Be Careful of Goodwills Online Auction Site

Two stories from RipOffReport.com

I frequently purchased items from the GoodWill online auction for several months. Then I noticed several items would reach astoundingly high prices well before the auction was set to close. Similar items would also reach unrealistically higher sales than the same exact item listed on ebay or other comparable auction sites. Then I started to study particular items that would bring the higher prices. Interestingly enough, I noticed that the same items were re-listed over and over again, and the same bidders would continue to win each auction.

It didn't take long for me to figure out that the GoodWill staff were deliberately shill bidding from private accounts in order to fraudulently inflate the prices. When an item did not bring the desired prices, a goodwill staff member would outbid the high bidder, so they would not have to let the item go for less than expected. Who do they think they are? It doesn't take a genius to realize that when the same item at the GoodWill is selling for 3x more than on Ebay that something fishy is going on. Especially since Ebay consistently gets more traffic and should not be outdone by such a small site like GoodWill. What they are doing is fraud! They are playing off the allure of "helping a charity" yet their entire inventory is free and they still continue to rip people off. They also mark their prices up sky high, which defeats the purpose of having a thrift store intended to help the poor.

To those of you complaining about ebay shill bidding, at least (poor as it may be) they have a governing body that works objectively between the buyers and sellers. ShopGoodwill has all the control and deliberately scams its customers.


It won't be long before other bidders catch on, which will eventually lead to their demise.

Heystacey
Eatonville, Washington
U.S.A.


Shop Goodwill & Goodwill Crooks!
AUTHOR: Suzanna - ()
SUBMITTED: Monday, April 15, 2013
I shop at at least three different Goodwill stores weekly, and often browse the shopgoodwill.com auction site. This complaint is true. There is some shady business going on.

I had a bid on a pair of boots that had zero other bids on them. The opening bid was $5.00 I placed a bid of $21.50 so I would be sure to get them. The boots remained at the minimum bid for 7 days as people clearly had no interest in them.
Well to my surprise 30 seconds before the bidding closed someone bid them right up to $21.00. Strangely this was the same username I had seen in many other auctions stealing or bidding up in the last seconds. It is clear to me they were able to see my max bid amount and brought it up to that for profit.

Frequently they will have electronics listed as "Untested" on their auctions when the only thing required to test them is batteries! I also saw them falsely representing a painting as original, it was bid up to $3000 I found the original and sent this information to the seller and Goodwill simply said they were not responsible for the item being authentic or not!

One thing the employee said is true though, they don't pay their employees very well at all. In fact they pay less than minimum wage! Proof in the following article link - Goodwill Exec's Crooks! However that doesn't mean they don't do the job they are told to do. I think the issue is in the software and the employees listing the items are none the wiser! The crooks are the ones high up on the totem pole.

Goodwill's get away with murder pricing their items higher than the retail stores, gouging for shipping when everyone knows flat rate priority is $6, and this "AUCTION" software is not regulated at all, there is no complaint system for buyers and no way for them to be accountable for their fraudulent actions!

You would think that the items being 100% profit they would be content. But no - - GOODWILL STEALS MONEY From CUSTOMERS! OVERCHARGES -Knowingly sells BROKEN UN-WORKING ITEMS and SCAMS the PUBLIC!
 

I assume the above stories are true. I would strongly suggest that any individual with first hand knowledge of this going on should contact their state's Attorney General's office and file a complaint (I suggest doing it by certified mail, not email). Most states have laws on the book preventing, false, misleading, or deceptive trades and practices. This would undoubtedly fall into that category, if true. I'm also going to forward these stories to one of our investigative newspapers (I'm in a large city) and see if they will run with it.
 

That's an urban legend. Irael Gaither, National Commander of the Salvation Army makes somewhere between 79k and 243k a year, estimated figures. It's a religious org. so they don't have to report to the IRS. In comparison to Goodwill CEO James Gibbons makes 335k a year which is less than the top paid exec at the company, George Kessinger, former CEO and President, who makes 633k. As far as percentages of the donations that go to the cause, I don't know the latest figures. But i'm sure it's not too high. I'll check later and see what I can come up with. It's all big business nowadays. They both sell clothing to Africa for money.


I worked at a Council of the Blind store for a couple of years back in 2006-7 and at that time only 10% had to go to the charity. I thought, Wow! What a money maker.
 

Be Careful of Goodwill's Online Auction Site

It's truly a shame. I contacted one Goodwill online shop thinking they had "mistakenly" listed an auction twice. Each with the same photos and separate bids. They NEVER responded back. The worst, for me, has to be the outlandishly high shipping charges - $20 for a bracelet? Seriously?
 

OK man I signed up here to warn others of the supposed Mary Kay Strat, this is the first place that pops up on google when you type in "goodwill online forums" so i hope some folks read this and are forewarned

the guitar is up to $13,000 as of today and if I think people think its LEGIT it will get up to around $60,000


HOWEVER!!!!!

TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THIS GUITAR

FIRST OFF the neck says FL ~57 in pencil, OK here's the clue here, first off they didn't make the Mary K in 1957 they were ALL built in 56!!!! also they didn't put the date on the neck!!! there is a LEGIT 57 Mary Kay on the web all tore apart but there are a several flaws I saw right off the bat int eh goodwill MK Strat, DON'T BID and no I am not trying to get people not to bid so I can have it, look at my warnings and signs then tell me I am not 100% correct in my assumptions...

first the neck penciling would say 56 if they put the date int he neck which they didn't for the Mary Kay, it was a PROMO BETA and they were MADE IN 1956 so IF they did put the date on the neck it would have said 56!!! first HUGE CLUE!!!

then you have the tuners, take a GOOD look at the back of them you should have spotted this right away... the waffle stripes should have a void in them right where the weep hole is so there is a set of stripes on either side of the hole not running through like these!

third the tape on the back holding the pickup wires together, WRONG place and WRONG type of TAPE!!!!!! take a good look!!!

THEN the BIGGEST and WORST of all NUMBER FOUR!!! look at the rear routing on the tremolo cavity, its rounded at the top where the spring claw is NO WAY!!! plus there are no holes drilled for the cover!

then look at the neck plate FAKE and its CHROME not the gold like the rest

then ANOTHER HUGE giveaway this is not a genuine 57 mary kay strat


look at the saddles!!! they should have forged into them the words "Fender Patent Pending"!!!! these have NOTHING!!!

there are several others the backs of the pickups, the color, finish in the neck pocket on and on WREAKS of a Chinese knock off!!!!

I totally understand the $13Kay may be the goodwill employees jacking the price of the guitar up under various aliases so some unsuspecting collector may go wow, $65,000? I can buy that and double my profit overnight and unknowingly put a bid in for a seriously high number and lose big on this fake, we saw it in a few instruments already so please be CAREFUL and if you bid send those pics to an EXPERT who has TAKEN APART A 57 MARY KAY and knows what to look for the differences!!!

I sure hope that's employees driving that bid up it sat at like $673 for a day so maybe they thought they needed to get things going I sure hope that's not a real buyer cuz even at $13,000 you are going top get hit hard for a $800-$1800 guitar, the 2007 reissue is going for about $1800 and they are legit but its not that, its not even a fender body that body would be tossed for the shoddy router job in the rear trem cavity I already know this, too many give away too many easy giveaway its a fake and if yo buy then want to sell ANYONE willing to pay $125000 for a guitar will take it to an expert then you will hear the bad news..

also sorry for stepping on this thread there just isn't anywhere to warn buyers on that is no way at all and I would HATE to see someone get robbed for even $13,000 much less the potential 60-70- even $80,000 that could go up to they sell for around $100-!25,000 today and that's a FAKE FAKE FAKE

OK wheres the best place to dry wash in south las vegas for a week or so aside from the washes and culverts... no donkey rides please, i want some good cut like $23 a yard so i can rent me some equipment and make it big...

thanks for allowing me to warn others of that fruad
 

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Goodwill Industries provides sheltered workshops for people who can work...The money Goodwill raises in their stores and their auction sites provides funding for these programs and "salaries" for the workers.

It is rumored GOODWILL CEO and owner Mark Curran profits $2.3 million a year.
 

OK man I signed up here to warn others of the supposed Mary Kay Strat, this is the first place that pops up on google when you type in "goodwill online forums" so i hope some folks read this and are forewarned the guitar is up to $13,000 as of today and if I think people think its LEGIT it will get up to around $60,000

First, who are you and what are you rambling about?
 

I got a stories better then that.. I won a auction few years back for a penny book that had a alot of pennies in it there was a 1914D in it when I bid an won auction.. when I got my booklet from Goodwill auction.. There was no 1914D in the 1914D slot it was a 1950 something.. I called an no one knew what happened to the penny.. I told them If they didn't find my penny my credit card charge will be canceled.. they beat around the bush a few day an when it was all said in done thet gave me back my 55.00 an made me return the booklet to them..
i would be beyond pissed at this jeez. Could you actually see that the penny was indeed 1914D from the pictures??
 

I do not bid on their site and now that jewelry has been pulled from GW here I don't even bother going any more. The good news is a new thrift store is opening today! Alrighty!
 

It is rumored GOODWILL CEO and owner Mark Curran profits $2.3 million a year.

I can assure, the pay is more than that. They actually do provide jobs and training for a lot of people who need it, but the managers of large non-profits make at least that amount at the local level. I knew someone who was a teacher and motivational speaker and their career goal was to become the CEO of the local United Way. She/He wanted to do continue to do good work, but the huge $$ was a nice incentive too!
 

Goodwill Industries provides sheltered workshops for people who can work, just not in the public/private sector. Often these are menial jobs - basic assembly for instance. Many of the workers are severely handicapped either physically or mentally. The money Goodwill raises in their stores and their auction sites provides funding for these programs and "salaries" for the workers. Goodwill is similar to the Salvation Army, but without the religious aspect. Hope this helps.
Yes.

I work for Goodwill in Spokane, WA and my salary is paid solely from the 'round-up' campaign in the stores.

I run our computer lab where anyone can use a computer to search for housing, employment, and other resources like basic food benefits, driver's licenses, food handler cards, and signing up for State insurance. I also assist older folks with using their smart phones, and setting them up.

We have housing and employment programs, and deliver services on behalf of the Developmental Disabilities Admin and Dept of Vocational Rehabilitation. We also have a Payee office for folks who need help managing their money.

Believing what I believe, it's truly amazing I found a place where I 'fit' as I work with piercings and purple hair in a bastion State for communism. But, I believe in the value and potential of every human being and the value of doing for yourself. I bring the values from the .mil of being a leader and empowering people to make their own choices and own their decisions they make. I've served folks who "weren't raised right," ex convicts from EVERY conviction type, addicts, users, trafficked persons, those fleeing DV, folks with terrible mental health barriers and ACEs, and also the folks who refuse to fit in - from those who are changing their bodies, to the 'ninjas on the lawn' conspiracy types.

So long as my co-workers keep their politics tucked in, I can keep mine tucked, and have IDed quite a cabal of like minded co-workers that all commiserate in private.

Now, my passion is for business and employment - I enjoy connecting with businesses and helping them build their workforce and I try to stay away from just pointing folks to fast food and janitorial jobs, unless it's warranted.
 

One time in my earlier life I was unemployed. I went to Goodwill and they created me a resume. It was 5 pages long and very professional. I got a job in a week and it cost me absolutely nothing. To this day I always enjoy visiting my local Goodwill and think how nice they were to do that for me for Free
 

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