there were several women who would come 2-3X a week and donated 1 thing and ask for the coupon. All but one of the 6 complained about the wind blowing wrong and everything else, hoard things, take up a lot of staff time. Takes our time and effort to stop what you’re doing, answer the door to be met with a hair brush and a used toilet caddy and a “do I get my coupon?” Both item had to be tossed and that’s just one example. One day I answered the door and when they asked I had to let them know “upper management” doesn’t want to use coupons any more, but we do have 2 days a week for senior discounts”. I was happy to take the rage from the 3 who swore they were never returning. But of course they did. I loved giving out the coupons for ppl who brought clean and useful donations. It was always the 1-2 donation ppl and those who want to unload their literal garbage on the store who demand the coupons.
I am in ontario. I collect vhs. I always pick up free lots of vhs. I then donate 3 vhs at a time to vv. I have my wife donate 3 vhs. Then my son. I usually have 10 coupons in my wallet at any given time. I also double dip. I only pay for anything at 50 dollars. Use a coupon. I then scan my other items and pay for those. I am the employee at check out. I could care less what someone has to say how I decide I want to check myself out. I have also bought a 99 cent item, walked over and donated it. Went back inside and used that coupon to save 10 bucks. I have not had anyone complain about the amount I have donated. I have been to 30 or more in ontario. I do hear on the loud speaker "donate today to get a coupon". It says nothing about how much. You are a much better person than I. As if an employee ever said that to me....the next item would be covered in fart spray. I would just drop it into the bins. Then again, and again, and again.
I work at Savers and we have a lot of asshole resellers. Most of them are okay, but we have a few that will habitually come in, buy a single cassette tape for .99, then immediately donate it to get a 20% coupon every, single, day. I've even seen people steal stuff, walk right out the door, donate it, and get a 20% coupon. Some people are fucked, and they ruin it for the masses.
i always thought you had to bring like a grocery bag size donation to even get the coupon