NEW 2 YOU -Shocker-Consignment Boycott Request
 

Most of you know me. I love everyone but you tell me what you think of this story.
One day my girlfriend took me to 'the Villages New 2 You consignment shop' on the corner of 466/ 441 yellow building. It seemed ok when I was with her. I had to really look to find something because it was more like low end thrift store. I found a pair of new golf shoes for about $36.
Not owning a pair of golf shoes yet, I'm not sure if they fit, I asked, "what is you policy". The girl said, " If you just bring them back, we will reconsign them". When I got home I realized they were not brand new as represented and they strangly falling apart at the rim. I took them back the next day. I week later I went in alone and looked around trying to be nice. They followed me around as if I was going to steal something. I asked if they sold, she said no then I left. Upset I went back and asked what price she put on them, she said $19, realizing they had already stuck me for $36, they were scamming me, I said what they were doing was not fair.Then started calling me a nasty person and said they were going to turn their backs to me. "I said this is the Villages , You can't treat people like this here". The so called owner said we have enough nice people we don't have to talk to her. She started talking in third person. They turned their backs to me, They took the shoes threw them in the garbage can in front of me. I said you have stole over $30 from me. They just igoned me. I said I would write about them in The Talk of the Villages , ,she acted like this was some kind of a rag that held no weight in The Villages. This place needs an attitude ajustment.
The clothes are dirty, they are old, beat up, over priced, the help appear to be RACIST by the way the watched my every move. I am appauled and insulted. I would like the state of Florida to investigate their business practices. These sorts don't deserve the opportunity to have the privilage to have our business. The fact that I took a pair of jeans in to the fitting room and it had some old written notes in the pocket, and a blouse that had someone hair all over ( I did not try it on ) that they do not have sanitary rules about clean clothes being brought in matches their rudeness the owners and workers. What can we do? They should not get away with this. Please help. I do have proof. When I bought the golf shoes, I took them over to Marie Rose Consignment to look at them before I returned them to New 2 You. She said there was definately something defective with thie lining on the ridge and she would not even carry them let alone sell them to an unsuspecting customer like they did to me for the $36. Ofcourse I did not share the story of what happen with Marie Rose I just told her I bought them new somewhere. I did not want to gossip. I just respect her and hold her opinion in high regard. So there you have it. New 2 you scamed me from the begining and for all I know picked them out of the garbage and is still trying to scam more people, reselling them again. It seems like they is not bottom to the lowest point that they will go. They are botom feeders. I could not get over the greed. I am not sure they are even in the Villages district since the road cut their entrance to the parking lot off. Who are these people? Does anyone know their history?:confused:

I can't believe they sold you defective shoes, and wouldn't refund your money, but expect you to re-consign them. If they are defective as you describe, why would they try to sell defective goods??? And then they throw them in the garbage?? I feel your pain. Not sure what else you can do but avoid the place. You have to wonder how some of these places stay in business with their customer service skills (or lack of).

I went in there once, did not have a good feel for the place. I have no intention of returning. Sorry they treated you so badly, there is no excuse for that. It sounds from you email that they did not fully explain their return policy.

Thank you-Defective goods and their lack of kindness
 

- I was hoping that when the owner:wave: laughed at me saying I would put this story on the Talk of the Villages like this was a stupid little paper at least some people wouls hear of their lack of graciousness.

I am sorry that you had such a bad time. I am really upset for you that you felt racism.

I am not familiar with resale clothing stores but I sure have visited and bought from Bargains and Treasures a lot and they seem able to pick and choose what they sell and I have encountered only clean things that look almost new. I assumed you couldn't return stuff from a resale shop, but they told you that you could so they should have taken them back. I know that when you place something for resale that you only get a portion of the price, so were they going to sell them again for $36 and you were to get $19?

New golf shoes frequently cost over a hundred dollars so the price was a bargain if they hadn't been defective.

They explained the return policy fine, the problem was they should not of sold the item in the first place. it was falling a part. It was more of a buyer beware thing. I understand what you mean about not feeling good when you walk in. I had a funny feeling when walked in but dismissed it. Just another reason why girls should shop together.

Thank you, No you don't understand. I bought the shoes for $36 but the lining was detererating so at $1 they were worthless which they had to Know and did know. The next day when I took them back they said they would to resell them to someone else. I figured out that they knew what was wrong when they put a price tag on them for $19 more . They were going to scam someone else for $19. They refused to give me my moeny back. New 2 You were scaming everyone. They sole $36 from me and god know who else from those supposed new golf shoes. Bargains an Treasures is an honorable company(that doesn' sell clothes) had they though they, like Marie Rose, they would not have tried to scam anyone.I hope this helps.

You can file an online complaint with better business bureau. You might not get any satisfaction but can at least get their attention. There is also seniors vs crime but they tend to deal with more formal written contractual issues.

For future reference, there is a great discount golf shoe store up near Ocala. Some golfing friends have gone there, and they've gotten brand new $110 Footjoy shoes for around $50. They're like last year's models, so still current, but marked way down. I don't know the exact location, but when I find out I'll post.

Well, TOTV may be a lowly rag to them, but there's enough readers here to get the message. Thanks for the head's up. Maybe we should all call New 2 You and let them know we won't be doing business at their shop and why and where we heard about them. Might get a very large message across!

I'm sorry this happened, though. The honorable thing, of course, would have been to refund your money and contact the original owner of the shoes and explain why they couldn't be sold. However, it doesn't sound like honor is part of their vocabulary.

First, let me say that I read TOTV every day, although I seldom post. However you are not a familiar name to me, so, no, I don't know you.

Sorry, I don't buy this story.

Did you not try the shoes on? Did you not LOOK at what you were purchasing?

You were at a consignment store where they sell new/used items, so it's "buyer beware".

This sounds like "buyer's remorse" to me.

I have never been in this particular thrift store, so I can't comment on the cleanliness or the attitude of the sales staff, and certainly didn't witness what you say about them following you around...but I think since you didn't get your way, you're pulling out the race card. And that's not fair. Perhaps it was more your attitude than your color.

I have my fire-proof suit on. Let the flaming begin....

Two sides to every story. Worked with owner and staff many many times.(I buy clothes for the homeless)and they have been wonderful. Couldn't be nicer.

Wondering about krash's rudeness in calling you a liar when he has no first hand knowledge of this and doesn't know you, and then is asking for people to fight with him. Very strange.

Sorry about your bad experience.

Thanks for the head's up about this store. It is appreciated.

krash -- I know the OP personally. She really is a very sweet lady. I truly can't imagine her lying about her experience nor pulling the race card for no reason. Mind you, she didn't say they were being racist, just that she felt she was being overly watched. I've seen this happen in many smaller stores when people of color are there. It is wrong and ugly and that it is still being practiced is a downright shame.

And, yes, there are always two sides to every story, but the fact is these were defective shoes, not just shoes that didn't fit. Should she have examined them more closely while there? Maybe, but it could have had a temporary fix that wouldn't show up until there was some use (probably by the original owner so that they could be sold, not by the store). Regardless, the real and perceived treatment felt by VV is enough to insure that I will not be shopping there.

Richie --- I am not calling the OP a liar, I'm just saying that I don't quite buy this entire story. I think she is slamming a business unfairly by saying they are racist. Why didn't she say that she was watched because she was "young" or "beautiful"?

Again, it all boils down to this: didn't she LOOK at what she was buying? Why is the store responsible for her bad judgement in the purchase of these shoes? Were they supposed to stick their feet in the shoes to make sure they were wearable? NO!!

krash, as much as I hate to, I have to agree with you. When buying anything used always look it over carefully. Especially when it seems to be to "good a deal" to start with.

I also have to agree with the OP, for I have seen this happen more than once. I am sorry that this happened to you and thank you for letting us know about the business practices of this outfit. Being a so called minority, I don't think that I will be visiting their establishment.

krash...got to agree with you. This is not a WALMART.......its a consignment store selling new/used items. Nothing more than a big yard sale! My question is.... if the shoes were as the OP described...why would you buy them for $35? Before I give something up for consignment, I normally ask what price they will assign. Also it sounds like they followed their return policy (although somewhat shady)when they told you if you return an item they would reconsign them....never told you at what price.

What is not right, is when the Consignment shop tossed the shoes in the trash ...why would they do that....simply pack them up and hand them back to the person that brought them in. No viable business owner should deal with a customer in that fashion.

This wasn't Target or J C Pennys......it was a consignment/thrift store. Let the buyer beware.

Guys, Give the lady a break! She said the shoes were represented as being new. It is only natural to want to trust.

This would not be the first small business that totally blows its opportunity for success by poor and/or unskilled management.

I am with you,"Give the lady a break", She was given a hard time.She seen something that was wrong and she let us know about. Lighten up.

I have to admit that I had all the same thoughts as krash, but not knowing TVV (TheVillagesVilla) and never experiencing "New 2 You" or knowing their side of the story, I decided to give TVV the benefit of the doubt and not post anything instead of expressing what I was thinking. I now feel better for having used a little discretion and not having made the post in light of what Redwitch had to say!

Then why did you buy them? And then try to re-consign them? You're trying to pass on these defective shoes to someone else?

Funny, that's what I was thinking, too.

She bought them because she did not expect a problem with the condition, only the functionality. Once she discovered the defects, what would you consider her options...eat the purchase price to save someone else from the same dilemma? That seems unfair. The only rational and fair solution was for the store to have refunded her purchase price and then notify the consignor that the item was unacceptable for sale. The store had absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. No cost in the product and increased consumer goodwill.

My thoughts exactly.

Golf America is the name, rt. 484 off of I-75
 

also golf store next door!

Hello,

My name is Smoki Whitney, manager of NEW 2 U Consignment Boutique in Lady Lake, Fl. I do not live in The Villages, nor is our store located in The Villages, but a loyal customer of ours called us this morning to let us know about this posting. She thought the best thing to do would be to come on and leave our side of the story as it actually happened.

The woman who wrote this article (I will with hold her name) came in with a friend of hers. I am the person who is at the front desk and I am the one who sold her the shoes. (I was also here when she brought them back in.) As she was shopping around, she brought items up and was asking for discounts. The owner, Regina, informed her that it is not fair to our customers who bring the items in to discount them when they have just come in. The 'like new' golf shoes (that looked like they had never been worn-no dirt on the bottom in the cleats) that are in question, the owner said she would be willing to discount because there was a small tear in the back of the shoe (where you put your foot in). The highest our golf shoes ever are marked are $29, so she did not pay $36 like she stated and we did discount them even further. She said they were a smaller size than she wears, but they fit her when she tried them on. I made sure she really wanted to buy them and explained very clearly that she could not return or exchange anything. This has been our store policy since the day we opened and we have many signs in the store that say this. She asked if she could bring them back and reconsign them if she found they actually didn't fit her like she thought. I told her we can do that for her.

When she brought them back to consign, they were in really bad shape. Due to the condition of the shoes when they were returned, we could not have put any higher price than $19 on them and even with that lower price, there is no guarantee they would have sold. Regina would not have even taken them, had we not told her we would reconsign them for her. Regina was doing her a favor in reality, and told her hopefully they would sell and she could recoop some of her money, but if they did not sell in 60 days, they would go to Habitat for Humanity. She also signed a contract stating everything we informed her on it. She knew very well what she was doing and was in no way "taken advantage" of.

When she came into our store yesterday, she brought the shoes up to me and said in a very rude manner "How come these are priced so low, when you sold them to me at such a higher price?" She barely even let me explain, when she was raising her voice accusing me of 'scamming' her and making a big scene in front of everyone in the store. Regina then came over and tried explaining to her as well, that the shoes were not in the same condition as when she bought them. She was screaming that she brought them in the very next day, but we tried to explain to her that the condition they are in, is the condition they were in when she brought them back in. She wouldn't hear it and kept talking over us, so Regina asked if she would like the shoes back and when she said "absolutely not", Regina threw them in the garbage. (Where they stayed by the way.) She then started threatening us and saying she would go on talk of the town and Regina said exactly what the woman said she said, "We have enough nice people shopping with us that we don't need her business." At the point when she started threatening us and accusing us of "scamming her" Regina told me to ignore her because there was nothing we could say or do to make her happy.

We are very fair here, having been in business for 5 1/2 years. We have over 4,000 clients in our database and have so many wonderful, sweet and loving customers. Anyone who comes in here, knows we strive for great customer service and practices. We were the #1 consignment store in Lake and Sumter counties two years in a row and #2 the other two years, that doesn't just happen, without the great customers we have and the great job we are doing.

As for the comment about our "dirty" clothes, we may miss a spot or two out of the 100+ items we take in everyday, inventory, tag, and hang on the racks in one day. We only wish we had the staff to follow people around, we are so very busy in here, with everyone having their individual duties to accomplish. We love all of our customers and treat everyone the same, as far as "racist' goes, that is so funny. I'm married to a Mexican and we have a Jamaican working for us, we are the farthest you will ever see to anything racist. We have people of all nationalities coming in here and we certainly do not follow anyone around. These comments are completely untrue and I believe are just to get a rouse, there are no backing to them whatsoever. We are honest, hardworking people and every single day we hear from so many people that our store is beautiful, clean, "one of the nicest consignment stores I've ever been in". She was very rude and upsetting when she came in here with a chip on her shoulder, I'm 7 months pregnant and she brought me to tears because of the way she acted in here towards me.

Had she come in and asked to speak to the owner in private, and expressed her frustrations in a nice manner, we would have responded in kind. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to respond to this and hear our side of the story. Please feel free to come in and see for yourselves whether we are as this woman says.

Definitely Won't Shop There
 

I'm sorry you had such a lousy experience... And foolish of the owners to think that one bad complaint is echoed around and around.. I haven't counted how many people have read your post yet, but the word will get out and there will be another empty building soon. Karma....

Well, there is another side to this lopsided discussion. It is so rude for people to take one side without listening to the other. Some people here should be ashamed of themselves. Making judgements while only hearing one side is disgraceful and I see it all the time on this forum.
I have lost alot of respect from some big many-time posters here.

:agree:

New2You.....thanks for you comments and first hand knowledge of what happened from your perspective.

New2u... I also thank you for coming on here to tell the story from your perspective.

A totally objective observer of this whole incident would probably agree with a little bit of what both you and the OP said.


Perception and perspective are in the eyes of the beholder...there probably is no absolute true/false, only perception.


Each reader can take from this thread what they may and make their shopping decisions accordingly.

new 2 u
 

I have shopped at new 2 u for a couple of years and have NEVER had any problems there. The owner and her employees have always been gracious, helpful and friendly and it IS a consignment shop so one knows that one is buying used merchandise for less than retail prices and the policy is posted "NO RETURNS" which is the policy in all consignment shops where I have shopped.
Before you buy anything in any used merchandise shop, you need to check it out, try it on, and assure yourself that it is what you want.
A store cannot be blamed if the item purchased is not up to your standards if you did not check it.
New 2 u does attempt to only re-sell good, clean merchandise though I am sure that occasionally people try something on leaving makeup on the collar or perhaps even ripping a seam or ruining a zipper but that is not the store's fault if the item is purchased with these problems.
I am upset since I think that this could have been handled in a more diplomat fashion rather than lashing out and attempting to boycott a good business. Do any of these other respondents shop at new 2 u?? I want to hear from some of their other customers.

New2U is wonderful business!
 

My experience at New2U has been nothing but positive. The clothes are NOT dirty - I have bought hundreds of $$ of items there and not one of them was in less than wearable condition. The staff are courteous, helpful, and the return policy is very clear (and is the same as policies in other consignment stores where I shop, both here in The Villages area and further afield.) I am disturbed that a shopper there would make these baseless allegations against a store that is totally oriented towards customer satisfaction. Moreover, the clerk who was harangued by this sourpuss customer is the nicest person I have come across in a retail setting in a long time, who is 7 months pregnant but whose pleasant demeanor, helpfulness and attentiveness to customers continues to be unflagging. I say shame on this person for her baseless and nasty accusations against a business that is run honorably and in the best tradition of small retail stores.

Thank you for taking the trouble and time to respond. I live in TV and had never heard of your business until I read the post. I suppose you could thank her for the free advertisement because I'll be checking you out now. ; )

There's two sides to every story.......

Smoki?

Can you tell us where you are? I know I would like to come and visit your store. Do you have things like lamps and vases and books and accessories? I have a new house and I need things like that.

Kind regards,
Gracie

Has anyone noticed...
 

There were four replies from TVV before New2U wrote her side of the story. Think it's a coincidence she got real quiet?

Thanks Smokie for giving us your side of story. Didn't know about your store til this thread started but now will be sure to find it and stop in so I can judge for myself.

Guess what struck me the most is when you are selling 2nd hand clothes and everyone knows they are used and no refunds...people on this thread saying there should be a refund ????
Any consignment anything (antiques or anything) has a no refund policy. You know these products are used. You know there is no refund. If you want new with a chance for a refund-go to a regular store.
Said it before and I will say it again. These people are real sweethearts. So sorry such sweet people had to be treated to this. Worked with them before and will work with them again.