Twice Around the Closet

Worst consignment experience time and time again! Don’t know why I kept coming back. The salespeople were usually indifferent, and cold. With the exception of one, who I believe is named Bev. The owner of the store actually confessed her inability to turn away sweet old ladies with out of style clothes, so there was no particular focus. The prices are quite high compared to Seattle, where I live. The «designer» clothing rack is full of general name brand items. I would bring items to this store when I came to visit family. I brought lots and lots of stuff in, many designer jeans, boutique clothes and many items brand new with tags. My clothes were often used in the displays, and I was complimented on the quality of stuff I brought in. When I would check back I would have $ 3 or $ 5, never enough to bother «requesting a check that would me mailed out in a couple of months». I probably walked away with a total of $ 25 after a whole year of consigning with them. The last time I went in, I inquired about a pair of Chanel sunglasses I had consigned. The employee couldn’t find any record of them! She just said «They must have sold» As usual, I had about $ 4 on my account, which didn’t make sense. I had seen the sunglasses in the case the last time I was in. I can only imagine what other items «disappeared»!The most insulting part is that they CHARGE a $ 5 annual consigning fee. She even had nerve to ask me for it after I complained about the other things! Another annoying thing is the weekly item limit. You can only bring 12 items a week. A baby onesie is one item, and so is an evening gown. If you have a car full of awesome, current, in season, boutique clothes, you can only leave 12. If you have a box of ugly old lady blouses, you can leave 12. Don’t waste your time here! The store was way better when Linda’s Consignment was there. I may seem unforgiving, but I worked in a consignment store for years. I know how to provide a great customer experience, how to focus on a market and how to be accountable for the items that are accepted. I guess I kept coming back because I felt bad for this little store. Each time I came in, the rotten feeling in my stomach just grew and grew. Since then I have been taking my stuff to Buffalo Exchange, and I’ll walk away with almost $ 50 for the 12 items I would leave with this place. Such a joke! If you have good quality, stylish clothes, take them somewhere they will be appreciated!

Missing the mark.
The Good: Cute store, personable staff, great deals on some adorable things!
The Bad: Too risky as a consignor. My clothes were «lost» in the system and so I got nothing (aside from an apology and an offer to refund the $ 5 consignor fee).
Not too happy.

This story does have a happy ending.
I walked to this second had store to see if they still had two items I had been thinking about. I was excited to see that they still had them. The two items were large. I said to April, I will purchase the item that was placed behind the counter and also the other item that was hanging off the wall. She gave me a look as if it was not her job to get the item that was hanging. Unfortunately for me I was holding my 1 yr old son and it was too high up to reach without tumbling over things. As she was preparing to ring me up, I told her that I had walked to the store and that I would appreciate if she could hold it for me until I get the car. Things took a turn. She asked me if I was going to pick the items up today. I was kinda surprised she asked me this. I said yes, at the latest in the morning. She then began to tell me that it can’t be possible to hold and that it was too long for them to hold it. She then began to point at all the consignment items that people were bringing in and told me there was no room. She then told me that people always put things on hold and never return to get them. I then asked her how can I not come back, that I was actually purchasing these items? That how can I not come back for them? She then told me that there is a lady that does it all the time and has them hold it for weeks. So at this point I didn’t want to listen to her anymore. I asked her to ring me up. She stood there looking at me and said «Ooookayyy». Then turned around and did her cash register thing… In the end, I was not sure if the transaction was completed and I asked her if I was all set. She then responded to me, in the same sinister tone and look she had with me the whole time, that I surely was. In all my years shopping consignment I have never been treated that way by a sales clerk.
Since then, I spoke to the owner Linsdey. She really made things better just by talking to her. She was sincere and concerned that I would not return as a customer and apologized. She explained to me what was going on and I found out ending in a more positive experience because of her. I was impressed in how she handled it.