Just want to know what is with the tough, rather unfair return policies at the local second hand clothing stores. Could it be they are afraid of loss even though they get the product for free? —No salvation in this village

This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2011.

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34 Comments

  1. Don’t they give you credit towards replacement product? Doesn’t that help? Those stores are all about satisfying people’s needs to spend, sorry, buy, lots of product that they really don’t need. They’re doing you a favour, you get to ‘shop’ again.

    And, I don’t think they operate at a loss, they have to pay the rent and power somehow. duh.

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  2. know the policies before you shop at any store on returns. just because its a secondhand store doesn’t mean that they are not going to have that policy

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  4. Second hand stores are awesome! I get most of my clothes there. I mean cum’on……..d’ya know what a good set of wings would cost brand-new at the custom costume boutiques!?!

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  6. come on o.p., it’s second hands clothes for shit sake. they cost what, a couple bucks? give the shit away on kijiji, or sell to get money back, no brainer there.

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  7. If you’re talking about a place that has great “value”…they actually don’t get the product for free. They pay local non profit organizations for used clothing, furniture and household goods. I used to work for one of the organizations whose major fundraising dollars came from the money this place paid when they brought them stuff that was donated from people.

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  9. That’s some desperation right there, eh, PK? Check things out first – only buy if you’re positive you want it and it’s in good shape. Common sense, people! Oh wait… riiiiiight….

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  10. Walk around in that place. Old ladies pushing carts around filled with junk. People don’t go there to buy stuff they need, they go there because they can’t afford to go to the mall to throw their money away, they get more bang for their buck at the v.

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  12. I was in one of those places last year, looking for clothes for retro night and it sucked! It was quite a large location in D-mo and most of the shirts they had were just old uniforms! Like I saw several t-shirts from a sub place I used to work at and a drug store I used to work at! And they were charging $3 a piece for them! Silly peeps.

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  13. I donated a few things that ended up there, and it made me LOL, because I knew they were going to sell them for more than I paid (the V place overcharges++).

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  16. I’m not sure what the OP is talking about. I frequently shop at VV and SA and in my experience both places will accept returns, with the tags on, within 7 days of purchase.

    I love thrift store shopping. I grew up poor, so I’ve had many years to hone my rummaging skills and I almost always find fabulous treasures when I go. Though I’m with you on the undies thing, PK. You’ve gotta be pretty hard up to buy somebody’s used drawers.

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  17. PK, google used/dirty panties, it’s scarry.

    I love the Sally Ann, as I said in another bitch they get the majority of my charity money.

    You can also get a clean, pressed shirt, for less than the cost of dry-cleanig.

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  18. Yeah. I gave up on these stores because the condoms I purchased were used. So I told my wife not to get her panty liners there. Did I go too far with this?

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  22. How do they know it’s a return? Couldn’t you just pick up some shirts at Matthew 25 and then flog then off on some 2nd hand store as a return? Could make a few bob that way.

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  23. Suckulicious, dahlin’, are you saying that PK would see you when she google dirty panties?? And there’s the suckster, 4th hit under “dirty panties”…. excellent!

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  25. You know how Japan has wicked vending machines everywhere? Apparently they even have a used school-girl panties vending machine!

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  26. Not surprising. There are some creepy-ass otaku out there. Also, Japan apparently has beer vending machines. That’s why the Sapporo cans we get here are so beastly.

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