A thrift store should be the last place to put one over on a customer. A Redditor shared a frustrating example to the r/ThriftStoreHauls subreddit, where a thrift store seemingly priced a pair of heavily scuffed-up J.Crew shoes inappropriately.
The first photo showed the flats listed at $24.99, which feels somewhat steep for second-hand. Worse, the second photo showed the soles revealing lots of wear and tear. The OP shared that this sort of scheme isn't new to them, titling the post, "I'm getting really tired of this."
"I'm sure you can get these brand new for a similar price," they shared. "Money is tight and seeing this at thrift stores is really discouraging."
Users shared their frustration in the comments.
"Thrift stores aren't what they used to be," one remarked.
There was some immediate pushback to that notion with a poster pointing the finger at some thrifters themselves.
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"I mean, this sub is mostly people posting great deals, and more than a few of the people here are resellers," a Redditor theorized. "It's its own cycle."
It's unclear in this case whether that was the root cause, but it's worth pointing out that price gouging is an outlier for most thrift store experiences. Many shoppers can land great deals on shoes like the OP was hoping to, and an array of other items like coveted household goods.
Unscrupulous sellers aside, thrifting is frequently a win-win for consumers and the planet. Shoppers get to land bargains on still-good everyday items, and occasionally even get a really rare and valuable one. Meanwhile, buying these goods keeps them out of overfilled, planet-heating landfills.
Those good experiences can make it even more frustrating when a thrift store might take advantage of customers' expectations and sneak in high prices or damaged items. Experiences like the OP's can hurt shoppers and the environment alike if it turns off would-be customers.
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 Redditors chimed in on the thrift store's faux pas.
"I'm so glad the thrift store I frequent isn't like this.. they have a blanket price on everything no matter the brand," one lucky thrifter shared.
"I own these d'Orsay flats in two colors from J.Crew and I paid that or less when they were on clearance," another user shared.
A baffled user wrote: "I can understand this price at a consignment shop…. But a thrift store?!"
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