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 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!