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I have always been a great supporter of the Salvation Army and the excellent work that it does. Whenever I am looking for anything in the line of furniture or small appliances I always try there first and I have been a regular customer and donator for many years. Imagine my surprise then when I tried to donate some unwanted furniture to the Salvation Army and was told by their pick up crew that it was not up to their required standards and as a result they refused to take the furniture. Admittedly nothing I offered was direct from a furniture showroom but I find it personally insulting that they would suggest that furniture which was in normal use until just a few days ago was not acceptable. I offered them a table and dining chairs and the table legs do need a coat of paint. I offered them a very large 3-Seater sofa with recliners at each end and they told me it was damaged – there is not one speck of damage on this item. I also had at least half a dozen other items to offer them, but they simply refused to look at them. I was even more surprised as a result of the fact that the items I was offering were in far better condition than some of the scruffy, dilapidated pieces of junk that the Salvation Army has for sale at its local branch. I would be interested to know why those pieces were acceptable and mine are not. I can only draw the conclusion that they only want perfect, pristine items which can be sold for top dollar. This makes me very sad for the many people on a very tight budget who go to the Salvation Army in the hope of finding something at a reasonable price. A table and dining chairs for $20 or $30 would have been very nice for someone even if it did need a coat of paint. A large three-seater couch for $50 would have been very nice for someone even if they did have to live with the imaginary damage. Ultimately this abysmal experience with the Salvation Army can only lead me to the conclusion that I am not only wasting my time making donations but it is also pointless for me to bother shopping there in future, as it is quite clear that everything they have to sell is going to be out of my price range. I would still like to believe that the Salvation Army has the best possible motives for everything it does, but I also believe that the organization has been very poorly served here by the driver (Phillip) and his supervisor (Jeff) who not only turned down some perfect serviceable items which could have been a great benefit to someone who needed them at a bargain price but also totally insulted and alienated a long term supporter of the organization. The saddest element in this tale of woe is that these pieces will now be either given away for free or disposed of in the garbage. This is of no benefit to the Salvation Army or to the needy people who depend on them for support. In conclusion, might I suggest to anyone reading this that you do not waste your time trying to donate to the Salvation Army. No good deed goes unpunished. If you are reading this on Facebook please pass this on to as many people as you can to save them the embarrassment of being told that their donations do not meet the supposedly high standards of the Salvation Army.
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I had a similar experience recently with the Salvation Army in Austin, Texas. I left work early to come home and wait through my designated three hour pick-up window. When the Salvation Army driver finally arrived, he told me the truck was almost full so he would only take certain items (i.e. items that could be sold for maximum value). I had gone through the trouble of scheduling an appointment and requesting sufficient room on the truck because I had several items to donate, including a bed, chair, coffee tables, a bike, children's toys, electronics and a mountain of clothing. The driver told me that he would not take some gently used items that would have been of great value to someone in need and then got into an argument with me at my house about the pick-up protocol. The Salvation Army could have sold all the items I was giving them for at least $1000, but I refused to let them take any of the items. In the end, it will probably all just be thrown away because the driver couldn't be troubled to haul away all of the items. I certainly won't be spending any of my valuable time making donations to the Salvation Army again. I'd rather just pay someone to take it to the dumpster than deal with a surly and ungrateful driver.
I had a sofa in excellent condition for pickup. When they arrived for pickup, they REFUSED to take our sofa because we have pets and they said there was probably dander in the furniture. As of today, I will NEVER make another monetary donation to the S A because of this ridiculous thinking. The sofa was free of stains, tears, no worn out spots and was virtually new. I donated the sofa to a very grateful young couple who were very thankful.
I spend my week and day today waiting on donating a sleeper couch and lazy boy recliner.. it was rejected for no reason other than the piping came loose at a small secition of the arm. then they proceeded to go over the couch and not having seen anything after 3 minutes said they could not pick that up either. I am more than angry. I go into the thrift store on Broad Street Manchester ct and my furniture is superior to what they have at the thrift store. I donate several times a year and never take the tax donation credits.. You have lost me for good. This was purely arbitrary because the men on the truck did not feel like transporting furniture. I called the office and heard the manager laughing at the men on the truck making fun of my objections to the rejection. I do not think it is funny, I have been treated rudely and Salvation Army is not going to ever get a donation or kind word from me again.
I have had the same experience in Columbus, OH. Wasting my time as a surly driver ran around taking pictures
of all my furnitures and making rude comments. He ran his hand over all the tops and sides of wood as though he
was hired by Martha Stewart to do a "white glove" test for dust. I was disgusted with the way this was handled.
I will never be donating to them again. All the furniture was previous in use and was in much better condition
than I ever see in there area stores. I don't know what is going on, but I felt highly insulted. Next time I'll be
donating to another charity that will appreciate it!
Yes I had the same experience in Irving Texas. I had a nice Lazy boy recliner and a sofa bed. The driver asked me if I had pets. Well yes three dogs and a cat. The sofa bed had a tiny bit of pet hair on it. Otherwise in perfect condition No tears or stains just a tiny bit of pet hair. We won't accept that. I was a bit upset and asked them to leave. They got none of my other items. I WILL NEVER CALL THE SALVATION ARMY AGAIN FOR ANY REASON.
I had a center, corner piece of a large sectional couch that did not fit in my living room so I called Salvation Army and told them it was virtually new and explained the piece (size of a love seat) and they scheduled a pick up. I got a call the day of the pick up that they refused the donation and would only accept the entire sectional. So let me get this straight, the homeless, indigents, poor they claim to serve, would not accept a new sofa? Is it that America is the only country where even the poor and homeless are snobs, or could it be the Salvation Army is not what they claim to be. I will be ignoring their Santa's ringing their bells this Christmas as they will probably only accept bills.
Been donating household items, furniture, clothes and shoes to the Salvation army in Southeast Michigan for years... never had an issue. Courteous nd good service.
This time around, we had a big move out, multiple boxes of clothes, shoes, kitchen stuff, electronics and a 1 year old couch and recliner. They came in time, startwd taking pictures of the couch and recliner... took all the boxes and specially asked for the electronics but then refused the couch. Took the recliner because it's electric. Couch is clean. No pets. No stains or tears. Good condition. I guess because of size, lifting and storing... if I knew they would be selective I would have not given the other stuff and called easter seals or some other charity that still cares about helping even if they had to do some lifting and storing heavy furniture. No more to them.
You people try to donate crap and then act like someone owes you!most likely you don't have anyone one to get the crap out of your house because your boyfriend don't wanna get his lazy self up and figure a way to handle getting the stuff gone so you call the salvation army you people complain about the same stuff nation wide!get over yourself your stuff isn't good we ain't taking it!at least I aint!
We have here Johnny with rude ignorant comment defending the SA. Probably an emplyee.
Typical rude defensive comment from an incompetent person!
Took us less than 4 minutes to get the couch out and the city picked it up the next day for free... waste of furniture that someone in need could've used.
I also had an experience with the truckers not wanting my donation. I think they are too lazy to load it on the truck. You are right about the crap they have out on the floor for sale. I looked at a rug that smelled like a cat had urinated on it for years. They want something for nothing but then get picky. I know they do good deeds and I have shopped at their stores for years. My only other complaint is sure pick some losers for store managers. Employees work hard but some of those managers just throw a bag at you to bag it yourself. I had one that treated me and talked to me like I was dirt. I had shopped there for years and years. He later got fired Hahahahah!
I actually took my like new items to the Mentor Ave Salvation Army on 12/06/19 @2:00 pm and went to back like I always do to get a receipt(audited by IRS -I keep ALL donation receipts). Smoking sleazy looking manager cops an attitude when I got out of truck and says What you got- my mouth was sore from dental surgery so I opened my tailgate and showed her . The first item was in the original box Levelor blinds- she said "we don't take those" then I was going to donate the two picture frames I had bought at this Salvation Army for $9.99 each with original Salvation Army tags on them (my prints didnt fit) and she said "we cant sell those" I tried to explain how they sold them to me- no dice- she started pointing at me and telling me everything had to be "floor ready". At this point I shut the tailgate and gave her the same point back at her -yes I admit it was with my middle finger) and told her she wasnt getting my donations. Headed to Goodwill-they took everything, thanked me and I got my receipt. I was in the Goodwill store and I actually saw them putting out my items with a $12 sticker on them. I also know the Salvation Army in New orleans charges the homeless $10 to stay in their facility.
Three sofas and perfect/new table from IKEA barely used - the table was "wobbly" according to them, which was not true. The sofas - which we had been using until last week - were "faded" and therefore not acceptable. I'm sorry, but they could have sold each of these items for at least $50 for people who really need the stuff, so why wouldn't they do so? Makes no sense. Done with them.